Creamy Grits With Fontina Fonduta And Mushroom Stew Recipes

CREAMY GRITS WITH FONTINA FONDUTA AND MUSHROOM STEW

Steps:

• Place grits in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add 2 1/2 cups cold water, and stir once. Allow grits to settle in saucepan, then skim off chaff and hulls that float to surface. Turn heat to medium-high, and bring grits to low simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting, and cover saucepan. Heat 2 cups water in a small saucepan. Keep hot.
• Cook grits, covered, over very low heat, stirring every 10 minutes or so with wooden spoon, and adding 1/4 cup hot water to pan when grits become thick. Cook grits until creamy and tender but not mushy, about 90 minutes. Stir in salt after 45 minutes. At end of cooking, stir in butter, and season to taste with black pepper. Keep warm. (Grits can be served at this point, as a side dish.)
• While grits cook, make fonduta. In a small stainless steel bowl, combine fontina with milk and let sit 30 minutes. In a small saucepan, combine cream with Parmesan cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until parmesan has melted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, but keep warm.
• Set bowl with fontina over a pot of simmering water, and stir constantly to melt cheese into threads. Transfer both cheese mixtures to a blender, add egg yolk, and blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Return to saucepan. Keep warm.
• To prepare mushrooms, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add half the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until seared, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add 2 more teaspoons oil to pan, and cook remaining mushrooms. Transfer to plate. Add remaining olive oil to pan, add shallots and garlic, and cook 3 minutes. Return mushrooms to pan, cover, and cook about 4 minutes. Stir in thyme.
• To serve, distribute shaved cabbage evenly over 4 warm plates. Put a spoonful of grits on top. Pour fonduta over grits. Top with mushrooms. Serve immediately with lots of freshly ground black pepper.

CREAMY GRITS WITH MUSHROOMS AND CHARD

Steps:

• Make the grits: Cook the grits with water according to the package instructions in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed to ensure no grits stick to the pot. The cook time can range from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the age and quality of the grits. When the grits are tender, remove from the hot burner and pour in the oat cream, oil and salt, stir well, and cover. (If you cooked the grits with salt, then start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste.) Set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium. Once heated, add the onion quarter, jalapeño and garlic cloves. Char and slightly cook the vegetables, turning occasionally. The garlic will likely be done first, after 4 or 6 minutes. Place each item in a bowl when charred and cover with a lid.
• When the charred vegetables are cool to the touch, remove the outer skin of the onion, the jalapeño stem and the garlic peels. If you are very sensitive to spice, slice the jalapeño in half lengthwise and remove one half's seeds and white veins to make it much milder.
• In a blender or mini food processor, blend the onion, jalapeño and garlic with the lemon juice, olive oil and cilantro until smooth. Add more olive oil if needed to blend, 1 tablespoon at a time. Clean the mushrooms with a damp towel and break apart or cut at the stem into 2-inch pieces. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and pour the jalapeño sauce on top; let sit for at least 15 minutes.
• Make the chard: Place the chard shiny side down on a cutting board and slice the stems and ribs away from the green leaves. Stack the leaves in a pile and cut crosswise into thin strips. Transfer to a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the chard stems into 2-inch-long matchsticks. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup water with the jalapeño, vinegar, garlic, onion and sugar, and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chard stems and let sit, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes.
• Heat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium, add the chard leaves and cook, using tongs to move them around quickly in order to keep their bright green color, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Set over medium-high heat. Shake excess sauce off the mushrooms back into the bowl; too much sauce will cause them to steam instead of sear. Add the mushrooms to the hot oil, and cook until tender and caramelized, 2 to 5 minutes per side.
• To serve, spoon the grits onto a large platter and top with the chard, mushrooms and pickled stems.

EASY CREAMY MUSHROOM STEW

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
• Add chicken broth and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour in heavy whipping cream and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer until stew starts to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes.

ITALIAN FONDUTA

Steps:

• In top of a double boiler set over simmering water, melt butter. In a bowl, whisk together the milk and the yolks; stir in the cheese.
• Whisking constantly, slowly add egg and cheese mixture into butter. Continue whisking until mixture has melted and thickened slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer fonduta to a warmed bowl and garnish with shaved truffle or truffle oil, if desired. Serve with bread, potatoes or asparagus, for dipping. Alternatively, arrange asparagus on a platter, drizzle with fonduta, and garnish with shaved truffle or truffle oil.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH ESCAROLE AND SICILIAN OLIVES

Steps:

• Trim chicken thighs of excess fat, and dry well on paper towels. Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Place chicken in skillet, skin-side down, and sear until skin is well-browned, about 5 minutes. Turn thighs with tongs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sear until second side is golden, about 3 minutes more.
• Pour off fat. Reduce heat to low, add olive oil, and half of the sliced garlic, shallots and the herbs, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 40 seconds. Add wine and chicken broth, cover, and simmer 7 minutes. Turn chicken, and simmer until meat pulls easily from bone, about 7 minutes more.
• Transfer chicken from skillet to plate. Add remaining garlic, shallots and herbs, olives, escarole and lemon juice to skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, increase heat to medium-high, and cover. Steam escarole until it wilts, about 5 minutes.
• Return chicken to skillet on top of escarole. Add butter, increase heat to high, and simmer until butter melts and sauce has emulsified slightly. (If sauce appears thin, transfer escarole and chicken to warm platter, then boil sauce until it has reached a pleasing consistency.) Taste to correct seasoning. Serve immediately.