| Issue #41, January 19th, 2007 |
Silvia Lehrer’s Cooking Column
I first met Tom Colicchio, owner and chef of several highly regarded
New York City restaurants, when he appeared at the South Beach Food
& Wine festival, in Miami Beach a few years ago and I was awed
by how he focused on artichokes and the clever diversity of ways
to prepare them.
Cooking always seemed easy and simple to Tom Colicchio growing up
in a large Italian family. Yet Tom had no patience for recipes.
He knew at the very young age of twelve that there was more to a
recipe than to just follow it slavishly. Inspired by both his parents
and in particular his grandmother Esther Corvelli – this quest
for understanding ingredients and the proper execution of a particular
dish was no doubt the springboard for Tom’s culinary career.
Tom has an impressive roster of culinary experiences working at
some of the most upscale restaurants in the 70s, 80s and 90s and
with some of the most talked about chefs in the dining arena. He
partnered with the restaurateur Danny Meyer at Gramercy Tavern,
before moving on to his own restaurants which now include Craft,
which received the James Beard award for best new restaurant nationwide
in 2002, Craft Bar, Craft Steak and Witchcraft in New York City
as well as locations in Dallas, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Tom is
the author of the award winning book, Think Like a Chef, Random
House, and Craft of Cooking, Clarkson/Potter Publishers.
Tom’s allegiance to the South Beach Food & Wine Festival
will take him back for the 6th year, on February 23 through 25,
to participate in the annual Oceanside BubbleQ – American
barbecue with the French bubbly, Moet Chandon, along with an all-star
cast of grilling gurus, hosted by Al Roker, one of the countries
favorite “foodies.” I hope you can be there. I know
I will.
ROASTED COD
For this recipe it is best to call your fishmonger ahead of time
to order skin-on cod.
Serves 6
4 tablespoons peanut oil
6 1 1/4-inch-thick, 7 1/4-ounce skin-on cod
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme
About 1 1/4 cup salsa verde*
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Warm 2 large skillets over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons
of the oil to each. Salt and pepper the fish fillets and place three,
skin-side down, in each pan. Pan-roast the fish until the skin is
crisp and the flesh is opaque about a fourth of the way up each
fillet, for about 7 minutes. Turn the fish fillets over and reduce
the heat to medium. Add half the butter and thyme to each skillet
and cook, basting the fish with the melting butter. Cook cod (which
is best cooked through) about 5 minutes more. (The fish can alternatively
be cooked in batches, wiping the pan clean in between.) Serve with
salsa verde, if desired.
SALSA VERDE*
1 cup chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
2 anchovies minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
About 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Combine parsley, capers, anchovies and mustard in a bowl. Gradually
mix in just enough olive oil so the sauce holds together. Shortly
before serving, add the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning if
necessary with salt and pepper.
SAUTEED SWISS CHARD
I am able to purchase beautiful Swiss
chard with large stems (which cook separately from the leaves) from
local markets at this time of the year. S.L.
Serves 6
2 pounds Swiss chard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, peeled
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Trim any discolored stems or leaves from
the chard. Separate leaves from the stems, then wash both in several
changes of water. Cut the stems into 2 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Blanch
the leaves (plunge them into the water, remove them with a slotted
spoon as the water returns to a boil), refresh them in ice water
then blot dry with paper towels. Add the stems and cook until they
are almost tender, for about 3 minutes. Drain the stems, then refresh
in ice water. Set aside with the leaves.
3. Combine olive oil and garlic in a large skillet and warm over
low heat. When the garlic begins to color, add the chard leaves
and stems. Warm the chard in the garlic infused oil until it is
tender, for about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and
pepper and serve.
Recipes reprinted from Craft of Cooking, by Tom Colicchio, Clarkson
Potter/Publishers
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