America--Farm to TableSimple, Delicious Recipes Celebrating Local Farmers

Mario Batali counts 24 restaurants, nine cookbooks, nurmerous television shows and the 50,000-square-foot Eataly marketplace among his ever-expanding empire of deliciousness. Mario and his business partner, Joe Bastianich, recently opened B&B Burger&Beer in The Venetian Hotel & Casino, their fourth restaurant in las Vegas. Mario is also the author of nine cookbooks including the James Beard Award Winning Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes (Ecco 2005); and Molto Batali: Simple Family Meals from my Home to Yours (Ecco 2011). Mario appears 3 times a week on ABC’s “The Chew,” a daytime talk show that celebrates and explores life through food.

Jim Webster is a newspaper copy editor, writer, blogger, culinary tourist and amateur caterer. He works at The Washington Post and has worked at the Miami Herald and St. Petersburg Times.

BBQ Chicken Thighs with Lentils and Green Apple Vinaigrette

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

12 cloves garlic, 10 crushed, 2 finely chopped

½ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

2 salt-packed anchovies, filleted, rinsed, and patted dry

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (¼ cup)

2 cups fresh bread crumbs

12 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs

Kosher salt

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 cup dried lentils, rinsed and picked over

2 cups water

1 carrot, cut into ¹⁄8-inch dice

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

12 tablespoons Green Apple

Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Directions:

Combine the 10 cloves of crushed garlic, ½ cup of olive oil, the anchovies, parsley, and bread crumbs in a food processor and process until smooth.

Season the chicken thighs with salt and a drizzle of oil.

Put the chicken thighs in a large bowl and sprinkle with the bread-crumb mixture, turning to coat well. Arrange them in a single layer on a platter, cover, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to overnight.

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for indirect grilling, or preheat the oven to 450°F.

Oil the grill grates well. Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, on the cooler part of the grill, close the grill top, and grill until the chicken is cooked through, turning once, about 15 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat.

Add the remaining 2 cloves of chopped garlic and the shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the lentils and water, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring, just until tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add the carrot, scallions, and vinegar, and stir to combine.

Transfer the lentils to a platter and set aside.

Arrange the grilled chicken pieces on top of the lentils and serve with a tablespoon of the vinaigrette over each thigh.

Green Apple Vinaigrette

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 Granny Smith apple

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Peel and core the apple and cut it into 1⁄8-inch dice.

Place the apple pieces in a medium bowl and add the vinegar, mustard, and olive oil.

Stir to combine.

The dressing should not emulsify but rather remain wet and broken with rivulets of oil.

 

Zucchini Fries with Tomato Aioli

Makes 24 fries

For the Aioli

2 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the zucchini fries)

1 clove garlic

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons warm water

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

For the Zucchini Fries

Olive oil cooking spray

1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs

¾ cup freshly grated

Parmigiano-Reggiano

3 large egg whites, whipped to very soft peaks

4 medium zucchini, trimmed

Make the Aioli

Place the egg yolks, garlic, lemon zest and juice, tomato paste, and water in a blender and blend until smooth.

With the motor running, drizzle in the oil until a creamy sauce is formed.

Season with salt and set aside.

Make the Zucchini Fries

Preheat the oven to 475˚F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

In a pie pan or shallow bowl, mix together the thyme, oregano, flour, and salt.

Place the panko and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a separate pie pan or shallow bowl and place the whipped egg whites in a third pie pan or shallow bowl.

Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise and then each half into 3 pieces lengthwise to create steak fry–shaped pieces.

Dredge the zucchini fries in the flour mixture and then dip them into the egg whites.

Finally, dredge them in the panko.

Place the coated zucchini on the prepared baking sheet and roast, turning once, until crispy, about 12 minutes.

Serve hot, with the aioli on the side.

 

 

Recipes from AMERICA FARM TO TABLE by Mario Batali. Copyright (c) 2014 by Mario Batali. Used with permission by Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.