| Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 1 Number 011 - October 1, 2001. Forum, Subscribe & Unsubscribe Information are at the end of this message. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to week three of our new Recipe Club. I'd like to introduce you to Chef June Jacobs. Enjoy! Chef June Jacobs, CCP (Certified Culinary Professional) embarked on her culinary career in Chicago, Illinois, where as Sous Chef of The Chicago Caterers she began an apprenticeship with Chef Judith Dunbar Hines (then the Executive Chef) that spanned 2-1/2 years, and established Chef June as both a caterer and a culinary educator of note. Chef June took her knives and stockpots to the East Coast where Feastivals became a well-known byword for the best in sophisticated entertainment in both Boston and New York. Soon a fixture on the faculty at the Boston Center for Adult Education she taught myriad courses, from Provençal cooking and Jewish Holiday fare to Pizza, Chocolate, Chicken, Creole cuisine and Fondue from 1985 - 95. Now a familiar face in the New York culinary community, Chef June is Corresponding Secretary of the New York Association of Cooking Teachers and an active member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). These days the chef concentrates on consulting for food and wine related products and restaurants, teaching cooking classes around the country, and leading food-and-wine focused tours to France and the world. "In my menus for the week, I tried to include dishes that look and taste fabulous, but are almost embarrassingly easy to make. When we come home from a long day of work, we really don't want to think of dinner taking more than half an hour to prepare. These recipes have all been tested for that - except Friday's "Special," of course! So pour yourself a glass of wine, and get started. Dinner is coming right up!" Monday: Chicken in Red Wine Vinegar Sauce I include this divine Lyonnaise dish in a class I have taught many times featuring four (and sometimes five!) chicken dishes from different parts of France. Many of my students are put off by the title of the recipe, but when the class is over, they almost unanimously declare this dish to be their favorite! Makes 6 servings 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1. Mix salt and pepper together in a small bowl. 2. Heat the oil and melt the butter in a deep-sided 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. (If your pan isn't large enough to hold all the chicken in a single layer, use 2 smaller pans, and put half the chicken, oil, and butter in each one.) Rub the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper mixture. When the oil is hot but not smoking, use tongs to add the chicken, skin side down. Brown on both sides until the skin becomes beautifully golden brown, and the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 12 minutes on each side. 3. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Pour off about one-half the fat in the pan. Add the shallots to the remaining oil and brown over medium high heat. Slowly add the vinegar to the skillet and boil until reduced by half. (The fumes will definitely clear your sinuses -- great for a cold!!) Add the crème fraîche and cook until the mixture is well blended and has turned a nutty brown color, about 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan to coat thoroughly and heat briefly in the sauce. 4. Return to the platter, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately. If there is extra sauce, pass it in a small bowl. Teacher's Tips: 1.Be sure the vinegar has boiled down enough before you add the crème fraîche or you'll end up with a beige, watery sauce. 1. Brown Chinese vinegar makes a tasty substitution for the red wine vinegar. Pork Chops in Red Wine Vinegar Sauce: can be made by following the above steps. Unless your chops are very thick, they will not take quite as long to cook as the chicken! Wine Tip: The robust flavors of this dish call for a similar wine. Try a Morgon or Moulin au Vent (cru Beaujolais) with it. Garlic Mashed Potatoes I think mashed potatoes are just about everyone's favorite side dish. There are very few main courses I can think of that can't be "helped" by a succulent serving of soft, fluffy mashed potatoes. You can roast the garlic if you want, before tossing the sweet cooked morsels in with the spuds. Makes 4 to 6 servings 6 fairly large russet potatoes 1. Peel the potatoes and garlic and place in a large saucepan of boiling water. Boil about 25 to 30 minutes or until tender. Drain, then return to empty pot. Place over medium heat, tossing and stirring the potatoes to expel all moisture, about 1 to 2 minutes. 2. Mash the potatoes and garlic with a potato masher (or use the paddle in your Kitchen-Aid). When free of lumps, add butter, salt and pepper. Continue mashing until well mixed. 3. Mixing vigorously with a heavy whisk, add the warmed cream. The longer the potatoes are mixed, the fluffier they will be. Serve immediately, with extra pepper and butter, if desired. Teacher's Tips: 1. You can make a much lower fat version that is still incredibly delicious, by substituting chicken stock or the water the potatoes were cooked in for the cream. You CAN omit the butter altogether. 2. Before cooking with the potatoes, cut each garlic clove in half lengthwise, and if there is a green sprout present, use your thumbnail to remove it. [This is the part of the garlic that makes it bitter!] Monday's Shopping List: 1 free-range chicken, about 4 pounds (have the butcher cut it into 10 pieces if you're not comfortable doing it yourself) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |