Sunday Night Supper
Sunday night I had friends over for an Italian inspired supper. We started with Shrimp and Scallops Gratinate, one of my favorite Lidia Bastianich recipes. Then we had Insalata di Misticanza con Bruciatini al Balsamico, a salad recipe from the Italian Farmer's Table Cookbook. We followed the salad with Zuppa di Cipolla from the Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy cookbook. Our main course was Roman-style Meatballs and Gnocchi alla Romana from Williams-Sonoma. We ended with Flourless Chocolate Cake and ice cream.
My friend, Erin, helped me in the kitchen and took pictures. (I think she might get bent out of shape if I don't mention that.)
Here are the recipes for the appetizer and salad courses.
Shrimp and Scallops Gratinate
18 medium-large shrimp
18 sea scallops
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
8 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 t salt
1 t red pepper flakes
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Garlic Butter (below)
Seasoned Bread Crumbs (below)
Shell, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tail on. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes, add the shrimp and scallops and mix. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Generously butter nine 5 to 6 inch gratin dishes or a 12x8 baking dish, then sprinkle with some lemon juice and white wine. Holding a shrimp by the tail set it down in the dish spreading out the split sides and trying to get the tail to stand up (they won't always do that though). If using the gratin dishes put two shrimp and two scallops per dish. If using one pan, Lidia says to put the shrimp all at one end and the scallops at the other. If I'm using one pan, I use fewer scallops and more shrimp and put the scallops in the middle of the pain and the shrimp around the edges.
Cut the garlic butter into nine equal slices, then into equal cubes, and distribute over the shrimp and scallops. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over.
Garlic Butter
1 1/2 T olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 T lemon juice
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan; add the garlic and shallots, and cook gently until soft but not brown. Pour in the wine and the lemon juice, bring to a boil, and cook until almost evaporated. Cool completely, then beat in the butter and the parsley. Form into a roll and refrigerate or freeze.
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs made from day old bread
3 T good olive oil
2 T Italian parsley, chopped
1 T fresh thyme leaves
grated zest of one small lemon
1/8 t salt
Mix all ingredients until bread crumbs are evenly moistened with the oil.
I had a birthday recently and gave myself a beautiful oval Mauviel pan that I used. Here is what it looked like before it went into the oven:
Ha, I just noticed that Erin got my wine glass in the picture. I guess you can see that I like to cook with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food. (You probably think that explains some of the recipe screw-ups that I have.)
Our next course was the salad. I forgot to take a picture of it, but with the red radicchio and the greens, it looked like Christmas on our salad plates.
Insalata di Misticanza con Bruciatini al Balsamico
(Mixed green salad with caramelized prosciutto and pancetta in balsamic vinegar)
1 head radicchio
1 head arugula
1 head Belgian endive (couldn't find this so used frisee, I think any slightly bitter green would work)
1 T chopped, fresh thyme
1 T chopped, fresh chives
1 T chopped, Italian parsley
2 T olive oil (or more as needed)
Salt and black pepper
3 T unsalted butter
1/4 lb. pancetta, cut into thin strips
1/4 lb. prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Wash and pat dry all the greens, cut into bite-sized pieces, and put into a large salad bowl. (I don't know about you, but I hate getting a salad that has huge pieces of lettuce in it that has to be cut up in order to eat it. Well, with the exception of a wedge salad, but you are expected to cut that up.) Add the herbs and olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a heavy saute pan, melt one tablespoon of the butter and cook the pancetta and prosciutto until just beginning to crisp. Put on the meat on paper towels, wipe the fat out of the pan, then return the meat to the pan and continue to cook until crispy. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook until reduced by half. Add the remaining butter and whisk to incorporate. Spoon the balsamic vinegar-pancetta-prosciutto mixture over the greens, toss and serve. Yum.
I'll post the rest of the recipes later so check back to see them.
My friend, Erin, helped me in the kitchen and took pictures. (I think she might get bent out of shape if I don't mention that.)
Here are the recipes for the appetizer and salad courses.
Shrimp and Scallops Gratinate
18 medium-large shrimp
18 sea scallops
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
8 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 t salt
1 t red pepper flakes
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Garlic Butter (below)
Seasoned Bread Crumbs (below)
Shell, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tail on. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes, add the shrimp and scallops and mix. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Generously butter nine 5 to 6 inch gratin dishes or a 12x8 baking dish, then sprinkle with some lemon juice and white wine. Holding a shrimp by the tail set it down in the dish spreading out the split sides and trying to get the tail to stand up (they won't always do that though). If using the gratin dishes put two shrimp and two scallops per dish. If using one pan, Lidia says to put the shrimp all at one end and the scallops at the other. If I'm using one pan, I use fewer scallops and more shrimp and put the scallops in the middle of the pain and the shrimp around the edges.
Cut the garlic butter into nine equal slices, then into equal cubes, and distribute over the shrimp and scallops. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over.
Garlic Butter
1 1/2 T olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 T lemon juice
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan; add the garlic and shallots, and cook gently until soft but not brown. Pour in the wine and the lemon juice, bring to a boil, and cook until almost evaporated. Cool completely, then beat in the butter and the parsley. Form into a roll and refrigerate or freeze.
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs made from day old bread
3 T good olive oil
2 T Italian parsley, chopped
1 T fresh thyme leaves
grated zest of one small lemon
1/8 t salt
Mix all ingredients until bread crumbs are evenly moistened with the oil.
I had a birthday recently and gave myself a beautiful oval Mauviel pan that I used. Here is what it looked like before it went into the oven:
Ha, I just noticed that Erin got my wine glass in the picture. I guess you can see that I like to cook with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food. (You probably think that explains some of the recipe screw-ups that I have.)
Our next course was the salad. I forgot to take a picture of it, but with the red radicchio and the greens, it looked like Christmas on our salad plates.
Insalata di Misticanza con Bruciatini al Balsamico
(Mixed green salad with caramelized prosciutto and pancetta in balsamic vinegar)
1 head radicchio
1 head arugula
1 head Belgian endive (couldn't find this so used frisee, I think any slightly bitter green would work)
1 T chopped, fresh thyme
1 T chopped, fresh chives
1 T chopped, Italian parsley
2 T olive oil (or more as needed)
Salt and black pepper
3 T unsalted butter
1/4 lb. pancetta, cut into thin strips
1/4 lb. prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Wash and pat dry all the greens, cut into bite-sized pieces, and put into a large salad bowl. (I don't know about you, but I hate getting a salad that has huge pieces of lettuce in it that has to be cut up in order to eat it. Well, with the exception of a wedge salad, but you are expected to cut that up.) Add the herbs and olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a heavy saute pan, melt one tablespoon of the butter and cook the pancetta and prosciutto until just beginning to crisp. Put on the meat on paper towels, wipe the fat out of the pan, then return the meat to the pan and continue to cook until crispy. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook until reduced by half. Add the remaining butter and whisk to incorporate. Spoon the balsamic vinegar-pancetta-prosciutto mixture over the greens, toss and serve. Yum.
I'll post the rest of the recipes later so check back to see them.
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