Chef Johns Horchata Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in onions and celery; cook and stir until onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute.
• Pour chicken broth, water, and plum tomatoes into the pancetta and onion mixture. Bring to a simmer.
• Stir cranberry beans, cabbage, garbanzo beans, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and 2 teaspoons salt into broth mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until cranberry beans are tender, adding more water as needed if the soup becomes too thick, about 45 minutes.
• Stir in Swiss chard and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Stir in pasta and increase heat to medium-high and simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Italian parsley.

CHEF JOHN'S PEANUT CURRY CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix salt, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.
• Place chicken pieces in a separate bowl and add 1/2 of the spice blend. Mix together thoroughly to coat each surface with spice blend.
• Heat oil over high heat in a heavy pot. Brown half of the chicken pieces on all sides. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
• Reduce heat to medium and add onion to pot. Saute until onions start to turn translucent and golden, 1 or 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook about 1 minute. Stir in remaining spice blend; cook and stir one minute. Pour in chicken broth. Add browned chicken along with accumulated juices. Stir in peanut butter and ketchup; add brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to maintain a gentle, steady simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer zucchini, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, and peanuts to the pot. Stir to mix. Continue simmering until chicken and vegetables are fork tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Serve over rice with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of peanuts and chopped cilantro.

CHEF JOHN'S HORCHATA

Steps:

• Place rice, almonds, cinnamon stick, and sugar in a blender. Pour in about 4 cups of the water. Pulse on and off to start. Then blend on high speed until ingredients have been chopped up into very small pieces, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 3 cups cold, fresh water. Let mixture sit at room temperature about 4 hours. (Or you can refrigerate it overnight.) Stir occasionally.n
• Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve topped with a dusting of cinnamon.n

CHEF JOHN'S HORCHATA

Steps:

• Place rice, almonds, cinnamon stick, and sugar in a blender. Pour in about 4 cups of the water. Pulse on and off to start. Then blend on high speed until ingredients have been chopped up into very small pieces, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 3 cups cold, fresh water. Let mixture sit at room temperature about 4 hours. (Or you can refrigerate it overnight.) Stir occasionally.n
• Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve topped with a dusting of cinnamon.n

CHEF JOHN'S BOURBON GLAZED CARROTS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
• When butter foams up, add carrots. Season with salt and cook, stirring, until liquid from carrots evaporates and carrots begin to brown around the edges, 5 or 6 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Carefully pour in bourbon. Cook and stir until bourbon is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle in brown sugar. Stir until carrots are almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• When carrots are nearly tender, raise heat to medium-high to thicken the glaze, 15 to 30 seconds.
• Season with cayenne pepper and ground black pepper. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with fresh thyme leaves, if desired.

CHEF JOHN'S PIZZA RUSTICA

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, butter, and olive oil for the crust in a large bowl. Blend butter into the flour with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture, pour egg into the well, and mix with a fork until egg is mixed in, about 1 minute. Add cold water and mix briefly with a fork. Switch to mixing with your hands and press mixture into a ball. If it seems dry, sprinkle in some more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until dough comes together.
• Transfer dough to a work surface and press into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 1 hour.
• While the dough is resting, combine drained ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Pecorino Romano cheese, salt, black pepper, beaten eggs, cooked Italian sausage, smoked ham, salami, and pepperoni for the filling. Mix thoroughly until extremely well combined; don't worry about overmixing. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Rub a 9-inch springform pan with olive oil and dust with flour.
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut off 1/3 of the dough and set aside for the top crust. Roll out the remaining dough for the bottom crust, using only as much flour as needed, into a 15-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to the prepared pan. Tuck the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, being careful not to stretch it. Remove any excess dough, dampen it with water, and use it to fill in where needed.
• Transfer filling into the pan, press firmly into the edges to ensure there are no air pockets, and smooth out the top.
• Roll remaining dough into a circle that's slightly wider than the pan. Roll dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to the pan. Position the top crust properly and press to seal it with the side edges.
• Mix egg and water for egg wash together in a small bowl.
• Brush egg wash on top of dough to moisten entire surface. Trim off excess dough if desired. Fold the side dough down from the pan edges onto the top crust and crimp edges with your fingertips until fully sealed. Brush once more with egg wash.
• Place in the center of the preheated oven, and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake until top crust is a beautiful golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the ring and let cool another 15 minutes before slicing into wedges.