Food and Wine Magazine Recipe Test: Green Pea and Fava Bean Salad with Sliced Speck

I'm still working my way through the August 2014 issue of Food and Wine magazine. The next recipe I'm testing captured my attention because it had a huge photo that looked really fresh and bright. I was a little leery of a salad that doesn't have any lettuce or spinach...it seems like a lot of strong flavors and no where for my palate to rest. Nevertheless, I was ready to try this recipe. It wasn't a slam dunk like the Grilled Skirt Steak with Fruit-and-Green-Tomato Salsa. This salad was an interesting mix of flavors that made sense together, but I'd tweak slightly next time.


The recipe calls for:

3 cups shelled fresh English peas (about 3/4 pound)
4 pounds fava beans, shelled (4 cups)
1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
Pepper
1/3 cup snipped dill sprigs
1/3 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup snipped chives
1/3 cup small basil leaves or torn basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped sage
20 thin slices speck (1/2 pound)
4 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled (1 cup)

For how to prepare, check out the original recipe from Food and Wine magazine here:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/green-pea-and-fava-bean-salad-with-sliced-speck

Like usual, I had to make a few substitutions based on what was available. I couldn't find fava beans and speck at the Broad Ripple Fresh Market, so I substituted white beans and serrano ham. I prepared the recipe as instructed with one exception--I didn't measure the ricotta cheese. I just liberally dolloped it on the plate to make sure my husband would eat it. "Salad" to him means meat, cheese, and ranch with a side of lettuce. I wanted to make sure there was something that he'd like to bait him!

The finished product...my salad with the salad pictured in Food and Wine.

I took a bite, and the taste was really fresh and bright. The salty of the ham worked with the sweet of the peas and the boldness of all the herbs/aromatics. Occasionally, I'd get a bite that was heavy on the parsley. These bites were bitter and unpleasant. To make this recipe really tops, I'd reduce the amount of parsley to just a dusting of chiffonade and add a handful of arugula. With all the distinct flavors like basil, sage, and chives, it would be nice to have a little break from time to time.


I enjoyed this recipe. I'd make it again with the reduction in parsley and perhaps a handful of arugula. This probably isn't one to experiment with the more picky eaters in your circle. The bold flavors may come across as disharmony. Not bad, but not one that drew highest accolades.

Bon Appetit Recipe Test: Chicken, Asparagus, and Wild Mushroom Stir Fry

In the latest edition of recipe tire kicking, here's another from Bon Appetit's "27 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Recipes That Are NOT Boring."

The original recipe can be found here: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-asparagus-and-wild-mushroom-stir-fry#recipe-ingredients

This one is great--the only clean up is the sautee pan, a plate, and a few utensils--and it goes from ingredients to table in less than 30 minutes.  It's a fantastic weeknight meal full of fresh veggies, and when made without the heavy cream, it's light.

The main change I made to this recipe was substituting chicken broth for the heavy cream.  I'm lactose intolerant and I don't carry my Lactaid around often.  I'm looking for ways to keep my cooking fresh and light.  Heavy cream doesn't fit the bill, especially when it's 90 degrees outside.  I also didn't have Piment d'Espelette.  Frankly, I had to Google what it is--a smoky, mild pepper grown in southwest France.  I learned this from The Perfect Pantry--you can check it out here.  To substitute, I mixed some paprika and cayenne pepper from my spice rack.

You'll need:
olive oil
1lb. boneless chicken breast
1 lb. thin asparagus
1 package shiitake mushrooms (2 if you like mushrooms!)
minced garlic
shallot or onion
white wine
chicken broth
Piment d'Espelette (or cayenne pepper and paprika)
water
salt and pepper
optional--a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness

Here's how I made the magic happen:

Wash all produce.  Trim ends from asparagus.

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in large sautee pan.  Once pan is hot, add asparagus, salt, and pepper.  Sautee for one minute, then add a splash of water and put lid on sautee pan, allow to cook 3-4 more minutes.  I like my asparagus crisp, so I cooked it a total of four minutes.  Remove asparagus.  Leave the remaining liquid in pan.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil, add the shiitake mushrooms and a pinch of salt.  Sautee 8 minutes, remove and add to plate of asparagus.

Add last tablespoon of olive oil, sautee a tablespoon of minced garlic and, either 1/3 cup minced shallot or I added what I had on hand--1/2 cup of minced red onion for two minutes.  Then add the chicken, Piment d'Espelette (or the cayenne and paprika).  Instead of measuring the cayenne and paprika, I just added a pinch of cayenne and dusted the contents of the pan with the paprika.  After chicken was beginning to turn white on outside (about 5 minutes), I added 1/3 cup white wine and half a can of chicken broth.  In the Bon Appetit recipe, this would've been when the heavy cream was added.

Starting to cook the chicken while the sauteed asparagus and shiitake mushrooms wait to return to the pan.

Bring contents to a boil.  At this time, I removed the chicken so it wouldn't get overcooked, then let the contents boil in the pan until they reduced to a sauce that would coat the back of a spoon.  Taste sauce, adjust salt and pepper as needed.  I also added a little more cayenne pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a hint of brightness.

The broth-based sauce reduced enough to coat a spoon.  The paprika darkened the color--it isn't burnt.

Turn off stove, add the asparagus, chicken, and mushrooms back to pan to coat in the sauce, then serve.

The well-liked final product.

My husband ate his plate of food before I was halfway done, then returned to the kitchen and ate the contents of the container I prepared for him to take as lunch the next day.  Curiously, he asked what the seasoning was, which makes me think that if I'd used real Piment d'Espelette, it may have been even more intriguing.  I can't say I used the paprika in my pantry often--mainly just for deviled eggs!

The only change we would make next time is to toss in two containers of shiitake mushrooms.  We both enjoy mushrooms, and the container we used was only 3.5 or 4 ounces worth.  If you're going to be missing a starchy element, some grilled or crusty bread will make this dish more satisfying.  I didn't miss the starch--I actually enjoyed having something light.

As an aside, this recipe seems like it would be more aptly named "Chicken, Asparagus, and Wild Mushroom Sautee."  Nevertheless, this recipe (with the broth substituted for cream) was another hit at my house.  Enjoy!