Barefoot Contessa – 2/29/2012 – Recipes

Posted March 10th, 2012 by Chris

This cooking army turned out pretty well, with a new staple being chosen!

Roasted Figs & Prosciutto

20 large fresh rig figs
20 thin slices prosciutto (about 8 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Snip the hard stems off the figs and cut the figs in half lengthwise through the stem. With a small sharp knife, cut the prosciutto lengthwise into inch-wide strips. Wrap a strip of prosciutto around the center of each fig half, with the ends overlapping. Brush with olive oil and arrange cut side up on a sheet pan.

Roast the figs for 10 minutes, until the prosciutto is a little crisp and the figs are warmed through. Serve warm.

We replaced the figs with dates as figs weren’t in season, but they turned out pretty good still.

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

2 small zucchini, 1-in diced
2 red bell peppers, 1.5 in diced
2 yellow bell, 1.5 in diced
2 red onion, 1.5 in diced
2/3 c olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 t minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 dozen eggs
2 c half-and-half
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T unsalted butter
2/3 chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 scallions)
1c grated Gruyere cheese (about 4 oz)

*skipped instructions for roasting the veggies*

*in two large bowls*
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 dozen eggs, 1c half-and-half, 1/4c Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a 10-inch ovenproof saute pan, melt the butter and saute the scallions over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add the roasted vegetables to the pan and toss with the scallions. Pour the egg mixture over the begetables and cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat without stirring. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the frittata for 20 to 30 minutes, until puffed and set in the middle. Sprinkle with the Gruyere and bake for another 3 minutes, until the cheese is just melted. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges and serve hot.

This was probably the best item of the night and was said to become a Cooking Army staple, on the order of Disappearing Pork, people liked it so much.

Chicken with Shallots

8 boneless check breasts, skin on (6 to 8 oz each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 T vegetable/canola oil
1c dry white wine
2/3c freshly squeezed lemon juice (6 lemons)
1/2 minced shallots (2 large)
6T heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkle them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, until it begins to smoke. Place the chicken breasts, skin side down, in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes without moving, until golden brown.

Using tongs, turn the chicken breasts skin side up, place the skillet in the oven, and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan, combine the white wine, lemon juice, and shallots and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until 4 T of liquid remain in the pan. If it reduces too much, add an extra splash of white wine or water. Add the creme, 1 t salt, 1/4 t pepper and bring to a full boil. Remove from the heat, add the diced butter, and swirl the pan until the butter is incorporated. Don’t reheat or the sauce will “break”! Sprinkle with salt and serve the chicken hot with the sauce spooned over it.

This turned out pretty tasty, although it came out a little later than we had thought.

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