Finally, a beautiful weekend at the shore. The last few weeks have been cloudy and cool. On those days, I look forward to meals that warm you up, especially with our heat turned off for the season. I had a beautiful New York Strip steak from Perotti’s Quality Meats in Cranford, NJ. While I normally just season my steak with salt and grill, this time I tried something different. I had a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen for Chili Rubbed Flank Steak. I swapped the flank steak for the New York strip. For the rub you’ll need chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and cinnamon.
Once I had the spice blend made, it was time to rub on both sides of the steak. I coated them about an hourahead of time and let them come to room temperature before cooking. I grilled the steak outside for about six to seven minutes per side or until the internal temperature reached between 130° and 135°.
The steak turned out perfect! The spice blend gave the meat a nice kick of flavor, but not overpowering. The steak was tender and juicy; the rub gave the meat lots of flavor. By the way, I still have a flank steak in my freezer that will get this spice treatment over the Memorial Day weekend.
I had some leftover puff pastry from my Galette des Rois. In going through my extensive pile of recipes, I came across one found in “Southern Living Magazine” from March 2017, Creamy Chicken and Bacon with Herbed Puff Pastry. For the recipe you’ll need boneless and skinless chicken breasts, chicken stock, kosher salt, frozen puff pastry, an egg, fresh parsley leaves, black pepper, frozen English peas, bacon slices, butter, an onion (Vidalia or another sweet onion), celery, all-purpose flour, heavy cream and fontina cheese.
I seasoned my chicken with salt and pepper and poached it in homemade chicken stock. After cooking, I allowed the meat to cool before shredding with two forks. Next, it was onto baking the puff pastry scraps. I squared them off and brushed with an egg wash, seasoned with pepper and placed a parsley leaf and some chive blossoms on for decoration. Into the oven it went and baked for 12-14 minutes.
I didn’t have English peas, but I did have regular petite frozen peas that I cooked and kept warm. The bacon was cooked until it was dark and crispy then set aside on a paper towel lined dish. I removed the bacon fat from the pan and added some butter to cook chopped onion and sliced celery until tender. Once that was done, a bit of flour went into the pan and cooked for approximately one minute. The heavy cream and stock were poured in and brought to a simmer. Once the sauce had thickened, the peas, cheese, chicken, bacon pieces were added until they were all heated through. Seasonings were adjusted prior to being placed in a bowl and topped with the puff pastry square.
What a tasty supper! It was an unconstructed chicken pot pie, but way creamier and richer. The sauce was quite delicious from the addition of bacon pieces and the onion and celery cooked with some of the residual bacon fat and butter. The fontina added an extra creaminess in conjunction with the heavy cream. The puff pastry was slightly crispy and added some texture and crunch to the dish. Both my husband and I enjoyed this wonderful preparation.
Last weekend I returned home from the Asbury Fresh market with a gorgeous bunch of New Jersey asparagus from Rolling Hills Farm. I sought a recipe that would feature it along with a protein. In the cook book, “Scotto Sunday Suppers and Other Fabulous Feasts,” I found Grilled Chicken Breasts with Red Pepper Purée and Grilled Asparagus. Both the chicken and asparagus are dressed with a marinade before cooking. For the marinade you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh thyme, chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, minced shallots, salt and freshly ground black pepper. All of these ingredients are combined together with a portion added to a bowl along with boneless chicken breasts and a portion poured over asparagus.
For the red pepper purée sauce you need, thinly sliced red bell peppers, thinly sliced onion or shallots, peeled and crushed garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper. The peppers, onion and garlic are cooked in a sauté pan with olive oil. The pan is covered and the ingredients cooked until soft. Stock is added, simmered and reduced until no liquid remains. The vegetables go into a blender and blended until smooth. The sauce is seasoned with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. If the sauce is too thick, it can be thinned with water or stock.
Both the chicken and asparagus were grilled outdoors. I placed the asparagus in a grilling basket. To serve, I spooned the purée over the chicken and asparagus. What a wonderful summertime meal, albeit a bit early. The marinade infused both the asparagus and chicken with a wonderful flavor. The fresh herbs added a brightness to the dish. The purée added another layer of flavor complementing the marinade on both the chicken and asparagus.
I grew up in north Jersey with two diners located on Route 46. Park West Diner (formerly the Golden Star Diner back in the 60’s & 70’s), in Woodland Park (formerly known as West Paterson) and Primrose Diner (previously known as West’s Diner) in Little Falls. I remember going to the Primrose with my late mother and her ordering a patty melt. What is a patty melt? It’s a thin beef hamburger patty cooked on a griddle and topped with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese served on toasted rye bread. I followed a recipe from The Commerce Inn by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi that was adapted for The New York Times by Pete Wells.
For the recipe you’ll need unsalted butter, 2 medium onions, a rosemary branch, granulated sugar, salt, pepper, 4 large slices of seeded rye, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, ground beef (20% fat), sliced Swiss cheese and pickled to serve alongside.
I started my onions the day before by sautéing them in a cast iron skillet with butter, rosemary branch, a pinch of salt and sugar (to help with the caramelization). It takes about 20 minutes to achieve a deep caramel color. When done, the rosemary is removed.
For two sandwiches you need 12 ounces of ground beef that’s divided into two portions. The beef is placed between two sheets of wax paper and patted thin, making it slightly larger than the bread slices. The patties were seasoned generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
The Dijon mustard and mayonnaiseare mixed together. The outsideof the bread is spread from edge to edge with softened butter. Using my pancake griddle, I laid down the bread on one half of the pan and cooked the patties on the other. While the patties cooked, I placed a slice of Swiss on each piece of bread. The patties are smashed with a spatula and cooked on each side until brown, about 1 to 3 minutes. The patties are flipped and topped with onions. The Dijon-mayonnaise is spread over the melted cheese. When the patties are done, they’re placed between the two slices of rye.
What a terrific burger. The burger was moist and juicy, the onions (reheated before being placed on top of the burger) added some sweetness, the cheese gave the sandwich a creaminess and the sauce a bit of acid to cut through the meat’s richness. Overall, a nice change from a barbecue beef burger.
On a final note, in April I prepared a Venison Sausage Chili. A neighbor of ours is a hunter and kindly shared some of his venison with us. However, I can’t locate the recipe I followed. However, here’s what I can recall. I had four 12-inch links of venison sausage that I removed from its casing. I browned the meat in olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper and chili powder. Could there be some cumin in there, possibly. I also added sautéed green pepper and onions and added a can of roasted tomatoes and red kidney beans. The chili was delicious. The night I made it was very cool and this dish hit the spot. The venison sausage was lean with little to no fat. I mentioned to our neighbor what I had made with the sausage and thanked him. He offered us more meat in the future.
Grilled Chicken Breasts with Red Pepper Puree and Grilled Asparagus
“Scotto Sunday Suppers and Other Fabulous Feasts”
By The Scotto family with Linda Stasi
HarperCollins ©2005
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the marinade
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-pound fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed
Six 6-to 8-ounce boneless chicken breasts
For the red pepper puree
2 cups red bell peppers, thinly sliced
½ cup thinly sliced onion or shallots
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.To make marinade: in a bowl, combined the olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, parsley, garlic, shallots, salt and pepper. In separate containers, marinate the asparagus for about 10 minutes and the chicken for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before grilling.
2.Heat the grill to high heat. Grill the chicken for 7 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Grill the asparagus for 4 minutes, turning once, or until lightly browned.
3.To make the roasted red pepper puree: Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the peppers, onion and garlic in the olive oil until heated through.
4.Cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
5.Add the stock and simmer until the sauce is reduced and there is no free liquid visible on the bottom of the pan, 8 to 10 minutes.
6.Puree the vegetables in a blender until completely smooth. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the consistency as needed, to thin the sauce, add a little water or stock.
7.Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and asparagus to serve.
Creamy Chicken and Bacon with Herbed Puff Pastry
“Southern Living Magazine,” March 2017
Active Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 lbs.)
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed (1/2 of 17.3 oz. pkg.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
12 parsley leaves
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 (6-oz.) pkg. steam-in-bag fresh English peas or 3 cups frozen English peas
4 bacon slices
3 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion (from 1 medium onion)
½ cup (1/4-inch) diagonally sliced celery (from 1 large stalk)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup heavy cream
2 oz. fontina cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
1.Preheat oven to 400°F. place chicken, stock and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from stock, reserving 2-1/2 cups of the stock. Coarsely shred the chicken.
2.Meanwhile, place puff pastry sheet on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut pastry sheet into 4 squares; separate squares. Brush squares lightly with egg; top each square with 3 parsley leaves, pressing gently to adhere. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake on oven rack in bottom third of preheated oven until dough is puffed and golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
3.Cook peas according to package directions; keep warm.
4.Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, reserving drippings in skillet; crumble bacon. Add butter to hot drippings in skillet, and cook over medium until butter melts, about 1 minute. Add onion and celery; cook stirring often, until onion is tender and celery is tender-crisp, about 8 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Stir in cream and reserved 2-1/2 cup stock; bring to a simmer, stirring often. Stir in peas, cheese, chicken, bacon, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until mixture is thickened and thoroughly heated, about 10 minutes.
5.Divide mixture among 4 shallow bowls and top each with a puff pastry square. Serve immediately.
Chili-Rubbed Flank Steak
America’s Test Kitchen
Ingredients
1 Flank steak (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Place all ingredients in a small bowl. 3Pat steak dry. Rub both sides of steak with dry rub. Let me sit with dry rub for at least 30 minutes. Bring steak to room temperature, about 30 minutes as this will help steak to cook more evenly. Set grill to high (450-500°). Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side without moving. Grill until internal temperature reaches 130° to 135° for medium-rare flank steak. Let steak rest for 15 minutes before slicing against the grain.
The Commerce Inn Patty Melt
“The Patty Melt Is Tired of Hearing About Your Favorite Burger,” by Pete Wells
The New York Times, June 30, 2024
Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2 patty melts
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus softened butter for the bread
2 medium onions (any color), very thinly sliced
1 rosemary branch
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
Salt and pepper
4 large slices seeded rye
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
12 ounces ground beef (20 percent fat)
4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
Pickles, for serving
Preparation
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, then add the onions and rosemary. Season with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions get a nice dark caramel color, about 20 minutes. Fish out the rosemary.
- While the onions cook, spread one side of each slice of rye with softened butter from corner to corner. Mix the mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl and reserve.
- Make the beef patties by splitting the meat in half, then patting each half between 2 pieces of wax or parchment paper until it’s thin. Each patty should be slightly bigger than the bread so when it shrinks down you’ve got meat in every bite. Season the patties with lots of salt and pepper on both sides, as if they were steaks.
- Put the bread on a hot griddle, butter sides down, and divide the cheese among all 4 pieces. Put the meat on the griddle. (You can use two skillets set over high heat if you don’t have a griddle.) Smash the patties with a spatula. When they’re browned, 1 to 3 minutes, flip the patties and spread the onions over the meat. Sizzle them for a minute or 2 to brown the underside. Meanwhile, spread the Dijon-mayonnaise over the melted cheese.
- Put each patty on a slice of bread and make sandwiches by topping with the other slices. Serve immediately, with pickles.