Cola Ham Hocks with Miso Glaze (SP)

• 4 ham hocks (about 1 pound each) [I used slices since I thought they would be easier to sear off.]
• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cup dry vermouth
• one 12-ounce can cola
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 star anise
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

MISO GLAZE

• 1/4 cup red miso
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons sorghum
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Mise en place.

Soak hocks in cold water for 30 minutes.  Then pat dry.

Brown hocks.

Saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes.

Add in everything but glaze ingredients and braise for 2 hours.  I considered letting this go and braise while I went out for karaoke which would've amounted to 4 hours.  I tried contacting Aly Lopez about whether or not this was a good idea but had already left the house when she answered.

I should've done it.

When hocks are almost done, heat glaze ingredients until dissolved and syrupy.

Glaze the ham hocks and broil for a couple minutes after being pulled from the braising liquid.  They are accompanied here with a side dish that is also in Edward Lee Jr's cookbook but was sourced so poorly that I rather not talk about it.

Ha, I guess the ham hocks could've been more tender, but they were pretty good.  The braising liquid was awesome.  I wonder if the flavor would have altered much if I used Coca-Cola rather than Whole Foods cola.

Spaghetti with Seared Raddichio, Steak, and Balsamic Sauce (FM)

• Salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces sirloin, skirt, or other beef steak
• Black pepper
• 1 pound radicchio, cut into ribbons
• 1 large red onions, halved and sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 8 ounces spaghetti or other long, thin pasta, preferably whole wheat
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil [Didn't have any this time around; don't think it would've helped.]

Mise en place.

Searing steak.

Cook radicchio, onion, and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes uncovered.  Then lower heat and cover.

Thinly slice steak.  Add vinegar to skillet, let it bubble a bit, then throw it all together.

I wouldn't consider the radicchio exactly seared.  The dish was frankly underwhelming, as if this could pretend to be a full-on steak dinner or something.  Yet it's not.

Best Chicken Stew (CI)

from November & December 2013

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved crosswise and trimmed
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 pound chicken wings, halved at the joint
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 celery rib, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup dry white wine, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 3 pieces
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pound small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Arrange thighs on baking sheet and season both sides with salt and pepper.  Cover with saran wrap and set aside.

Mise en place.  I guess "party wings" are already separated at the joint.

Cook bacon over medium-low heat until fat renders and bacon browns.  Transfer bacon to bowl with slotted spoon.

Brown chicken wings and add to bowl with bacon.

Add aromatics and cook until dark fond develops on pan bottom.  Frankly, it's already got a nice dark fond.

Add wine, 1 cup broth, and soy sauce and reduce until liquid evaporates and vegetables sizzles again.

Add butter and stir until melted.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to combine.

Gradually whisk in remaining 4 cups broth until smooth.  Add wings, potatoes and carrots and cook, uncovered for 30 minutes, in a 325 degree over.  Stir halfway.

Use spoon to draw gravy up sides of pot and scrape fond back into stew. Add chicken thighs and cook, uncovered, until chicken and vegetables are tender.
I pulled it out when the potatoes were tender and I had hit the 45 minutes mark.  I guess the carrots could have gone on for a little longer, but they were fine.  Remove chicken wings (the flavor's all cooked out of them) and season.

Deep, rich, soul-satisfying.  I wasn't sure beforehand how this would differ from my favorite ATK recipe for Chicken and Dumplings, but it was pretty awesome.  They're both chicken stews, but this one is much darker and richer in flavor.  This would be poor match with dumplings and I might not make this annually, but it still really, really good.

Also I tossed the remainder of a bag of frozen peas in for good measure.  I like peas in my chicken stews.

Pasta with Tomatoes, Tuna, and Capers (FM)

• Salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• one 28- or 35- ounce can tomatoes, chopped, include their juice
• 8 ounces any pasta, preferably whole wheat
• 1/4 cup white wine
• One 6-ounce can tuna packed in olive oil [Eh, I was trying to use up once of of normal water-packed tuna]
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
• Black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Mise en place.

Cook onions in oil over medium-high heat until soft.

Add tomatoes and their juice and cook until tomatoes break down and the mixture becomes saucy.

I was using a new brand of chopped tomatoes called Pomi, but it was pretty weird.  There was relatively little tomato in the box and a whole lot of juice.  I probably wouldn't use this again.  I think I bought it because I couldn't find another type of chopped tomatoes that didn't already have spice in them.

Add pasta, wine, tuna with its oil (if I had used that kind of tuna), capers, and red chile flakes and cook and stir for another minutes.  Add a good amount of black pepper and the basil.

Very nice, straightforward, and almost entirely pantry-focused dish (if only I had some herbs growing).  The basil is necessary for a bit of freshness to the dish and everything is balanced without a sense of anything lacking.

Japanese-Spiced Roasted Beets with Honeyed Walnuts (FM)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the pan
• 2 pounds beets (about 4 large), peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan or black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
• Salt
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons honey

Smear baking sheet with oil.  Put beets on pan, drizzle with sesame and vegetable oil, and toss to coat.

Roast undisturbed for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Then turn every 10 minutes until just tender.

Should've used my half-sheet pan.

Mise en place.  I didn't have honey to toss the walnuts in.  I figured sorghum was better than molasses.

Toss everything together with a sprinkling of salt and bake for a 1 minute or 2 just to toast the spices.  There was a ton of seasoning left so I typically just re-seasoned the dish every time I ate it.
I figure you can easily double or maybe even triple the number of beets you use and have enough spice.

A really nice dish.  The basic recipe frankly didn't require enough beets, but I figure four servings could be construed as the amount needed for a side dish.