Welp…
So Very Small went on sale today.
I put a post last week that talked about the book (and its imminent arrival) in some detail, so I won’t repeat all that here. Instead, I’ll just say that the editor of my last four books thinks it’s my best work to date, and I believe–more with each passing day that RFK Jr. remains the top US health official–that it’s my most important.
What I do want to do here is make good on a promise I made in that earlier post: to provide a food/cooking interlude at some later date. (I’m much later than I’d suggested, but I’m hoping that the thought counts.)
So two recent cooking experiences/suggestions.
1: This (with a slight variation).
That’s a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe for spatchcocked chicken cooked with butter beans and shallots, recently published in The Guardian. My cousin, a former producer on the BBC 4 Food Programme (now there’s a gig!) made it for me a few weeks ago when I blew through London for a few days, and I really liked it. I came home, tried it once; thought it was good but could be better, and just this weekend made it again, and nailed it.
My variations on Ottolenghi’s original:
First, I used a much smaller bird than he prescribes. I like 3.5 to 4 lb birds (~1.6 to 1.9 kg); my cousin had made her version with a chicken on the larger end of what Ottolenghi suggests and it was tasty, but the texture wasn’t right and I think it’s easier to control the doneness of the whole dish with the smaller options.
Then I cheated just a little downward on the amount of turmeric. It’s a very strong spice and I think going a little lighter made the dish a bit more graceful.
I used water as mentioned in the recipe the first time out but on the second I used a 50:50 combo of white wine and home made chicken stock and it was really good.
After the first by-the-book version, I tried slicing the lemon into thin rounds instead of two halves. That was better to my taste, though you give up squeezing the roasted lemon juice, which is fun.
Finally, I think one can play around with the variety of beans. I stuck with butter beans on the first iteration and really enjoyed them; they brown up well and play very nicely with everything else. Second time out, though, the local supermarket was out of them, so I substituted cannelloni beans (I’d been thinking about going this way) and they were great. They hold their shape and texture more than the others, and they tasted great.
2: I think I’ve already commended Yasmin Khan’s sumac-pomegranate chicken thighs to the Jackaltariat. If not, I should have. It’s grand, and I don’t do anything to the recipe. Just rock and roll and eat like a monarch.
What’s new (for me) is that last Friday I found myself with a small piece of boneless leg of lamb–a pound and a quarter, perhaps. I pounded that sucker into a more or less consistent depth, cut cross hatchings top and bottom, and then rubbed the marinade from that chicken recipe all over and into the meat. I let it sit for a little, then roasted it in a 375 degree oven to medium rare (a little closer to medium than I’d like, perhaps)–maybe 20 minutes, maybe a little less. It would have been good if I’d had time to marinate it for a bit, but it was damn fine as it was and was an unbelievably quick turnaround for supper for two.
This thread is open–but if you’ve got tales of fun variations on favorite recipes, well…as they say in kindergarten, bring enough for everyone.
sab
I love lamb but husband hates it. I can just hear him saying “oh, you found yourself with a small piece of lamb? It just fell on you from the sky?”
That chicken looks great, and we did just find ourselves with some turmeric, from a friend who everbought.
ETA And I have some sumac that I bought at the local Lebanese grocery to make a Riverbend Sumac in Yoghurt recipe. Served with fresh cucumbers.
But my sumac needs to broaden its horizons.
zhena gogolia
Whoa, I don’t even like lamb but that looks great. That’s the best way to do lamb, I think.
sab
Thanks. I am in such a deep rut on cooking. We are all very bored, except the dog who gets unwanted leftovers.
wmd
I’m making an Italian bean soup. I have ham stock in refrigerator from a ham I made a couple weeks ago when they were on sale.
Boiled about 2 cups of Borlotti beans for 20 minutes, set aside. Made mirepoix, added some garlic, then 1/2 gallon ham stock. Put in the boiled beans. Cut up about 300 gm of ham into bite size pieces, browned some uncased mild italian sausage (cut the sausage lengthwise, then crosswise into about 20 pieces per sausage, added both meats to the pot with some oregano, bay leaf and a couple of diced roma tomatoes. Simmering for a few hours, will add kale for final 30 minutes.
I’ve made this before and it’s a really nice soup. I’ll be putting a couple of half gallon jars of it in the fridge and have soup through the coming week.
Steve in the ATL
Not clear on where the bicycle comes into the cooking. Maybe I should read the whole recipe.
schrodingers_cat
Thanks for posting your chicken but where is Tikka and his mini-me? Will definitely be trying that Sumac-pom chicken recipe!
I am going to be making skirt steak tacos tonight.
Art update: Carandache gouache is chef’s kiss good. I am loving it!
japa21
Cooking aside, I just received notice from the library that your book is waiting for me. Obviously, I was the 1st to place a hold.
Looking forward to picking it up tomorrow.
SiubhanDuinne
So Very Small dropped shortly after midnight, both kindle and audio versions. Have already dipped in to the ebook, and it reads like a happy dream. You are such a gifted writer. I’ll check out the audio version later tonight. Have recently been immersed in Shakespeare and Goethe for Zoom music classes I’m teaching, so germs make a fine distraction!
Loved the Hillaire Belloc verse you used as epigraph. Do you know Ogden Nash’s take on The Germ? (From memory, 70 or so years ago, so there might be the occasional wrong word or punctuation) :
A mighty creature is the germ,
Though smaller than the pachyderm.
His customary dwelling place
Is deep inside the human race.
His childish pride he often pleases
By giving people strange diseases.
Do you, my loved one, feel infirm?
You probably contain a germ.
Congratulations, Tom! I think I’ve read most of your books, and have been both informed and entertained by every one of them. I expect the same from SVS.
Moondoggus
King Arthur Flour’s Big and Bubbly focaccia recipe is stunningly delicious.
as a stay at home parent, upgrading is key. For those in the states, Costco’s panko breaded chicken is a great platform for meals. Just channel your inner Escoffier and it’s limitless. My favorite is making a piccata sauce with plenty of capers, but you can also make chicken Florentine, schnitzel, Parmesan, Alfredo, really anything.
I may be a bad cook, but I find that a good quality, store-bought product like the Panko, chicken, or Costco‘s vac, sealed, rotisserie chicken, is a much better platform for making a delicious meal than trying to do it myself.
The one exception is smoking meat. I cringe every time I think of the nitrates in my baby back ribs, but that never stops me from eating
Anyway
Jerusalem is one of my favorite cookbooks!
ETA — lamb looks yum!
Central Planning
Just stopped by to say your book showed up today. I can’t wait to start it!
narya
I am not much of a recipe-follower, and neither my solo dinners (beans, in-season veg from the farm share, a grain, a cheese, some spices) nor my weekend meals (fish, venison, or wild turkey, with some concoction that uses up veggies or other bits and pieces) changes all that much. That said, I really recommend Smitten Kitchen. I don’t have any of her books, but her website is quite good, and she has a lot of both sweet and savory.
Elizabelle
Yum. And congrats on the book. Did you answer the question of whether you are doing a book tour? Maybe Politics and Prose in DC? Quail Ridge (?) books in Raleigh NC??
That spatchcocked chicken looks like it’s relaxing in a saffron scented bath. All glammed up, and sounds delicious.
cope
The last picture of your lamb reminds me of the boneless, butterflied version I like to do on the grill which reminds me I need a new tank of gas for the grill.
I will be looking for your new book at my library, thank you for reminding me of it. We are about to take delivery of a small (4 cf or so) freezer which I purchased very lightly used by my nephew. Living in Western Colorado, we have access to lots of good meat available in bulk…whole or half lambs broken down, half or split side beef and such. Perfect freezer fillers. Bon appétit.
satby
Got my notification that my book shipped this morning! Looking forward to reading it.
dmsilev
Congratulations on the book release! I’ve got a hell of a reading backlog and not much spare time right now, but I’ll add it to the pile and will get to it ….sometime.
sab
Yay! Your book landed.
cain
I like lamb in gyros and occasionally I’ve made some really good leg of lamb. But otherwise not something I eat. Also, eating young animals seems wrong.
My twist I have is something that is a speciality in Bangalore. Iyengar bakeries have this thing I loved as a kid called “Masala Bread” or “Masala Toast”. It’s really yummy. Kind of like a buttery veggie pizza on bread. There is stuff you get in India that you just can’t find here. I’ve not had it for so long that I think I’ve forgotten what it tasted like. I am really overdue for a trip to India. It’s coming back that’s the problem! :D
Anyways, the twist is that instead of bread, I make focaccia bread and then do the same toppings and double the butter. That stuff gets into all the little holes. It’s freaking amazing. Brought it to work one day and it was gone. lol.
What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?
Chicken looks delicious. I like lamb but my wife…well she doesn’t hate it but isn’t very enthusiastic about it. The grocery store we go to.- just a run of the mill Giant – has more lamb than I see at most grocery stores and usually has these big legs of lamb and I’m always tempted but never get one. I’d love to throw one on the old Weber charcoal kettle grill but am not sure if it needs low and slow or more of medium to high heat that’ll put a nice sear on it.
sab
@What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?: I just bought a Weber and read hhe instructions. Indirect heat (coals on the side) for a while. Direct heat will burn it without cooking it.
Albatrossity
Looks delicious! Spatchcocked chicken (and turkey, during the holiday season) is a favored technique for me too. And you can’t beat homemade chicken stock!
Another Scott
I ordered the hardback. Looking forward to it.
Should I send a copy to RFK, Jr, c/o HHS?? :-/
The food looks yummy too. Thanks for sharing!
Good luck!
Best wishes,
Scott.
Salty Sam
@What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?: @sab:
Definitely low and slow.
Check out the Weber “snake” method, where the coals are arranged in a thin line around the perimeter of the charcoal grate. Very low and slow with lots of that rich smoky flavor from the charcoal.
HopefullyNotcassandra
Your recipes have made me Homer Simpson hungry. Pomegranate glaze …. Yum.
Awesome your book is out !
cain
Congrats on the release of your book!
eclare
Congratulations on the book!
prostratedragon
Ummm, those all look great up top. Yesterday I tried cast iron roast chicken and veg &#agrave; Cook’s Country , but used chicken thighs, bone-in instead of a spatchcocked chicken. Vegs are just onion, fennel root, potatoes, and if desired, carrots. Very good, though need to right-size the potatoes; should be 1 to 2 inches but I only had babies.
BigJimSlade
A book and recipes – you’re too generous!
Regarding spatchcocked chicken, I loved the stuffing in the old Cooks Illustrated recipe. Here it is:
Mushroom-Leek Bread Stuffing with Herbs
Gather Your Ingredients
6 ounces white sandwich bread (about 6 slices), cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small leek, halved lengthwise, rinsed thoroughly, white and light green parts cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices (about 1 cup)
1 small rib celery, chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)
8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and chopped medium (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon minced fresh sage leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 large egg
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus 2 tablespoons
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
View Nutritional Information
Key Equipment
All-Purpose Whisks
Before You Begin
*
The dried bread cubes for this stuffing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Instructions
1.
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread cubes in single layer on baking sheet; bake until thoroughly dried but not browned, about 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking time.
2.
Meanwhile, heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat; when foam subsides, add leek, celery, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in sage, thyme, and parsley and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3.
Whisk egg, broth, salt, and pepper in large bowl until combined. Add bread cubes and leek/mushroom mixture; toss gently until evenly moistened and combined. Set aside. Prepare Stuffed Roast Butterflied Chicken according to recipe (see related content), using stuffing when called for in step 3.
BigJimSlade
And here’s the chicken recipe:
Stuffed Roast Butterflied Chicken
Gather Your Ingredients
½ cup table salt
1 whole chicken (5 to 6 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, giblets discarded
1 teaspoon vegetable oil or olive oil
Ground black pepper
1 Mushroom-Leek Bread Stuffing with Herbs
View Nutritional Information
Key Equipment
The Best Kitchen Tongs
Before You Begin
*
Use a traditional (not nonstick) roasting pan to prepare this recipe; the dark finish of a nonstick pan may cause the stuffing to overbrown. If using a kosher chicken, skip step 1.
Instructions
1.
Dissolve salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Immerse chicken and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour.
2.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove chicken from brine and rinse under cold running water; pat dry with paper towels. Butterfly chicken, flatten breastbone, and tuck wings behind back (see illustrations 1 and 2). Rub skin with oil and sprinkle with pepper.
3.
Following illustrations 3 through 5, construct foil bowl, spray inside of bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and place bowl in roasting pan. Gently mound and pack stuffing into foil bowl and position chicken over stuffing (chicken should extend past edges of bowl so that most of fat renders into roasting pan, not into foil bowl). Roast chicken until just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to roast until skin is crisped and deep golden brown and instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees in thickest part of breast, 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, and 165 degrees in stuffing, 25 to 35 minutes longer. Using tongs, transfer chicken to cutting board; let rest 10 minutes.
4.
While chicken rests, transfer stuffing from foil bowl to serving bowl; fluff stuffing with spoon. Cover stuffing with foil to keep warm. Carve chicken and serve with stuffing.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
if it can’t go in the pressure cooker and be left there on warm, or cooked in five minutes on the stove, it’s too much work for me.
That said, my go-to is brown rice in the pressure cooker, and then, after the rice has been on warm & I get around to it, stir-fry whatever is in the fridge (cabbage lasts longer than most vegetables) with sesame oil and soy sauce and then tinned fish, kimchi (or other pickle) and maybe some chilli crisp and I have dinner.
Meanwhile, I’m surrounded by markets here in Brooklyn. Half are Hispanic and feature everything pork and every fruit, vegetable, and spice from the Americas and the Carribbean, and the other half are Jewish and/or Muslim and feature every other kind of meat and everything fresh, tinned, or preserved from Asia, including more kinds of dates than I knew existed. All of it wasted on me.
Anonymous At Work
The turmeric chicken in the original post looks good but would it fare well with chicken parts instead of a spatchcock? I have what I affectionately call a “Saddlebag” from Costco of bone-in thighs and want to try something new with roasting chickens.
Soapdish
In addition to being possibly the best way to cook a chicken or turkery, “Spatchcock” sounds like it should be a detective series on the BBC.
Thor Heyerdahl
I cooked coq au vin for the first time on Sunday. Delicious.
les
The food looks great, too bad I’m so lazy. I did buy Very Small so I have that to look forward to.