Pasta with Mushrooms and Gremolata

We had some oyster mushrooms at the local market last week. This recipe from The NY Times hit the spot:

Ingredients

• 2  plump garlic cloves, finely minced
• ½  cup finely minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1  tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest
• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1  pound cultivated or wild mushrooms, like shiitakes, chanterelles or oyster mushrooms, or a combination, trimmed and quartered if small, cut in thick slices if large
• Salt to taste
• 2  tablespoons dry white wine
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12  ounces fettuccini or farfalle
• ¼ to ½  cup pasta cooking water, to taste
• ¼ to ½  cup freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

Preparation

1. To make the gremolata, place the minced garlic, parsley and lemon zest in a mound and chop them together with a chef’s knife. Set aside.
2. Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and when it’s hot, add the mushrooms. Sear the mushrooms, stirring with a wooden spoon or tossing in the pan, until they are lightly browned and begin to sweat. Add the salt and the white wine and continue to cook, stirring or tossing the mushrooms in the pan, until the wine has just about evaporated and the mushrooms are glazed, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the gremolata and pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Taste and adjust salt. Keep the mixture warm while you cook the pasta.
4. When the water comes to a rolling boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Cook al dente, following the timing instructions on the package. Before draining, remove 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add 1/4 cup of it to the mushrooms and stir together.
5. Drain the pasta and toss with the mushrooms in a large pasta bowl or in the pan. If it seems dry, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Tip

Advance preparation: You can make this through Step 2 (without heating the pasta water) several hours before you wish to serve. Heat the pasta water and reheat the mushrooms, then proceed with Step 3 shortly before serving

Traditional Bakewell Tart Recipe

Ingredients

For the Pastry

• 2 1/4 cups/200 grams all-purpose (or plain flour)
• 4 ounces/115 grams butter (or an equal mix of butter and lard, cubed)
• Pinch of salt
• 2 to 3 tablespoon water (cold)

For the Filling

• 1 egg white (lightly beaten)
• 2 tablespoon raspberry jam
• 5 ounces/150 grams butter
• 1/4 cup/55 grams caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs (beaten) 
• 1 egg yolk (beaten)
• 1 3/4 cups/150 grams ground almonds
• 1 medium lemon (zested)
• 2 tablespoons flaked almonds

https://www.thespruceeats.com/traditional-bakewell-tart-recipe-435041

Portuguese custard tarts (pastéis de nata)

Ingredients

• Butter for greasing
• 500ml whole milk (preferably gold top)
• Pared zest from 1 lemon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 70g plain flour
• 485g caster sugar
• 6 large free-range egg yolks
• 2 x 320g packs ready-rolled, all-butter puff pastry

Preparation

1. Grease 22 holes of 2 standard 12-hole muffin tins generously with butter, then chill in the fridge. Put the milk in a pan with the strips of lemon zest and cinnamon. Heat to just simmering, let it cool a little, then remove the zest and cinnamon. Whisk a third of the milk into the flour in a small bowl to form a thin paste. Heat the remaining milk until boiling, then stir in the flour paste and cook, stirring constantly with a balloon whisk, for 2-3 minutes until thick.
2. Put the sugar in a pan with 200ml water. Heat gently to melt the sugar, then turn up the heat and boil for 4-5 minutes until the syrup reaches the short thread stage. Gradually whisk it into the milk mixture to give a white liquid with a similar thickness to double cream. Don’t worry if it’s lumpy.
3. Put the egg yolks in a large bowl and strain over the milk mixture, stirring all the time with the balloon whisk until combined. Set aside with cling film touching the surface.
4. Heat the oven to 250°C/ 230°C fan/gas 9½. Unroll the pastry, remove the plastic lining sheet, then roll it back up. Cut each roll into 11 discs, then put one disc into each greased muffin hole swirl-side up. Carefully press the pastry up the sides with your fingers, working from the centre out, until the pastry just pokes over the top.
5. Pour the custard into the pastry cases to 1cm below the top, then bake in the upper third of the oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
6. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then gently lever out the tarts with a spoon and cool on a wire rack.

Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 onion, finely chopped  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon white sugar  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
• ½ teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium heat and cook and stir onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook and stir just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric into the onion mixture; fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. Stir tomato sauce into the onion and spice mixture, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes, then mix in cream, paprika, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bring sauce back to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir chicken into the hot oil, sprinkle with curry powder, and sear chicken until lightly browned but still pink inside, about 3 minutes; stir often. Transfer chicken and any pan juices into the sauce. Simmer chicken in sauce until no longer pink, about 30 minutes; adjust salt and sugar to taste.

No-Knead Bread 2.0

Ingredients

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting work surface (15 ounces) or 3 cups for whole wheat use 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1⁄4teaspoon fast rise yeast
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons sea salt
• 7 ounces room temperature water
• 3 ounces beer
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

(For whole wheat also include 2 tablespoons honey)

Preparation

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms.
2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
3. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times.
5. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle.
6. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray.
7. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
8. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough.
9. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid.
10. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge).
11. Cover pot and place in oven.
12. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes.
13. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 200 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer.
14. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Quick Lamb Ragu

We bought half a lamb the other week and this is an easy go-to recipe. Again, from the NYT:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
•  Pinch of red-pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 12 ounces cooked pasta, noodles or tubes, for serving
•  A good hunk of Parmesan or pecorino, for serving
•  A small handful of marjoram, oregano or thyme, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and have totally softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a pinch of red-pepper flakes and anchovies, if using, and cook for a minute or two, just to toast the spices and melt the anchovies.
2. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring occasionally so it has a chance to stick to the bottom of the pot and caramelize a bit, 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Add lamb and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir lamb until the fat starts to soften and the meat begins to break down. Continue to cook, stirring rather frequently until the lamb begins to brown and sizzle in its own fat, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Fill the tomato can halfway with water and swirl around to get all the remaining tomato, then add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and insanely flavorful, 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Serve sauce mixed into and over pasta with plenty of cheese for grating over the top, scattered with a small handful of marjoram, oregano or thyme leaves if you like.