Kelley's Pot Roast

My recipe is similar to cooks illustrated. I think it is important to brown the pot roast prior to putting in the oven as caramelizing the meat helps gives it great flavor! It is a large piece of meat, so I salt and pepper it generously...which I think helps as well. Don’t be afraid to turn the heat up when you’re browning the roast! Be fearless! :)

Ingredients

1-2 TBS canola oil (vegetable or olive oil are fine too)
1 (3-4 pounds) boneless chuck roast, trimmed (you can use any type of roast, really)
1-2 coarsely chopped onions
1 coarsely chopped carrot
1 coarsely chopped celery stalk
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups organic chicken broth (or homemade chicken or beef stock)
1 1/2 cups water
2 sprigs thyme or 1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
2 pounds Yukon gold (or Russet) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 pounds carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks (peeled if you desire a more “pretty” presentation)
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325º.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Trim and dry the chuck roast (drying keeps the roast from spitting at you while it’s browning). Sprinkle generously with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Add roast to pan, turning to brown on all sides; about 10 minutes.

Add onion, carrots, and celery to pan; sauté 5-7 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and sugar, and cook a minute longer.

Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, broth, water, until the liquid reaches halfway up the side fo the roast. Add the thyme or rosemary, and bay leaf and bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot and bake at 300° for 2 hours or until the roast is almost tender, turning the roast half way through.

Add additional carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour plus (or until vegetables are tender).

Remove thyme or rosemary sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard. Gently pull apart meat with 2 forks. Serve roast and vegetables with cooking liquid (as gravy). Garnish with fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Madeleines From Dax

Madeleines From Dax

Makes about 18 3-inch cakes or 24 2-inch cakes

Begin 1 day in advance!

2 “large” eggs
Pinch of salt
7 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 ½ teaspoons orange flower water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ½ tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
5 ½ tablespoons cake flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
5 tablespoons clarified butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter

1. 1 DAY IN ADVANCE, in a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, salt, and sugar. Beat with a whisk until thick and light. Add the orange flour water and the vanilla extract; whisk to combine.

2. Sift the fours with the baking powder. Gradually stir into the egg-sugar mixture. Do not overbeat. Add the butter and the cream; stir gently until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator overnight.

3. THE FOLLOWING DAY, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

4. Coat the ridged hollows of the Madeleine pan with softened butter using a pastry brush (it is not necessary to dust with flour). Use a teaspoon and a small spatula to barely fill each hollow with batter – about two thirds full. Tap the mold on the table to allow batter to settle (it is not necessary to smooth the surface or fill the bottom of each hollow).

5. Bake on upper middle oven rack for 5 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake 7-10 minutes longer.

6. When the madeleines are golden and just turning brown around the edges, remove from oven. Use the tip of a knife at the base of each to turn out onto wire racks to cool. Serve warm and freshly baked with fruit compotes, sorbets, and granitas. Leftover madeleines may be stored in an airtight tin and reheated gently before serving.

California Cioppino

California Cioppino
From San Francisco a la Carte
The Junior League of San Francisco

Serves 8

2 freshly cooked whole Dungeness crabs, approximately 1 ½ to 2 pounds each
24 clams, well scrubbed
3 cups white wine
1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium green pepper, coarsely chopped
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or ½ teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon fresh basil (or ½ teaspoon dried)
2 pounds fresh white fish such as sea bass, rock cod, halibut, ling cod, cut into large pieces
¾ pound scallops
¾ pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Remove the legs and claws from the crab and break the body in half, reserving as much of the soft, mustard colored center (“crab butter”) as possible. Set crab pieces aside and force the crab butter through a sieve into a small bowl. Set aside.

Place the clams in a pan, add 1 cup of wine and steam, covered, over medium heat for 4-6 minutes (or until the clams open). Remove clams, discarding any that do not open. Strain the stock through cheesecloth and reserve.

In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic, and green pepper. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for approximately 3 minutes (or until the vegetables start to soften. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, remaining 2 cups of wine, pepper, herbs, and clam stock. Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the fish, scallops, shrimp, crab, and crab butter. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes or until the seafood is cooked. Do not stir! Add the clams and heat for a scant 1 minute. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately from the cooking pot.