Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (56 page)

SERVES 4

Bring a big pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water, add the spaghetti, and cook to al dente.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Make a roux, whisking together the melted butter and flour for 1 minute, then add the wine and cook down for 1 minute. Add the stock and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another couple of minutes to thicken. Stir the chicken and prosciutto into the white sauce. Add the peas and lemon zest, combine, then add pesto to taste. Heat through.

To serve, toss the sauce with the drained spaghetti. Garnish with the chopped herbs.

This is a version of another classic that we gobbled! Chicken cooked with tomatoes, herbs, shallots, and mushrooms makes a great brothy sauce to serve along with fine spaghetti and crusty bread. This is a kids' yum-o meal! —Rach

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Season the flour with salt and pepper and the thyme. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour. Heat the EVOO and butter in a large Dutch ovenover medium to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. You may need to do this in 2 batches; if so, use half of the oil and butter for each batch. Remove the chicken and reduce the heat a bit. Add the shallots and mushrooms to the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Stir in the wine and cook for 1 minute to reduce, then stir in the tarragon, reserving a little for garnish, and the tomatoes. Return the chicken to the pot. Cover and bake in the oven until the chicken is done, 45 minutes to an hour. Garnish with the parsley and reserved tarragon. Serve with salad and a side of pasta tossed in the pan sauce.

If you prefer, serve the stew with crusty bread spread with mustard butter made by stirring together 3 tablespoons of butter and a rounded tablespoon of grainy mustard. —Elsa

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Heat the EVOO in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the sirloin cubes and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, onions, and carrots to the pot and cook to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the meat and veggies with the flour and with salt and pepper, stir for 1 minute, then add the tomato paste. Stir in 1 cup water, the beer, beef stock, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven to bake for 90 minutes. Serve the beef over the mustard mashed potatoes.

When the beef has cooked for 1 hour, place the potatoes in a pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the hot pot. Add the butter, half-and-half, and mustard, and mash to your preferred consistency.

The aromas wafting to the lakeshore from her open kitchen window told us when she was baking fish. The casserole of fish cooked with onions, tomatoes, and wine was brought to the table with crusty bread to soak up the juices. Wearing her food-spattered apron, Tia Patrina would gather my siblings and me into a circle and teach us a folk song and dance from the old country. We would dance barefoot in the sand and eat at the long picnic table outside. There were always extra plates on the dining table for visitors on Sunday, and those plates were used! —Elsa

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place 4 tablespoons of the butter in a metal baking pan just large enough to hold the fish, and place it in the oven to melt.

When the butter has melted, stir in the onions. Sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper, and the juice of ½ lemon. Arrange the fish over the onions, spooning some of the melted butter over the top. Add the chopped tomatoes to the dish, then pour the fish stock and wine over the fish. Add the bay leaf and tarragon. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

When the fish is cooked, transfer it to a platter and cover with foil. Place the pan on the stovetop and cook for 2 to 3 minutes over medium-high heat to reduce the sauce. Season with salt, pepper, the juice of ½ lemon, and cayenne pepper to taste. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in small pieces and swirl the pan to melt the butter into the sauce. Discard the bay leaf. Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with the parsley.

Elsa's Favorite Fish

As part of a Roman Catholic family, I grew up eating fish on Fridays. This fish dish is made with many of the “always-on-hand” ingredients in the kitchen. It was no problem to get my kids to enjoy a fish dish when it was seasoned with favorite flavors, wine, and tomatoes. —Elsa

SERVES 4