Back to Brunch

Deborah
Did anyone else try to make the Judith Jones' potato recipe from this Sunday's NY Times magazine section? Jones, the original editor of Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" dedicates her recipe to the late, great Julia. The recipe itself looked simple and delicious. Sliced potatoes are layered in a skillet and cooked in butter till crispy. I love to make a big late morning breakfast on weekends and this seemed like a perfect complement to my scrambled eggs with chives. I decided to forgo the garlic (it seemed too early in the morning), but that was the only substitution I made, other than NOT peeling the potatoes and adding some fresh thyme.


So the fun began when it was time to flip the potatoes. Jones says cook them on one side for eight minutes, then carefully flip onto a plate and slide back into the pan. This is something I have done before with, for example, fritattas, so I was not fazed. Jones warned that the potatoes would not stick together and she was not kidding. I flipped the potatoes and several slices managed to escape, flying across the kitchen. Hey! And then to my dismay I saw that the potatoes were not cooked enough on the flipped side. They were neither brown, nor crispy. Darn. I didn't want to end up flipping again, but, well, argh.


So I let the second side cook a little longer than the recommended five minutes and then with a spatula lifted up the edges to take a peek, duh. Good! Brown and crispy. Ok, now I'm flipping again to get the first side a little more cooked. Again potato slices went flying. Geez. It must have been too early in the day for me to be trying these maneuvers.

Out of the pan and onto the plate and into our mouths without incident, I can now say “YUM” and well worth the effort. The hard part is really the flipping and if I had been a bit more humble about my skills I would probably have MASTERED THE ART the first time. I will definitely make this recipe again. The only change I might make is to use less butter and add some olive oil. I have gotten out of the habit of eating a lot of butter and this dish tastes BUTTERY!  Potatoes and butter are a happy combination so I’m not complaining. This dish would be great on a brunch table and I can’t get enough of Prosecco as a brunch treat to go with it, but Amanda may have some other ideas.

Thanks Judith, for everything!

At the beginning, all is well

After eight minutes of cooking, flipped, but underdone

Flipped and flopped and happily on the plate.

Judith Jone's A Potato Dish For Julia
Ingredients:Serves 1

2 new potatoes (about 6 ounces)
1 small clove garlic
Salt
4 tsp. butter
Freshly ground pepper
Peel potatoes, and slice them very thin. Peel and mince garlic, then mash it, along with a generous pinch of salt, with the flat side of a large knife until it is a paste. Work about 1/2 teaspoon butter into it.

Heat 2 teaspoons butter in a small pan over medium-low heat; lay in half of potato slices, overlapping slightly, to fill the bottom. Lightly salt and pepper, and smear garlic paste on top. Add rest of potatoes to make a second layer, again overlapping.

Cook, setting a small cover askew on top of pan. After about 8 minutes, turn potatoes, which should be brown on the bottom, by setting a sturdy plate on top of pan and flipping them over onto it. Heat rest of butter in pan, then slide potatoes back in and arrange them as neatly as you can. Cook semicovered for 5 minutes, and uncovered for a couple more minutes, at which point they should be done and browned, both top and bottom. Slide them onto a plate; season with salt and pepper.

Amanda
Looks great! I can definitely see how the flipping of all the potatoes could be tricky, especially for a novice like myself! Before I comment on the Prosecco, I want to mention how delicious the spinach and mushroom strata turned out! Unbelievable! I plated it with a pretty fall salad, as I mentioned I would (I will provide the recipe in a later post). It looks so beautiful on a dish, though it is a pretty simple meal to prepare. Loved it and will cook it again, and again, and again! And, I must admit, it was a huge hit with my friends! Actually, I brought the leftovers to my brother's "break-the-fast" dinner on Yom Kippur. Once again, everyone loved it!

You mentioned Prosecco for this current recipe. This frizzante, refreshing sparkler is Italy's answer to Champagne. So affordable and delicious, it is the perfect wine to have at all family get-togethers, either as an aperitif, or complement to a meal. I can drink it anytime, anyplace. It is so affordable that it's perfect for large crowds as well, alone or mixed with orange juice (mimosa), or even a touch of peach nectar (bellini). The grape used for this crowd-pleaser is actually called Prosecco, and is grown in Italy's Veneto region. One of our best-selling Prosecco's in the shop is made by Riondo. They also make a Rose which is equally delicious.  Both sell for $9.99. Bisol also makes outstanding Prosecco, more towards the $20 price range. And, Sorelle Bronca is a newcomer to our Prosecco line-up. It's elegant and crisp and makes a wonderful alternative to the higher priced Champagnes. Sorelle Bronca sells for $17.99. The range of Prosecco's in the $20 and under price range is tremendous - there is really no need to spend more than that. My favorite selections are actually all under $15. This pleasing bubbly is a must-have for any Brunch! But I always bring a bottle (or two) whenever I am invited to someone's house for an occasion, be it dinner...or just because!

Lidia, Oh Lidia

Deborah
Hot hot day and I cant face anything, especially where stoves are concerned so I'm sitting in front of the AC (set at 75 degrees, really) with the TV on. Lidia Bastianich, the amazing Italian chef, is on channel 13 making a radicchio risotto. I am so inspired I run into my kitchen, despite the heat, to start my own risotto. I don't have radicchio, but I am still swimming in tomatoes and I have a half a bulb of fennel so Im good to go.



The risotto was eaten before I could take a photo!

Lidia debates using stock in her risotto vs. plain simmering water. I have never come across a risotto recipe that calls for plain water. Lidia opts for the water even though the camera has panned over a lovely simmering stock. WATER? I'm intrigued. Well, let's give it a try. After the initial additions of water into the rice mixture I give it a taste and think, not so great. But by the time the dish was finished and butter was added (Lidia added at LEAST A STICK of BUTTER to finish the dish. I couldn't quite bring myself to do that. Sorry Julia, I know, I know). I was surprised by the pleasantly subtle sweet and fragrant flavor of the tomatoes infusing the rice. Stock now seemed like an overbearing intruder and I am sold on this new approach.

Fennel Tomato Risotto
and Couly Dutheil Chinon Rose
3 Tbs. Butter
2 Tbs. extra virgin Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, chopped
1/2 teas. salt
1 cup arborio rice
3 cups simmering salted water
1 cup of Rose wine (I used la Vielle Ferme)
1 large tomato chopped
1/2 cup grated romano cheese

Heat 1Tbs butter and 1Tbs olive oil in large sauce pan. When butter is warm and melted add the onions, the fennel and salt. Sweat the vegetables a few minutes until they are soft and translucent. Add rice and stir in pan until all grains are coated and begin to look a little clear. Add half the tomatoes and cook another minute till the tomatoes begin to break down a bit. Pour in the wine and let the pan simmer until wine is absorbed. Begin to slowly add the simmering water by the ladleful, allowing the liquid to absorb into the rice before adding the next ladleful. Lidia suggests it will take at least 10 additions of water until the rice is done. When is it done? The rice should be creamy, slightly loose, a bit al dente but cooked through. If it tastes done, its done.
Turn off heat and add the rest of the tomatoes, the butter, the cheese and the olive oil, stirring to combine.
Serve four right away!
Amanda
Deb - I have just one word to describe my meal experience last night: exquisite. I decided to make this for dinner, and immediately knew which wine I would enjoy with it. When I saw "rose" listed in the ingredients, my decision was made. I figured the creamy texture of the risotto, and the wonderful licorice flavor of the fennel would be a great match for what else? A rose. But which one? I decided to go with one of my absolute favorites this summer - a Chinon Rose from Couly Dutheil located in the Loire Valley of France. The wine is made from 100% Cabernet Franc, and is just a beautiful composite of cherry fruit flavors and spice. Medium in body, the wine itself has a creamy texture which I knew would be perfect with the Risotto. Love, love, love this wine.
I chopped the fennel, tomato, and onion while the kids were eating dinner. Around 9:30, after the kids were asleep, I began to cook. I opened the bottle of wine, and enjoyed a glass while making dinner. I stood over my risotto, adding water, watching and waiting, anxiously anticipating what I knew would be wonderful by the mixed aromas in the kitchen. And I was loving my glass of wine! When it was done (and Deb - you're 100% right - you know it's done when it's done. Just keep trying it and you'll know), I placed a modest portion in a pretty bowl and topped off my glass of Rose. I was in heaven. This dish is incredibly suited to rose. The risotto was amazing, one of the best meals I've prepared in a long while. The rich fruit flavors of the wine were perfect next to the fennel and creamy texture of the risotto. I can't say enough good things about this pairing. It has "dinner party" written all over it. This is something I am, without a doubt, preparing the next time I cook for friends.
Oh, and one more thing, that modest portion that I placed in my bowl soon grew to 3 or 4 modest portions. Couldn't stop eating it. But Deb, one question: Any suggestions for leftover fennel?



-leftover fennel? goes great in soup, pasta sauce, or thinly sliced raw into salads. The flavor is so mild but has great depth and combines really well with other vegetables. 
Deb