Week of March 8th

Chicken Braised with Potatoes and Pine Nuts

Cook Time: 1 3/4 hours | Servings: Yield 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
2 white or yellow onions, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
8 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled and left whole
⅔ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus more if needed
3 tablespoons pine nuts
4 dried bay leaves
4 whole cloves (or a pinch of ground cinnamon)
Pinch of saffron (optional)
1 pound baby potatoes, washed and halved
3 ounces kale, stemmed, leaves thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley, plus more for serving

Directions:
In a Dutch oven large enough to hold the chicken in one layer, heat the olive oil over high until shimmering. Season chicken pieces on the skin side with salt and pepper, then lay them in the pan, skin-side down. Adjust the heat so they sizzle but do not pop or scorch. Cook until skin is deeply browned and comes away easily from the pan, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add onions, celery and garlic to the fat in the pot, season with salt and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Deglaze with the wine and vinegar. Stir in 1/2 cup water, pine nuts, bay leaves, cloves and saffron (if using). Return the chicken pieces to the pan, and nestle them into the liquid, skin-side up.
Cover tightly and let cook undisturbed over the lowest possible heat until cooked through, about 45 minutes.
Add the potatoes, then add more water until the liquid barely covers the potatoes. If in doubt, use less; you can always add more. Cover again and cook another 20 minutes.
When ready to serve, gently reheat. Taste the cooking liquid and season with salt, pepper and a drop more vinegar if needed. Stir in the kale and simmer, uncovered, until completely cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in butter and parsley and serve, sprinkling each serving with more parsley.

This recipe takes a solid 90 minutes to make (most of that time is passively braising)- so don't put this off until 30 minutes before dinner time.

I make a couple mods on this dish: I use only 1 onion (slice it thin, preferably on your Benriner super slicer) and I do boneless thighs (lets say around 1.75 to 2 lbs) cause I don't want to mess around with bones later.

Saffron costs a fortune, but it's worth it IMHO. A pinch of saffron goes a long way- don't overdo it.

I buy single serving 4 packs of crappy white wine to keep on hand for situations just like this where I dont want to open a whole bottle.

Coconut Saag

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 green cardamom pods or ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (freshly ground is best)
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound mustard greens, tough ends trimmed and greens roughly chopped, or fresh baby spinach (10 to 12 cups)
1/2 lime, juiced
1 small Indian green chile, serrano chile or Thai bird’s-eye chile, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (such as Morton)
1 (13-ounce) can coconut milk
1 (12-ounce) block extra-firm tofu or 1 (8-ounce) package paneer, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafetida (optional, but really fantastic)
1/4 teaspoon red chile powder, such as cayenne or Kashmiri
Rice or roti, for serving

Directions:
In a large, deep pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the vegetable oil. Once it shimmers, add the coriander and cardamom and toast the spices until fragrant and starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
Add the mustard greens, a large handful at a time, and cook until just wilted and still bright green. Don’t overcook the greens!
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lime juice, chile and salt. Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend into a chunky paste. Return the mixture to the same pan over low heat. Stir in the coconut milk, then gently stir in tofu. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes more, until the tofu is warmed through and has soaked up some of the sauce.
While the tofu cooks, in a small pan or butter warmer over medium-high heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the cumin seeds, and once they start to brown and dance around in the pan, about 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the asafetida, if using, and red chile powder.
Pour the coconut oil mixture over the saag, and serve with rice or roti.

If I have been sending you recipes in the past couple of years I have almost certainly sent you this one. It's a staple here in the Jahtreats household. Even though I have an immersion blender (flex) and it's very convenient for mixing soups, I make this sauce with the coconut milk in a blender cause it makes it creamier and purees the greens better.

A pound of greens looks like a lot. But relax- it all wilts down to a very manageable amount.

I was curious and bought some asafetida from Amazon, but honestly, I would say it's not worth the effort. The dish is 99.9% as good without it.

Mongolian Beef

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound flank steak
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon mirin
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
6 medium cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
8 to 10 whole dried red chiles, such as Tianjin or chile de árbol, or 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, to taste
6 scallions, trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
4 cups steamed jasmine rice

Directions:
Using a sharp knife, slice the flank steak in half lengthwise, then slice each piece crosswise against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Place in a medium bowl and add 2 teaspoons soy sauce and the sesame oil; toss until coated. Let marinate for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons water, brown sugar, mirin, white pepper, if using, and remaining 4 teaspoons soy sauce. Set aside.
Sprinkle the cornstarch over the beef and toss, making sure each slice is completely coated but there are no large clumps.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or large (12-inch) well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the beef in an even layer. (This might need to be done in 2 batches.) Do not touch the beef until the edges become slightly crispy and brown, 30 to 60 seconds. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, flip the beef and cook until the other side is brown, another 30 to 60 seconds. The beef should not be sticking to the wok or skillet; if it is, leave it alone for 20 to 30 seconds more. Transfer the beef to a medium bowl, trying your best to leave as much oil as possible in the wok. If cooking a second batch, repeat browning, adding another 1 tablespoon of oil if necessary.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, ginger, garlic and chiles. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to move everything around until the ginger is slightly cooked, about 1 minute, being mindful that nothing burns. Add the scallions and the cooked beef, plus any collected juices, to the wok; mix well.
Pour in the Shaoxing wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until mostly evaporated, about 30 seconds. Give the reserved soy-mirin mixture a good whisk, then add it to the wok. Toss with the wooden spoon until everything is well combined and the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve alongside steamed rice.

Once again, another Jahtreats household favorite. Chile de arbols are easy to find in the latin section of your grocery store, but are quite spicy. You can keep things under control by throwing them in, but not tearing them open and letting the seeds get out.

Arugula and Walnut Pesto

Ingredients:
3 ounces (about 4½ packed cups) arugula leaves
1 medium clove garlic
3 ounces (about ¾ cup) toasted walnuts
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about 1 cup)
2 sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest and 2 teaspoons juice (from 1 lemon)
½ cup olive oil
16 oz pasta
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Add the arugula, and garlic to the boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain, immediately transfer to the ice bath, and let cool completely.
2. Drain the arugula and garlic and transfer to a clean dish towel or triple layer of heavy-duty paper towels. Wrap tightly and squeeze out all the excess liquid.
3. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor, add the nuts, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, and oil and process until a paste is formed, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I know we made pesto last week. Whatever. I like pesto. We probably have sun dried tomatoes leftover from last week's pesto- let's put them to work.

The recipe doesn't expressly say this, but you cook the pasta in the same pot of boiling water you used for the arugula. Also- lettuce like this usually comes in 5oz bags or boxes, use all 5oz. It's totally fine.

Thin-Crust Pizza

Servings: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
3 cups (16 1/2 ounces) bread flour, plus more for work surface (see note)
2 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ⅓ cups ice water (about 10 1/2 ounces) (see note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for work surface
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
Sauce
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and liquid discarded
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Cheese
1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup) 8 ounces whole milk mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups) (see note)

Directions:
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Our preferred brand of whole-milk mozzarella is Sorrento Galbani. You can shape the second dough ball while the first pizza bakes, but don't top the pizza until right before you bake it. If you don't have a baking stone, bake the pizzas on an overturned and preheated rimmed baking sheet. It is important to use ice water in the dough to prevent overheating the dough while in the food processor. Semolina flour is ideal for dusting the peel; use it in place of bread flour if you have it. The sauce will yield more than needed in the recipe; extra sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to a month.
FOR THE DOUGH: In food processor fitted with metal blade, process flour, sugar, and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds. With machine running, slowly add water through feed tube; process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough stand 10 minutes.
Add oil and salt to dough and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of workbowl, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove dough from bowl and knead briefly on lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into tight ball and place in large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
FOR THE SAUCE: Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to medium bowl or container and refrigerate until ready to use.
TO BAKE THE PIZZA: One hour before baking pizza, adjust oven rack to second highest position (rack should be about 4 to 5 inches below broiler), set pizza stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart; cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray; let stand for 1 hour.
Coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and place on well-floured countertop. Using fingertips, gently flatten into 8-inch disk, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Using hands, gently stretch disk into 12-inch round, working along edges and giving disk quarter turns as you stretch. Transfer dough to well-floured peel and stretch into 13-inch round. Using back of spoon or ladle, spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in thin layer over surface of dough, leaving 1/4-inch border around edge. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan evenly over sauce, followed by 1 cup mozzarella. Slide pizza carefully onto stone and bake until crust is well browned and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pizza halfway through. Remove pizza and place on wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat step 5 to shape, top, and bake second pizza.
TOPPING TIPS: We like our Thin-Crust Pizza simply dressed with tomato sauce and handfuls of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan, but additional toppings are always an option--provided they're prepared correctly and added judiciously. (An overloaded pie will bake up soggy.) Here are a few guidelines for how to handle different types of toppings:
HEARTY VEGETABLES Aim for a maximum of 6 ounces per pie, spread out in a single layer. Vegetables such as onions, peppers, and mushrooms should be thinly sliced and lightly sautéed (or microwaved for a minute or two along with a little olive oil) before using.
DELICATE VEGETABLES AND HERBS Leafy greens and herbs like spinach and basil are best placed beneath the cheese to protect them or added raw to the fully cooked pizza.
MEATS Proteins (no more than 4 ounces per pie) should be precooked and drained to remove excess fat. We like to poach meats like sausage (broken up into 1/2-inch chunks), pepperoni, or ground beef for 4 to 5 minutes in a wide skillet along with 1/4 cup of water, which helps to render the fat while keeping the meat moist.

OK. I know this is a very wordy, detailed dive into making pizza, but I take making pizza very seriously, and this method took things to the next level for me. Ultimately, this is not a time-consuming process, but it's hard to master.

The biggest thing is to make the dough chilled as described, and letting it rise in your fridge for 36 hours. This alone will improve the quality of your pizza by 2x. It also distributes the work load. For Thursday pizza, I make the dough Wednesday AM before I go to work. It takes like 15 minutes.

Also, shredded whole milk mozzarella is harder to find than its part skim brethren, but tastes way better.

I make a slight variation on the baking process- I heat my stone @500 degrees for an hour while the dough rises, and when I sling the pie in the oven, I turn the oven off and turn on the broiler. Watch this closely- it should only need 5 to 7 minutes to do its thing. This will get you something very close to a wood fired oven with a slightly charred, airy crust.