WELL FED

ROASTED CORN & BARLEY SALAD WITH GRILLED ENDIVE & BASIL-CHIVE VINAIGRETTE

I'm always looking at recipes.  Whenever I come across a recipe that seems intriguing I make a mental note to myself that I will have to give it a try.  Sometimes I'll print out a copy and either file it away in an accordion file full of other recipes to try or just add it to a stack of papers on my desk (kitchen table).  Other recipes I have bookmarked, things like a goat cheese souffle with thyme, peanut mole enchiladas with braised greens, and a Catalan seafood stew.  I'm not sure why I never get around to them.  A number of them are seasonal so I'm all "I'll just save that until the summer where there are good tomatoes at the farmers' market" or whatever.  And yet, some how these recipes almost never get made.  Why am I like that?  I really need to go back and look though all these recipes to do and just go for them.  I could make a bold claim like I'm not going to make another recipe until I've made every single one I've printed out, but we all know that will never happen.  Let's just be honest.

Now, this salad I actually have made before.  Annie and I made it a couple years ago to go along with some sort of grilling or barbequeing that we were doing.  I don't recall what exactly we made, but this salad made a mark.  I've been wanting to make it again ever since.  Finally this past weekend I made it happen.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking barley
4 ears of corn, still in the husks
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 Belgian endives (about 1 lb total), trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons basil leaves sliced into a chiffonade

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Place the corn into the sink and fill with water.  Let the corn soak for 15 to 20 minutes.  Place the corn on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven.  Roast for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove form oven and when it is cool enough to handle, peel off the husks and silks and then cut the corn off the cob into a large bowl.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring 2 cups water with 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan. Stir in barley, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until barley is tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove barley from heat (when tender) and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.  Drain barley well in large sieve and add to corn in bowl.

Heat a cast iron grill pan over high heat for 10 minutes.  Brush the cut sides of the endive with a little olive oil and then place in the grill pan, cut side down.  Grill for about 5 to 8 minutes, however long it takes to get some nice dark grill marks.  Remove from the pan and cut cross-wise into 1/4 inch thick pieces.  Add the grilled endive to the corn and barley mixture.

Next make the vinaigrette.  Pulse oil, basil, chives, vinegar, lemon or lime juice, sugar, pepper, remaining tablespoon water, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor until herbs are finely chopped.

When you are ready to serve, add the vinaigrette to the corn, barley, endive mixture, tossing gently with a silicone spatula to combine.  Transfer to a serving bowl and then adorn with the sliced basil leaves.

This is a perfect summer salad.  I mean what feels more summery than corn and basil, except maybe tomatoes and peaches.  I read somewhere once that if it grows together (as in seasonal), it goes together.  Corn and basil are prime examples of that.  They are just the best of friends.  Their light freshness is balanced out by the grilled endive and the barley.  The endive's bitterness is tempered from the grilling but nicely contrasts the corn's sweetness.

It's a great salad to make for a barbeque or a cookout, but one thing to keep in mind is basil is very sensitive.  Don't add it to the warm salad or else it will turn a displeasing dark green.  In fact, I'd wait until right before serving before adding the vinaigrette.  Just to be sure.

Serves 8 or so

BROILED HALIBUT WITH GREEN OLIVE RELISH & SPICY LEMON QUINOA

My only New Years resolution was to eat fish at least once a week.  I know all about the health benefits of fish and I'm well aware of how delicious it can be, and yet I rarely make it at home.  I'm not sure why.  I really do like it.  When I do, one of my favorite ways to prepare it is with olives.  Fish and olives are the best of friends.  I came across this recipe one day while navigating my way through Martha's website.  It's from a segment she did on her show one day with guest Susie Essman, from Curb Your Enthusiasm.  It seems that Ms. Essman is allergic to gluten, so the two of them made this dish, a healthy fish on a bed of flavorful quinoa.  It's a fantastic and quick recipe, perfect for a weeknight, unlike some of the more time consuming dishes I've been posting as of late.

I've really been into looking up and comparing different versions of similar recipes and then sort of taking elements of each and combining them.  There's a recipe much like this one in the February issue of Food and Wine, however that one uses thin trout fillets and the relish also has supremed segments of lemon as well as orange in it.  Then my beloved Suzanne Goin was on Martha a while back and did grilled halibut with an olive "salsa" using, not surprisingly, Lucques olives and Meyer lemons. She served her fish with an elegant little salad of fennel, arugula and a melange of herbs including tarragon, chervil, mint and basil.  Sounds like a good idea to try for the next time.

INGREDIENTS
(for the quinoa)
1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(for the olive relish)
1 cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice or champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

(for the halibut)
1 lemon, sliced in half
4 center-cut halibut fillets (7 to 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
Place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Transfer to a medium saucepan, and pour in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until water is completely absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes (but check the package for exact cooking times)

Meanwhile in a medium bowl add the lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, cayenne, a grinding of black pepper, and olive oil.  Whisk to combine. 

Pour the cooked quinoa into the bowl with the dressing and stir until coated.  Gently fold in the pine nuts and parsley then season with salt and pepper.  This salad can be served warm or at room temperature.

Next make the relish.  In a medium bowl, stir together olives, parsley, lemon zest, and olive oil.  Done.

And finally the fish.  Preheat your broiler.  Slather both sides of the halibut with olive oil, spritz with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  Place the halibut on a rimmed baking sheet and slide under the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fish.  Mine was about 1 inch.

To serve, mound the spicy lemon quinoa on a plate, top with a piece of halibut and spoon over the green olive relish.

And my love affair with quinoa continues.  It's such a great side dish and so healthy and virtually guilt free.  The combination of the bright citrus, the smoky cumin and the spicy heat of the cayenne seemed like a surprising combination when I was making it, but they all work really well together.  Then adding in the verdant, herby parsley and the soft crunch of pine nuts make this salad light yet satisfying.  It's a great bed for the fish which in turn works so well with the briny, salty olives tossed with yet more bright lemon zest and parsley.  Lovely enough to serve to guests yet quick enough to toss together after work.

Serves 4

BRINED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROMESCO SAUCE & SAFFRON RISOTTO

As you know this past Thanksgiving, brining turkeys was all the rage.  I did not brine a turkey since we always go out to eat, although I have experimented with brining before, pork chops to be more specific.  It was a Tyler Florence recipe and I don't recall being very impressed.  Recently whilst leafing through one of my Christmas presents, Judy Rodger's obsessive Zuni Cafe Cookbook, I came across a chapter on brining.  She explains that this method is their everyday cure they use for pork, insisting that it reliably transforms lean pork into succulent meat.  Pork is one of those meats that I find so easy to over cook.  As such I tend not to make it very often even though I love it and it's healthy.  Looking at the recipe, I  was taken with Ms. Rodger's use of the word "reliable."  As in "we've done it this way over and over and over again and it WILL work."  I decided to give the brine a second chance. 

The decision to serve my brined pork loins with romesco sauce was inspired by one of the recipes on Sunday Suppers at Lucques, one in which Suzanne Goin uses it as an accompaniment to some thick pork chops (which she too brines).  I've always wanted to attempt romesco, after reading about it's versatility over at Immaeatchu.  Like seriously, Susan has found a way to work it into so many different dishes, and each one looks better than the next.  For those who don't know, "romesco" is a sauce that originates in Spain, Catalonia to be exact.  Like so many of these sort of sauces, recipes often vary, but the common ingredients are reconstituted dried peppers, almonds, hazelnuts, garlic, and lots of flavorful olive oil, all pureed into a thick sauce the deep color of red clay.  Many recipes also include roasted tomatoes, red wine vinegar, paprika, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes and some chewy bread that has been fried to a golden brown.  Usually the sauce is spooned over seafood like shrimp and fish or with meats like chicken, beef, pork etc., although really, it seems like it would be good on pretty much anything.  There are a number of steps and components to the sauce (toasting the nuts, frying the bread, etc) but it's totally manageable.  In fact, you can easily make it days before you intend to serve it and by doing so, the flavors will the the opportunity to meld and deepen.

To go with the sort of Spanish flavors, I decided to serve the pork and romesco along with a big pot of risotto flavored with saffron.

INGREDIENTS
(for the brined pork)
not quite 1 tablespoon Juniper berries, gently whacked with the side of a knife to crack them a little
3 bay leaves, sort of crumbled
5 or 6 dried chiles de arbol, crumbled
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Kosher salt
5 cups water

(for the romesco sauce)
1/2 ounce raw almonds (about 12 nuts)
1 ounce hazelnuts (about 32 nuts)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 cup
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 ounces (about 1 thick slice or so) thick slice chewy, white peasant style bread, crusts cut off
5 ancho or pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed
1/2 cup canned peeled whole tomatoes, crushed in a large bowl with your hands
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
juice of half a lemon

(for the saffron risotto)
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, (about 20 not that I bothered to count)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup Parmagiano Reggiano, freshly grated
drizzle of olive oil
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste

METHOD
First, brine the pork, since it takes the longest - 2 to 4 days in the brining solution.  Combine 1 cup of water, the juniper berries, bay leaves, and chiles de arbol.  Bring to a simmer then turn off the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes, to infuse. 

In a large bowl, combine the infused water along with the juniper berries, bay leaves and chiles de arbol, 4 more cups cold water, the salt and sugar.  Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.  Rinse the tenderloins and then place in the brine. 

Use a small place to keep the pork completely submerged.  Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 days.

Next make the romesco.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Bring two cups of water to a simmer in a small pan.  Turn off the heat and add the peppers to the water and let them soak for 15 minutes, to soften.

Meanwhile, place the almonds and hazelnuts on a small, rimmed baking sheet, in separate piles and then roast in the oven until the skins of the hazelnuts darken, about 10 to 15 minutes.  While they are still hot, bundle the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel, gather up the edges and then scrunch and massage them to rub most of the skins off.  Pick out the nuts and set aside.

Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add the 3 cloves of garlic and fry until soft and golden.  Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside.  Add the bread to the pan and fry until golden brown. 

Remove from the pan place on a paper towel to cool and drain, leaving the oil in the pan.  When it's cool enough to handle, tear the bread into chunks the size of croutons and reserve.

Remove the peppers from the water and place on a paper towel and pat dry.

Heat the oil left in the pan again, over medium-high heat.  Add the chiles to the oil and saute for a minute or two.  Be careful when adding the chiles, it may sputter and pop.  Add the canned tomatoes and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until any tomato juices have cooked off and the tomato has gotten a little color.  Turn off the heat and let cool slightly in the pan.

Place the hazelnuts, almonds, garlic, and fried bread in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.  Add the chile and tomato mixture and process until combined.  With the machine running, slowly pour in the 1 cup of olive oil until the mixture has formed a smooth puree.  Don't worry if it seems like the olive oil and the solids sort of separate.  This is normal.

Scrape the romesco into a bowl and add the parsley, paprika, cayenne and a spritz of lemon juice.  Taste and add more salt if it seems like it needs it. 

This can all be done ahead of time.  Just place in a airtight container and put in the refrigerator until you plan to serve your meal.  Just be sure to remove from the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before, so it can come back to room temperature.  You see, the olive oil sort of solidifies in the refrigerator.

And back to the pork.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Remove the pork from the brine and pat very dry with a couple layers of paper towel.  Drizzle with with a little olive oil and rub into the pork.  You DON'T need to season with any salt or pepper, thanks to the brining.

Heat an ovenproof skillet over high heat for two minutes.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil and place the tenderloins in the pan and sear on all sides, until golden brown.  I'd like to have gotten a little more color on mine.

Place the skillet in the oven and roast the meat for 22 to 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.

While the meat is roasting, it's a good time to make the risotto.  Heat the broth and saffron in a medium saucepan, cover and bring to a gentle simmer. In another heavy-bottomed pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add rice and stir thoroughly to coat with butter.

Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.  Continue stirring until the wine has been absorbed by the rice.  Add a ladle full of hot broth and stir continuously until almost all the broth has been absorbed. It'll go from being quite soupy to dry but creamy. 

Repeat the process of ladling in stock and stirring until combined.  Taste after 20 minutes. The rice should be tender, but still firm and intact. If not, continue adding stock, but be sure to keep tasting.  You may not need to use all the broth.  If you just continue adding the stock until it's all gone, the risotto could end up mushy.  (I had about 1 cup of stock left over)  Stir in the Parmagiano Reggiano, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Okay so I think I might be a brining convert.  I have to admit, it works quite well.  It not so much makes the pork really juicy so much as it makes it incredibly tender.  As in you can cut it with a fork.  That tender.  It's kind of amazing.  The aromatics, sugar and salt, give it a really interesting, sort of unexpected flavor that permeates every cell of the meat.  I next want to try brining some nice thick chops again and experiment with a different combination of flavors.  And then on to brining poultry.

The romesco pairs really well with the pork.  The flavors are bold and earthy with a slow moving, vaguely bitter heat that kicks in after you've swallowed.  The texture is thick and grainy but with a velvety slickness from the olive oil.  I really recommend giving it a try.  It brings to mind one of those sauces like charmoula, salsa verde, and chimichurri, versatile, capable of dressing up anything it's associated with, be it simple grilled chicken, roasted meats, fish and other seafoods or even slathered on a sandwich or used as a dipping sauce.

The risotto goes wonderfully with the pork and romesco, contrasting the textures and flavors.  The saffron tints the rice a beautiful pale golden color and gives it an unexpected sort of subtly floral flavor.  It's consistency is creamy and rich, thanks to the Parmagiano Reggiano.  I can imagine the risotto would be great formed into little balls stuffed with a tiny cube of Manchego, then dredged in egg, coated in Panko and then fried crisp.  A nice little Spanish take on the classic Italian Arancini.  Hmmmm, I might have to give that a try.

the pork and risotto serve 4 to 6
the romesco yields about 2 cups

CABERNET-BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH GORGONZOLA POLENTA & THREE-HERB GREMOLATA

Just so you know, this past Sunday, Well Fed turned two years old.  I meant to do a special birthday post featuring a new version of a recipe I did on my previous blog that was sort of the inspiration for the formatting for this one, but I ran out of time.  I'll probably do it this weekend.  Look for it early next week.

And speaking of birthdays, this past Saturday I hosted a belated celebration for my friend Lauren.  A couple weeks ago she had a gathering at a really cool wine bar near her place in Santa Monica, but I was unable to attend.  Neither could our friends Heather and Jessica, who you might know as the Fug Girls.  They were out of the country on a special fug mission.  Upon their return I decided to have them all over for a low key dinner thing to celebrate Lauren's special day.  Better late than never, right?

As I've mentioned before, since my place is so small and there is no dining table, I usually try to serve dishes that can be eaten with a fork only, no cutting with a knife, since my guests will be either balancing their plates in their laps or holding them with one hand while eating the other.  I want whatever they eat to be easy.  As such I usually serve tender meats or fish.  One of my goals this winter was to do some more braising and this seemed like a good occasion to do so. I had planned on doing another one of Ms. Goin's recipes, a slow-cooked pork stew with roasted root vegetables, but it seemed a little complicated, a few too many steps that needed to be done at the last minute.  I have every intention of eventually giving it a try.  I thought back to an issue of Bon Appetite from October that featured this recipe on the cover.  Beef short ribs were an ingredient I've not ever worked with but have wanted to and I had just happened to have read a chapter devoted them in Bill Burford's captivating book Heat, an account of the author's time spent working under Mario Batali at his restaurant Babbo.

Over the last several years short ribs have been showing up on lots of menus at many of the more trendy restaurants, and with good reason.  First of all, they are relatively cheap.  Meats that are braised usually are.  They tend to be cuts that are usually tough and require long slow cooking.  However, these cuts also have lots of flavor, thanks to the ribbons of fat that runs through them.  Remember that people.  Fat = Flavor.  Short ribs come in two different styles, English cut and Flanken cut.  English are nice little rectangles, about 2 inches by 3 inches by about 1 1/2 inches thick, with a wide, flat bone running through them, longways.  Flanken cut are longer with two bones running through, shortways.  One of the nice things about them is that one short rib is pretty much a perfect serving, sort of like a shank.  Which might be why the chefs at Bon Appetite thought it appropriate to serve them with gremolata.  Made of parsley, garlic and lemon zest, gremotala is a traditional accompaniment to the Italian braised veal shank dish known as Osso Buco.  This version also has thyme and rosemary.  Two of my favorites herbs.  Wine, meat, garlic and fresh herbs, all served atop a creamy mound of Gorgonzola streaked polenta.  How could this not be great?

INGREDIENTS
(For the short ribs seasoning)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
6 pounds meaty beef short ribs (10 ribs, English style)

(For the braising)
1/4 cup (about) vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 750-ml bottles Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons all purpose flour

(For the Gremolata)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme

(For the Polenta)
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups polenta (not instant)
3/4 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

METHOD
Arrange ribs in single layer in 15x10x2- inch glass baking dish. Mix rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in small bowl; sprinkle all over ribs.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy wide oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add ribs to pot and sear on all four sides (don't worry about the ends), about 3 or 4 minutes per side.  Don't rush this process.  The darker the meat, the more richness and flavor the finished result will have.

As you brown, you may have to add more oil to the pot if needed, although the short ribs will give off some fat. After all the ribs have been browned, pour off and discard the remaining oil and drippings.

Add the sliced onion to the pot and and add a little salt, cooking until translucent, about 5 minutes or so.  The salt will extract the juices in the onions which will help you deglaze the pan, using a spoon to scrap up any of the the crispy bits and color left in the bottom from the browning of the meat.  Add the garlic, carrots and celery, stir to combine and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Add wine and return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot and bring to boil.

(To properly braise, the liquid should not quite cover the meat.  I probably used too many short ribs for a pot this size, since some of them where completely submerged.  Oh well.)  Cover and then transfer to the oven and braise until meat is very tender and almost falling off bones, about 2 hours.

These next few steps might sound sort of fussy and overly complicated, but they really aren't.  Remove the short ribs, place in a baking dish and once they've cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Pour the braising liquid through a strainer, pressing gently on the solids.  The braising liquid will likely be very greasy.  A great way to skim the grease off is to cover the bowl of strained braising liquid with two layers of cheese cloth, criss-crossing one another.  To keep it from sinking into the liquid I use mini bull clips to keep the cheese cloth in place.  Place the bowl full of braising liquid in the refrigerator over night.

The next day, the fat will have solidified into the cheese cloth.  Simply remove the bull clips and lift off the cheese cloth.  All the solidified fat will come right with it leaving behind perfectly de-greased braising liquid.

I much prefer this method to using a spoon.  It's kind of like magic.  It could also be used for de-greasing homemade stock.  Isn't this a great trick to know?

Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and let sit for one hour, so they can come to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish, spoon a little of the braising liquid over each short rib and then reheat in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes until the meat is heated through.

Meanwhile, pour the rest of the braising liquid into a pot and bring to a boil, reducing it to approximately 2 generous cups, which should take about 20 minutes. Combine 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, and 2 tablespoons of the hot liquid in small bowl and mix with a spoon until well blended. Whisk butter mixture into reduced braising liquid. Continue whisking over medium-high heat until sauce thickens very slightly, about 2 minutes.

To make the gremolata, mix all ingredients in small bowl. This can be made 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

When it's getting within about twenty minutes of when you want to serve the ribs, make the polenta.  Bring 4 cups chicken broth and one cup of water to a boil in heavy 4-quart saucepan. Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly. Return mixture to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until polenta is tender, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. If the polenta becomes too think, add a little more water or chicken broth.  Remove from heat. Add Gorgonzola and cream; stir until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide Gorgonzola Polenta among plates. Top with one of the ribs and a couple spoonfuls of sauce. Sprinkle with Mixed-Herb Gremolata and serve.

Even though there seem to be a lot of steps, it's all totally manageable. With the exception of the seasoning the meat and letting it sit overnight, all of this could be done in one day, but it's so much easier if you spread it out making it great for entertaining.  A majority of it can be done ahead of time and then when your guests have arrived, it's totally laid back.  As was the case when my guests were present.  There were lots of offers to help in the kitchen but I assured them that everything was covered.  It's so satisfying.

Equally satisfying are the results of all the work.  The meat, having been braised for hours winds up perfectly tender, falling off the bone, not at all mushy.  Then reheating them in the baking dish it with just a little of the braising liquid spooned over sort of caramelizes the outside a little and gives it a really pleasing crust of sorts that contrasts nicely with the soft center.  The Cabernet sauce is thick and rich, sort of glazing the meat and then pooling in and around the creamy polenta.  The blue cheese melts leaving little pockets of pungent saltiness.  Blue cheese, of course, is fantastic with red meat and this is an unexpected way to do it.  Since so much of the dish it quite rich, the gremolata gives a nice juxtaposition - bright, fresh and light.

Be sure to make more than you think you'd need.  You will want leftovers.  Govind Armstrong, chef of Table 8, makes a fancy grilled cheese sandwich with some braised short ribs.  You could use it in a hash topped with poached egg.  I've seen a number of recipes that turn it into a hearty ragu to be served over pappardelle or gnocchi.  You might be seeing the short ribs make another appearance.

Serves 6 to 8

SCALLOPS PROVENCAL WITH HERBED BASMATI RICE

Several months ago I was indulging in my Saturday morning tradition of watching hour upon hour of Food Network.  On that morning's episode of Barefoot Contessa, it seems Jeffrey had it in his head that he wanted a boat.  Well Ina was having none of it.  There they sat on a park bench overlooking the marina, eating BLT's with avocado, while Jeffery, mouth full, pointed out various boats they he might enjoy.  Ina laughed her "there's no way in hell that's going to happen" laugh, reminding him that she gets seasick, adding that all the boats he wanted would require an expansive crew.  Perhaps he thought that the wife with the TV series, cookbook deal, magazine column and line of products might pay for it.  Not likely.  To make up for it, Ina fixed Jeffery this meal of sauteed scallops with a simple sauce of shallots, garlic, butter and white wine. 

Now this almost never happens when I watch Food Network, but for whatever reason, I was compelled to make that dish.  Immediately.  I ran out, picked up some scallops, a couple shallots and some lemons.  Everything else I had on hand.  That night I made the meal that put Jeffery's boat lust to rest and it was fantastic.  As I do, I took pictures of it all, however when I uploaded them to my laptop, I was jarred by how such a flavorful, simple and delicious meal came across on film.  The final shot of the dish looked like a mess.  There in a shallow bowl was a haphazard pile of rice specked with slivers of green.  On top of that were the scallops.  Then the sauce, acting almost as a camouflage, glazed each scallops, rendering them practically invisible against the rice.  "There is no way I can print these pictures," I thought to myself.  I decided to put this dish in my back pocket, determined that one day I would make it again and this time plate it in a way that made it look as good as it tasted.  Hopefully.

INGREDIENTS
(For the herbed basmati rice)
1 cup uncooked long-grain (white) basmati rice
1 3/4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh curly parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh scallions, white and green parts
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

(For the scallops)
1 pound fresh jumbo bay or sea scallops (if using jumbo scallops, figure 3 scallops per person)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 lemons, 1 cut in 1/2 and the other on wedges

METHOD
First, get the rice going.  Combine the rice, 1 3/4 cups water, the salt, and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low, stir once, and simmer, covered tightly, for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit covered for 5 minutes. Add the parsley, dill, scallions, and pepper. Fluff with a fork, and serve warm.

While the rice is cooking, sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.  To get a really nice sear on scallops they cannot be wet.  The flour dries the scallops and will help give it a nice brown color when they are sauteed.

In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer, making sure they are not touching. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total.  Once the scallops have seared, remove them from the pan and place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. 

Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, until the shallots have softened.  Pour in any of the juices that the scallops have given off while resting into the saute pan and then add the wine and the juice of one lemon.  Tturn up the heat to high and cook until the sauce has thickened to your liking, while scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  This should take a minute or two. 

At this point you could add the scallops back to the pan and stir to coat them with the sauce.  However, I like the slightly crisp texture of the sear on the outside of the scallop and I find that combining them with the sauce in the pan makes the scallops taste soggy.

To serve, spoon a mound of the herbed basmati rice onto a plate.  Beside it spoon some of the shallot white wine sauce and then place three scallops on top of the pool of sauce.  Garnish with a little more parsley and serve with a wedge of lemon.  I also served the dish with some simple grilled baby zucchini.

This is a really quick and easy dish that could be thrown together on a weeknight in less than thirty minutes although it also has the kind of refined flavors that would make it a good candidate for small gathering with friends.  I say small because, this is the kind of dish that is best when served right away and unless you have two saute pans, you can really only cook enough scallops for four people at once.

How much do I love scallops?  These had a really nice, delicate crust on the outside and were sweet and tender inside with a beautiful pearly opaque color.  The shallot white wine sauce is rich and buttery, always great with seafood, but also has a herby freshness and a little tang from the wine and lemon.  You could bring this out further by adding a tablespoon of briny capers to the sauce when you add the wine.  In fact I might do that next time.  The addition of fresh herbs to the rice jazzes it up nicely and gives the dish, which has a buttery richness, a vibrant, clean undertone.

Serves 4

AFRICAN-SPICED CHICKEN WITH GREEN OLIVE SAUCE & APRICOT COUSCOUS

"Oh I make a mean roasted chicken," my co-worker Robin boasted Monday as we walked to lunch.  She had asked me what I did this past weekend and I was telling her about this fantastic chicken I roasted Sunday night.  A conversation ensued about how roasting chickens was the easiest thing ever a cook could do.  I explained to her that normally, my go to-for roasting chicken is to simply stuff the cavity with a halved lemon, a head of garlic, sliced in half, and a handful of fresh thyme, but this time I tried something a little different. 

Mark had gone up to Santa Maria to visit his mother for Mother's Day weekend and I was unable to go, so I wanted to prepare a nice Sunday dinner for us for when he got back.  It was one of those days where I wanted to make SOMEthing but had no idea what.  I'd even gone to the farmers' market that morning and nothing specific struck my fancy, even though they had a bunch of nice asparagus and fava beans.  I had half a head of cabbage in my refrigerator that I pondered doing something with.  A slaw maybe?  In my stack of recipes to try I had one for a slaw with a spicy peanut dressing.  What to make to go with slaw?  I narrowed it to pork or chicken.  Perhaps with an interesting barbeque sauce.  I started flipping through cookbooks.  Nothing I found struck a chord.  I tells you, it's so frustrating when you really WANT to make something but NOTHING seems very compelling.  Then I turned the page and saw this recipe in Tyler Florence's second cookbook, Eat This Book.  I remembered that every time I browse through this book and encounter this recipe I think to myself, "Oh that sounds good.  I'll have to make that sometime."  Well it turned out the time was now.  Sorry, cabbage.  I'll have to get to you later.

INGREDIENTS
(For the spice mix)
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in small pieces
16 whole cloves
4 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt

(For the chicken)
1 free-range chicken, about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
1 lemon, halved
1/4 bunch of cilantro
1 head of garlic, halved horizontally
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

(For the Apricot Couscous)
1 cup couscous
1 1/2 cups cold water
10 dried apricots
1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted at 365 degrees F for about 10 mintues
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 handfuls fresh mint, chopped
2 handfuls fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(For the Green Olive Sauce)
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, sliced
1 fresh red chile, split lengthwise
1/2 pound large green Spanish olives, pitted
1/4 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, stemmed
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon

(To serve)
Lavash bread or pitas

METHOD
First, make the Spice Mix.  In a dry skillet, combine the cinnamon, cloves, cumin, corinander, fennel, peppercorns, and sweet paprika and toast for about 1 minute, or until you can smell the spices, making sure to shake the pan back and forth a little so the spices don't scorch.

Transfer to a spice mill, add the salt and grind to a powder.  (The mixture can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 months)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken inside and out with cool water, then pat dry with paper towels.  Generously sprinkle over the spice mixture and rub into the skin, all over, making sure not to miss any spots.  Stuff the lemon halves, the garlic and the cilantro into the cavity of the chicken. 

Fold the wing tips under the bird, drizzle with olive oil and grind over some black pepper.  If you have time, let the chicken marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. When you are ready to roast, remove the chicken from the fridge, and place on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up.  Slid it into the oven and roast for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer, stuck into the thickest part of the thigh, reads 160 degrees F.  When the chicken is done, remove from the oven and let rest for about 20 minutes, so the juices can redistribute into the meat.

While the chicken is baking, make the couscous.  Pour the water in a small pot, cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a large bowl.  Once the water boils, pour it over the couscous, cover, and let sit until all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes or so.  Uncover and using a fork, fluff the couscous, then stir in the apricots, almonds, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Wait until the couscous has cooled and then stir in the green onions, mint and cilantro.  If you add them herbs while the couscous is still warm, they could turn an sad, depressing green-brown.  We don't want that.  Season with salt and pepper.

Finally make the green olive sauce.  Heat a skillet over low heat and add about a tablespoon or so of olive oil.  When the oil is glistening, add the shallots and chile and cook, stirring, until caramelized.

Scrape the chile and shallots into the bowl of a food processor and add the olives, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of olive oil.  Puree for 3 minutes, until nice and smooth.

When the chicken has cooled a little, carve it into 8 pieces - 2 breasts, 2 wings, 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs.  To serve, brush a pita with a little olive oil and grill in a grill pan, until warm and marked with grill lines from the pan.  Place the pita on a plate, mound with a couple spoonfuls of couscous and then top with a piece of chicken.  Serve a small dish of olive sauce on the side. 

To eat, you can create a sort of gyro style sandwich, by pulling the chicken meat from the bones and rolling it in the pita along with the couscous, and then topped with some of the olive sauce.   However I enjoy going all bite size, tearing off pieces of pita, slathering them with the olive sauce, spooning over a little couscous and then a couple small shreds of the juicy chicken.

Like some of my favorite dishes on this site, many of which come from the brilliant mistress of layering, Suzanne Goin, this one is a pastiche of flavors and textures, each tasty and interesting on it's own, however when combined, the elements become a whole that is really unique and exciting.  There's a lot going on, but not so much that it becomes a hodgepodge.  The chicken is warmly spiced with the cloves, cinnamon, corinader, fennel and cumin but also has a brightness from the lemon and a pungency from the garlic and cilantro.  The pungency is echoed in the green olive sauce, which to be honest, isn't exactly "saucy."  It's kind of like a smooth, garlicky, vinegary tapenade.  In fact, I should think it would be delicious slathered on a crostini that has been smeared with a mild goat cheese.  The couscous contrasts the sauce and chicken with a toast crunch of the almonds and a chewy bit of sweetness from the apricots, while the trio of herbs adds a welcome lightness.  I always love how couscous clings to the outside of and nestles into the crevices of whatever it's served with.  The toasted warm pita gives the whole thing a sort of base.

Even though it may seem like there are a lot of components to this dish, the nice thing about it is, much of it can be done ahead of time and a lot of the ingredients are pantry staples.  Plus it's one of those meals that can be made and then served at room temperature or even cold from the fridge.  Tyler writes in the book that it's good for a picnic and I'm inclined to agree.  I may be making this again for one of those screenings at Hollywood Forever Cemetery or for a warm night the Hollywood Bowl this summer. 

Serves 6

EDAMAME, BLACK BEAN & BLACK-EYED PEA SALAD WITH CUMIN VINAIGRETTE

So technically, you might consider this to be a "Three Bean Salad," but doesn't that name have such a bourgeois 70's suburbia connotation.  It does for me.  A Three Bean Salad is something you might take to a potluck or a church social.  A certain type of mom clipped Three Bean Salad recipes out of Better Homes and Gardens, or Women's Day. 

I recall Three Bean Salad being served in my house a lot as a youngster, however I tended to avoid ever eating it.  It wasn't that I hated vegetables.  I rather liked peas, carrots and corn.  I'd eat green beans.  I even like kidney beans.  Chili was a very common meal for our family.  But for whatever reason, the combination of beans and green beans slicked with some sort of bottled, vinegary dressing was off putting and I wanted no part of it.  Even as my taste changed, the desire to make a three bean salad did not.  Unlike other middle class comfort food classics that have been gussied up for the foodie generation, like mac and cheese and meatloaf, poor three bean salad seems stuck in culinary purgatory along with stuffed bell peppers and jell-o molds.  But wait.  Maybe all is not lost.

I came across this recipe in an issue of Gourmet magazine that my co-worker Jody gave me.  For some reason she had a subscription, even though she doesn't really cook, each month when she'd get the newest issue in her mailbox, she'd pass them on to me and I was more than happen to accept them.  Gourmet's update was intriguing.  The idea of switching out green beans and kidney beans for fresh edamame, black beans and black-eyed peas seems like such a brilliant way to transform this simplistic little side salad into something more sophisticated.  Well, you know.  As sophisticated as a salad made with canned beans is capable of being.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame (8 oz)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-oz) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cups (about 4 stalks) thinly sliced celery
zest and juice from 1 lime
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

METHOD
Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over moderately low heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cumin, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 30 seconds. Pour into a large heatproof bowl.

Add edamame and remaining ingredients to cumin oil and toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Sometimes I dream of opening a little gourmet and prepared foods shop along the lines of Joan's on Third, Clementine or Edna's Edibles and if I did, this salad would be one I'd have big bowlfuls of in the display case.  I just love how versatile this salad is.  It's perfect to make and just keep in the fridge.  It keeps for days and days.  It would be great to pack to take to work for lunch or a picnic on a weekend.  Maybe the Hollywood Bowl.  Annie and I made it to serve with a Cinco de Mayo feast we did last weekend. 

The beans and edamame have a starchy girth that is balanced by the lightness of the lime juice and celery.  The cumin and black beans make it a natural to pair up with Latin flavors, while the edamame brings in more of an Asiany element.  The black eyed peas give it a folksy southern flair.  It would work really well with salmon, steak, fried chicken or bar-be-que.  I'm thinking ribs.  So many options...

Serves 6 to 8

TOULOUSE SAUSAGE STEW WITH LEEKS & BUTTER BEANS

I love sausage.  I like bacon and I enjoy a nice steak, but sausage, fresh, cured whatever, I loves it.  Like the lyrics to the old Patty Duke Show provocatively warn, "a hot dog makes her lose control," sausages have similar effects on me.  Rivaled perhaps only by ham, sausage is more than welcome in any meal from breakfast to dinner.  Eggs with sausage?  Of course.  Pizza with sausage?  Obviously.  Lentils with sausage?  Heaven.  A plank of charcuterie?  Don't get me started.

As much as I love sausage, I'll be the first to admit my ignorance on the subject.  The fresh sausages I'm most familiar with are the traditional sweet or spicy Italian ones and German Bratwurst.  I enthusiastically devoured a lot of really interesting sausage whilst in England (duck, pork with ginger and scallions), and recall seeing Toulouse Sausages for sale I believe at the farmers market we went to in Paris, but I never had the opportunity to try them.  A while back, Sam over at Becks and Posh did a post on the Toulouse sausage that she gets from a bay area store specializing in charcuterie called The Fatted Calf.  My interest was further piqued.  Then when I was back home for Thanksgiving, Mark and I were at Barnes and Noble and while flipping through the November 2006 issue of Olive Magazine, there they were again - Toulouse Sausage and Butter Bean Casserole.  What are these Toulouse sausages and what makes them so special?

I was determined to find some.  I phoned a butcher at the Farmers Market supposedly specializing in sausage.  He'd never heard of them.  Fools!  Why can't this be easy?  I mean, I live in Los Angeles.  Then I thought of Monsieur Marcel's, also at the Farmers Market.  They tend to have almost every hard to find gourmet or imported food product.  I gave them a ring and sure enough, they had some.  I zipped over but was a little disappointed to discover that the person I spoke with on the phone neglected to inform me that the sausages were frozen.  I hesitated briefly, but wound up getting them anyway. 

According to the list of ingredients, the Toulouse sausages are made with pork, white wine, onions and seasoned with salt pepper, allspice, nutmeg, coriander and caraway.  Apparently they are often used in the popular French dish know as "cassoulet," which is a long cooked dish featuring beans, sausage, and usually duck or goose confit. This recipe seems to be a simplified/bastardized version of a cassoulet,

INGREDIENTS
Extra-virgin olive oil
6 Toulouse sausages
3 strips of bacon, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small leeks, sliced and cleaned
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup of white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 14-ounce cans of butter beans
1/4 to 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat for two minutes.  (The pot I used was probably too deep.  You could easily do this in a large saute pan or a 3 quart pot)  Pour in enough oil to lightly coat the bottom and when it begins to smoke, add the sausages.  Brown on each side for 2 to 4 minutes.  You will likely need to do this in two batches. 

Remove the browned sausages and cut into bit sized chunks.  They should still be rare inside.  To give it more of a rustic look, I cut on the diagonal, give the link a 1/4 turn and then another cut on the diagonal, continuing down the length of the sausage.

Add the chopped bacon, thyme and red pepper flakes to the pan and stir to coat with the oil.  Cook for about 4 minutes until the bacon is almost crispy.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the leeks and sliced garlic and cook until softened, about another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any bacon bits.  Season with a little black pepper.

Add the wine and chicken stock and further deglaze the pan.  Return the sausage and any juices that have collected back to the pot.  Crank the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the beans and simmer until they are warmed through and the stew has thickened a little, about 5 more minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.   Ladle into wide shallow bowls and serve with some warm grilled or crusty bread.

This dish is the epitome of comfort food, though not in the nostalgic meatloaf with mac'n'cheese sense.  The flavors are so warm and inviting.  I wish it had been snowing and that I had a fireplace.  The plump butter beans are rich and creamy and the mildly flavored Toulouse sausage, tangled with rings of soft leek, soaks up the winey broth, infused with smoky bacon, woodsy thyme and the surprising kick of the red pepper flakes.  I love the sliced garlic, as opposed to minced, its brashness mellowed from poaching in the broth.   It's a very hearty stew, perfect for cooler weather.  I served it with a simple salad of organic green which I dressed with some leftover garlic confit vinaigrette.  Even though I suggest it above, I did not serve the stew with any bread, however next time I will make sure to.  The contrast in textures between the stew and the crackly crust of a thick slice of baguette is the only thing that cold possibly improve this meal.

One good thing about this recipe is that it works well as a make ahead meal.  Mark and I had plans to go to shoe shopping at The Grove (so pretty at the holidays) after he got off work so I wanted to have something ready for us when we got back.  Earlier in the afternoon I did everything up through simmering the sausages in the broth.  I then just poured in the beans, turned off the heat, covered the pot, and left it on the stove.  I didn't want the beans to break down too much in the stew and get mushy.  Once we returned home, I just brought it back up to a simmer for a couple minutes and then shut it back off, stirred through the parsley and served.  Easy and oh so delicious.

Serves 4.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON ONIONS, ISRAELI COUSCOUS & DATE RELISH

So my friends Jessica, Diana, and Jonathan regularly get together for what we call gay dates - just us gays and the girls who love us.  Usually we go out to fun and interesting restaurants, such as Tart, and Lou on Vine.  For our latest get together we were spitballing ideas for places to go when I half-seriously suggested that I have people over to my place for a home cooked dinner.  Since Diana and Jonathon had never really been on the receiving end of one of my culinary experiments, they were more than eager set a time and date.  The pressure was on.

What to make?  Of course they'd read about some of the stuff I've made for just Mark and myself, so I felt that it was only fair to do something equally adventureous, so to say.  I mean it didn't seem quite right to make things like scallops and chanterelles for just the two of us and then when people come over do something mundane like meatloaf (even though I adore meatloaf and saw an intriguing recipe for one in the lasted issue of Donna Hay Magazine - instead of breadcrumbs it uses couscous and then the whole thing is wrapped in prosciutto.  Don't you love that idea?)

So when looking for an interesting, unique and unexpected menu, there's only one place to look, really.  Sunday Suppers at Lucques.  This braised chicken dish was the other entree in the menu that also featured the harissa spiced snapper with roasted beet salsa and caramilized carrot puree.

Braising meats is always a great thing to serve when people are coming over.  Once it's in the oven, it's pretty hands off and you are free to do other things or mingle with guests or whatever.  The results are very reliable.  You needn't worry that the meat is going to be dry, rather it's always moist, succulent, fork tender and easy to eat, perfect for those of us who don't have dining rooms and have no other option but to force our guests to eat, balancing their plates on their knees whilst sitting on the sofa.

INGREDIENTS
(For the spice rub)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 chile de arbol, crumbled
2 teaspoons bittersweet paprika

(For the Chicken)
6 chicken legs with thighs attached, skin on (I used four legs and two breasts)
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup sliced fennel
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped San Marzano canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup sherry
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cuo chopped fresh cilantro

(For the Date Relish)
1/2 cup Deglet Noor Dates, pitted and coarsly chopped
2 tablespoons super-good extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(For the Saffron Onions)
1 teaspoon saffron threads
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups sliced onions (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 bay leaf
1 chile de arbol, crumbled
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(For the Couscous)
2 1/2 cups Israeli Couscous
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper

METHOD
Toast the cumin seeds and the corriander seeds in a small fry pan for a few minutes until the seeds release their aroma and are lightly browned.  Grind them coarsly in a spice mill or mortar and pestle.  In a small bowl, combine the ground spices with the garlic, thyme, parsley, crumbled chile, and paprika.

Place the chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle over the spice mixture and using your hands, toss the chicken and spices together, coating well. 

So when I made the spice rub, I forgot to include the parsley.  I later went back and added it to the  chicken, but did not take another picture.  Sorry for any confusion.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, to allow it to come to room temperature.  After 15 minutes, season the chicken on all sides with 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of salt and lots of pepper.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes.  Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minute.  Place the chicken legs, skin side down, in the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Every so often, swirl the oil and rendered fat around the pan.  Turn the legs over, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 more minutes on the second side.

It's likely you will need to brown the chicken in two batches.  Set the browned chicken aside.

Pour off some of the fat and return the saute pan to medium heat.  Add the onions, fennel and bay leaves. 

Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are lightly caramelized.  Add the tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes, stirring and scrapping with a wooden spoon.  Add the sherry vinegar, white wine, and sherry.  Turn the heat up to high and reduce by half.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add the cilantro, give it a stir and then spoon the vegetables into the bottom of a large casserole or braising dish.  Arrange the chicken in one layer in the dish, skin side up and then pour over the broth.  The liquid should not quite cover the chicken.

At this point Ms. Goin instucts us to cover the dish with plastic wrap, which she assures us can go into the oven and then cover the pastic wrap with a layer of aluminum foil.  Place the dish in the oven and braise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

While the chicken is braising, make all the accroutrements.

To make the date relish, toss the dates with the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and cilantro.  Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some pepper.

Next make the saffron onions.  Toss the saffron threads in a small pan over medium heat unutil they just dry and become brittle.  Be very careful not to burn the precious saffron.  Pound the saffron in a mortar to a fine powder. 

Dab a tablespoon of butter into the powder, using the butter to pick up the saffron.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add the olive oil, remaining butter and saffron butter.  When the butter foams, add the onions, bay leaf, crumbled chile, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and some pepper. 

Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, as the onions wilt.  Turn the heat down to low and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the onions are soft and sweet.  Taste for seasoning.

To make the couscous, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the couscous and cook 6 to ten minutes, until tender but still al dente.  Drain the couscous, return it to the pot and toss with the butter, parsley and a pinch of pepper.  Taste for seasoning.

By now, the chicken should be ready.  To check the chicken for doneness, remove the foil and plastic, being careful of the escaping steam.  Pierce a piece of chicken with a paring knife.  It should yeild easily and be tender but not quite falling off the bone.

Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F.  Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and return it to the oven to brown for about 10 minutes.  Pour half of the broth and vegetables into a saute pan and heat over high heat until it had reduced and become thickened.  Pour the thickened sauce into the bottom of a serving dish and pile the crisped chicken on top of it.

It shouldn't come to a surprise at this point that one of Ms. Goin's recipes it astonishingly delicious.  Once again all the different componants of the meal perfectly compliment one another.  The chicken is so moist and tender, the skin crispy, the dates chewy, and the onions...holy cow.  Those onions.  Flowery with a heat, velvety in texture, they would be fantastic added to just about anything you could think of with the exception of perhaps breakfast cereal.  If you haven't ever had the pleasure of trying israeli couscous, seek it out immediately.  It too has such a great texture, like savory tapioca, if you can imagine that.

As a prelude to this meal I served crostini, wedges of manchego and blue cheese, tapenade (which I cheated and bought at Bristol Farms), little spicy sweet peppadew peppers, which I stuffed with goat cheese, drizzled with olive oil and scattered with chopped parsley and fresh cracked pepper, and roasted figs stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped with thin slices of prosciutto, which you can read about in more detail in my post today on Apartment Therapy Kitchen (plug plug).

My dessert, however, was a bit of a disappointment.  I attempted an what I thought would be an interesting olive oil cake, also from Sunday Suppers.  Slathered with a thick layer of mascarpone whipped cream and segements of tangerine sweetened in vanilla sugar syrup, the cake was too dry (my fault) and alternately lacking in flavor/too sweet.  Oh well.  You win some, you lose some.  And this chicken is most definately a winner.

CHANTERELLE MUSHROOM RISOTTO WITH SAGE BROWN BUTTER CORN & SEARED SCALLOPS

This past Saturday, Mark and I made the trek out to Santa Monica to have brunch with Jessica and Lauren down on Third Street Promenade.  The service was bad but the crepes stuffed with ham, eggs, and emmenthal cheese were a delight.  Afterward, we swung through the farmers' market so I could do a little research for a post that I'm doing for Apartment Therapy.  I found one stand in particular to be quite intriguing - one that specialized in wild mushrooms. 

Growing up, mushrooms were one of the many vegetables that I refused to eat, although my disgust was based on the leathery, grey bits found in Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup which was often the base for whatever casserole was being served for dinner.  (Did that sound bitchy?)  Even non-processed mushrooms were suspect, specifically the creepy gills on the underside of the cap.  To be honest, they still kind of give me the willies.  But it's something that I'm working through.  That's why I was sort of excited to see this mushroom stand, in particular the big box of Chanterelles.  Just the name alone is enough to reconsider the boycot.  "Chanterelle."  It's just so glamorous and elegant sounding.  And no gills.

"What do chanterelles taste like?" I asked the tattooed mushroom seller.  He explained that they have a delicate flavor with hints of apricot.  I loved the sound of that.  There was even a little card next to the box of chanterelles with a recipe - Chanterelle and corn risotto.  I loved that sound of that even more.  The resulting dish is more of a combination of the one on the card and a recipe I found in Sunday Suppers at Lucque.  That recipe was actually for a ricotta gnocchi with chanterelle, corn and sage brown butter sauce, but I sort of repurposed it.  I thought it worked well.

INGREDIENTS
Extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups aborio rice
1/2 pound Chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned, 2/3 of the mushrooms finely chopped, the remaining 1/3 coarsley chopped
2 large ears of corn, kernals cut from the cobs
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh sage, thinly sliced
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Sea scallops, 4 per person

METHOD
First make the risotto.  In a medium pot, combine the chicken stock with half of the finely chopped mushrooms and 1/2 tablespoon of the thyme, and bring to a gentle simmer.

Heat a large pot over medium high heat for a minute or so.  Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and when it gets hot, add the chopped onion, 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.  Cook the onions for a couple minutes until they soften and then add half the corn, and the rest of the finely chopped mushrooms. 

Saute for about 4 more minutes then add the rice.  Stir to coat and saute for about 2 more mintues, until the rice becomes slightly translucent.  Add the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pot.  Ladle in 1 cup of the simmering stock and stir until it has been absorbed by the rice.  Continue adding ladlefuls of stock and stirring as the rice cooks and absorbs and gets soft.  The process should probably take about 30 minutes.  I find that you don't have to stand by the pot and stir constantly.  Just quite a bit, if that makes sense.  When it looks like you have just a few ladlefuls of stock left, taste the risotto for seasoning and texture.  The consistency should be soft with just a hint of bite.  You may not need all of the stock.  When the risotto is done, cover and turn off the heat while we move on to the next step.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat for two minutes.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat for 1 minute until the oil ripples.  Add 1 tablespoon of butter and when it foams, add the remaining coarsley chopped mushrooms, 1/2 tablespoon of thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a healthy pinch of pepper.

Saute the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're tender and a little crispy.  But don't be attempted to stir them TOO much in the beginning.  Let them sear a little, before stirring.  Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl.

Return the pan to the stove and heat over high for 1 minute.  Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to the pan and cook for a minute or two, until the butter starts to brown.  Add the sage, let it sizzle, and then add the corn, shallots, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. 

Saute quickly, stirring the corn in the hot butter for about 2 minutes, until the corn is just tender.  Add the corn to the bowl with the sauteed mushrooms.

Return the pan to the stove and heat over high heat for a minute or so.  Pat the scallops dry with a papper towel and season with salt and pepper.  Add a little olive oil to the pan and when it ripples, gently place the scallops in the pan and sear for about 1 minute per side, turning once. 

I placed mine around the edges so they would all cook evenly.  The middle of the pan is hotter than the edges.

To serve, spoon a mound of risotto into each bowl, spoon over some of the sauted mushroom, sage brown butter corn mixture, and top with the seared scallops.

This dish is a great sort of transition from end of summer into the fall.  The corn is sweet, the mushrooms also sweet yet earthy.  You could just make the risotto and skip the sauteing portion, but I don't recommend it. It really gives the dish an amazing combination of textures.  The risotto itself gets infused with the flavors of the mushrooms and corn but the sauteed mushrooms and corn really preserve their textures - the corn just pops in your mouth and the mushrooms are meaty and a little crispy around the edges.  The sage brown butter and the tender, seared scallops give the dish an amazing finish.

The risotto would be great to serve for a little dinner party, especially if any guests are vegetarian.  The risotto can be made in advance (but not too far) and the sauteeing section takes no time and can be done at the last minute.  The resulting dish is so elegant, but in a very casual way.  I mean, what could be better than a big shallow bowl of steaming rice, corn, and mushrooms and a glass of wine?

Serves 6.