ORECCHIETTE WITH KALE, PANCETTA, AND OREGANO
PENNE WITH WALNUT PESTO AND EGGPLANT
CLAMS WITH MINT, CHILES, AND BACON
TARRAGON CHICKEN BREASTS WITH BUTTERED LEEKS
PESTO-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CHERRY TOMATOES
MESSY LAMB SHOULDER CHOPS WITH FOUR HERBS
GRILLED LEMON-ROSEMARY HANGER STEAK
THIS IS LIKE A HYBRID OF A SOUFFLE AND A FRITTATA, but much easier to prepare than either. It’s the perfect quick dish to use up odds and ends from your garden or herb bunches in your refrigerator. Add whatever combination of herbs you like, but for a good balance remember to take into consideration the strength of the particular leaves. For instance, you can add big handfuls of sorrel, chervil, basil, or parsley to the mix because they are mild, but don’t use more than a tablespoon of more assertive herbs like marjoram or tarragon. Chives and dill fall in between.
3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
½ cup milk, whole or low fat
8 large eggs, separated
½ to ¾ cup chopped mixture of soft-leaved herbs, such as basil, chervil, parsley, sorrel, chives, dill, marjoram, or tarragon
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup shredded Gruyère
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Stir the bread crumbs into the milk in a large mixing bowl and let them soak until they become pasty, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolks, herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir in cup of the cheese.
Just before you are ready to cook the frittata, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form very soft (not stiff) peaks. When you scoop up some on a rubber spatula they should hold their shape in mounds, but the peak at the top of the spatula should flop over instead of standing straight up—any stiffer and they won’t incorporate as easily. Scoop the whites into the yolk mixture and quickly fold them in.
Heat a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the butter when the pan is hot enough for it to sizzle but not brown, and swirl it until it melts. Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Immediately put the skillet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the soufflé is puffed and deeply browned. Serve it right away, spooned from the skillet, or at room temperature, cut into wedges.
THE COMBINATION THE FRENCH call fines herbes is like Indian curry powder, a mixture whose components may vary a bit, but stilt delivers an identifiable flavor. Most often it includes chives, tarragon, parsley, and chervil. Here the gently flavored quartet of herbs cozies up to the soft, sweet richness of ricotta to create a quick sauce for fresh pasta.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
⅓ cup whole-milk ricotta
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chervil (or additional parsley)
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces fresh fettuccine noodles Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Put the butter in a large stainless steel mixing bowl and set it on top of the boiling water. When the butter is melted, take it off the water and stir in the ricotta, herbs, Parmesan, and salt.
Boil the pasta until tender but still slightly firm, usually 2 to 4 minutes. Scoop about ½ cup of the cooking water from the pot, then drain the noodles. Using tongs, toss them with the ricotta and herbs, along with as much of the reserved pasta water as it takes to create a creamy sauce. Grind some black pepper on top and serve in warm bowls.
MY MOST VALUED HOME RECIPES are those that I can whip together with ingredients I always have at hand in my pantry and herb garden. I often prepare this pasta when I crave something homey and satisfying after work. Try to search out and stock up on premium tuna packed in olive oil or natural juices—there really is a huge difference in flavor and texture. You can find excellent brands of line-caught albacore from the Pacific Northwest as well as imported ones from Spain labeled “bonita.”
Kosher salt
12 ounces bow-tie pasta (farfalle)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick from root end to tip
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped sage
One 6-ounce can tuna packed in olive oil or in natural juices, drained 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed (first soaked for 15 minutes if salt-packed) Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup coarsely chopped dill or flat-leaf parsley leaves
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons salt. Stir in the bow ties.
Pour the olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and sage and cook until the onion softens and loses its raw bite but still has some snap, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tuna, capers, ½ teaspoon salt, and a good grinding of black pepper and use the back of a wooden spoon to break up the tuna into chunks. Remove the skillet from the heat.
When the pasta is done, drain it and toss it into the tuna and onion in the skillet. Sprinkle with the dill or parsley and toss it again. Serve right away in warm bowls.
THIS IS A QUICK PASTA to satisfy cool-weather cravings for greens. I’ve been making it ever since I tasted a similar dish in Rome many years ago. I was so enthused, I brought back seeds for the slender-leaved black kale that it was made with, and planted them in my own garden with great success. Now I often see this cavalo nero sold in markets here, but any kind of kale, green or red, will be just as good in the dish.
1 bunch kale (12 ounces)
12 ounces orecchiette pasta
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped Greek oregano
Kosher salt
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash the kale, leaving the leaves wet, and chop it into 1-inch sections, discarding the tough bottom inch or two of the stems.
Stir the orecchiette into the boiling water. While the pasta is cooking, render the pancetta in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it begins to brown. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, and after half a minute or so, add as much of the chopped kale as will fit in the pan. Toss the kale with tongs until it wilts down, and then add the rest of the kale. Ladle about ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid into the pan, toss in the oregano, and continue to cook until the kale is no longer tough (it will not be completely tender either), 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and add salt if it needs it (the pancetta might contribute enough).
When the pasta is tender but still firm, drain it and add it to the skillet. Sprinkle with the cheese, toss it all together, and serve in warm shallow bowls.
The genus of herbs that includes oregano and marjoram can be hair pulling to sort out. Not only are there scores of species, subspecies, and crosses, but even within a species the plants can be highly variable in flavor and appearance.
I like to narrow this group of herbs to the three members that are most useful to a cook.
GREEK OREGANO This is the species, Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum, that you want when a recipe calls for fresh oregano. It’s highly fragrant, aggressively spicy, and, if eaten raw, leaves a burning heat in your mouth. This rugged perennial dies to the ground each fall and reappears around the time tulips bloom. In summer it sends up lacy inflorescences bearing tiny white flowers. Cook with this oregano cautiously; its forceful flavor can be overpowering. It works well with summer vegetables like tomato, eggplant, and peppers, with white beans, or with robust meat dishes.
SWEET MARJORAM This herb is actually a perennial, but nearly always grown as an annual. Though its aroma is forcefully herbaceous, it’s softer than oregano’s; when you nibble on a leaf it will be strong tasting and slightly camphoric but not fiery. When it blooms, its upper stems are covered with tight green balls, sometimes called knots, which hold the tiny white flowers. Unlike Greek oregano, marjoram’s flavor is compatible with a great variety of foods, from summer vegetables to mushrooms, fish, meat, and poultry.
ITALIAN OREGANO A cross between Greek oregano and sweet marjoram, Italian oregano tastes like marjoram but has the perennial habit of oregano (though not as hardy). It offers a longer season of harvest than marjoram, coming up early in the spring and growing late into the fall.
BEWARE OF COMMON OREGANO. This is an aggressive grower that looks nearly identical to Greek oregano except its flowers are pink instead of white. It has almost no flavor. Occasionally, you will find it sold in garden centers as oregano (which it is), but it is not a culinary herb. Sometimes it crosses with culinary oreganos and you end up with something in between, and sometimes it invades other oreganos, overtaking them. It’s always wise to smell and taste oregano before you buy a plant to be sure it has a strong flavor.
IN ADDITION TO SWEET MARJORAM, other types of marjoram often show up in garden centers, such as golden marjoram or curly marjoram. They are attractive plants but tend to be very mild in flavor. Choose sweet marjoram if you are going to cook with it.
ANY TIME A RECIPE CALLS FOR MARJORAM, you can substitute Italian oregano, but not Greek oregano.
ALL MEMBERS OF THIS FAMILY SHOULD BE CUT BACK during flowering to promote new leaf growth and keep them lush. lust grab onto the tops and shear them at least halfway down, well below the level at which the flowers begin. They will quickly put on new growth.
THESE HERBS ARE ROBUSTLY FLAVORED, but soft-leaved, which means you can add them at the beginning or the end of cooking. Their flavor will be stronger and more forward if you add them at the end.
PASTA WITH PESTO CAN BE A SPRINGBOARD FOR ALL SORTS OF VARIATIONS, and this one, with walnuts and creamy cubes of roasted eggplant, is a favorite for late-summer suppers.
2 small or 1 large eggplant (1½ pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
PESTO
2 cups lightly packed basil leaves (2 ounces)
½ cup toasted walnuts
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¾ pound penne pasts
½ cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts to finish
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the unpeeled eggplant into ¾-inch cubes. Spread them out on a baking sheet that is either nonstick or lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss the cubes with your hands to distribute the oil and salt as evenly as you can and shake them out into a single layer. Bake the cubes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they brown on the edges and are very soft.
While the eggplant is roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pesto by pulsing the basil, walnuts, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in a food processor. With the machine running, pour in the olive oil. Scrape down the bowl and add the cheese, then pulse again until combined.
Boil the pasta until it is tender but still slightly firm. Scoop ½ cup of the cooking water into a glass measuring cup, and then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot, top with the pesto, pour in the water, and stir until it is evenly sauced. Scrape the eggplant cubes into the pot and stir gently. Scoop the pasta into a warmed large serving bowl or individual shallow bowls, sprinkle with the chopped walnuts, and serve right away.
A LAST-MINUTE SHOWER OF FRESH SPEARMINT brightens the smokiness of the bacon and cools the fiery chiles that spice up this simple dish of steamed clams.
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces bacon
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 Thai bird or Szechwan chiles, fresh or dried
½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
2 pounds live Manila clams, washed
½ cup coarsely chopped spearmint leaves
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan and cook the bacon in it, stirring often, until it renders most of its fat and just begins to crisp. Scrape it out into a strainer, leaving a film of fat behind. Add the garlic, chiles, and wine to the saucepan. When the wine simmers, add the clams and cover the pot tightly. Cook over medium-high heat until all the clams open up and then a minute or two past that, 5 to 7 minutes total.
Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lift the clams into warmed serving bowls. Boil the liquid left behind for a minute or two, and then stir in the bacon and mint. Pour the sauce over the warm clams. Serve right away with crusty bread.
THE BOOMING CELERYLIKE FLAVOR OF LOVAGE might seem too strong for seafood, but it really complements most kinds, especially shellfish. I think mussels and lovage are a triumphant combination.
Lovage is an Old Faithful of an herb. You plant it once and early every spring it shoots from the earth and soars 6 or 7 feet in a couple of months-if you let it. The trick is to keep cutting back the flowering stalks so that it continues to produce young leaves, which are the only ones that are good to cook with. As the leaves get older and turn pale green or yellowed they become bitter and unpalatable.
2 pounds mussels, washed and beards removed
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped young lovage leaves
2 cups diced ripe tomatoes, or halved cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Generous grinding of black pepper
Put everything but 1 tablespoon of the lovage in a large skillet or saucepan and cover.
Cook over high heat until most of the mussels open up then shake the pan and continue to cook for another minute. Spoon the mussels and their liquid into large serving bowls, sprinkle with the lovage that was set aside and serve with crusty bread.
FILLET OF SOLE, WITH ITS DELICATE FLAVOR AND TEXTURE, makes a wonderful home supper, and I cook it often. This recipe is a variation of classic sole meunière, in which the fish is floured and cooked in butter, then topped with sizzling lemon and parsley butter. All that I’ve added is a lavish handful of other herbs along with the parsley, which turns the dish into something else entirely.
1 ½ pounds skinned sole fillet, such as Dover or petrale
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 tablespoons butter
¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cup very coarsely chopped soft-leafed herbs, including a mixture of any of the following: sweet basil, lemon basil, chervil, chives, dill, spearmint, or tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Check for and remove any stray bones in the fish. Pour the milk into a shallow baking dish. Mix the flour with 2 teaspoons of salt and spread it out on a baking sheet or platter. Dip each piece of fish in the milk, then dredge with the flour, shake off the excess, and place it on a piece of parchment paper.
For the full recipe you’ll need to cook the fish in 2 batches. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch or larger skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter when the skillet is hot enough for the butter to sizzle but not brown. Position about half of the fish fillets in the pan without overlapping the edges. Cook until the underside is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the skillet from time to time to ensure the fish are not sticking. Flip each piece and brown the other side, then slide the pieces out onto warm plates or a large warm platter. Wipe out the pan and repeat the steps with 1 tablespoon more of both oil and butter, and the remaining fish.
When the second batch of fish comes out of the skillet you’ll need to work quickly. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the hot pan and turn off the heat. Add a large pinch of salt if your butter is unsalted. When it melts, toss in the parsley and other herbs all at once. Stir for a moment—the herbs will absorb most of the butter—then add the lemon juice. As it sizzles, spoon the herb butter over the fish. Serve right away.
WHEN A CULINARY STUDENT FROM JAPAN VISITED MY KITCHEN, she told me about her most frequent home-cooked meal, called chirashi sushi. It’s like deconstructed sushi, where all the elements—rice, seafood, and vegetables—are layered in a bowl. This is my own interpretation, with seared tuna—and plenty of herbs, of course—which I often prepare for a quick supper. It’s hugely satisfying and healthful, and as easy to make as throwing together a salad.
DRESSING
½ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 ½ cups short-grain rice for sushi (1 like Kokuho Rose brand)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ pounds fresh tuna steaks, such as albacore or ahi
Kosher salt
2 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced
½ cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 sheet nori, cut into small strips with scissors
¼ cup coarsely chopped spearmint
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
4 to 6 shiso (perilla) leaves, cut into thin strips (optional)
Soy sauce
Stir the dressing ingredients together in a mixing bowl and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the dish to mellow and soften the onion.
Prepare the rice according to the package directions.
Heat a grill pan or large skillet over high heat. Pour the oil onto a large plate and slide both sides of the fish in it. Season both sides with salt. Keeping the heat high, sear the tuna for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until it is crusted on the outside but still translucent in the center. Let the fish cool slightly, and then cut it into ¼-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife.
Scoop the cooked rice into 4 shallow bowls. Arrange the tuna slices, avocados, and cucumber over the top. Sprinkle with the green onion and nori. Toss the herbs together and sprinkle them over everything. Spoon the dressing evenly over the bowls. Serve with soy sauce and chopsticks.
TARRAGON SINGS OUT MOST BEAUTIFULLY WHEN ADDED to a dish with simple flavors. This one, which takes just 20 minutes to prepare, is a perfect example. Chicken breasts are tucked into a bed of soft buttery leeks to braise and finished with a small handful of fresh anise-flavored leaves.
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only (1 large or 2 small)
2 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 ½ pounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped tarragon
Put the leeks in a large skillet with the chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Cook them at a gentle boil over medium heat until they are tender and the broth has boiled down far enough that the leeks are no longer completely submerged. This should take about 8 minutes.
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place them on top of the simmering leeks, spoon some of the leeks over the chicken, and cover the pan tightly.
Reduce the heat to low. In 10 minutes test the chicken for doneness. It should feel firm when you press on it, and if you cut a slit into the thickest part of a breast, there should be no sign of translucence. If the breast pieces are large, it could take as much as 15 minutes, but don’t overcook them.
When the chicken is done, lift the pieces from the leeks and put them on a warm platter. Increase the heat under the leeks to high and stir in the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and the tarragon. When the butter melts, taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Pour the leek sauce over the chicken and serve.
herbal improvisations Instead of the tarragon, stir in 2 tablespoons chopped marjoram or ½ cup chopped dill or chervil.
TARRAGON: the french, of course
There are two kinds of tarragon: French and Russian. Always choose French. It’s rarely labeled as either, but luckily most tarragon that we see in markets and garden centers these days is the French variety. Growing only about 2 feet high, it has small narrow leaves with an intense herbaceous anise flavor. Russian tarragon is much taller, lusher, and more vigorous, but it has a mild and far inferior flavor. You can always tell the difference from the taste.
THE TARRAGON THAT YOU BUY IN THE PRODUCE SECTION, particularly in winter, is often much milder tasting than what you harvest from your garden. When you cook with it, taste as you go and add more if you wish.
TARRAGON’S FLAVOR DOESN’T MIX WELL WITH MANY OTHER HERBS, but it does work with chives, chervil, and parsley. Combine all four for the classic mixture called fines herbes.
ADD TARRAGON TO A DISH AT THE END OF THE COOKING to keep its flavor most vibrant.
TARRAGON CAN BE FUSSY IN THE GARDEN. It likes loose rich soil, lots of sun, and to be kept evenly moist. If it sulks, try another spot in the garden.
TARRAGON IS A PERENNIAL BUT IT WILL OFTEN DIE IN WINTER ANYWAY. You might need to replant every season.
FRENCH TARRAGON DOES NOT PRODUCE VIABLE SEEDS, so you must begin with a plant that was started from a cutting or division. Russian tarragon does grow from seed.
IT’S A SIMPLE TRICK TO SLICE AND STUFF A POCKET in a chicken breast, and there are endless possibilities of what to put inside. Herb butters and pestos are perfect because they help keep the meat moist while delivering herbal flavors from the inside out. Here I use a classic basil pesto. As the chicken cooks, it shrinks and pushes some of the filling out into the skillet to combine with the cherry tomatoes as a colorful pan sauce. If your freezer is full of your own supply of pesto from your summer basil crop, you’ll love this recipe. Just use ½ cup and omit the pesto step.
PESTO
2 cups basil leaves, gently packed
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on, 1 ½ to 2 pounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes, preferably of varied colors, washed, stemmed, and halved
½ cup coarsely torn basil leaves
To make the pesto, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt in a food processor until they turn into a coarse puree. With the motor running, pour in ¼ cup olive oil. Stop the machine and add the cheese. Process until just incorporated; it should have some texture and not be a smooth puree.
Insert a sharp boning knife horizontally into the thick end of a chicken breast. Sweep the knife sideways to create an ample pocket without piercing through the other side of the breast. Slice the other 3 breasts in the same way. Divide the pesto into 4 equal parts and fill each pocket with a portion.
Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully lower the chicken breasts into the pan, skin side down. Cook until the skin is a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the breasts, cover the pan, and adjust the heat to medium-low. Cook for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. You can check by peeking into the pocket or cutting into the thickest part of a breast to see that there is no sign of translucence. Lift the chicken out with tongs and put it on a warm platter or warm plates, leaving behind the pan drippings and any pesto that escaped from the pockets. If it seems like there’s quite a bit of fat in the skillet, pour off about half of it.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the skillet and increase the heat to medium. Stir to scrape up anything clinging to the bottom of the pan and cook for a minute or two, until the tomatoes are hot and begin to exude juices. Stir in the torn basil. Pour the tomatoes over the chicken and serve right away.
BONELESS DARK CHICKEN MEAT IS NOW COMMON in grocery stores and butchers’ counters and it’s just the thing for quick, flavorful dinners. In this one-skillet dish the chicken is embellished with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients that balance tangy, sweet, salty, and herbaceous flavors.
1 ½ pounds boneless chicken thighs, or legs and thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, cut in half and sliced from root to top
1 ½ tablespoons coarsely chopped rosemary
½ cup chicken broth
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
⅓ cup dried currants
⅓ cup chopped pitted green olives
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the chicken pieces, spreading them in a single layer. Cook them undisturbed until the bottoms of the chunks brown lightly, about 3 minutes. Scrape the chicken pieces loose with a spatula, stir them around, and cook them another 3 minutes, stirring several more times, to lightly brown the other sides. Slide the chicken out of the pan onto a warm platter.
Adjust the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and rosemary to the skillet and cook until they become limp, about 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and stir to dissolve the browned layer on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the lemon zest, currants, olives, ½ teaspoon salt, a few grindings of black pepper, and the browned chicken. Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
Uncover the pan and increase the heat to high. Stir in the lemon juice, and cook until the sauce reduces and thickens enough to coat the meat with a glaze, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve while still hot.
herbal improvisation In place of the rosemary, cook ¼ cup coarsely chopped sage with the onion.
THE PARTICULAR HERB CALLED CINNAMON BASIL, which tastes like a cross between the herb and the spice, inspired this dish of chicken braised with cinnamon sticks and tomatoes and finished with a heavy shower of fresh sweet basil. It might seem like too much basil, but don’t hold back; it gives the dish its freshness and verve. If you do have cinnamon basil in your garden, so much the better; use it instead of sweet basil for even more spice flavor.
If you can, try to find “true cinnamon” sticks, which have a more complex and less cinnamon red-hot flavor than the cassia cinnamon sticks you usually find in supermarkets. Their bark is papery thin and rolled in brittle layers as opposed to the rigid bark of cassia sticks. Star anise pods add a nice dimension to the dish also, but you can leave them out if they’re not on hand.
1 frying chicken, about 4 ½ pounds, cut into 8 pieces without the backbone
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced from root end to top
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
One (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained of half the liquid
Three 3-inch cinnamon sticks, preferably “true” cinnamon
3 star anise pods
1 ½ cups torn leaves of sweet basil or cinnamon basil, gently packed
Season all sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid. When the pan is hot, put the chicken pieces in the pan, skin side down, and cook uncovered until the skin turns deep golden brown, at least 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook another 2 to 3 minutes on the other side. Take the chicken out of the pan and pile it on a platter.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the pan. Stir them around for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they soften and begin to brown. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Put the chicken back in the pan. When the tomatoes come to a simmer, cover the pan, turn the heat to very low, and cook for about 50 minutes, or until there is little resistance when you pierce a thigh with the tip of a paring knife. If the sauce seems watery, turn the heat to high and boil it uncovered until it thickens. Scatter in the basil as you toss the chicken in the sauce with tongs. Serve right away.
When a recipe calls for basil, it means sweet basil, the herb with an Italian pedigree that has a complex flavor, combining clove, cinnamon, camphor, anise, citrus, and mint. It’s unlikely you’ll see anything labeled more specifically than “basil” in produce sections and ordinary garden centers, but when you flip through seed catalogs you’ll see lots of choices.
There are many strains with sweet basil flavor, and their leaves can vary from tiny to gigantic, light green to burgundy colored, smooth to ruffled. Genovese is one of the best tasting, with medium-sized puckered leaves that are fleshy enough to make excellent pesto. Spicy Bush, Dwarf Italian, Bouquet, Piccolo, and Spicy Globe are all strains that grow into short rounded plants with very small leaves. Napoletano, Lettuce Leaf, and Mammoth all have enormous wide leaves that make harvesting and stemming very easy. Opal, Purple Ruffles, and Red Rubin have ruddy purple leaves that turn green when cooked. Though there are distinct differences in the flavors between the varieties, they are similar enough to be used interchangeably.
Other basil varieties are quite distinct in taste, emphasizing one of the flavor elements. For instance, lemon basil and lime basil both have a bright, citruslike flavor with almost no hint of sweet basil’s taste. Cinnamon basil really does taste like cinnamon; licorice basil and Thai basil have an aniselike flavor. Some basils are very camphoric and should not be invited into the kitchen at all—these include holy basil, African blue basil, and camphor basil.
BASIL DOES NOT LIKE TO BE STORED below 45°F—it can blacken. If you’ve just harvested it or bought a fresh bunch at a farmer’s market, stand it in a pitcher of water like a bouquet and keep it on the kitchen counter, where it will keep a day or so. Better yet, if you happen to have a temperature-controlled wine storage area, put it in a freezer bag and pop it in there. Otherwise, you’ll have to bag it and keep it in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator. Pack it loosely and don’t set anything on top of it, and it will be fine for 3 or 4 days.
UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARING PESTO, basil is best left quite coarsely chopped or torn into pieces. When cutting it, use a very sharp knife so that you don’t bruise it.
WHEN ADDING BASIL TO A COOKED DISH, stir it in at the end.
DON’T PLANT BASIL IN YOUR GARDEN until night temperatures stay above 60°F. Most cooks will want at least half a dozen plants for a continuous supply.
LIKE MOST HERBS, BASIL LIKES LOOSE SOIL, but it will grow best if given more water and fertilizer than the others. If you grow tomatoes, treat your basil the same way.
BASIL IS AN ANNUAL AND ITS GOAL IS TO BLOOM AND SET SEED. Once it accomplishes this, it diminishes its leaf production. In order to keep the plants producing leaves all summer, it’s important to keep them from flowering. To begin with, when the plants are young, pinch off the top set or two of leaves every week to encourage branching. When the plants mature, cut the branches back when they form buds at the top. It’s better to cut an individual plant down quite far (at least one-half or two-thirds of the way down) than to cut the top one or two leaf pairs of each stem (which encourages it to produce twice as many flowers). The plant will grow back in a few weeks. Some of the specialty basils, like cinnamon and lemon, are particularly determined to flower, and at a certain point you have to let them.
FOR EASY FAMILY DINNERS, roasted chicken is always at the top of my list. It’s nice to have a few variations in your recipe file, and this is a good one. Here, the backbone is cut out and the chicken is laid flat, stuffed under the skin with an herby olive paste, and then roasted on top of potatoes and fennel, which become saturated in the flavorful juices. If you buy a big roasting chicken (6 pounds), it’s easier to stuff and you’ll have enough for six hungry people.
HERBED OLIVE PASTE
½ cup pitted oil-cured black olives
2 tablespoons thyme leaves
3 tablespoons rosemary leaves
Grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (or any other variety), cut into 2-inch chunks
2 fennel bulbs, white parts only, sliced 1 inch thick
1 roasting chicken (about 6 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Spin all of the olive paste ingredients together in a food processor until they form a semi-smooth puree.
Put the potatoes and fennel in a roasting pan or large baking dish. Dot them with about one-quarter of the olive paste and toss them around a bit.
Using poultry shears, cut along either side of the backbone to remove it. Turn the chicken over and spread it out flat. Bend the wing tips behind. Wriggle your hand between the skin and the flesh of the bird to loosen the skin over the breast, thigh, and leg. Taking a small handful at a time, stuff the remaining olive paste under the skin, distributing it as evenly as you can over the dark and white meat. It will be a little messy—some of the olive paste may end up on the outside of the skin—but it doesn’t matter. Lay the chicken over the vegetables and position the legs so that the knee joints point inward. Sprinkle the skin generously with salt and pepper.
Roast the chicken for 60 to 70 minutes (50 to 60 if it’s a smaller fryer), or until the skin is deeply browned and there is no sign of pink when you cut and peek between the thigh and the lower breast. Let the bird rest for 10 to 20 minutes before you carve it.
herbal improvisation In place of the rosemary, add the same quantity of marjoram or savory.
I LIKE LAMB SHOULDER CHOPS as much as expensive rib chops. They might not be as tender, but they have heaps more flavor and really satisfy a gnaw-on-the bone grilled meat craving. You can begin to eat them with a knife and fork, but after a while pick them up to get true gratification; with their herby-garlicy coating, it’s a messy pleasure.
4 lamb shoulder blade chops, 2 ½ to 3 pounds
2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped thyme
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped Greek oregano
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup coarsely chopped spearmint
Sprinkle both sides of the lamb chops with 2 teaspoons of the salt. Stir the rosemary, thyme, oregano, garlic, and olive oil together in a large mixing bowl. Scoop half of this marinade into a small saucepan for a topping after the chops are grilled. Smear both sides of the chops with the remaining marinade and let them sit in the bowl until you are ready to grill (refrigerate them if it will be more than an hour).
Light a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to high. When it’s ready, grill the chops until they are approaching medium-well. Grills vary a great deal, and the cooking time might also, but over hardwood charcoal in my kettle grill the chops take a total of 15 minutes for both sides, and I cook them covered for about half of that time to keep the flames extinguished. You must cook them long enough so that the connective fat has a chance to render and relax, but not so long that the chops become dry.
Let the chops rest on a platter for 5 to 10 minutes. Put the saucepan with the reserved marinade over medium heat and stir it until the garlic cooks, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the mint and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Brush the herb oil over the chops and serve.
THERE’S SOMETHING IRRESISTIBLE ABOUT GRILLED BEEF that has been marinated with soy sauce and sugar, as with teriyaki or Korean barbecue. In this variation on the theme, I’ve infused a similar sweet soy marinade with the piney flavor of rosemary and the citrus punch of lemon verbena.
The long-neglected cut known as onglet, or hanger steak, is showing up at many butchers’ counters, which is great news because it’s flavorful, tender, and a great value. The steaks are shaped like a narrow taper, each an individual serving size. If they’re not available, substitute flank steak. This is good with the Herbed Fresh Vegetable Pickle (page 80) and plenty of steamed rice.
½ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
3 cloves garlic
1 cup very coarsely chopped chives or green onion
¼ cup rosemary leaves
¾ cup lemon verbena leaves, gently packed (or zest of 2 lemons)
4 hanger steaks (beef onglet), about 2 pounds
Puree the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and herbs in a blender until fairly smooth. Pour the mixture over the steaks in a large freezer bag, seal it, and squish things around to coat the steaks all over. Let the steaks marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
Build a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. When the coals are glowing or the gas grill is hot, grill the steaks, turning them several times, until they are done to your liking, 12 to 15 minutes for medium-rare. The steaks will inevitably char a bit because of the sugar in the marinade, but keep them away from the hottest part of the grill and watch them carefully so they don’t blacken. Allow the steaks to rest for 10 minutes, then carve them into ½-inch-thick slices and serve.
