Porcini Braised Boar With Artichoke And Fennel Food

BRAISED MEATBALLS WITH ARTICHOKES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• 1. Mix the ground meat, egg white, bread crumbs, shallots, oregano, dill, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper in a medium bowl until uniform-that is, until the spices are spread evenly throughout; the bread crumbs, too; and the egg white is no longer visible as a scummy film. Form this mixture into 12 golf balls.
• 2. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, spread the flour on a plate. Swirl the oil into the pot, then roll half the balls in the flour. Put them in the pot and brown on all sides. (OK, geometry teachers, balls don't have sides. But you know what I mean.) About 7 minutes will do it. Transfer them to a plate and repeat with the remaining balls.
• 3. Dump the onion, fennel, tomato, and artichokes into the pot. Stir over the heat until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
• 4. Pour in the broth; stir in the tomato paste, lemon juice, cinnamon, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. As the mixture begins to simmer, make sure you scrape up any browned bits in the pot. Then tuck the meatballs into the simmering sauce and pour any juices on their plate over everything. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly for 1 hour.

ROASTED FENNEL AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange fennel and artichokes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until caramelized on both sides, about 35 minutes, tossing after 20 minutes.
• Drizzle with remaining oil and the lemon juice. Add parsley, and toss to combine. Garnish with fennel fronds.

PORCINI, ARTICHOKE AND FOIE GRAS SALAD

Steps:

• Remove the tough outer leaves of the artichoke and remove the choke with a spoon. Slice the artichoke hearts into thin slices (about 1/8-inch thick).
• Clean the porcini mushrooms and remove the stems. Cut into "batonnets" slices that are 1 1/2 inch long by 1/4-inch thick.
• In a saute pan saute the artichokes in 2 tablespoons olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until the artichokes are slightly caramelized. In another pan, saute the mushrooms in 3 tablespoons olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper until they are slightly caramelized.
• Lightly flour the foie gras on both sides. Sear in a medium hot, dry saute pan about one minute on each side.
• To plate the dish, place one cup of greens on each plate. Evenly divide the artichokes and mushrooms and place on top of the greens. Top each with a slice of foie, sprinkling a line of coarse salt over the top of each foie piece. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the Vinaigrette over each salad. Sprinkle with walnuts.
• Combine the lemon juice, soy sauce and truffle juice. Whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

FRESH PORCINI SALAD WITH FENNEL, ARUGULA AND SHAVED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO

Steps:

• Shave the Parmigiano-Reggiano into paper-thin slices with a vegetable peeler and set aside.
• Combine the fennel and mushrooms in a bowl. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the oil mixture over the mushroom mixture and combine well. Mix in the arugula leaves.
• Arrange the mushroom mixture on 4 plates and top with the shaved cheese. Drizzle with truffle oil if desired.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKE

Steps:

• In heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat, brown chicken and transfer it to a plate.
• In fat remaining in skillet, cook onion and garlic over moderate heat until onion is slightly softened.
• Add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook mixture over moderate heat.
• Add wine, broth, artichoke hearts and chicken.
• Bring liquid to a boil and simmer mixture, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
• Transfer chicken to platter and keep it warm.
• Whisk beurre manié into mushroom, salt and pepper mixture and simmer the sauce, whisking, 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened.
• Stir in parsley and pour the sauce over the chicken.

ARTICHOKE AND FENNEL RAVIOLI WITH TOMATO-FENNEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For filling:
• Heat olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and fennel seeds and sauté 3 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and chopped fennel and stir 1 minute. Add vegetable broth and bring mixture to boil. Cover skillet and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 12 minutes. Uncover and simmer until pan juices have evaporated completely, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Scrape filling into processor and cool. Add fennel fronds and process to coarse puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add yolk and blend.
• Line baking sheet with plastic wrap. If using wonton wrappers, trim edges to form rounds. Brush entire surface of 1 wrapper lightly with egg white. Place 1 rounded teaspoon filling in center. Fold dough over, forming semi-circle. Seal edges, pressing out any air around filling. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. (Ravioli can be prepared ahead. Cover loosely with towel and plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours, or cover with plastic and freeze 3 days. Do not thaw frozen ravioli before cooking.)
• For sauce:
• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, fennel and fennel seeds and sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices and next 4 ingredients. Simmer until sauce thickens, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before using.)
• Boil ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Spoon some sauce on each plate. Arrange ravioli atop sauce. Garnish with fresh fennel fronds.

BRAISED BROCCOLI AND PORCINI WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Soak porcini in 2 cups boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
• At the same time, heat olive oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallot and slowly saute until soft and juices have been released, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove porcini from the water and use a damp paper towel to remove any grit. Reserve soaking water.
• Add porcini to the Dutch oven with miso paste and yeast extract. Stir well and reduce heat to a simmer.
• Add broccoli; put floret heads facing down and stem pieces nestled in so they are touching the bottom of the pot. Layer radicchio slices evenly on top. Pour in wine without disturbing the vegetables. Cover and simmer, occasionally shaking the pan gently, for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring 2 cups water, vegetable broth, and salt to a boil. Sprinkle fistfuls of polenta into the boiling liquid while stirring constantly so clumps don't form. Continue to stir in polenta until completely added. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, until polenta is thick and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Strain the reserved soaking water, twice if necessary, to remove any sediment.
• Pour 1/2 of the soaking water into the Dutch oven with the broccoli. Gently shake the pot and use a wooden spoon to carefully loosen the florets without breaking them apart. Gently fold vegetables over until coated with cooking sauce. Continue to simmer, uncovered, occasionally shaking the pot. Cook until broccoli is tender but still firm to the touch and radicchio is completely wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour polenta onto a lightly oiled polenta board and spread it evenly over the board. Use a slotted spoon to gently spoon vegetables over the polenta.
• Pour remaining soaking water into the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Make a slurry with the remaining water and cornstarch; pour into the Dutch oven while whisking constantly. Cook until sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour sauce over the broccoli and polenta or serve on the side.

BRAISED PORK WITH ORANGE AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F
• Wrap cinnamon stick and anise seeds in a small square of cheesecloth and tie bundle closed with string.
• Pat pork dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a deep 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork in 3 batches, turning, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl as browned.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot and cook onion and garlic over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add ginger, zest, and sugar and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce, rice wine, broth, pork with any accumulated juices, and cheesecloth bag.
• Braise mixture, covered, in oven 1 hour.
• Stir in fennel and braise, covered, in oven until fennel is very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Discard cheesecloth bag, then season pork mixture with salt and pepper and stir in cilantro.

BRAISED FENNEL AND ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large, straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chile and cook until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add fennel, artichokes, lemon peel, thyme, and wine to skillet; stir to combine. Bring to mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is tender, about 25 minutes. It may be necessary to add water if liquid evaporates too quickly.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer solids to a bowl; set aside. Increase heat to high and reduce liquid by half. Pour reduced liquid over the fennel and artichoke mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.