Roasted Pork Loin with Fennel

November 19, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Fireside Dinner”

The Set-up: Ina is making a girls night dinner for her friend and garden designer Edwina von Gal (how amazing is that name?)

The Menu: Roast Loin of Pork with Fennel, Sautéed Cabbage, Rum Raisin Rice Pudding

0:32 – Ina says she likes to make a cozy dinner on nights when there’s a “snap in the air.” We’re having a snap alright – I’m freeeeezing!

1:21 – First up on the menu: Roast Loin of Pork with Fennel which she calls a one pot meal.

2:13 – Lots of good veggies in this dish – onions, carrots, potatoes – and fennel Ina’s “favorite vegetable.”

3:30 – She’s not kidding about this one-pot meal stuff – the vegetables go right from the cutting board to the roasting pan for seasoning. No spoon either, just clean hands!

4:05 – With a garden designer coming to dinner it only makes sense to take a trip outside to cut some fresh English thyme to use in the next phase of the recipe. Is it weird that I think that’s the height of decadence – fresh herbs for the picking at all times?

5:39 – Now for the pork loin marinade – garlic, salt, pepper, and a pun on thyme taking time. Oh, Ina you loveable goof.

6:44 – Now the mustard goes in and this looks like a delicious marinade/paste/rub hybrid. Yum.

10:00 – While the vegetables roast Ina starts on dessert: Rum Raisin Rice Pudding. Uh-oh. This isn’t the first time Ina has tried to convince me that rice pudding is a good idea. There was also this episode.

11:17 – Okay, well there’s rum involved, but I still just can’t even. No, I’m so sorry Ina, but I just can follow you down that dark path. Shudder.

12:33 – Another trip to the garden, this time for the flower arrangement. White dahlias, natch.

13:25 – Now for a little Entertaining 101. Ina says that the purpose of flowers and especially candles on the table is to focus attention inward on your dining companions. Which makes sense, I suppose.

14:06 – I thought (hoped) we were done with the rice pudding, but it was not to be. It’s back and it looks like a bowl of my culinary nightmares. Too dramatic?

19:39 – Whew, she put it in the fridge out of sight. Now Ina is adding the pork loin on top of the vegetables.

20:14 – A quick check in with Edwina and Charlie (her lab-mix?) shopping for plants. She doesn’t strike me as a rule follower, but Ina has a strict color scheme for her garden, so she caves and buys a giant branchy shrub with purple flowers.

21:42 – The pork loin is done and resting under it’s little foil tent just in time for Edwina to arrive toting a giant bush.

22:10 – Edwina insists that the spindly purple thing be planted immediately and Ina goes right along with her. dinner plans be damned.

23:58 – Present number 2 is a pair of bright pink, opera length gardening gloves. Okay, this I can get behind and Edwina is back in my good graces. I know she was nervous there for a minute.

26:27 – Ina is making Sautéed Cabbage as a side dish and I can’t decide whether I’m brave enough to try this.

27:31 – Also, do cabbage and fennel count as green vegetables? I could maybe be on board with it if I were confident there were some worthy vitamins in there.

28:44 – Edwina has the purple creeper (not it’s real name) in the ground and now it’s time to plate up dinner.

29:53 – Dinner is served and it’s like the cozy fireside meal of my dreams, except for dessert which in my world is chocolate cake. Cheers to cake!

Final Thoughts:
This seems like a very low-stress dinner, which I am 100% on board with.
I need to further consider this cabbage situation. It’s a complex issue.
Is it still presumptuous to bring someone something for their garden if you’re their garden designer? Is it like being a personal shopper for shrubs?

Lessons Learned:
You might be wondering why on earth I’d want to make Roast Loin of Pork with Fennel after last month’s debacle with the Herb Marinated Pork Loin, but the reason is simple: I refuse to be defeated by a cut of meat. Also, this recipe did not involve pan sautéing and I bought a new instant read meat thermometer, so my confidence was restored.

The recipe steps are just slightly fussy – allowing the pork loin to stand with the mustard/garlic paste marinade, roasting the vegetables first, then adding the meat – but none of them are at all difficult. I noticed that Ina just tossed the cut vegetables right in the roasting pan with the spices, which even saves on an extra bowl.

The only small changes I made to the process were rotating the pork loin halfway through the cooking time (about the 25 minute mark) to ensure even cooking. I did not want a repeat of my last pork loin which was too pink in some spots and dry in others – not good.

I also felt that the vegetables were plenty done after 30 minutes of roasting alone, plus another 40-45 minutes with the pork, so while the pork rested I turned the oven off and just kept them warm.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, but (are you noticing a trend?) the roasting pan is a key element – I used it to toss the vegetables with the butter and seasoning and then put it right in the oven. I also used a small prep-sized food processor, medium cutting board, and chef’s knife. Measuring spoons, tongs, a wooden spatula, cotton kitchen twine, and a meat thermometer (essential!!) round out the kit.

The Verdict:
I made Roast Loin of Pork with Fennel for Mike and I earlier this week and we were both really, really pleased with the results. The pork has great flavor from the garlic and mustard paste, but the unexpected star was the fennel. Neither of us could recall having roasted fresh fennel before and we both loved the caramelized richness. Next time I’ll throw in a few more bulbs so that there are extras. Mike’s one addition would be to make additional mustard sauce to serve over the slices of pork loin. . I would definitely make this again for a cozy dinner just for us or when we have guests.

Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken

November 13, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Episode: “Chicken Story”

The Set-up: Ina is using one chicken in three ways which sounds like a home ec trick I’d like to learn…

The Menu: Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken, Baby Leaf Salad with Bacon, Chicken Stock, Chicken with Tabbouleh

0:44 – First things first: Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken. Ina says she’s dressing this one up a little for the purposes of ‘company.’

1:32 – So far this looks pretty easy – sprinkling salt & pepper, a head of garlic, a quartered lemon, sprigs of herbs. Props to Ina for finding a delicate way of telling us to put all these items inside the chicken.

2:55 – Next we truss the chicken without making it sound crass. This woman is a class act.

3:17 – Oh, my goodness the secret ingredient of this chicken is bacon strips on top. Ina’s right bacon is always good for company.

4:25 – Now we’re out in the garden where Ina’s friend Greg – dinner guest of honor and internationally renowned lighting designer – is transforming the patio. We get a small hint of what’s to come, but not much. Color me intrigued…

5:56 – Next the dressing for the Baby Leaf Salad with Bacon. Ina will be using the crisped bacon from on top of the chicken in the salad. Tricksy.

6:07 – Salt for the dressing spills eliciting a small shriek of surprise from Ina – so relatable.

9:48 – The “things are afoot” music is on as the bacon is removed from the chicken and we see some of the lighting preparations in the garden.

10:51 – Ina removes the now fully cooked chicken from the oven and it does look beautifully bronzed and delicious.

11:34 – Once the chicken is removed to the platter to rest under foil Ina continues puts the pan right over a burner to make sauce (aka pan gravy.)

12:12 – Salad is dressed and topped with parmesan cheese and bacon, which is most people’s preferred method of eating greens.

13:43 – A mini-class in chicken carving is underway now and I am trying to pay close attention since chicken deconstruction is not my forte.

14:56 – Dinner is served and lighting designer Greg has made quite a romantic little scene with torches, a fire and hanging lanterns. Ina says “come have chicken with me!”

15:28 – If I weren’t 99% sure the Garten marriage is rock-solid I’d be concerned about Jeffrey.

19:17 – Dinner is over and now Ina is working on the Chicken Stock, which involves a whole parsnip. I’m fairly sure I’ve eaten parsnip, but I can’t be entirely sure.

20:25 – I love how this recipe uses the chicken carcass from dinner – so thrifty!

21:39 – Ina says she’s going to watch a movie while the chicken stock simmers, but she doesn’t say which one, so I’m going to assume it’s an embarrassing late 90s teen comedy like She’s All That or Drive Me Crazy.

22:23 – Fast forward to the next morning and Ina has reheated and drained the chicken stock, which does look really rich and flavorful.

23:40 – Now it’s on to the Chicken with Tabbouleh which uses some of the freshly made chicken stock.

24:11 – Ina has the bulgur wheat in a bowl which only needs the hot stock and a lemon vinaigrette poured over it to cook. Sort of like rice pilaf I suppose.

27:28 – Back to the tabbouleh to prepare some vegetables to include in the salad and I think I probably agree with Ina that this is a healthy dish.

28:46 – Ina reminds us that that we have to pick the mint leaves off one by one since the stems are too tough. Alright, if you insist.

29:00 – Final touches on the tabbouleh, chicken stock in storage containers, and it’s time to close the book on Chicken Story but Ina promises a sequel….

Final Thoughts:

I have got to make Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken ASAP.

I’m really super impressed with Ina’s “Chicken Story” - if only every chef were so thoughtful about making careful use of all their ingredients.

I’m excited to hear Chicken Story II: Electric Boogaloo.

Lessons Learned:

Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken is one of my favorite things to order in restaurants and not knowing how to make one seemed like an obvious gap in my kitchen repertoire. Why should we have to wait until we're out to dinner to have something so deliciously simple? Also, I don't know about your grocery store, but mine doesn't have its Thanksgiving stock of turkeys yet and since the techniques are the same (oven + whole bird) this seemed like good practice for the big day.

The first time out was such a success I actually made this recipe twice in one month, which is proof positive that it’s actually really easy and I have some suggestions that might help.

Point 1: Ina doesn't say to use a roasting rack but my pan came with one and I used it on my second try to see if it made a difference. I noticed that the skin on the lower part of the chicken crisped up a little more, so if that's important to you it might be worthwhile to get a rack that fits your roasting pan.

Point 2: perhaps this is obvious but keep an eye on the weight of the chicken you buy. The largest I could find was about 3 pounds - half the size of the one the recipe is based on. Which leads to Point 2.5: a meat thermometer is your friend and will help make sure the chicken is done but not over cooked and dry. Neither one is very appealing.

Point 3: With a small chicken in a large roasting pan there isn’t a lot of juice to make up the sauce and I think on try number 3 of this recipe I might put a small quantity of white wine or chicken broth in the bottom to keep any juices that do drip down from burning.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Actually yes, assuming you have a roasting pan or metal baking dish. I also used a chef’s knife, medium cutting board, measuring spoons, as well as tongs, a meat thermometer and aluminum foil.

The Verdict:

I made Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken for the first time when Mike's family was visiting and while normally I wouldn’t make something new for guests I knew they’d forgive me if it was a disaster. However, given the miniscule amount of leftovers remaining at the end of our meal I think my first roast chicken was an unqualified success. The flavors are so good and with a smaller, faster cooking chicken a delicious dinner could be on the table more quickly than you might think. Winner, winner chicken dinner indeed.

Herb Marinated Pork Loin

October 22, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Episode: “What Are Friends For”

The Set-up: Ina’s friends, Frank and Steven, have guests coming for dinner and everyone is stuck in traffic. Guess who is saving the day?

The Menu: Herb Marinated Pork Loin, Greek Panzanella, Plum Crunch

0:44 – We’re starting with the Herb Marinated Pork Loin, since well it has to marinate. (Timing!)

1:59 – I can hear English & Science teachers everywhere cheering when Ina makes a point of differentiating between “1 tablespoon minced rosemary” and “1 tablespoon rosemary, minced.” A subtle but important difference in the order of cooking operations…

2:37 – As she minces, then measures the rosemary and thyme Ina advocates for fresh herbs vs. dried. I think my cooking improved a lot once I started using fresh herbs.

3:15 – Trust that Ina wishes there were a more “glamorous” way to marinate meat other than a plastic Ziploc bag.

4:01 – Thank goodness we don’t have to see it for too long, the pork loins in their pedestrian plastic are whisked away to the fridge.

5:23 – Wait a minute, Ina is bringing the flowers for the table too? Did Frank and Steven forget they were having guests or are they just champion procrastinators?

6:09 – In any event, Ina selected a white and green flowers since that’s what Frank likes and is arranging them in a short drinking glass. Pro Tip#1: low arrangements on the table so people can see over them.

9:34 – I think Ina’s worried about the opinions we might be forming of Frank and Steven, but I’m afraid it’s too late. I now have them pegged as irresponsible hosts!

10:20 – Moving on to the Greek Panzanella – an Italian dish reimagined with Greek flavors like olives and feta.

11:36 – A little vegetable chopping montage – bell peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, English cucumbers – so soothing!

12:48 – As she’s making the dressing for the salad Ina acknowledges that’s “unusual for her” but that she has one exception to her fresh herbs rule: oregano, which she finds too strong in its fresh form.

13:14 – Pro Tip #2: Crush dried herbs, like oregano, between your hands to release the remaining oils in the leaves.

14:23 – A brief check-in with our delinquent hosts as they drive home. That’s right, Frank & Steven, you better sing Ina’s praises for saving your dinner party bacon.

15:43 – Back to Ina as she finishes the Greek Panzanella by adding Kalamata olives and diced feta. I’m still waiting to develop a taste for olives – so far they’re still on my “avoid” list.

19:19 – Ina’s still trying to rehabilitate Frank and Steven’s image, but it won’t work no matter how “big [she] owes them for so many things” or how “delighted” she claims to be to make Plum Crunch for them.

20:05 – Ina is stirring the sliced plums together with flour, cassis, and sugar, which will combine to make the “goo” of the filling. She says it takes a little judgment to determine when a little more or less flour is called for, depending on how juicy the fruit is. So tricky, I still don’t know for sure!

21:32 – Ina compares Plum Crunch to Apple Crisp, but I think this might be even more low-maintenance, because she isn’t peeling the plums.

22:21 – As she crumbles the topping over the plums Ina says that one of the pleasures of baking is the scent filling the house – isn’t that so true? Especially on a rainy, chilly fall day.

23:46 – The “dinner to-go” is packed with the efficient-getting-things-done music in the background and then Ina’s “so out of here” on her way to save the day!

26:07 – Frank and Steven tried to get out of helping, but Ina put them to work setting the table. Way to not let them off the hook on everything!

27:23 – The guests have arrived and Ina is plating the Greek Panzanella and baking off the Plum Crunch so it will be warm out of the oven. Man, is she good!

28:38 – Raiding the freezer which contains only vodka and vanilla ice cream. Hilarious.

29:12 – Ina seems to have been included in the dinner after they released her from the kitchen. Gracious to the end, though, she says they can call her for take out anytime.

Final Thoughts:

That Herb Marinated Pork Loin looks amazing…

I love the idea of translating a dish from one flavor profile to another – could a Middle Eastern version of panzanella be far behind?

Ina is probably the best friend ever – I can’t picture a time when I’d be able to pull off an elegant dinner for six at a moment’s notice.

Lessons Learned:

The flavors and ingredients of the Herb Marinated Pork Loin sounded delicious and the preparation straightforward, but I actually had a lot of trouble cooking the meat. The recipe calls for browning the pork loins in olive oil and then placing the sauté pan in the oven to finish cooking.

I found that even with the oil quite hot and the meat fairly clean of marinade it took a long time to brown the exterior and again the cooking time in the oven was too short to cook through. When I sliced the tenderloins I found the thicker pieces weren’t just pink, but actually a little raw looking even after resting. Not good and more than a little frustrating when they look so delicious on the outside!

In the future I’d recommend adding another 5-7 minutes to the time in the oven and rotating the meat halfway through the cooking to make sure they’re evenly done.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, definitely. The most important item is a sauté pan large enough for the pork loins. I also used a chef’s knife, microplane grater, measuring spoons and liquid measuring cup, as well as tongs, a meat thermometer and aluminum foil.

The Verdict:

To be honest, I only tasted a small piece of the Herb Marinated Pork Loin and the flavors were wonderful, but I was so aggravated by the cooking process that all I wanted was peanut butter toast. Mike, on the other hand, did have the tenderloin for dinner and deemed it delicious. He claims he’d like to have it again, but only if I’m sure there will be no kitchen meltdowns in the process! My plan: learn from my past experience and try again; if you have success, I’d love to know your advice too!

Filet of Beef au Poivre

October 15, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Jeffrey’s Treat”

The Set-up: Mr. Garten landed a new book deal, so Ina is celebrating with a bistro dinner

The Menu: Whiskey Sours, Filet of Beef au Poivre, Matchstick Potatoes, Strawberry Tarts

0:59 – Ina says that the first thing she and Jeffrey want to do upon arrival in Paris is eat bread and pastries. This seems like a perfectly natural reaction.

1:10 – Bread baking is a total mystery to me, and French pastry isn’t too far behind… watching this Strawberry Tart process carefully.

2:23 – Pro Tip #1: Keep the flour, butter, shortening and water super cold.

3:17 – Ina also claims to be intimidated by pastry, which makes me feel a little better.

4:41 – Next, the pastry cream – milk is simmering; eggs, sugar and cornstarch are mixing. This reminds me a lot of the Lemon Curd Tart filling steps.

5:35 – Ina says that the cornstarch prevents the pastry cream from turning into scrambled eggs. Tricky!

6:44 – This is quite a process (mixing, heating, sieving, cooling) so you know if anyone ever makes homemade pastry cream that they really, really like you.

7:29 – Pastry shell time. Pro Tip #2: Roll pastry dough from the middle and never stretch it to fit – it just shrinks back during the baking process.

11:16 – The shells are done and the pastry cream has cooled, so now Ina is assembling the tarts and arranging strawberry halves on the top.

12:07 – Pro Tip #3: Glazing the berries and pastry cream with a thin layer of apricot jam keeps the moisture in and makes the tart glossy. Gorgeous.

13:42 – Ina says she developed a taste for Whiskey Sours because her father gave her the cherries from his drink. Funny, I learned to like Manhattans the same way. Cherries, a gateway to boozy drinks.

14:55 – She’s not messing around with these drinks – no powdered sour mix here, friends.

15:38 – We on a quick errand to pick up the steaks for Filet of Beef au Poivre and get Pro Tip#4 in the bargain. Bill the Butcher says to look for marbling and a darker red color when selecting a piece of meat.

20:26 – Back at the proverbial ranch to make Matchstick Potatoes which really are classic at a bistro.

21:45 – Ina rinses the slivered potatoes in water briefly before drying them on papertowels and frying in hot oil. She doesn’t say why, but Food + Wine mag says it removes starch that can keep the fries from getting crispy.

22:57 – While the fries stay warm in the oven Ina moves on to the main course: Filet of Beef au Poivre

23:30 – Filet mignon sautéed in butter? Yes, please!

24:19 – Now a pan sauce that reminds me a lot of recipes past like Chicken with Shallots, which was delicious!

27:05 – It’s cocktail hour! If I’m not mistaken I think that’s a jar of Silver Palate maraschino cherries (aka the best $7 bottle of cherries, ever.)

28:21 – We get a quick interlude over cocktails while Jeffrey wraps up his writing for the day. Something tells me the chapter fueled by Jack Daniels will be a great read.

29:11 – Finishing touches on the au poivre sauce and it’s time for a dinner of steak frites.

29:50 – Ina and Jeffrey make a great bargain – steak au poivre to begin and end each book, roast chicken in between. Sounds like an excellent deal.

Final Thoughts:

Next time I have a free afternoon with nothing but time I do want to try making those little tarts.

Ina may have a future as a mixologist with that beaker full of Whiskey Sours.

I love the idea of tradition-based celebratory meals – so far ours is pizza & champagne on our first/last nights in a new home…

Lessons Learned:

Cooking a good steak seems like something I should have mastered by now, but I’m always looking to improve my skills on this basic technique and with birthday season upon us it seemed like a good time to try making Filet of Beef au Poivre.

The trickiest part for me was getting the butter hot enough - I always worry that it will burn and that I’ll have to start over - to give the filets a nice brown sear. The next trickiest part is resisting the urge to move the steaks around or check them too soon – again, the exterior crust is the goal and that doesn’t form if the meat is shifted around.

Mike is happy on the rare side, but I usually like my steak closer to medium than rare and while the recipe says that the steaks should come out medium-rare, I find that I usually need to add a minute or two to Ina’s cooking times. Same deal here – I’d recommend a meat thermometer too if you’re unsure how close the internal temperature is.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, definitely. The most important item is a sauté pan with enough space for the steaks to have plenty of room. I used a medium pan for two filets, a small cutting board, chef’s knife, liquid measuring cup, and measuring spoons. I also needed a plate and aluminum foil for resting the meat.

The Verdict:

I made Filet of Beef au Poivre for Mike’s birthday with the filets I bought at Ottomanelli Bros and we were both really happy with the results. The au poivre sauce adds great flavor and if great steaks weren’t special enough it also ups the fancy-factor. We both love bitter greens like arugula and broccoli with beef, and since Brussels sprouts are one of Mike’s favorites I made Ina’s recipe for Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts as a side dish. It holds it’s own while complimenting the filet. Highly recommend!