Authors: Giada De Laurentiis
Everyday Italian (26 page)
In a Medium Bowl,
toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the red pepper flakes. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the shrimp and sauté until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a large plate and set aside. Add the onion to the same skillet and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano, and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture and toss to coat. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt to taste. Spoon the shrimp mixture into shallow bowls and serve.
in Spicy Tomato Broth
The clam and mussel soups that are specialties of Naples and the nearby coastlines inspired this recipe. I’ve added shrimp for more meatiness and dried crushed red pepper flakes simply because I like it spicy, but they’re optional. Whatever you do, be sure to serve this with plenty of crusty bread; the broth is
phenomenal
to sop up.
6 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS
| ¼ | cup olive oil |
| 5 | garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 1 | teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes |
| 1 | cup dry white wine |
| 1 | (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices |
| 24 | small littleneck clams (about 2½ pounds total), scrubbed |
| 24 | mussels (about 1½ pounds total), debearded |
| 20 | large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled, deveined, and butterflied |
| ½ | cup torn fresh basil leaves |
| Warm crusty bread, to serve |
In a Large,
wide pot, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes, and sauté until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes with their juices and simmer, stirring often, until the tomatoes begin to break down and the flavors blend, about 8 minutes. Stir in the clams, then cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the mussels, then cover and continue cooking until the clams and mussels open, about 5 minutes longer.
Using tongs, transfer the opened shellfish to serving bowls (discard any shellfish that do not open). Add the shrimp to the simmering tomato broth, and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 1½ minutes. Stir in the basil. Remove the bay leaf. Divide the shrimp and tomato broth among the bowls, and serve with the warm bread.
The trick to this dish is to be careful not to overcook the shellfish—otherwise, it will become rubbery.
Osso buco is braised veal shanks. The fabulously flavorful veal shanks are cooked for a long time, making the meat so tender that it literally falls off the bones. I’m not sure why, but I think people are afraid of this dish; maybe they’re intimidated by the unfamiliarity of veal shanks. But it’s really easy to prepare and just needs a couple of hours to cook, while the fragrant aromas fill your house and maybe even tempt the neighbors to ring the doorbell to find out what’s cooking. The perfect dish for a rainy Sunday.
Be sure to have kitchen twine available for tying the shanks.
6 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS
| 6 | 1- to 1½-inch-thick slices veal shank (about 14 ounces each) |
| 2½ | teaspoons salt, plus more to taste |
| 1½ | teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
| ⅓ | cup all-purpose flour, for dredging |
| ¼ | cup vegetable oil |
| 1 | small onion, finely chopped |
| 1 | small carrot, finely chopped |
| 1 | celery stalk, finely chopped |
| 1 | tablespoon tomato paste |
| 1 | cup dry white wine About 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth |
| 1 | large sprig of fresh rosemary |
| 1 | large sprig of fresh thyme |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 2 | whole cloves |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley |
Preheat The Oven
to 375 degrees F. Pat the veal dry with paper towels to ensure even browning. Secure the meat to the bone with kitchen twine. Season the veal with 1½ teaspoons each of salt and pepper. Dredge the veal in the flour to coat the cut sides lightly.
In a heavy roasting pan large enough to fit the veal in a single layer, heat the oil over a medium flame until hot. Add the veal and cook until brown on both sides, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer the veal to a plate and reserve.
In the same pan, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt to help draw out the moisture from the vegetables. Sauté until the onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Return the veal to the pan. Add enough chicken broth to come two thirds of the way up the sides of the veal. Add the herb sprigs, bay leaf, and cloves to the broth mixture. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan with foil and transfer to the oven. Braise until the veal is fork-tender, turning the veal every 30 minutes, about 1½ hours total.
Carefully remove the cooked veal from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut off the twine and discard. Tent the veal with foil to keep warm.
Place a large sieve over a large bowl. Carefully pour the cooking liquid and vegetables into the sieve, pressing on the solids to release as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids and return the sauce to the pan. Gently place the veal back into the strained sauce. Bring just to a simmer. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. (The osso buco can be prepared to this point up to 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Keep covered and rewarm in a 350 degree F oven until the veal is heated through, about 25 minutes.) Place one veal shank on each plate and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with the parsley and serve.
LEFTOVERS
When I’m having people over for dinner, I almost always make too much—better too much than too little, right? So the next night, I look in my fridge and see the leftovers: that leftover half-steak, or breaded veal cutlet, or small bowl of grilled seafood from my seafood salad. But do I really want to have the same meal tonight that I had last night? No. So instead of just reheating my leftovers and having dinner déjà vu, I figure out a way to use those leftovers as an ingredient in something new. The half-steak becomes a delicious steak salad, the cutlet becomes one of the best sandwiches you can imagine, and the seafood turns an ordinary side-dish risotto into a main-dish centerpiece.
The beauty of a dish like this is that you get just enough meat to feel satisfied that you’ve had a substantial meal, but you’ve actually consumed a much greater proportion of healthy greens than of red meat. Plus, it can serve four people on the budget of one steak.
4 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS
| ½ | head of romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces |
| 2 | large heads of Belgian endive, thinly sliced crosswise (about 3 cups) |
| 3 | cups fresh baby arugula |
| 12 | cherry tomatoes, halved |
| ½ | red onion, thinly sliced into rings |
| 4 | ounces Gorgonzola cheese, coarsely crumbled |
| Red Wine Vinaigrette | |
| About ¼ teaspoon salt | |
| About ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper | |
| 1 | pound leftover steak (such as New York, rib eye, or filet mignon), cut crosswise into thin slices |
In a Large Bowl,
toss the lettuce, endive, arugula, tomatoes, and onion to combine. Add half of the cheese and toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the salad equally among 4 plates and top with the steak slices. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the steak slices and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Serve immediately.
A simple, light, and versatile dressing that can be used to top any salad. The honey adds a little sweetness and rounds out the flavors.
MAKES 1⅔ CUPS
| ½ | cup red wine vinegar |
| 3 | tablespoons lemon juice |
| 2 | teaspoons honey |
| 2 | teaspoons salt, plus more to taste |
| 1 | cup olive oil |
| Freshly ground black pepper |
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and 2 teaspoons salt in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste.
This sandwich can be made with any meat prepared in the Milanese style (see
recipe
)—veal, chicken, or pork. You can use whatever ingredients you want, but the combination below tastes great.
SERVES 2
| 2 | Italian or French rolls (each about 6 inches long), halved horizontally |
| ½ | ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced |
| 2 | teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 | teaspoon balsamic vinegar |
| 1 | generous pinch of salt |
| 1 | generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 | medium tomato, sliced |
| ⅔ | cup arugula leaves |
| 1 | cooked Pork Milanese cutlet , warm or cold, cut into thin slices |
With your Fingers,
remove and discard some of the soft inner bread from the rolls, creating a shallow well in each. Divide the avocado among all 4 pieces of bread. Using a fork, mash the avocado over the bread.
In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper to blend. Add the tomato and arugula and toss to coat. Divide the arugula mixture between the 2 bottom pieces of bread, add the sliced Pork Milanese, and cover with the top pieces of bread. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.
I serve most risottos as a side dish, but this is an entrée-style risotto. With a fresh green salad and a glass of crisp Pinot Grigio, this is one of my favorite light suppers—and it’s based on
leftovers!
2 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS
| ½ | recipe Basic Risotto |
| ½ | cup (or more) chicken broth |
| 1 | to 2 cups grilled scallops and squid, from Grilled Seafood Salad |
| 2 | tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley |