Mexican food, Poultry, Rice

Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots and Jalapenos with Rice

Contrary to popular (American) belief, the condiment of choice in much of Mexico isn’t salsa, but jalapenos en escabeche, which is essentially jalapenos pickled with carrots and onions. Though hesitant to abandon salsa altogether during my summer in Mexico, I grew to love the slightly tart and totally tangy bowl of escabeche vegetables served alongside every meal. A splash of the vinegar-based sauce livens up just about any cut of meat and can be used much like the sport peppers in vinegar you find on tables throughout the southern United States. The crunchy vegetables also make a great addition to dishes in need of a little texture or heat. Tonight’s Rick Bayless chicken dish draws on this classic Mexican combination, with good results. I paired the dish with white rice for a delicious dinner in less than an hour.

Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots and Jalapenos
adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Serves 4 to 6

1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1 teaspoon salt
2 lb (900 g) chicken breast halves, bones and skin intact
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 large white onion, cut into 1/4‑inch slices
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4‑inch thick on a diagonal
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/4 cup (60 ml)  vinegar (apple cider vinegar is traditional)
2 to 4 canned pickled jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced [Note: I used pre-sliced pickled jalapenos]
1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth

In a small bowl, combine the black pepper, allspice, oregano and salt. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the chicken breasts.

Heat the oil in a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Lay in the chicken, skin side down, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, turning once, until richly browned. Remove the chicken to a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.

Add the sliced onion and carrots to the skillet and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is browned, abut 7 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute, then add the remaining seasoning mixture, the vinegar, jalapenos and broth.

Nestle the chicken pieces skin side up in the onion mixture, cover the skillet (a cookie sheet works if your skillet doesn’t have a lid) and simmer gently over a medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Taste the broth and season with additional salt if you think it’s needed. Transfer a piece of chicken to each dinner plate, spooning a generous portion of the juicy vegetable mixture over the top.

Beef, Irish food, Potatoes, Soups and stews

Beef and Guinness Stew with Champ

In Ireland, it’s easy to take the top-quality food for granted. We have butter that’s a creamy yellow, the way it should be; bread that’s baked fresh every day and delivered to the stores first thing in the morning; brown eggs that are so fresh they’re often not even refrigerated in the grocery store; lamb that’s world famous; and grass-fed beef.

I didn’t appreciate how special the beef in particular is until I read Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food recently, in which he says that 100% grass-fed beef commands premium prices in America (and indeed, a recent article in The Village Voice said a 1‑lb grass-fed, local steak set them back $26 compared to $9.99 for a typical feedlot steak of the same weight). Yet in Ireland, famous for the lush green grass (it’s not called the Emerald Isle for nothing), it’s just the way beef is. As I type this, I can look out my window and see my neighbor’s cattle grazing in the field just across the road. When I cook in my kitchen, I look west over a patchwork quilt of fields of potatoes, wheat, more cows and sheep too. When I take a walk with my son in my rural neighborhood, we pass another neighbor’s dairy farm, and if I walk further still, we pass the lambs that eventually wind up in the local butcher. If I walk east, I can stand at the top of our hill and see the Irish Sea about ten miles away, where small, colorful fishing boats trawl the waters. Compared to the US, where the average food item in a typical meal travels 1,500 miles to reach your plate, I feel very lucky indeed to be able to stand on my front step and practically be able to see where my milk, beef, lamb and fish come from, not to mention potatoes and various grains as well.

If you want to cook something special to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, this beef and Guinness stew with a traditional Irish champ (brúitín) is just the thing. The stew is robust and full of flavor, given the pint of plain that’s in it. The bite of the spring onions in the champ is the perfect accompaniment to the rich stew, but feel free to serve it with plain mashed potatoes instead. If you want to round this off with an Irish dessert, try these easy Baileys cream pots. But don’t limit yourself to only serving this stew on Paddy’s Day. It’s actually the best beef stew I’ve ever made.

Beef and Guinness Stew
adapted from Gourmet, October 2004

Serves 4

To make this into a one-pot meal, add some baby potatoes right into the stew along with the beef stock, Guinness and herbs instead of serving with the champ. And don’t be tempted to skip tossing the beef in the flour — the flour helps give the sauce its gorgeous, thick consistency later on. Like most stews, this one actually improves in flavor after a day, so the leftovers are even better.

2 lb (900 g) boneless beef chuck (stewing beef), cut into 1‑inch pieces
1/4 cup (30 g) flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
4 to 6 carrots, cut into 1‑inch pieces on the diagonal
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups (960 ml) beef stock or broth
approx. 2 cups (500 ml) Guinness (or another stout)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Pat the beef dry. Stir together the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the beef, turning to coat all the pieces, then shake off the excess flour and transfer to a plate.

Heat the oil in a pot over a moderately high heat, until just smoking, then brown the beef in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch (don’t crowd the pot, otherwise the beef will steam, not brown). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and carrots to the pot and saute for 10 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, stir to coat the vegetables, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the beef along with any juices accumulated in the bowl. Add in the beef stock, Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

To serve, spoon off any fat that may have risen to the top of the stew. Taste for seasoning. Spoon some champ into individual shallow bowls or plates, making a well in the center. Ladle the stew on top of the champ, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve.

***

Champ

Serves 4

If you have your own favorite recipe for mashed potatoes, just follow that and add the scallions at the end, and voilà! Now you have champ. Or you could try making colcannon, another traditional Irish potato dish and first cousin to champ.

2 lb (900 g) floury potatoes, such as Kerr’s Pink, Maris Piper or Yukon Gold
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
4 oz (110 g) butter
6 spring onions (scallions), white and green parts finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Put them in a large pot of generously salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, then drain. Return the potatoes to the pot off the heat, cover with a clean tea towel and allow to sit for 5 minutes (this helps to dry out the potatoes, resulting in a fluffier mash). Meanwhile, while the potatoes are cooking, place the milk, butter and spring onions in a saucepan over a medium heat, until the butter has melted. Mash the potatoes, then pour in the hot milk and spring onion mixture and beat with a wooden spoon until the mash is fluffy and light. Taste for seasoning and serve piping hot.

Beef, Potatoes, Salads

Filipino-style London Broil, Oven-roasted Potatoes, and Winter Greens with Shaved Parmesan

My book club’s most recent pick, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, provided the perfect inspiration for our meeting’s dinner menu. The book centers around the author’s year of eating only local foods, including produce and animals that she raised herself. After getting past the initial defensiveness of my own food choices, I came to love the book and have been truly inspired by it. It also provided a ready theme for our book club dinner — local. Luckily, by living in Wisconsin, I have easy access to farms that offer direct-to-seller meat and produce. I had a freezer full of beef from Sulzer Beef at my disposal. I also rediscovered Outpost Natural Foods, which in recent years has made a concerted effort to carry more local products.

My friend Alex brought a wonderful rhubarb strawberry crisp made with strawberries she picked from a nearby farm and rhubarb from her garden. For the salad, I used a winter salad mix from Milwaukee’s own urban, award-winning farm, Growing Power. To serve, I splashed some balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the greens (not local, I’m afraid), then used a vegetable peeler to grate long strips of Wisconsin Parmesan over the top. We rounded out the meal with an assortment of other Wisconsin cheeses (lemon chevre, cranberry cheddar, and Gorgonzola) and a fresh baguette from our local Breadsmith bakery.  A feast that doesn’t require gallons of petroleum to transport it to the table tastes even better than one that does.

Filipino-style London Broil
adapted from Indoor! Grilling by Steven Raichlen

Serves 4 to 6

2 medium lemons
1 cup (240 ml) soy sauce [Kikkoman brand is made in Walworth, Wisconsin]
1/2 cup (120 ml) distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 bay leaves, crumbled
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 sirloin or top or bottom round steak (1 1/2 to 2 lb/680 to 900 g)

Rinse the lemons. Cut each in half and squeeze out the juice with a citrus press. Place the lemon juice in a large nonreactive mixing bowl. Cut the rind of 1 lemon into 1/4‑inch dice and add it to the juice. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, oil, onion, garlic, bay leaves, coriander seed, and pepper and whisk to mix. Set aside half of the lemon juice mixture to use as a sauce.

Spread half of the remaining lemon juice mixture in the bottom of a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold the meat. Place the meat on top and spread the other half of the lemon juice mixture over it. Let the steak marinate for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight. The beef can also be marinated in a resealable plastic bag.

Place a grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over a medium heat. When the grill pan is hot, a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Drain the meat, scraping off most of the marinade with a rubber spatula. Place the beef in the hot grill pan. Sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 5 to 8 minutes per side. To test for doneness, use the poke method: when cooked to medium-rare the meat should be gently yielding.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it sit for 5 minutes. Cut the meat into broad thin slices, holding a sharp knife blade at a 45-degree angle to the top of the meat. Spoon the reserved sauce over the slices and serve at once.

***

Oven-roasted Potatoes

Serves 6

3 large baking potatoes, cut into 1‑inch cubes
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
handful of flat-leaf parsley, minced [I love parsley and use about a half bunch in this recipe]
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Toss the cubed potatoes with the olive oil, parsley, garlic, basil, oregano and paprika. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet (or 2 smaller baking sheets). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, turning the potatoes halfway through cooking, until golden brown and tender. Immediately season with salt and pepper to taste.

30-minute meals, Bread, Soups and stews, Vegetarian main dishes

Cauliflower Cheese Soup with Irish Beer Bread

I’ve always thought of cheese soup as a Midwestern, and particularly a Wisconsin, thing. There’s no reason for me to think that, other than that Wisconsin is known as the Dairy State and leads the nation in cheese production. UW-Madison, where Kelly and I both went to college, is also well known for often topping the polls for the highest student beer consumption (and in fact, the student union in Madison was the first college union in the country to sell beer), so I guess it’s no surprise that beer bread is what I thought of to serve with this soup.

The beer bread is surprisingly light and sweet (a little too sweet for my taste, actually; next time I’m going to try adding some salt to counteract it). It’s also so fast to make that your oven probably won’t even have finished preheating by the time you’ve got it all mixed up and ready to go. You’ll never buy an overpriced beer bread mix again after making this from scratch.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup
adapted from Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater

Serves 4 to 6

Instead of serving this soup with a bread on the side, Nigel Slater toasts 2 slices of dark rye bread, melts a little cheese on top, cuts the slices into triangles and floats them on top of the soup.

2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
3 1/2 cups (840 ml) water
2 bay leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (200 ml) crème fraîche or sour cream
1 heaped tablespoon grain mustard
1 cup (100 g) coarsely grated Gruyère, Cantal or a strong, mature Cheddar
finely chopped fresh chives, to garnish (optional)

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic and fry until soft, but don’t let them color. In a separate pot, boil the cauliflower in the water for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Add the bay leaves to the onion and garlic, then add the cauliflower and its cooking water. Bring to the boil and add salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaves and allow the soup to cool slightly. Puree the soup in two batches in a blender (or use a hand-held immersion blender right in the pot). Pour the mixture back into the pot and stir in the crème fraîche, grain mustard and grated cheese. Bring the soup slowly back to a simmer and stir just until the cheese has melted, then ladle into individual bowls, garnish with chopped chives, if using, and serve.

***

Irish Beer Bread

Makes 1 loaf

I called this Irish beer bread only because I used an Irish ale (Smithwick’s, which is pronounced Smittick’s), but you can use any beer. The stronger the beer you choose, the stronger the flavor of the bread.

2 1/2 cups (300 g) self-rising flour
1 tablespoon sugar
12 fl oz beer (350 ml), at room temperature
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter, melted (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 1‑lb loaf tin. Sift the flour and sugar into a bowl. Pour in the beer and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour into the greased loaf tin, pour the melted butter on top, if using, and bake for 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before you slice it.

30-minute meals, Beans, Mexican food, Poultry, Rice

Red Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans

It’s not for nothing that rice and beans is such a staple dish in so many parts of the world (Kelly has already written about this here). Not only is it the ultimate budget food, but when eaten together, rice and beans form a complete protein (you could argue that the inclusion of chicken in this dish is a bit of protein overkill). It’s also wide open to interpretation — just have a look at all the variations listed in this article (or see this lentil-rice salad with chorizo). Another option would be to make this smoked paprika roasted chicken from Simply Recipes for dinner one night, then use the leftover shredded chicken in this dish the next day.

Far from being a bland, stodgy bowl of starch, this recipe is full of flavor, not least because of the whopping 2 1/2 tablespoons of ancho chile powder or smoked paprika called for. I was afraid it would be too spicy or overpowering for my small children, but they loved it. We had big bowls of it on its own as a cheap and cheerful midweek meal, but a simple salad of chopped romaine with this tangy avocado dressing or some cheese quesadillas served alongside would round things out nicely.

Red Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans
adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Serves 4

For a vegetarian version, simply omit the chicken and only use 1 1/2 tablespoons of ancho chile powder or smoked paprika; I think next time I’ll substitute some feta cheese for the chicken. Rick Bayless says he also sometimes adds a big handful of spinach along with the green onions or herbs.

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
4 skinless chicken breasts
2 1/2 tablespoons ground ancho chile powder or smoked paprika (use less if omitting the chicken; see above)
1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4‑inch pieces
1 cup (180 g) rice
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 x 14-oz (400‑g) can black beans, drained and rinsed (rinsing will keep them from making the rice sticky)
a few chopped green onions or a handful of chopped cilantro
1/2 to 1 cup (120 to 240 ml) salsa, to serve (optional)

Heat the oil in a medium-large heavy pot over a medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts first with salt, then with 1 tablespoon (yes, tablespoon!) of the ground ancho chile powder or smoked paprika. Place them in the hot oil in a single layer (do this in two batches if need be so you don’t crowd the chicken in the pot). Brown for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate to cool, leaving behind as much oil as possible.

Add the onion and rice to the pot. Stir for a few minutes, until the rice turns opaque. Add the garlic and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (again, that’s not a typo) ancho chile powder or smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and salt (use less salt if your stock is already quite salty). Stir well. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the chicken breasts into 1‑inch cubes. Uncover the pot and add the chicken and black beans. Re-cover and cook for 12 minutes longer. (Note: I found that my rice didn’t need this much time to cook, so just keep a close eye on it, test it and use your judgment.)

Uncover, sprinkle on the green onions or cilantro and test a grain of rice: it should have no more than a hint of chalkiness in the center; if it’s still too firm, cook for another 5 minutes or so. Otherwise, simply re-cover the pot, remove it from the heat and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes to finish cooking the rice in its own trapped steam. Fluff the rice mixture with a fork and serve with the salsa on the side.

Grains and pulses, Poultry

Chicken with Lentils

I know this dish doesn’t sound like much. In fact, on the night I had planned to make it, it suddenly sounded so boring and unappealing that I briefly debated ordering take-out instead and wondered what I’d been thinking when choosing to make this earlier in the week as part of my weekly meal planning. But I’m glad I resisted the fleeting urge to order pizza — it was surprisingly delicious, and we liked the leftovers the next day even better. This meal isn’t going to win any beauty contests either (the lack of photo today is no accident), but you’ll be so busy tucking in that you won’t care too much.

Chicken with Lentils
adapted from The New York Times, January 20, 2010

Serves 4 to 6

You could also serve this with a pan-fried salmon fillet instead of chicken (you can follow the instructions for cooking the salmon here).

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb (225 g) bacon, diced
3 lb (1.4 kg) chicken thighs (about 6 to 8 thighs), patted dry
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
2 leeks, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 head radicchio, cored and finely chopped (don’t worry if you can’t find this, just leave it out)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 cups (400 g) green or Puy lentils
3 cups (720 ml) chicken stock, more if needed
crusty bread, to serve

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the bacon and cook on a medium heat, until golden. Remove. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot, skin side down. Sear until golden on a medium-high heat, working in two batches if necessary. Remove from the pan. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.

Add the onions, leeks, celery and carrots and cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the cumin. Add the radicchio, if using, the vinegar and thyme and saute briefly. Add the lentils, stock and cooked bacon.

Return the chicken to pan, bring to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, but not all. The lentils should be saucelike but not soupy. Add a little more stock if needed. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed, then serve with crusty bread.

Pork, Rice, Seafood

Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham with Toasted Garlic Kale

In celebration of Mardi Gras, Reuben cooked up a great pot of jambalaya. Out of the million and one versions of this classic Cajun cuisine, this one is my favorite. It’s low fat, cooks in one pot, and is a great way to use up leftover ham. The kale provides a burst of color and an extra serving of vegetables — very needed in my household as we struggle through the recent exchange of sicknesses between the kids. Much to our surprise, our 8‑month-old devoured her kale. Pretty impressive, Anabelle, but you’re still too young for beads.

Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham
adapted from Ellie Krieger

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 oz (170 g) diced, smoked ham
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) low sodium chicken broth
1 x 14-oz (400‑g) can diced tomatoes
1 cup (180 g) uncooked long-grain white rice
1 lb (450 g) peeled and deveined medium shrimp (tail-on preferred)
hot pepper sauce

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and garlic and saute until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in the next 11 ingredients (salt through the diced tomatoes). Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until rice is done and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the shrimp and cook, covered, for 5 minutes more, or until shrimp is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with hot pepper sauce.

***

Toasted Garlic Kale

Serves 2 to 3

1 bunch kale, washed and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water as you would for cooking pasta. Add the chopped kale and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until the kale turns bright green. Immediately drain the kale and rinse with cold water.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat but do not let the oil smoke. Add the garlic and saute, stirring frequently, until the garlic just begins to turn golden. Add the drained kale to the oil and garlic, lower the heat, and saute until the kale is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pork, Potatoes

Coca-Cola Ham, Parmesan Smashed Potatoes, and Roasted Beets with Greens and Goat Cheese

I’ve sworn off high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for a few years now. My HFCS ban is one of the reasons I started cooking more of my own meals. At least in the United States, it’s pretty difficult to avoid HFCS in processed or convenience foods. Soda — or pop, depending on where you live — was one of the easier HFCS products to cut. I had already succumbed to the Diet Coke craze during college, like so many other calorie-conscious co-eds. Which is all a long way of saying that I’ve had a 2‑liter bottle of Coca-Cola perched on my fridge for a few months that I certainly wasn’t going to drink. I also have a freezer of pork, including several hams, begging to be eaten. It all came together to form a perfect “excuse” to make the ham in cola recipe that Kristin sheepishly sent me a few weeks ago. Despite my reservations, the ham turned out beautifully, just as Kristin promised it would.

Ham in Coca-Cola
adapted from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson

Serves 8

for the ham:
1 x 4 1/2‑lb (2‑kg) ham
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
1 x 2‑liter bottle cola (recommended: Coca-Cola)

for the glaze:
1 heaped tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons English mustard powder
2 tablespoons Demerara (raw cane sugar) or granulated brown sugar

For the ham: Place the ham and the onion into a large pot or Dutch oven and pour the cola on top. On a medium-high heat, allow the cola to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid, though not tightly, and allow to cook for 2 1/2 hours (1 hour for every 2 lb/900 g).

Preheat the oven to 500°F (240°C).

For the glaze: Pull the ham from the pot and allow it to rest on a cutting board, reserving the cooking liquid if you want to make Nigella’s South Beach Black Bean Soup. Using a sharp knife, trim the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat on the ham. Using the knife, score the fat diagonally into large diamond cuts. Spread the honey over the meat. Gently pat the powdered mustard and sugar around the meat, so it sticks to the honey. Gently place the ham in a roasting pan (lined with aluminum foil for easier clean-up). Cook the ham for about 10 minutes, or until the glaze is burnished and bubbly.

To braise the ham in advance and then let it cool, take the ham from the refrigerator, glaze it according to the recipe, and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes. Place in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 30 to 40 minutes,  turning up the heat if you think it needs a more crispy exterior.

***

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
adapted from the The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Serves 8

4 lb (1.75 kg) red new potatoes, unpeeled
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 2 teaspoons
1 cup (240 ml) half-and-half (or half milk, half cream)
1/4 lb (110 g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt in a 4‑quart saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until completely tender. Drain.

In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half and butter. Put the potatoes into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix the potatoes for a few seconds on low speed, to break them up. Slowly add the hot cream and butter to the potatoes, mixing on the lowest speed (the last quarter of the cream should be folded in by hand). Fold in the Parmesan cheese and the remaining salt and pepper; taste for seasoning and serve immediately. If the potatoes are too thick, add more hot cream and butter.

***

Roasted Beets with Greens and Goat Cheese

Serves 6

2 bunches beets with greens, washed well
8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 oz (60 g)  goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Remove the greens from the beets and set aside. Toss the beets in 5 tablespoons of olive oil, then wrap in aluminum foil. (I usually place 2 to 3 beets in each foil packet.) Roast until tender, 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before peeling and quartering the beets. If the beets are very large, cut into 1‑inch pieces instead of quartering them.

While the beets cool, roughly chop the beet greens. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the beet greens and saute, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until they’re wilted and tender. If the greens begin to scorch, add a tablespoon or so of water or cover with a lid. Season the greens to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon the greens onto a plate, top with roasted beets and then crumbled goat cheese.

A Cooking Blog