green lagane in chicken liver sauce

ingredients:

for green lagane (wide noodles):

3 1/2 cups flour
5 eggs
3/4 - 1 cup blanched spinach

for sauce:

chicken giblets (livers, hearts, gizzards - use more liver)
pancetta
dried porcini mushrooms
white chantrelle mushrooms
carrot
onion
garlic
parsley
bay leaf
tomato paste
white wine
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

directions:

1.  pulse the blanched spinach in a food processor until super fine.

2.  add the spinach into five beaten eggs.  mix well.

3.  mound the flour with a well in the middle on a clean, flat surface. slowly begin to incorporate the spinach/egg mixture into the well and then knead for 10-15 minutes.  wrap the dough in saran wrap and rest for half an hour or so.

4.  slice the chantrelles and soak the porcini mushrooms in some hot water.  when porcini mushrooms have reconstituted, finely chop them up and set aside.  save the porcini liquid.

5.  chop the chicken giblets.  dice the pancetta.

6.  in a large dutch oven, heat up some extra virgin olive oil over medium low heat.  cook the pancetta slowly to render its fat.  meanwhile, finely chop up the carrot, onion, and garlic.

7.  after the pancetta has rendered its fat, throw in the chopped carrots, porcini mushrooms, onions, garlic, and bay leaf.  season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.  saute for 3 minutes.

8.  stir in some tomato paste, the porcini mushroom liquid, and white wine.  bring to a boil then turn heat to medium low and simmer for 40 minutes.  season to taste.

9.  while chicken liver sauce is simmering, heat up some extra virgin olive oil over high heat to sear the chantrelle mushrooms.  season with salt and cracked pepper to taste and then set aside for garnish.

10.  using a pasta machine, roll out green pasta dough to thin sheets.  fold the sheets as you would a cinnamon roll and then slice into flat, wide noodles.  lightly toss with flour to prevent sticking.  cook the lagane in salted boiling water.

11.  after a minute or two, transfer al-dente lagane into the liver sauce to finish cooking.

to plate:  pile some lagane onto a plate.  top with additional chicken liver sauce and garnish with the caramelized chantrelles and parsley.  serve immediately.

optional: you can top the pasta with shaved parmesan or pecorino romano.  both work.

cognac mushroom spaghetti

ingredients:

crimini mushrooms

yellow onion

garlic

parsley

thyme

dark veal stock

heavy cream

sour cream
hennessy cognac

extra virgin olive oil

thin spaghetti

kosher salt

cracked black pepper

directions:

1.  boil enough salted water to cook the spaghetti. 

2.  prepare your mise en place.  slice the onion and crimini mushrooms.  finely mince the garlic and chop the parsley.

3.  heat up some extra virgin olive oil in a medium flat saucepan.  caramelize the mushrooms in batches. do not crowd the pan.  after mushrooms are caramelized, add in the onions, some garlic, and some fresh thyme.  season with salt and black pepper to taste.

4.  after onions are translucent, remove the pan from the stove and deglaze with hennessy. (3-5 shots or enough to cover the bottom of the pan)  then put the pan back on the flame and continue cooking till the alcohol has cooked out.

5.  add the veal stock and heavy cream to the mushrooms.  season with salt and black pepper to taste.

6.  when the pasta is al dente, drain, and toss in the sauce.  finish cooking the pasta in the cognac cream sauce and top with chopped parsley.  serve immediately.  you can add a dallop of sour cream on top if desired.  (not shown in picture)

chicken katsu udon

ingredients:

chicken katsu (see recipe in previous post)
dried wakame
thick seaweed
bonito flakes
shiitake mushroom
carrots
spinach
corn
scallions
soy sauce (or udon soup base)
hon dashi
mirin
canola oil

directions:

1.  prepare the udon broth by boiling thick seaweed chunks and bontio flakes with water.  add some soy sauce, mirin, and hon dashi.  throw in some carrots and shiitake mushrooms and keep warm.

2.  prepare your mise en place. blanch the spinach and set aside.  cut the corn from the cob and lightly saute in some canola oil. set aside.  (you can throw the corn cobs into the udon broth to give it more flavor if you like)  slice the scallions and reconstitute the dried wakame in water.

3.  in a separate pot, cook udon noodles and place into bowls.  do not wash the cooked udon in cold water.  top the hot udon with some spinach, corn, and wakame.  ladle piping hot udon broth into bowl.  be sure to get some carrots on shiitakes in the bowl as well.  top with chicken katsu, garnish with scallions, and serve immediately.

japanese tapas: wagyu beef nigiri, grilled maitake mushroom

ingredients:

wagyu beef- buy the super marbled
sushi rice- see recipe in "sujiki, uni, sushi rice" post
maitake mushrooms
meyer lemon
scallions
shabu shabu sauce
ponzu
olive oil
fine sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

tools:

blowtorch

directions:

1.  drizzle maitake mushrooms with olive oil, toss with salt and cracked black pepper.  place on grill. you
want it to be slightly charred for a nice smoky flavor.

2.  make sushi rice into nigiri.  you can always look at youtube to leanr how to make nigiri. practice makes
perfect. top nigiri with slices of the marbled wagyu.

3.  thinly slice scallion tips and meyer lemon for garnish. mix half parts shabu shabu sauce and ponzu together.

4.  torch the top of the beef until the top is slightly charred but still a bit rare underneath.  season with fine sea
salt and garnish with scallions.

5.  plating: place grilled maitake mushrooms on the side of a white plate. garnish mushrooms with a slice of
meyer lemon. place wagyu nigiri next to mushrooms and top beef with shabu/ponzu sauce. serve
immediately.