Braised Monkfish With Wild Mushrooms And Cipollini Onions Food

BRAISED LENTILS WITH CIPOLLINI ONIONS

Steps:

• Coat a large high-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the lentils, garlic cloves and bay leaves with 4 cups water or just enough to cover. Bring the water to a simmer and lower the heat. Simmer the lentils, uncovered, until they are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. (If you need to add water for the lentils to finish cooking, add a little at a time -there will be more flavor in the lentils if you cook them and end up with very little liquid at the end of the process.)
• Once the lentils are cooked but still somewhat al dente, set them aside to cool. Remove and discard the garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Season with just a touch of salt and pepper to taste. Retaste, but hold off on reseasoning until serving.
• Add the duck fat to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt to taste and allow them to caramelize, about 5 minutes per side.
• When you are ready to serve, add the lentils to the sautéed cipollini onions. Stir to coat the lentils with the duck fat. Taste and season with salt, if needed, and stir in the vinegar to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl.

CIPOLLINI ONION AND FENNEL POT ROAST

Steps:

• For the rub: In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, thyme, oil, salt, and pepper until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and rub on all sides with the herb rub. In a heavy 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside.
• Add the remaining oil, onions, carrots, and fennel to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the sherry and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth and bay leaves. Return the beef and any juices to the pot and bring the liquids to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, about 4 hours, turning the beef over halfway through and adding extra broth, as needed, to keep the beef halfway covered in liquid.
• Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Spoon any excess fat off the top of the pan juices. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender, blend the vegetables and cooking juices together until smooth. (The vegetables can also be pureed in a blender). Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm over low heat.
• Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and place on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

CIPOLLINI ONIONS BRAISED IN RED WINE

Steps:

• In a large straight-sided saute pan over medium-high heat, melt butter and add onions. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Saute until nicely browned then add the wine and vinegar. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until onions are completely cooked through and tender, about 15 minutes. Remove lid, turn heat up and let the liquid reduce and thicken until it forms a glaze and coats the onions well.

BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Rinse porcini with warm water (they are often sandy), then place in a small bowl, cover with hot water and soak until softened, about 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, soak the morels in hot water.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken legs on a baking sheet in one layer. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove and set aside. Turn oven to 350 degrees.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to color.
• Add bacon and tomato paste, stir to incorporate with onions, and cook for about 1 minute, then stir in garlic and cayenne. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. Add wine and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in turkey broth and bring to a simmer. The sauce will thicken slightly. Add bay leaf and thyme sprig. Drain porcini and morels and add to sauce.
• Submerge browned chicken legs in sauce and bring to a brisk simmer. Cover and transfer pot to oven. Bake for about 1 hour, until chicken is tender. Remove from oven and keep covered.
• While chicken bakes, make the potatoes: Put potatoes in a saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a brisk simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Drain potatoes and let cool. Peel potatoes with a paring knife and return to saucepan. (Alternatively, potatoes may be peeled before cooking, or you may opt to leave skins on.) Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over high heat to warm potatoes through, then set aside, covered.
• To serve, divide legs among 6 warm plates. Spoon sauce and mushrooms over each serving. Sprinkle parsley over potatoes and place a few potatoes on each plate. Transfer remaining potatoes and buttery juices to a serving dish. Serve remaining sauce in a gravy boat if desired.

BRAISED BEEF WITH RED ONIONS & WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper and season both sides. Thinly slice the onions. Pour 600ml boiling water over the dried mushrooms. Soak for 30 mins, then drain, reserving the juices.
• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, flameproof casserole, then add the meat and fry on both sides until browned. you may need to do this in batches. Remove the meat from the pan, pour in the remaining oil, then add the onions and fry for 10 mins until softened and lightly browned. Return the meat to the pan, sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 min.
• Add the port, mushroom liquid and soaked mushrooms. Bring to the boil, season, then cover tightly and cook in the oven for 1½-2 hrs until the meat is tender. Check after 1 hr and give it a stir. If the sauce looks like it's getting too thick, add a splash of boiling water.
• Taste and add more seasoning if necessary, then add the chestnut mushrooms and cook for a further 10 mins.

HERB ROASTED CIPOLLINI ONIONS WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place onions in a large bowl, cover them with boiling water, and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain onions in a colander. When cool enough to handle, peel onions, and transfer them to another bowl.
• Add butter, fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons rosemary, and dried thyme to onions, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer onions to a large, shallow roasting pan, and arrange in a single layer. Roast onions, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and turn brown, about 1 hour. Remove from oven.
• Meanwhile, soak mushrooms in 2 1/2 cups very hot water for 30 minutes. Lift mushrooms out of soaking liquid with a slotted spoon, and strain mushroom liquid through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth (to remove grit from liquid). Chop strained mushrooms coarsely. Add strained liquid and chopped mushrooms to roasting pan with onions, and stir to combine.
• Return pan to oven, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by three-quarters and onions are soft and brown, about 1 hour. Adjust seasoning; just before serving, sprinkle with remaining teaspoon rosemary.