Scratchy Husband Pasta Recipes

SCRATCHY HUSBAND PASTA

Steps:

• Bring large pot of water to a boil. When water simmers and is about to break to a roiling boil, place a 10-inch deep-sided sauté pan on low heat.
• Add the olive oil and butter and sliced garlic to the pan and let the butter melt, as the garlic begins to warm through. When the pasta water gets roiling, add salt to taste. (As always, like seawater.) Add the dry spaghetti. Add chile flakes to the warming garlic-oil mixture and swirl the pan a bit.
• Stir the spaghetti and make sure it is cooking evenly and the strands are separated. Swirl the garlic-chile-oil pan smoothly and frequently, and let the garlic soften and start to turn golden as the butter starts to foam and the chile blooms its heat and color into the oil. (On my stove, the burners run quite hot, so I keep it on low the whole time, but if your home burner is weak and you are not getting any foaming or toasting of the garlic by now, tap the heat up a half-step.) At 8 minutes, pull the pasta from the boiling water with tongs, let it briefly drip its excess water above the pasta pot, but then place it right into the garlic-chile-oil pan, letting the last drips of water go right into the sauce.
• Turn up the heat under the pasta now and stir vigorously, also tossing the pasta with short sturdy flicks of your wrist, for just about a minute, listening to the water hiss a little as it evaporates in the oil.
• Turn off the heat, add cheese and a lot of black pepper. Toss and distribute all the garlic and the cheese and the chile flakes using two forks like you are tossing a salad, making sure every bit is coated and luscious and on the edge even of greasy. (The amount of salt that I put in the pasta water, combined with the salt of the cheese, is enough for us. If you feel it needs it, season with a little more salt, according to your tastes.) Serve immediately.

POMMES ANNA

Steps:

• Heat large knob of butter with a healthy drizzle of olive oil over medium low heat until butter melts and just starts to foam. Shut off heat under pan.
• Using a sharp and stable Japanese mandolin - or the real French metal one if you're lucky enough to have one - slice the potatoes into very thin but not paper-thin slices.
• Arrange the slices tightly, careful shingling around the pan in concentric circles starting at the outer edge of the pan and working your way into the center. Season the first layer with a little salt. Repeat with each potato until you achieve three tight and gorgeous layers.
• Turn the heat back on under the pan at medium. Drizzle the potatoes with a generous pour of olive oil and dot a few more pats of butter around the pan of potatoes. Season with salt. As the pan starts to sizzle, you will see the fat bubbling up and spitting a bit. Put a lid on the pan and seal tightly for a minute or two, giving the potatoes a little steam bath, helping to soften and cook the flesh. Remove the lid and swirl the pan with a little muscle to see if the potatoes are binding together as their starch begins to heat up. If they slip loosely all around the pan, tuck the slices back into the tight circle using a heat-proof rubber spatula and allow to sizzle and cook longer uncovered. Bump up the flame a little if the cooking sounds and looks listless - you want to hear sizzle. When you start to smell the potatoes turning golden and crisp - like the smell of toast - swirl the pan again to confirm that the potato layers have formed a cake, and then flip the pommes Anna and cook on the other side also until golden and crispy. Slide onto serving plate or cutting board, season with salt, and cut into wedges.

SPICY STEWED TRIPE WITH SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Prepare the stewed tripe: Put tripe in a heavy pot and cover with 1 inch cold water. Bring to boil over high heat, then drain and set aside. Put onion, garlic and 1 chile de árbol into a cheesecloth sachet. Set aside.
• Add foot pieces and 2 quarts water to the pot, and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, skimming any foam that rises to the surface, for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice the flat sections of tripe into thin, 4-inch-long ribbons resembling noodles - wider than linguine but not quite as thick as fettuccine - and any folds and thick creases into skinny coins.
• Add tripe and onion sachet to calf's foot, cover with 2 quarts broth and simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours until soft.
• Meanwhile, prepare the chile powder: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay the guajillo chiles, ancho chile and remaining chiles de árbol on a sheet pan and heat them through for 8 to 10 minutes - enough time for them to become hot and fragrant but not enough time for them to take on dark color. Let the chiles cool completely until they again feel dry and brittle.
• Pull off the chile stems and tap out the seeds, or split the chiles like a vanilla bean to let out the seeds. Pulse the dry skins in a spice mill to fine flakes the same texture as fish meal. (It makes about 6 tablespoons chile powder.)
• Remove and discard feet and sachet. (A majority of the flesh and fat and tendon of the foot should have turned gelatinous and fallen off; what's left on the foot is mostly stark, bare bone.) Stir in the chile powder, plus the oregano, cumin and a little salt to taste. Simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes more until tripe is slippery soft and broth is dark as leather.
• To serve, ladle tripe and broth into bowls, and positively shower each portion with a mountain of sliced scallions.