Cooking for Two (26 page)

S
o what if it’s not a whole turkey? It’s a turkey breast cutlet, pounded thin and rolled around a cornbread stuffing.

1.
To make the stuffing, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the shallot and celery; cook for 2 minutes, or until softened, stirring frequently. Stir in the mushrooms and continue cooking for about 4 minutes, or until they have given off their juices and the pan is again almost dry, stirring frequently. Pour in the vermouth and stir well to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Crumble in the purchased corn muffin, then stir in 3 tablespoons of the chicken stock, the egg yolk, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

2.
Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on a clean, dry work surface, then place the turkey breast cutlet smooth side down on it. Open the breast out as far as possible, making shallow cuts in the meat to help open it further and further, especially at a thick or seemingly “doubled” part of the breast meat. The shallow cuts will allow the breast to open out as
far as possible without any holes or tears in the meat. Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap. Using a heavy saucepan or the smooth side of a meat mallet, pound the breast to about ½ -inch thickness. Do not pound the meat so thin that holes form. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap. If desired, you can have your butcher do this step for you; ask him or her to butterfly and pound the meat to ½-inch thickness.

3.
Place the prepared stuffing in a compact oval in the middle of the pounded cutlet. Fold the two long sides of the breast cutlet over the stuffing to cover it. Use butcher twine to tie the cutlet closed, wrapping the “log” in two or three places. You can also tie off the ends, or wrap one piece of twine lengthwise around the entire cutlet, thereby securing the ends, so that the filling doesn’t leak out while it bakes.

4.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat in a pot just large enough to hold the stuffed cutlet. Add the turkey and cook for about 7 minutes, turning occasionally to brown all the outside surface. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock to the pan and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and braise the stuffed cutlet for 30 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.

5.
Remove the cutlet to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. Raise the heat to high under the pan and bring the cooking liquid to a boil. Continue boiling for about 3 minutes, or until this mixture is a glaze, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining stock and flour in a small bowl. Once the cooking liquid has been reduced to a glaze, whisk this flour mixture into the pot; continue cooking and whisking for about 30 seconds, or until the mixture boils and thickens. Carve the stuffed cutlet into rings and serve with the thickened gravy.

S
WEET-AND
-S
OUR
P
OTATOES AND
T
URKEY
makes
2 servings

C
hina is now the world’s largest producer of potatoes—and so spuds have begun showing up in lots of dishes, particularly those from Szechwan, where the fiery flavors marry well with starchy potatoes. The potatoes are actually cooked until crisp, not until soft, a surprise texture that gives this dish a lot of crunch along with the heat. Add more crushed red pepper if you want a spicier dish. Since the potatoes are already starchy, serve this easy entrée with wilted greens or alongside a tossed salad, dressed with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.

1.
To make the sweet-and-sour sauce, whisk the water, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and tomato paste in a small bowl until the sugar and tomato paste dissolve; set aside.

2.
Shred the potatoes using the large holes of a box grater or a mandoline with the shoestring setting. Alternatively, use a Japanese cooking tool called Cook’s Help, which will produce long threads of potatoes—these will need to be cut into 6- to 10-inch-long pieces. Place the shredded potatoes in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and let stand for 1 minute. Drain and squeeze dry to remove some of the excess starch. Set the shredded potatoes aside.

3.
Heat a wok or medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil to coat the pan, then sauté the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes about 10 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the turkey and stir-fry about 30 seconds, or until it loses its raw, pink color. Stir in the bell pepper and stir-fry about 30 seconds, then add the potatoes. Toss and cook for 2 minutes, just until limp but still crunchy.

4.
Pour the prepared sweet-and-sour sauce into the pan; stir-fry for 1 minute, or until the sauce comes to a simmer and is incorporated into the potato mixture. Serve at once.

P
AN
-S
EARED
D
UCK
B
REASTS
with
H
ONEY AND
F
IGS
makes
2 servings

E
legant and flavorful, duck breasts are also surprisingly easy to prepare. Here, they’re complemented with a delicate sauce of honey, vinegar, and fresh figs.

1.
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Score the skin and fat in the breasts with a paring knife to create a crosshatch pattern with ½-inch squares; season the breasts with the pepper and salt.

2.
Heat a large, oven-safe skillet, preferably cast-iron, over high heat until it is smoking. Add the duck breasts skin side down and immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook for 6 minutes, or until golden. You may need to shake the pan vigorously once or twice to keep the breasts from sticking. Turn and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

3.
Place the skillet in the oven and roast for about 6 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway into the thickest part of the breast registers 130°F (for medium-rare, the preferred doneness); or for about 8 minutes, to 140°F for medium.

4.
Transfer the duck breasts to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered duck fat in the skillet. Place the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and thyme; cook for 2 minutes, or until the shallot is softened and the mixture is very fragrant, stirring constantly. Stir in the garlic, cook for just 10 seconds, then pour in the vermouth and vinegar. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until reduced by half.

5.
Swirl in the honey and cook for about 10 seconds, just until the honey melts, stirring constantly. Add the figs and cook for 10 more seconds, just until heated through. Remove the sauce from the heat.

6.
To serve, slice the duck breasts into ¼-inch-thick slices. Arrange them on two plates, then divide the sauce between the two servings. Serve immediately.

Pork and lamb lend themselves to complex but bright flavors, even in small batches. Here, we’ve set them against an international palate of tastes, substantial fare for any night of the week. There are some easy sautés using boneless pork chops, an elegant rack of lamb for two, and even a recipe for oven-barbecued baby back ribs.

S
AUTÉED
P
ORK
C
UTLETS
with
G
REEN
P
EPPERCORN
S
AUCE
makes
2 servings