The Official Chef Robert Irvine Blog

The world is shaped like a what? I don’t think so, Your Majesty

Many Americans of Italian descent (or who are just Italian at heart) enjoy celebrating Columbus Day, to honor the explorer and fellow countryman of their ancestors who is credited with discovering the lands of America during his search for a trade route to India. A tradition that aptly pays homage to both their Old World heritage as well as their New World home is the planting of garlic on Columbus Day to be harvested on the 4th of July. Choose the largest unblemished cloves from an organically grown head of garlic from the grocery store. Plant them with the pointed end up in holes that have been dug at least 2-inches deep (or up to 4 inches deep in the colder northern climates) and 2 inches apart in well-drained organic soil in full sun. The experts describe the best soil as being “sandy silty loam,” meaning that clay soil needs to be lightened with well-decomposed compost or that sandy soil needs to be enriched with the same. “Full sun” means 6 hours or more per day of direct sun (which occurs on the south side of the house if the shade from trees doesn’t obliterate it). You’ll dig up a head of garlic for each clove that successfully grows. Brush them off and keep in a cool dry place and they will last for quite a long time.

This is a fun project for the kids because it’s easy and a good activity for teaching the use of a compass to identify where the garden lies in relation to the cardinal directions. The other thing it teaches is delayed gratification, certainly a valuable lesson in life. A lot of things can happen in a 9-month period of time. It’s the length of a traditional school year and the length of time it takes for a baby to be born. (Wow, is that too much information for kids?) When one thinks about all that is taking place under the ground as the plants fortify their root systems during the fall and winter months, we realize the fall and winter can hardly be considered the time of dormancy at all. My team and I have been fortifying our root systems over the last few months; I hope you will all enjoy seeing what blossoms in the high season. Stay tuned.

Entrée: Chicken

CHICKEN STUFFED WITH SMOKED MOZZARELLA,
ROASTED TOMATOES & BROCCOLI RABE
OVER POTATOES WITH MARSALA SAUCE
Copyright, 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
8 Roma plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
4 bunches broccoli rabe (rapini), divided into 8 sections
½ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 finely diced shallots, or 1 white onion, finely diced
1 750 mL bottle Marsala wine
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
8 six-ounce boneless chicken breasts, skin on
8 ounces smoked mozzarella, sliced
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
½ bunch fresh chives, chopped
6 to 8 white potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ¼ inch thick slices, placed in water to keep them
from oxidizing

Method:
Pre-roast the vegetables for the stuffing. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the tomatoes and rapini on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and coat with ¼ cup of the olive oil (reserving the rest of the oil). Roast them until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes, then remove them from the oven and allow to cool. (Allow the oven temperature to drop to 350 degrees.)

Whilst the vegetables are roasting, begin the Marsala sauce by heating ¼ cup of the remaining oil (reserving the last 2 tablespoons) over medium heat in a sauté pan, and cooking the shallots or onion gently until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. De-glaze the pan with the wine and add the stock and fresh thyme. Allow to reduce by two-thirds, about 10 minutes, remove from the heat and strain into a small saucepot. Cover and reserve.

For the stuffed chicken, make sure the oven is preheated to 350 degrees F. Lay a long piece of plastic wrap over a large cutting board and tuck it underneath the sides of the board. The chicken breasts should be placed on the covered cutting board, skin side down, with enough space between them so they can lay flat after you “butterfly” them. To make the butterfly cut, carefully slice open (without slicing the chicken all the way through) and spread the flesh of the chicken out so you will be able to pound it out into a single thin piece on which you will place stuffing to be rolled into the chicken. Season the breasts with salt and pepper. Then put another length of plastic wrap over the seasoned chicken breasts and flatten with meat mallet to integrate the seasoning into the chicken. (Covering the chicken with the plastic will also keep the mess down when you pound with the meat mallet.) Pound the chicken thin and remove the plastic. Lay sliced smoked mozzarella on each breast followed by broccoli rabe and roasted tomatoes. (If the skins slip off the roasted tomatoes discard them.) Fold in each end of the chicken breast as you go and roll tightly, securing with toothpicks as needed, and placing on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and brush with the remaining olive oil. Place in the oven and roast until fork tender, about 45 to 50 minutes, basting occasionally with pan drippings or olive oil.

During the last half hour of baking time for the chicken, drain the potatoes and pat them dry with paper towels. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet, season them with salt and pepper, and coat with ¼ cup of the olive oil. Add this baking sheet to the oven and roast the potatoes until they too are fork tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest about 5 minutes. Remove any toothpicks securing the chicken.

Re-heat the Marsala sauce, remove from the heat and, to finish, whisk in the cubed butter a little at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed.

Presentation:
Slice each chicken roll to reveal the stuffed interior. Place on a serving plate with roasted potatoes. Spoon Marsala sauce around chicken. Garnish with chopped chives.

Entrée: Beef

Yield: 6 to 8 servings, depending on size of beef shoulder

Ingredients for beef:
2 tablespoons Irvine Spices Smokey Rotisserie Seasoning (available at
www.ChefRobertIrvine.com )
2 tablespoons Irvine Spices Garlic Pepper (available at www.ChefRobertIrvine.com )
1½ to 2 pound beef shoulder
1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin because of the low smoke point)

Ingredients for sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin because of the low smoke point)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and sliced julienne
1 green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and sliced julienne
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 large can (29 to 32 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
¼ cup pepperoncini from a jar, for garnish

Method:
Rinse the beef shoulder to remove any unwanted residue, pat dry with paper toweling, and place on a utility platter. In a small bowl, make the rub for the beef by combining Smokey Rotisserie Seasoning and Garlic Pepper. Rub the seasonings into all surfaces of the beef, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and set aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours at room temperature. (The seasonings will actually begin to “cure” the meat.)

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F. In an oven proof skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat, and sear all sides of beef. Cover the pan (with lid or foil) and transfer to the oven to finish beef, bringing to an internal temperature of 115 degrees F for medium rare (about 30 minutes).

For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan and cook the onions and garlic until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning the garlic. Add the red and green bell peppers and further cook the mixture until the peppers begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, basil, and oregano. Add the crushed tomatoes and bay leaf. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Whilst the sauce is simmering, remove the beef from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Slice the beef into steaks, and transfer to serving dishes. If necessary, re-heat the pizziola sauce. Remove and discard the bay leaf (that’s in the sauce). Spoon some 3 or 4 tablespoon sauce over the meat and garnish with pepperoncini.

Accompaniment: Pasta

SWEET GARLIC & GOAT CHEESE PENNE
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil (1 to roast the garlic and 1 to sauté the shallot)
1 whole head garlic
1 pound penne pasta
1 cup milk
1 shallot, minced
½ cup white wine
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 small parsley sprigs

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the root end off the entire head of garlic and turn it upside down, wrapping it in aluminum foil and molding the foil so it supports the garlic to allow the cut end to stand upright in the oven. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on the garlic (reserving the other tablespoon) so it slips between the skin and the cloves and wrap with the foil so it is enclosed. Roast for about 1 hour and set aside until it is cool enough to handle.

Bring a large pot of water to boiling for the pasta. Salt the water and boil until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat the milk in a small saucepot and keep warm. Squeeze the garlic cloves into a small bowl and mash them. Add a small amount of the warm milk to this bowl and whisk until smooth.

In a separate large sauté pan, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the shallot until translucent. De-glaze the pan of shallots with the white wine and allow most of the wine to evaporate, then reduce heat to low, and add the garlic mixture to the pan. Whisk the goat cheese and Parmesan cheese into the remaining hot milk, and add this to the pan with the garlic and wine sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold the drained pasta into the pan of sauce, transfer to serving dish and garnish with parsley sprigs.

Accompaniment: Salad

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM SALAD
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ sup soy sauce
1 cup chicken stock
4 Portobello mushrooms, cleaned, gills removed, quartered, and cut into slices ⅛” to ¼” thick
1 red onion, diced
1 cup baby spinach (packed), soaked to remove grit, well rinsed and dried in a salad spinner or
with paper towels
2 large ripe fresh tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste and salt if needed
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced

Method:
Heat vinegar, soy sauce, and stock in a skillet over medium high heat and add mushrooms, allowing them to poach while the sauce reduces by two-thirds, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a mixing bowl toss the onions with onion, spinach and tomatoes. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper, and salt, if needed. Serve warm or chilled, family style, garnishing with fresh dill.

Dessert: Pastry

ZEPPOLE
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 24 small zeppole

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups warm water, between 100 and 120 degrees F as measured with a candy thermometer
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 packet fast-acting yeast
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 eggs, beaten
3 to 4 liters of canola oil, or enough as needed to deep fry
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Method:
Stir the sugar, salt and yeast into the warm water and allow about 15 to 30 minutes for the yeast to proof. The yeast will be activated and have the appearance of a head of beer. If it does not, it should be discarded and replaced with fresh yeast. (Improper storage temperature will sometimes destroy yeast even if the date on the package indicates it has not yet expired.)

Add the flour and nutmeg to a food processor fitted with a dough blade (or the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook). Turn on the food processor and through the feed tube, gradually add the yeast mixture. (Or turn on a mixer fitted with a dough hook and gradually add the yeast to the bowl of flour.) Then add the olive oil and eggs. Mix until the dough comes together.

Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover with a clean damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and let rise a second time in the same way. This will make the texture of the dough finer. Please note that the dough will not rise as much the second time.

Heat the oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees F. or as directed on the manufacturer’s instructions for similar foods. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled marble slab and knead for a few minutes. Divide the dough into eighths. Divide each eighth into thirds and roll each piece into a cylinder about ½-inch in diameter and 8 inches long. Connect the two ends of the cylinder and press firmly to make a circle. Grab the circle on each side and twist twice. Add zeppole to basket immersed in oil in deep fryer and fry until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sift confectioner’s sugar over them while they are still warm.

Entrée: Sandwiches

SWEET & SAVORY ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH PEPPERS
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 pounds hot sausage
2 pounds sweet sausage
½ cup olive oil (avoid extra virgin because of its low smoke point)
8 red onions cut julienne
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 red bell peppers, cut julienne
4 green bell peppers, cut julienne
½ bunch basil, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped

Place sausage on a hot grill, or in a grill pan and cook until cooked through over medium high heat. This may take about 25 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium high heat in a sauté pan and cook the onions and garlic, until the onions turn translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Reduce the heat to medium, add the bell peppers and cook until softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Add basil and scallions and cook for about two more minutes. Once cooked, cut sausage into 2 inch long pieces, and arrange on serving platter with the pepper and onion mixture. Serve with crusty bread or rolls.