Four servings
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Roasted red pepper sauce:
5 large red peppers, cut in halves
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash hot red pepper sauce
Filling:
2 tablespoons each: butter, olive oil
1 1/2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms, such as oyster, button or shitake, sliced
1 tablespoon minced shallots or green onions
Egg crepes:
8 eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper
About 2 to 3 tablespoons butter for cooking
1. To roast red peppers: Preheat broiler. Lay peppers, cut side down, on broiler pan. Broil about 4 to 6 inches from heat source until skins blister and are charred, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Put peppers into plastic or paper bag, seal tightly. Let peppers cool. 3. Remove peppers from bag. Lay peppers on cutting board, remove stems and seeds and discard them. Using tip of paring knife, peel away charred skin. Discard charred skin. Cut peppers into 1/4-inch wide strips; you should have about 2 cups.
4. For roasted red pepper sauce: Put 1 cup of the roasted red peppers, cream, 1 tablespoon tarragon, lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot red pepper sauce into food processor. Process until smooth.
5. For filling: Heat butter and oil over medium high heat in large heavy skillet. Add sliced mushrooms and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, until mushrooms give up their water and are lightly browned. Add remaining red pepper strips, cook just to heat through. Remove from heat, reserve.
6. For crepes: Put eggs, water, salt and pepper into small bowl. Whisk to blend. Melt about 1 tablespoon butter over low heat in 8-inch nonstick crepe pan. Add 1/4 cup of the egg mixture to pan. Cook just until set and top is almost cooked, about 1 minute, carefully lift edge, turn and cook other side about 30 seconds. Stack crepes between sheets of wax paper. Continue to cook in this manner until all the mixture is used. You should have 8 crepes. Loosely cover cooked crepes with foil to keep warm.
7. To assemble: Divide roasted red pepper sauce among 4 individual serving plates. Tip plate to lightly spread sauce to cover bottom of plate. Gently lay one crepe on top of sauce. Top crepe with some of the mushroom mixture. Top with a second crepe and more of the mushroom mixture. Repeat for other 3 plates. Garnish tops with remaining fresh tarragon. Serve immediately. Note: Instead of laying crepes flat on the serving plate, they may be filled and folded into quarters.
Dillon also created this open-face turkey sandwich that`s served with a homemade avocado mayonnaise. Serve the sandwich with a turkey-vegetable soup and cheesecake topped with a cranberry glaze for dessert. A light white wine or flavored mineral water goes well with this meal.
OPEN-FACE TURKEY SANDWICHES WITH AVOCADO MAYONNAISE
10 sandwiches
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 8 minutes
Avocado mayonnaise:
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, tarragon
1 to 2 dashes hot pepper sauce
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, diced
Sandwiches:
1 package (10 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3 to 4 tablespoons oil
10 large slices of leftover turkey
10 lettuce leaves
2 ripe medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1. For avocado mayonnaise, put egg yolk, lemon juice, salt, pepper, tarragon, hot pepper sauce and parsley in food processor. Pulse on and off to blend. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil through feed tube. Process until mixture is thick and lemon colored. Add avocado; turn on and off just to blend. Mixture should be well mixed but does not have to be smooth. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Roll each biscuit between floured wax paper to about a 5-inch circle. Place on ungreased baking sheet, brush lightly with oil. Bake until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven to wire rack to cool completly.
4. When cool, spread with avocado mayonnaise. Top each with lettuce leaf, sliced turkey, tomato and onion, dividing evenly.
Tribune test kitchen tasters fell in love with the following baked chicken which was adapted from New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme`s latest venture: ”The Prudhomme Family Cookbook” (Morrow, $19.95). The book is a collection of well-seasoned family recipes from Prudhomme and his 11 brothers and sisters.
BAKED CHICKEN
Six servings
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Marinating time: Overnight
Cooking time: 2 to 2 1/2 hours
1 stewing chicken, 5 to 6 pounds, see note
Stuffing:
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
Seasoning mix:
1 teaspoon each: salt, onion powder, garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon each: ground red pepper (preferably cayenne), black pepper
To finish:
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup very finely chopped onions
3/4 cup very finely chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup very finely chopped celery
3 cups rich chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (tops only)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1. Remove all visible fat from the chicken and trim the excess fatty skin from the neck area. In a small bowl, combine the stuffing ingredients, mixing well.
2. With a small knife, cut about 12 to 16 slits in the chicken all the way to the bone, to form pockets; make most of the pockets in the meatiest parts, and make each pocket about 1 inch long. (Be careful not to cut slits all the way through the cavity wall.) Fill each pocket with some of the stuffing, using it all; or rub any excess stuffing over the surface of the chicken.
3. Combine the seasoning, mix ingredients thoroughly and sprinkle the mix evenly over the chicken using it all and pressing it in by hand. Cover chicken and refrigerate overnight. Keep refrigerated until just before ready to bake. 4. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place 1/4 cup of the oil in a heavy ovenproof 8-to 10-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven with as broad a bottom as possible. Drain chicken and rub well inside and out with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Place chicken in saucepan, breast side up; cover and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.
5. Remove pan from oven and turn chicken over; return to oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Skim most of the fat (amount will vary depending on fattiness of chicken) from the pan juices. (Remove chicken from pan to make this easier to do.)
6. Turn chicken breast side up again in pan. Place the onions, bell peppers and celery around the chicken. Return pan to oven and continue baking uncovered about 10 minutes. Turn chicken over again and stir pan juices well. Add the stock and sprinkle the green onions and parsley over the chicken. Cover pan and continue baking until chicken is tender, about 1 hour more.
(Remember that a stewing chicken is not as tender as a fryer; the cooked meat will still be very firm, but it shouldn`t be tough.) Transfer chicken to a serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil; set aside.
7. Place the pan with the drippings over high heat and reduce the pan gravy to about 2 cups, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Skim fat off gravy if desired and serve immediately, spooning the gravy over carved chicken pieces.
Note: The Tribune test kitchen used a 6-pound roasting chicken in place of a stewing chicken. We reduced the cooking time by 30 minutes.
JeanMarie Brownson, The Tribune`s test kitchen director and writer of the ”Curious Cook” column, bowled us over with this refreshing beef and fresh mint salad. Unsweetened coconut milk is available canned in Oriental and Indian groceries. If it is not available, try substituting plain yogurt. Rice stick noodles and nam pla are also available in Oriental groceries. The salad makes a satisfying main course for four or a side dish for six.
VIETNAMESE BEEF AND MINT SALAD
Four to six servings
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Marinating time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
1 pound piece boneless beef chuck or sirloin, trimmed of fat
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Juice of 1 lime
1 large clove garlic, crushed
Salad:
5 ounces rice stick noodles
1 head leaf lettuce, shredded
2 tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce) or 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
Juice and pulp of 3 large limes
1 tablespoon sugar
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced
Assembly:
6 tablespoons peanut oil, about
3 green onions, minced
2 carrots, finely shredded
1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, sliced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup coarsely crushed dry roasted unsalted peanuts
1. Using a very sharp knife, slice meat as thinly as possible into pieces measuring about 3 inches square. Mix meat, coconut milk, juice of 1 lime and garlic in small non-aluminum bowl. Let marinate on the counter for about 45 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to 2 hours.
2. For salad, soak rice stick noodles in a large amount of very hot water until softened, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
3. Line a large deep serving platter with the shredded lettuce. Pile the drained noodles in center of platter.
4. Mix the nam pla or soy sauce, juice of 3 limes, sugar and minced chili in a small bowl.
5. Strain meat thoroughly, reserving the marinade. Heat a large well-seasoned skillet or wok until hot. Add the oil; heat until hot. Add the meat, a third at a time, and stir-fry until meat is browned, about 3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat to fry all meat, adding more oil to pan if needed.
6. When meat is cooked, add 1 more tablespoon oil to pan if needed. Add green onions, carrots, cucumbers and bean sprouts. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in reserved meat marinade and the nam pla and lime juice mixture; stir-fry until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in meat; stir-fry for 1 minute.
7. Spoon meat mixture and the pan juices over noodles on platter. Sprinkle with mint leaves and then with crushed peanuts. Serve immediately.
