Chapter 07Main Courses and Soups

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Chicken Breasts in Vinegar-Cream Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large heavy nonreactive skillet. Add the chicken and cook on both sides until golden. Add the garlic and cook until soft, being careful not to burn. Sprinkle in the thyme and marjoram, cover the pan, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the chicken breasts are cooked through. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Increase the heat to medium and pour in the vinegar, scraping the bottom to loosen any bits. Add the stock or water and the dried tomato. Stirring constantly, cook the sauce until reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with fresh minced herbs.

Grilled Chicken Breasts Marinated in Vinegar-Mustard Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a blender or food processor until smooth. Place chicken pieces in a shallow nonreactive dish and pour the marinade over the top. Cover, refrigerate, and marinate overnight, or for at least 4 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill it over medium-hot coals until cooked through, basting as needed with remaining marinade.

Curried Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Warm the butter and oil in a large, heavy nonreactive skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté until golden, stirring constantly and being careful not to let it brown. After about 5 minutes, or when the onion is softened, stir in the tomatoes, potatoes, green pepper, vinegar, water, tomato paste, anchovy paste, coriander, cayenne, cumin, garam masala or curry powder, tumeric, and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chicken and stir to coat. Replace cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with dishes of chutney, chopped peanuts, currants, and grated unsweetened coconut.

Jamaican Barbecued Chicken Breasts

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Combine onions, vinegar, oil, soy sauce, allspice, hot pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a blender or food processor and puree. Pour puree into a shallow nonreactive dish. Add chicken breasts, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from marinade and grill over medium-hot coals until cooked through, or about 20 minutes, turning several times.

Spicy Beef Stew

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°F. In a heavy ovenproof nonreactive casserole, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown on all sides. Add the vinegar, tomato sauce, tomatoes, honey, salt, garlic, rosemary, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, cloves, and bay leaf and stir. Add the water, onions, and parsley. Cover and bring to a boil, then place in oven. Bake for 1 hour, or until the meat is tender, adding water if necessary. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Lamb Stew with Fennel Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Heat oil in a large, heavy nonreactive pan over medium heat. Add lamb cubes and cook until browned on all sides. Add boiling stock or water, vinegar, 1 tablespoon fennel, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, or until tender.

About 15 minutes before the lamb is done, prepare the sauce. In a heavy, nonreactive saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and stir in flour until smooth. Add stock gradually, stirring constantly to keep the mixture smooth. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in remaining fennel, vinegar, and egg yolk. When lamb is tender, drain and place on a platter and serve with sauce and egg noodles or boiled new potatoes.

Pork with Apples and Sage

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly dredge pork in flour. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry the pork until golden on both sides. Layer the pork with apples, onion, garlic, and sage in a heavy nonreactive ovenproof casserole. Pour the vinegar over the top and cover. Bake for 1 hour.

Garlic Pork

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Combine garlic cloves, thyme, and hot peppers in a blender or food processor until well blended. Add vinegar, water, salt, and cloves and blend. Place the pork in a nonreactive bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over the top. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 3 days. Warm a heavy nonreactive skillet over medium heat and add the pork mixture. Cook until the liquid evaporates, then add the oil and fry for an additional 5 minutes.

Sautéed Trout with Vinegar Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat each trout with some of the flour mixture, shaking to remove excess flour. Place a sprig of rosemary and some of the lemon zest inside each trout. Warm the oil in a heavy nonreactive skillet on medium heat and sauté the trout on each side until golden and fish flakes easily. Remove and place on a platter. Add garlic to the skillet and 1 tablespoon of the seasoned flour. Stirring constantly, cook until the garlic and flour are golden. Continuing to stir, pour in the vinegar and vermouth and cook until slightly thickened. Pour sauce over the fish.

Monkfish with Lemon Herb Vinegar Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Warm the oil in a large heavy nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, stirring constantly and being careful not to let it brown. Add the fish, lemon thyme, and pepper to taste. When the fish is cooked through, add the vinegar, heat to a simmer, and serve.

Tomato and Basil Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

In a large nonreactive saucepan, combine tomatoes, onion, potatoes, stock and vinegar. Cover and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are very soft. Pour the soup into a blender and puree. Stir in the basil, salt, and pepper.

Variation. Dill vinegar and fresh dill may be substituted for the dill vinegar and fresh dill.

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Broccoli with Ginger-Vinegar Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

In a nonreactive bowl, combine 2 tablespoons vinegar, 10 pieces of green onion, 4 slices of ginger, and 1 teaspoon garlic. Press with a spoon to release flavors; remove from the bowl. Add shrimp, stirring to coat; marinate for 30 minutes.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat and add the broccoli. Cook for 212 minutes, drain, run under cold water, and drain again. Set broccoli aside.

In a nonreactive bowl, combine broth, cornstarch, hot pepper oil, soy sauce, sugar, hot pepper sauce, and remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Set aside.

Place a wok or heavy skillet over high heat and add untoasted sesame oil. Add the remaining green onions, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Add the broccoli, toss, and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, toss, and cook for 1 minute. Stir the broth mixture, add it to the wok, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. Serve with rice.

Hot-and-Sour Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

In a bowl, pour hot water to cover over dried mushrooms. Let soak for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid. Slice the mushrooms, discarding the stalks and hard centers. In a large nonreactive saucepan, combine the reserved mushroom liquid, stock, sliced mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots, and soy sauce. Place over medium-high heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the oil and vinegar. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water, blending well. Stir the mixture into the soup. Continue to heat and stir until the soup is slightly thickened. Drizzle the beaten egg into the soup while stirring so that it forms thin strands. Serve garnished with the chopped green onion.