Late last week I was reading the blog of food author Michael Ruhlman, a favorite of mine, and he had a video post on how to make sausage. While I wouldn’t consider myself an expert by any means, I feel am a seasoned sausage maker.

My cold smoked barbecue sausage is easily my favorite cased creation. It takes nearly two days to create a batch, but when they grill up with that beautiful mahogany color it makes it all worth while.

Still, I’m always up to see if I can learn any new tricks, and as I was watching his video the sausage recipe he included in the post caught my eye – Chicken Sausage with Basil and Tomatoes.

All of a sudden inspiration struck and evil plans immediately began constructing themselves in my head. I decided that I would cash in some of my contest winnings and experiment with a sausage recipe based on my prize winning chicken dish.

With the exception of a German weisswurst I made for Christmas a few years back I have only ever used pork as the base for my sausages. Since I haven’t made any sausage in a few months I was intrigued by the possibilities of using chicken.

I set out to build my base ingredient list and decided that instead of using chicken skin or substituting pork back fat that I would use pancetta, which would also replace the proscuitto in the braciole di pollo recipe. Next I eliminated the bread crumbs because they made no sense to include and I substituted ricotta salata (you could characterize it as Italian feta) for the fontina cheese.

After procuring all the ingredients, I cubed the meat (the chicken and the pancetta) and seasoned it with salt, fresh ground black pepper and finely minced garlic overnight. Father’s Day afternoon I mixed in the remaining ingredients I had planned and ground it up.

With all the ingredients mixed together and ground, I cooked up a quick patty to test my seasoning and to ensure my concept was as good in practice as it appeared to be in theory.

The seasoning was perfect and the results were phenomenal.

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4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
1 pound pancetta, cubed *
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced
1 cup arugula, chopped, tightly packed
1/2 cup parmesan reggiano, grated
1/2 cup ricotta salata, grated
1/2 cup golden raisins, macerated in 1/4 cup white wine
Zest and juice of a lemon

Assemblage

• Cube the chicken and pancetta, then season with the salt, pepper and garlic (allow to sit overnight, if possible)
• Remove mixture from refrigerator and mix in the remaining ingredients
• Grind using a fine plate, then fry up a test patty in a frying pan with some oil to test seasoning and adjust accordingly
• Return ground mixture to refrigerator for about an hour
• Case the mixture using a medium size hog casing **

* If you don’t consume pork for dietary or religious purposes you can substitute the pancetta for beef fat.

** You can also either not case the mixture and keep it loose, or substitute natural sheep casings or even synthetic ones, such as collagen casings.

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Deciding to use cola as my braising liquid, I trimmed the brisket and rubbed it with a mixture of chili powder, cocoa powder and ground cayenne pepper. Then I added some soy and Worcestershire sauce along with ginger, garlic and roughly chopped jalapenos to the braise.

This recipe has some nice background heat, as I’m not a fan of heavily spiced food, and, as with any braise I do, the reduction sauce was the key to success. If you like your dishes hotter, then I’d recommend increasing the proportions or upping the ante from jalapenos to habaneros.

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2 1/2 to 3 pound beef brisket
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups cola (not diet)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons ginger, roughly chopped
2 jalapenos, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper, to taste

assemblage

• Trim the brisket of fat, the rub with mixture of chili powder, cocoa powder and cayenne pepper
• Sear the brisket in a pan on high heat on both sides, then deposit into slow cooker
• Pour the cola, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce in with the brisket
• Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno peppers
• Cover and cook for six hours
• After the brisket is finished braising, remove and cover with foil to retain heat
• In a medium sauce pan add the braising liquid, after straining the fat, and reduce by half
• Whisk in the tomato paste and brown sugar
• Taste reduction sauce and adjust seasoning, if needed

presentation

When I originally thought about doing this I intended to slice the brisket on the bias and use the strips of meat as the basis for tacos. In order to let the delicately braised meat and reduction sauce to shine through I didn’t want to add to much to the tacos. I dressed some broccoli slaw with a sesame soy vinaigrette to provide a some contrast to the meat and some crunch.

Risotto is a style or method of cooking that is typically made with arborio rice, but risotto dishes can be crafted out of a number of different starches. Personally, I have made a risotto using barley in a pressure cooker before that was a good as any risotto I ever slaved over using arborio.

What defines a dish as a risotto, regardless of the underlying starch, is maintaining that starch throughout the cooking process in a way that binds the grains together and lends a creamy texture to the dish.

The other day I was reading Mark Bittman’s blog, Bitten, where he posted a link to a video of him making a pasta dish risotto style. When I shared this link with my friend and culinary cohort we were a bit flummoxed at how we had never thought to utilize this method in this manner before.

What I love about a risotto is that it is simply a canvas for a limitless number of flavor combinations. After scrounging through the pantry and refrigerator I pulled together enough elements to prepare a simple, yet tasty pasta dish using a box of dried pasta as the starch. The result was nothing short of amazing and I can honestly say that I can’t imagine myself making pasta any other way from now on.

If you really think about it, a risotto is a labor of love and can take thirty to forty five minutes of observant cooking to prepare correctly. This took about the same time, but considering I didn’t have to wait for several quarts of water to come to a boil and the pasta to cook before incorporating it into what I had sauteing in the pan it really didn’t take any more time.

Employing the risotto method with traditional dried pasta produced a single pot meal that not only was one of the best tasting pasta dishes I have ever made, but reduced what I had to clean up afterwards. Plus since you are adding the liquid while the starch gradually absorbs it, it is easier to determine the point at which the pasta reaches a true al dente.

hardware

• large saucepan or saucier
• wooden spoon, knife & cutting board
• measuring cups and spoons

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• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 pound box of penne pasta*
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 to 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups shrimp (51-60 count), shelled and devained
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained^
• 1 cup baby spinach, sliced into ribbons
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup parmesan reggiano cheese, finely grated
• salt and pepper to taste

* you could also use gemelli, ziti, orecchietti pasta or even broken up spaghetti

assemblage

• toast the pine nuts in the saucepan or saucier, then remove and set aside
• melt the butter in the olive oil
• when heated add the shallot, garlic, a pinch of salt and some fresh ground black pepper, then saute for two to three minutes
• stir in the pasta and toast it for three or four minutes
• deglaze the pan with the wine and allow the pasta to absorb some of the liquid
• start ladling in the chicken stock about half a cup at a time, stirring regularly as the pasta absorbs the liquid
• after you have added about 2 1/2 cups of the stock test the pasta for doneness, then test again with each 1/2 cup interval – depending on the pasta you are using you may need to add three to four cups of stock (with the penne I used it took 3 1/2 cups in total)
• add the shrimp along with the final 1/2 cup of stock you plan on using to the pan
• cover and allow the shrimp to steam for three or four minutes
• stir in the tomatoes and spinach and combine, then test the pasta a final time
• adjust seasoning, if necessary, then stir in the toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese

presentation

This colorful single pot meal plates nicely in a shallow bowl with a little fresh grated parmesan reggiano cheese over top.

Fall Flavors: Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli from PJ Mullen on Vimeo.

hardware

• food processor
• large mixing bowl
• spatula, measuring cups and spoon
• basting brush
• ravioli stamp – 2 inch (optional)
• drying rack

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• 2 cups roasted butternut squash (see link for recipe)
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan reggiano
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• fresh grated nutmeg to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 pounds fresh pasta sheets

assemblage

• combine the butternut squash, ricotta, mascarpone and parmensan cheeses, one egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until thoroughly mixed
• beat second egg in a bowl with a little water to thin it out
• spread out a pasta sheet and place 2 teaspoons of the squash mixture spaced about an inch to an inch and a half apart
• take the basting brush and lightly apply the egg wash to all edges and in between the little piles of the squash mixture
• lay a second pasta sheet of equal length on top of the first one and gently press to combine around the piles of the squash mixture, be sure to press out as much air as possible to avoid bursting while cooking
• take the ravioli stamp, fit around the pockets of the squash mixture and press down to seal and cut the pasta sheets (you can also do this with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, then use the tongs of a fork to press the edges closed)

presentation

These delicate raviolis are served with a brown butter sage sauce that is prepared by melting about 4 tablespoons of sweet cream butter with 6 to 8 fresh sage leaves. Melt the butter over a medium low heat and watch it closely as it starts to foam and turn a light brown.

The brown butter sage sauce will have a toasted, nutty taste to it, but it can also turn on you very fast if you aren’t watching it closely.

As with the first recipe in this series I put together a quick video showing how I made the dish. I hope you enjoy it.

Fall Flavors: Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna with Port Wine Cranberries from PJ Mullen on Vimeo.

hardware

• food processor and/or blender
• stock pot to cook pasta
• saucepan or saucier
• spatula, whisk, spoons
• measuring cups and spoons
• 13 X 9 buttered baking dish

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• 4 cups roasted butternut squash (see link for recipe)
• 1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 3 or 4 amaretti cookie, ground*
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 package lasagna noodles or fresh pasta sheets
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• nutmeg, grated fresh or ground, to taste
• 1 cup port wine cranberry sauce (see link for recipe)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano, grated

assemblage

• preheat oven to 350 degree
• fill the stock pot with water and bring a boil
• pulverize the amaretti cookies in the food processor and set aside
• puree the butternut squash in the food processor, then add the eggs and ricotta cheese
• add the amaretti cookies and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, refrigerate the filling until needed
• melt the butter in sauce pan or saucier, add the flour and whisk constantly until combine
• slowly add the milk to the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly, then bring it to a boil
• reduce the heat and fold in the port wine cranberry sauce (you can transfer the bechemel to a blender to more thoroughly combine the cranberry sauce, if desired)
• spread a thin layer of the cranberry bechemel sauce in the butter baking dish and add your first layer of pasta noodle
• alternate layering the butternut squash puree filling, cranberry bechemel and pasta noodles until your baking dish is nearly ful
• cover with any remaining cranberry bechemel and then top with a generous layer of shredded mozzarella cheese
• cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and crispy.

presentation

Whether you are serving this as an entree or a side item it is no different than any other lasagna you’ve had. I just divided it up into equal sided servings and since this was our main dish the night I made it I plated it up all by its lonesome.

Just a word of caution on the amaretti cookies, three is plenty for this recipe, but if you want it a touch sweeter you can use four. Any more than that and it can get really sweet fast. The tartness of the cranberries does help, but just be careful. They are small and the first time I made this I didn’t think it “looked” like enough.

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• Fall flavors (realmendriveminivans.com)

This post originally appeared on my fatherhood blog Real Men Drive Minivans on September 9, 2009.

Whenever I find a good deal on pork I get excited because that means I usually get to experiment with some Latin flavors. For some reason the thought of Cuban style pork marinating in the refrigerator makes me happy. Not only because of the incredibly bright flavors and seasonings, but because that usually means I get to do something fun with plantains.

Until about a year ago I never tried using plantains in my cooking, then I made my first batch of tostones. They came out great and provided a wonderful lesson in how to pick my plantains. Personally, I like them when they are greener and consequently more starchy. My wife, however, prefers them more ripened so they have a sweeter flavor.

My experiment with tostones lead to a few attempts at making mofongo, which, if you have never had it, you must give it a try. Mofongo is essentially plantains that have been cooked (either by boiling or frying), mashed and then mixed with garlic, pork rinds (although I use bacon), olive oil, salt and pepper and water or chicken stock.

The few times I’ve made mofongo we were pretty happy with the results, but I am not one to rest on my laurels. So, when the need for some Cuban style pork came calling, I decided that I wanted to reinvent mofongo to serve as a side dish.

In my first attempt I went about making mofongo as I usually do, but added some egg and a little Parmesan cheese to act as a binder. Then I formed the mofongo into cakes, dredged them in flour and returned them to the frying pan. The result was good, but dense and not nearly as satisfying as I had hoped.

I had imagined something more like a cross between tostones and mofongo, but lighter and crispier. Then my wife, being the smart one in the relationship, asked if I had considered shredding the plantains and making the mofongo cakes like I would a potato pancake.

With that suggestion the stage was set for a glorious second act, as I proceeded to shred the plantains and mix them with the usual suspects. This time the result was everything I had hoped for and, while I’m sure this isn’t truly an original, I had never seen anything like it.

Mofongo cakes

Hardware

Medium mixing bowl
Box grater
Frying or saute pan
Platter covered in paper towels, for draining
Spatula, spoon and tongs or slotted spoon

Software

3 plantains
3 bacon slices, rendered and crumbled
2 eggs
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated fine
Salt and pepper, to taste
Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Assemblage

• Grate the plantains and put into the mixing bowl
• Add the eggs, onion, garlic, bacon, cheese and mix to combine
• Lightly add salt and pepper to taste
• Spoon the mixture into the waiting oil and fry on both sides for approximately two to three minutes
• Remove from the pan when done and drain excess oil
• Lightly season the cooked mofongo cakes with salt and pepper while still hot, if desired