Chef offers favorite braising recipes
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Chef James Gillespie of the Sunset Grill enjoys comfort foods, among them braised meats, and finds that they're easy on the kitchen staff, too. At this time of year, he generally has at least one braise on the menu. Here are a couple of his favorites.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
He makes the first one with veal cheeks, a tough but flavorful boneless cut. Veal cheeks are the darling of high-end chefs across the country, but we've been unable to find a source of this cut for the Hawai'i home cook. Luckily, Gillespie says, the dish is great with bone-in chicken thighs.
Home cooks in Hawai'i may not be able find veal cheeks to braise and serve with linguine, but chicken thighs will work, too.
To prepare either of Gillespie's dishes below, you need either an oven-safe pan large enough for all ingredients (a Dutch oven is ideal) or you can saut3 the ingredients in a frying pan and then finish in a casserole dish. The recipes assume you're using a large, heat-proof pot. If you're using the saute/casserole method, transfer all ingredients to the casserole after deglazing the saute pan.
Braised Chicken Thighs with Olive, Tomato, Capers and Oregano
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
1/4 cup light olive oil
Flour
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup onion, diced small
1/3 cup carrot, diced small
1/3 cup celery, diced small
1 teaspoon chopped garlic (or more to taste)
2 sprigs oregano or a pinch of dry oregano
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup sliced stuffed Spanish olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
2 cups diced tomato
4-5 cups water or broth to cover
Minced parsley
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or saute pan. While oil is heating, season chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Saute the meat in the oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Add onions, celery, carrot and garlic to the same oil and saute until translucent.
Pour white wine into the pan and deglaze — that is, stir to bring up any brown bits and then simmer, gently bubbling, until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the meat to the pan along with the oregano, bay leaf, olives and capers. Stir just to mix.
Add enough water or stock to just cover the meat (don't drown it). Bring the mixture to a simmer and cover.
Place the pot in a 350-degree oven and cook for 60 minutes or until tender. To check chicken thighs, carefully remove one from the pot and check next to the bone. Meat should not be pink or red, and juices should run clear.
Remove the meat from the pot and keep warm. Place the pot over medium heat to reduce the sauce to a medium consistency and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare one recipe of the pesto linguine (see below) and warm four shallow bowls or plates. Create a nest of linguine in each bowl or plate and place a serving of chicken atop each. Spoon sauce over. Garnish with minced parsley.
Serves 4.
• Per serving (not including salt to taste): 810 calories, 57 g total fat, 14 g saturated fat, 225 mg cholesterol, 550 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 49 g protein.
Pesto linguine
1 pound linguine
3/4 cup light olive oil
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 cup basil leaves, lightly packed
In a blender cup or food processor combine the olive oil, walnuts, Parmesan, garlic and basil. Process until smooth. Reserve.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a bowl. Toss with enough pesto to lightly coat the pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
Serves 4.
• Per serving: 880 calories, 49 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 120 mg sodium, 92 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 19 g protein.
Short ribs, cut from the tough rib-cage area of the beef, lend themselves to long, slow, moist cooking — braising is a perfect technique. If you can't find them or don't care for them, you can substitute a 2-pound chuck roast, Gillespie said. This recipe is an easy way to satisfy a barbecue craving if you don't want to fire up the grill. Use your favorite barbecue sauce for the sauce called for in the recipe
Barbecue Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Mashed Potatoes
4 (2- inch cut ) short ribs ( about 1 pound each)
1/4 cup light olive oil
Flour
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup onion, diced small
1/3 cup carrot, diced small
1/3 cup celery, diced small
1 teaspoon chopped garlic (or more to taste)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
5 cups water or broth to cover
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Pat dry the short ribs. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or saute pan. While the oil is heating, season short ribs with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Saute the short ribs in the oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and add the onions, celery, carrot and garlic. Saute until translucent.
Pour white wine into the pan and deglaze — that is, stir to bring up any brown bits and then simmer, gently bubbling, until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the meat to the wine mixture along with the bay leaf and barbecue sauce. Stir just to mix. Add water or broth just to cover the short ribs. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cover.
Place the pot in a 350-degree oven and cook for about 2 hours or until tender. Short ribs should be tender enough to cut with a fork. To check a shoulder roast, insert a small paring knife into the meat; if it releases easily the meat will be tender.
Remove the short ribs from the pot and keep warm. Place the pot over medium heat to reduce the sauce to a medium consistency and season with salt and pepper.
Serve in warmed shallow bowls or plates on a pool of creamy mashed potatoes (see below).
Serves 4.
• Per serving (not including salt to taste or mashed potatoes listed below): 770 calories, 54 g total fat, 18 g saturated fat, 135 mg cholesterol, 620 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 42 g protein.
Creamy Mashed potatoes
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup cream
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter
Salt and pepper
Gently boil the potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes and place back into cooking pot over low heat to dry them out. Add cream and butter a little at a time, whipping with a stiff whisk or masher, until creamy. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until serving.
Hint: A great way to keep mashed potatoes warm is to cover them with foil and place them in a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl in a pot large enough to hold it with some room at the sides. Fill the pot with boiling water sufficient to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the bowl. Cover the whole with a kitchen towel.
Serves 4.
• Per serving: (not including salt to taste): 380 calories, 34 g total fat, 21 g saturated fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 2 g protein.
