Full of Beans

Counterclockwise from top left: Sunday Dinner menu, Fromager d’Affinois and Medjool dates on toast, white beans with poached tuna and grilled sausages.

We often keep a pot of cooked brothy beans in the refrigerator (they’ll keep nicely for up to 5 days). It gives us an instant leg up on putting a meal together. We usually use cannellini but often cook what we have on hand or what sounds good to us. Canned beans are okay in a pinch, of course, but don’t really have the fresh sweet flavor and just-tender, somewhat toothsome texture of beans that you have cooked yourself. You get the point. Cook a pot of beans on Sunday, and you’ll eat well all week. We will use our cooked beans to make a quick cassoulet (our way), braised escarole and beans, tuna and sausages with white beans, beans with spicy black olive vinaigrette, or even beans on toast with olive oil and fried sage. For such humble food, beans have inspired some of our best ad hoc and most inspired meals. Why not make a pot and see what you cook up?

WHITE BEANS with POACHED TUNA & GRILLED SAUSAGES Serves 4

Choose beans that have been recently harvested and dried; this may be the most important factor in cooking a good pot of dried beans. As beans age, their outer shell becomes tough and impermeable. Sometimes really old beans will never get tender, even after hours and hours of cooking. Shop at a store that moves a lot of beans off their shelves, ensuring that you’re buying from a current crop. Though it may be hard to spot, look for a “best by” date on the package.

Two 8-ounce pieces fresh tuna
Salt
Really good extra-virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
A few black peppercorns
2 lemons
4 Italian sausages
4 cups warm cooked white beans
Freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls parsley leaves, chopped

Season the tuna with salt, put it into a wide pot, and barely cover it with olive oil. Add the bay leaf, the peppercorns, and a few strips of zest from one of the lemons. Poach the tuna over low heat until it turns pale and is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and let the tuna cool to just warm or to room temperature in the poaching oil.

Grill the sausages over a hot charcoal fire, gas grill, or in a skillet over medium-high heat until they are browned all over and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Spoon the warm beans onto a serving platter and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the sausages and tuna on the platter with the beans. Moisten the beans with some of the poaching oil from the tuna. Scatter chopped parsley on top and serve with lemon wedges.

Roast Lamb Tacos

Counterclockwise from top left: Sunday Dinner menu, Mole encrusted Leg of lamb, guacamole chips and lime, assembled tacos with two salsas, and avocados.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH GUAJILLO MOLE Serves a small crowd

Whole leg of lamb, semiboneless leg of lamb, boneless leg of lamb, it doesn’t matter, but the cooking times will differ depending on the cut. We found a beautiful semiboneless leg at the market, but more often, a boneless leg of lamb, wrapped in netting to hold the roast in shape, is available. Roasting the lamb to an internal temperature of 120°F in the thickest part of the roast is the important part.

1 leg of lamb
1 cup Guajillo Chile Mole (see recipe below)
Olive oil
2 cups Roasted Tomato Salsa (see recipe below)
2 cups Tomatillo Salsa (see recipe below)
Corn tortillas, warm
1 bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed, roots trimmed off
Limes, halved
Avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Slather the lamb all over with the mole. Put the lamb on an oiled roasting pan, fatter side up. Roast in the oven until well browned on top, 20–30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and continue roasting the lamb until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the roast reaches 120°F, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove the lamb from the oven. Snip off and remove any string or netting. Let the roast rest for 15–20 minutes before carving.

To serve, arrange a few slices of lamb on a tortilla and garnish with either one of the salsas, a couple of slices of avocado, and some cilantro. Finish the tortilla with a squeeze of lime juice.

GUAJILLO MOLE Makes about 2 cups

You will only need about 1 cup of this rich and deeply flavorful Mexican sauce for the Roast Leg of Lamb, but it keeps well, covered, in the refrigerator or freezer.

6 whole guajillo chiles, wiped with a damp paper towel
1 cup hot chicken stock
½  cup raisins
1/3 cup blanched almonds
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
5 black peppercorns
½ tsp. salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Tear off the stems of the dried chiles and shake out the seeds. Heat a cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Toast the chiles in the skillet, pressing down with tongs and turning once or twice, until they are fragrant and turn a slightly darker shade, 30–60 seconds. Transfer the chiles to a medium bowl. Add the raisins. Pour the hot chicken stock over the chiles and raisins, set a plate on top of the chiles to keep them submerged, and set them aside to soak until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes.

Toast the almonds in the skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool completely. Add the cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and peppercorns to the skillet and toast the spices over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Finely grind the almonds with the salt in a blender. Add the chiles, raisins, and their soaking liquid, along with the toasted spices, and garlic. Purée to a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the spice paste and fry, stirring to keep it from burning, until it becomes a shade darker and is very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

TOMATILLO SALSA Makes about 2 cups

6–8 tomatillos (about 1 lb.), husked and rinsed
4–5 cloves garlic, unpeeled, crushed
1 jalapeno pepper
½ white onion, unpeeled, thickly sliced
Olive oil
1 tsp. salt
Juice from 1 lime
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed, and chopped

Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Put the tomatillos, garlic, jalapenos, and onions into a roasting pan and rub everything with a splash of oil. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the vegetables until slightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.

Slip the skin off the garlic and onions and discard. Remove the stem from the jalapeno and discard. Transfer the vegetables and any accumulated pan juices to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer the salsa to a bowl and season with salt, lime juice, chopped cilantro, and a little olive oil to round out the flavor. Adjust seasonings to taste.

 
ROASTED TOMATO SALSA Makes about 2 cups

4 tomatoes, about 1 lb.
4–5 cloves garlic, unpeeled, crushed
1 jalapeno pepper
½ white onion, unpeeled, thickly sliced
Olive oil
1 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt
Sugar

Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Put the tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, onions into a roasting pan and rub everything with a splash of oil. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the vegetables until slightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.

Slip the skin off the garlic and onions and discard. Remove the stem from the jalapeno and discard. Transfer the vegetables and any accumulated pan juices to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer the salsa to a bowl and stir in the tomato paste and 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

One of our favorite Sunday Dinners was not at a traditional dinner table. Instead, ensconced in comfortable chairs we gathered around a big coffee table emptied of its usual piles of magazines, books, and remote controls. While we sipped ice-cold Margaritas, Greyhounds, and Dos Equis, our host arranged bowls of salsas—tomatillo and roasted tomato—guacamole, juicy lime quarters, sliced scallions, cilantro, sliced avocado, crema, warm corn tortillas wrapped in a pretty dish cloth, on the table. He set a handsome mole-encrusted leg of lamb on a wooden cutting board right in the midst of everything. Carving a portion of the roast, he laid out the rosy slices of meat on the board. Then, other than occasionally slicing more meat, his host duties were over. Everyone got a plate and a pile of paper napkins but no silverware, this would be a hands-on affair. It was up to us to assemble the soft tacos—first a warm tortilla, then lamb, salsa, crema, avocado. There was no first or last course to signal a beginning or end, instead we talked and ate until afternoon turned into evening.

Layer Up

LASAGNE BOLOGNESE Serves 4-6

One thinks lasagne is as much about the sauce as it is about the layers of pasta. But to us, it’s the luxurious nutmeg-flecked besciamella (Italian white sauce) that makes the dish sublime. Using fresh pasta, whether home-made or store-bought for this noble layered dish makes all the difference in the world. If you’ve only had those clunky lasagne made with thick sheets of dried pasta, the tenderness of fresh pasta will be a revelation.

1 tbsp. butter
1 cup (8 oz.) fresh ricotta
2 cups Besciamella (see recipe below)
Salt
Freshly grated nutmeg
2½ cups warm Ragù Bolognese (see recipe below)
1 cup (120 g.) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lb. fresh pasta sheets, cut into 8- to 10-inch lengths

 Butter a deep 9 X 13-inch baking dish and set aside. Stir the ricotta into the besciamella, season with salt and nutmeg to taste, and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add 1 tbsp. salt. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Set the prepared baking dish, besciamella, ragù, and parmigiano on a clean work surface at arm’s reach from the stove so you can easily assemble the lasagne.

Cover the bottom of the baking dish with ½ cup of the ragù. Cook 1 sheet of the pasta in the boiling water until tender, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, lift the pasta out of the water, let most of the water drain off, then lay the sheet out flat over the ragù in the bottom of the dish. Repeat with more pasta to cover the ragù with a single layer of pasta, trimming the pasta to fit, and patching, if necessary.

Spread ½ cup of the besciamella evenly over the pasta. Spread ½ cup of the ragù evenly over the besciamella, then sprinkle with ¼ cup of the parmigiano. Add another layer of pasta, covering it with ½ cup of the besciamella, and covering that with ½ of the ragù, then sprinkle with more parmigiano. Repeat the layers again. Add the final layer of pasta, cover it with the remaining besciamella, then with the remaining ragù, and sprinkle the last bit of parmigiano on top.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the lasagne until it is bubbling around the edges and lightly browned on top, 20–30 minutes. Do not overcook. Let lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

BESCIAMELLA Makes 2 cups

This classic Italian white sauce can be made ahead, covered tightly, and refrigerated for up to two days before assembling the lasagne, if you like.

4 tbsp. butter
¼ cup (30 g.) flour
2 cups hot milk
½ cup (60 g.) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ –½ tsp. or more to taste, freshly grated nutmeg
Salt

Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook for 1½–2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent it from taking on any color whatsoever. Gradually add the hot milk in a slow, steady stream, stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps. Increase the heat to medium and cook the sauce, stirring constantly with the wooden spoon, until it has the consistency of very thick cream, 5–10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the parmigiano and season with nutmeg and salt to taste. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce until ready to use to prevent a skin from forming.

RAGÙ BOLOGNESE Makes about 6 cups

This recipe makes more sauce than you will need to make the Lasagne Bolognese. But do make the whole recipe, taking advantage of the time it takes to slowly simmer this classic Italian meat sauce. Toss extra sauce with cooked pasta or freezewhat you don’t use. A little ragù bolognese stashed in your freezer is like having money in the bank.

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 small ribs celery, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 oz. prosciutto, finely chopped
1 lb. ground beef chuck
1 lb. ground pork
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ whole nutmeg, finely grated
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup hot milk
One 28-oz. can tomato purée
1 cup chicken or beef stock

Heat the butter and oil together in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent, 5–10 minutes. Stir in the prosciutto. Add the ground beef and pork, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up the clumps of meat with the back of the spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, 5–10 minutes. Avoid frying or browning the meat.

Season the meat with nutmeg. Add the wine to the pot and cook until evaporated, 10–12 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the tomato purée and stock together in a saucepan until hot, then add it to the meat. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, 5–7 hours. Add water if needed to keep the ragù loose and saucy. Season with salt and pepper.

This Sunday, more snow is in the forecast (maybe). What a splendid time to layer up! We’re making the magnificent Italian classic, Lasagne Bolognese—layers of silky fresh pasta, rich ragù bolognese, creamy, nutmeg-flecked besciamella (Italian white sauce), and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. It’s a weekend-worthy project that never fails to please. So, why not tie on your apron and cook and eat along with us?

Lunar New Year

Counterclockwise from top left: dumpling wrappers; filling wrappers; filled dumplings; finished boiled and seasoned dumplings; Lunar New Year Menu

We may no longer be cooking Sunday Dinner at our restaurant, but if you know us, you know we’ll still be cooking Sunday Dinner at home for our family and friends. Tie on your aprons and cook and eat along with us.
This Sunday, we are jumping the gun by a couple of days and celebrating the Lunar New Year, which begins, this year, on Tuesday, February 17th. It’s the Year of the Fire Horse. Whoa!
In keeping with tradition, we make Jiaozi, Chinese dumplings, to usher in wealth and good fortune for the new year. Our Shuǐ Jiǎo (boiled Chinese dumplings) recipe was passed along to us from a beloved friend whose grandmother passed it along to him. Now we gladly share it with you and hope you will start your own Lunar New Year ritual of filling and folding—then devouring—these delicious dumplings.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Shuǐ Jiǎo
Pork and Beef Chinese Boiled Dumplings
Makes about 70

We use thin, white, 3.5-inch round dumpling wrappers made with wheat flour, water and salt, available in the refrigerated and/or frozen section at Asian markets. Although the thicker, Northern-style dumpling wrappers are typically used for boiled dumplings because they are sturdy and chewy, we prefer using the thinner, more delicate Shanghai-style wrappers as they are more tender when boiled.
The filling is best made the day of serving. It loses its freshness if made ahead. Shaped dumplings can be frozen. Frozen dumplings can be boiled straight from the freezer. No defrosting necessary.

For the filling:
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground beef
3 tbsp. (about 2 oz.) finely grated, peeled fresh ginger
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (about 1 oz.)
6-8 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts separated, white parts finely chopped to make 1 cup (about 3 oz.); green parts thinly sliced
5 tbsp. soy sauce

Two 14-oz. packages thin, 3.5-inch round, white dumpling wrappers, defrosted, if frozen
Corn starch or potato starch for dusting

Rice vinegar
Soy sauce
Sesame chili oil

For the filling: Put the ground meat, ginger, garlic, white parts of scallions, and soy sauce into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Do a taste test of the filling: bring a small pot of water to a boil. Cook a scant tablespoon of the filling in the boiling water until it floats, about 2 minutes. Taste the cooked filling. Adjust the filling seasonings with more ginger, garlic, scallion, and/or soy sauce, if you like. This makes about 6 cups of filling. It can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 8 hours.

To make the dumplings: Dust a tray with some cornstarch and set aside. Fill a small dish with water. Remove the wrappers from their package, set on a flat dish, and cover with a slightly damp paper towel to keep them from drying out.

Put 1 dumpling wrapper flat on a paper towel on a clean work surface. Put about 1 scant tablespoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Shape the filling into an oval to make it easier to cover with the wrapper. Dip your finger into the water and wet the entire rim of the wrapper. Carefully fold the wrapper over the filling to make a half circle. Pinch the edges together to completely seal the dumpling. We crimp the edges, making pleats along the edge, but it’s not necessary.

Place the dumpling on the dusted tray, folded side up. Repeat filling and shaping the dumplings with the remaining filling and wrappers, setting them side-by-side on the tray, folded side up, as you work. If the dumplings get moist, soft and sticky, dust them with some of the cornstarch. The dumplings can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours before boiling and serving. They can also be frozen. Set the dumplings on a tray in a single layer without touching. Freeze the dumplings until frozen solid. Stack frozen dumplings in a plastic bag or airtight container and keep frozen until ready to boil and serve.

Fill a deep pot with water and bring to a gentle boil. Put 6-8 dumplings at a time into the pot and boil until they float, about 2 minutes, using a slotted spoon to coax any dumplings that settle to the bottom of the pot. Let them simmer for about 1 minute more. Using the slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to soup bowls. Season dumplings with a splash of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Garnish with some of the sliced scallion greens. Serve piping hot.