Cook Like a Rock Star (9 page)

Prosciutto-Arugula Breadstick “Brooms”

SERVES: 6 TO 8 • TIME: ABOUT 45 MINUTES

Who doesn’t love a breadstick? And a breadstick wrapped up with yummy stuff is even better. My recipe for homemade grissini (skinny little breadsticks) is really good, but as I always say, pick your battles. If you don’t feel like making them, go ahead and buy some packaged ones—I promise this will still be a crowd pleaser!

MISE EN PLACE

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sugar

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

½ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ pound prosciutto, thinly sliced

½ pound baby arugula

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2
Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, cayenne, and rosemary in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk, lemon juice, and olive oil; using a fork, gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry until a dough forms.

3
Put the dough on a well-floured work surface, shape it into a ball, and, using the heels of your hands, knead it for about a minute. If the dough sticks, sprinkle it with a bit of flour.

4
Roll the dough in a log and cut it into about twenty-four 1-inch pieces. Using both hands, roll each piece of dough into a 7-inch rope; don’t worry if they’re not all exactly the same. Put them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

5
Bake the breadsticks until golden and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let the little lovelies cool.

6
Cut the prosciutto slices in half widthwise and lay a few arugula leaves in a bunch on one end of each slice. Put the end of a breadstick on the arugula and roll up the arugula and prosciutto, pressing lightly to secure—the finished product should look like a wacky little broom! Repeat with all the breadsticks.

Watch out—these will clean up!

When rolling out the grissini, don’t worry if the ropes aren’t perfectly shaped; you want them a bit knobby in places—it’s more rustic!

Polpettini (Yummy Little Meatballs)

MAKES: APPROXIMATELY 80 TO 100 • TIME: ABOUT 25 MINUTES

Polpettini are delightful little Tuscan meatballs. I love them bite-size, but you can also take this mix and make one big log called a polpettone—either way, it’s delicious! And here’s a tip: For cute and easy serving, cut 1-inch rosemary sprigs to use as toothpicks.

MISE EN PLACE

Extra virgin olive oil

3 onions, cut into ¼-inch dice

Kosher salt

3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

½ pound ground beef

½ pound ground veal

½ pound ground pork

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano

½ cup bread crumbs

3 large eggs

2 cups
chicken stock

1
Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt, and cook until soft and very aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

2
Transfer the onions to a large bowl and add the beef, veal, pork, rosemary, Parmigiano, ¼ cup water, bread crumbs, and eggs; season generously with salt. Use your hands to combine everything well—it’s squishy and fun! The mixture should be pretty loosey-goosey, so add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water if needed.

3
Before cooking all the polpettini, make a 1- to 2-inch tester patty. In a small sauté pan, heat a bit of oil and cook the patty; when it’s cool enough, taste it to make sure it’s delicious—if it’s not, reseason. When the tester tastes fabulous, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls.

4
Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and bring it to high heat. Working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, cook the polpettini until brown on all sides, then add ½ cup of the chicken stock and cook until the stock has reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the polpettini and reserve in a warm spot. Repeat this process until all the polpettini are cooked. Stick them with rosemary toothpicks to serve.

Have a ball!

Remember, a tester patty is a super-important step, so don’t skip it!

Hard Polenta Cakes with Taleggio & Cherry Tomatoes

SERVES: 8 • TIME: ABOUT 2 HOURS, MOSTLY UNATTENDED

I love to make these for company because the polenta can be made WAY in advance. And you can top the cakes with almost anything—I like to use a nice stinky cheese, but after that really anything goes. Tomatoes give you a nice burst of sweetness, but dried fruit is fun, some fresh herbs, whatever you want! No matter how you top them, these corn cakes are little bites of melty, cheesy deliciousness.

MISE EN PLACE

1 cup whole milk, plus more as needed

1 bay leaf

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Kosher salt

¾ cup polenta

½ cup mascarpone

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano

½ pound Taleggio, rind removed, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

Extra virgin olive oil

Coarse sea salt for finishing

1 bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped

If you’re not a stinky-cheese person, use whatever cheese you want—remember, you’re the chef of your own kitchen!

1
Combine the milk, 2 cups water, bay leaf, and cayenne in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil (BTB) and season generously with kosher salt. You want to take the seasoning to the edge of too salty in this case; to do this you MUST taste as you go! Polenta acts like a “salt eraser,” and if you don’t salt abundantly in this early step, you’ll never recover.

2
When the liquid is boiling, gradually sprinkle in the polenta, whisking constantly. Once the polenta is combined, IMMEDIATELY switch to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until the polenta thickens; this will take 30 to 35 minutes. Taste the polenta to see if it’s cooked through; if it still feels mealy and grainy, add some more milk or water and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Repeat this process as needed until the polenta feels smooth on your tongue. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the mascarpone and Parmigiano; reserve.

3
Line a 7-inch square pan with plastic wrap. Pour the polenta mixture into the prepared pan and cover with plastic, pressing down so the
plastic sits on the surface of the polenta. Chill until set, at least 45 minutes. (All of this can totally be done ahead of time—like yesterday!)

4
Preheat the oven to 400°F.