Q.
I would really appreciate it if I could get the recipe for the Osso Buco that they serve at Chez Jean Pierre in Palm Beach. – Frances J. Katz, Boca Raton
A.
What a pleasure it was to talk with Jean-Pierre Leverrier, the chef/owner of Chez Jean-Pierre, 132 N. County Road, Palm Beach, 1-407-833-1171. When asked if he would share his recipe for Osso Buco, his answer was an unqualified “yes.”It is the perfect dish for our cooler weather and makes an elegant New Year’s Eve dinner party dish.
Jean-Pierre calls for veal shanks that are 2 1/2 inches thick. Unless you are on friendly terms with your local supermarket’s meat department manager, you will have better luck getting them at specialty meat markets or gourmet shops. It’s also a good idea to call ahead to be sure they are available.
You need a large heavy saute pan or roasting pan with a tight-fitting lid in which the shanks can be cooked in a single layer. Make certain each bone is filled with marrow, a delicacy to scoop out onto a plain cracker or to eat as is. The veal was so tender it could be cut with a fork, and the sauce was ambrosial.
Q.
For many years I have been getting the Norm Thompson catalog. I have ordered and tasted, much to my delight, a cranberry eggnog cake that is most delicious. I have searched everywhere I know for a recipe but can’t seem to find one. Have you seen one? – Crystal Schuh, Miami
A.
Search no more. I reached into my semi-organized dessert file and found the recipe for a Candied Cherry Eggnog Cake, which a friend gave me when we lived in Connecticut. I remembered it being like a pound cake in texture and very good, so I simply substituted dried cranberries for the cherries and Voila! a delicious Cranberry Eggnog Cake.
For Hank Tritsch, Boca Raton, and Ms. T. Barretti, Boca Raton, the Sauce Francaise recipe you requested from Paesano’s Restaurant, 1301 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 1-305-467-3266, is a signature recipe of the restaurant’s. Chef/owner Mario Spinachi says he would be happy to share other recipes, but his Sauce Francaise is truly a secret. Guess you’ll have to go to the restaurant to enjoy it.
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Q.
I’ve searched and searched and cannot find a Pear and Leek soup recipe which we had the pleasure of tasting in a Boston restaurant. Anything you can do to find one will be appreciated. – Harriet Stoller, Fort Lauderdale
A.
I, too have been searching for some time. I filed Harriet’s request in my “keep looking” file where, it rested until I happened upon a Pear and Leek Soup recipe in the September 1977 issue of Gourmet magazine. One of the ingredients is summer savory, which tastes something like thyme and can be found on most supermarket spice shelves.
Since it is the height of the pear season – and nice ripe pears are a must in this recipe – it’s a good time to share it with you. I have made this tasty soup with both Bartlett and the Bosc varieties, making certain they are both tender and ripe. It’s good served hot or cold.
Q.
Help! I buy the best shrimp available (cooked and deveined) in a semi-large size. When I use these in a stir-fry or fast-fry with garlic and rice, or served cold, I end up with tough and very poor-quality shrimp. What am I doing wrong?
– Allan M. Patrick, Margate
A.
To answer your question in a technical fashion, the connective tissue in shellfish (and other fish) is fragile, the muscle fibers short, and the fat content relatively low. Thus, they should be cooked as little as possible, only to the point that the muscle proteins coagulate. Beyond this point, the tissue tends to dry out and either toughen or disintegrate, acording to Harold McGee writing in On Food and Cooking (Scribners, 1984).
Simply put, you are overcooking the shrimp. If you are using already cooked shrimp and want to serve them hot in a stir-fry, heat them only enough to warm them through. If using cooked shrimp in a casserole you bake, expect the shrimp to be a bit chewy. It’s unavoidable.
Have a cooking question? Need some nutrition advice? Trying to track down a long-lost recipe? Send your questions (be sure to include phone number) to You Asked for It, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33301-2293. Personal replies are not possible.
DESSERT
CRANBERRY EGGNOG CAKE
1/2 cup dried cranberries*
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 cup blended whiskey, such as
Early Times, or dark rum
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Liberally grease (vegetable shortening preferred) and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan.
In a small bowl, dredge the cranberries in 1/4 cup of the flour; set aside (discard any of this flour that does not adhere to the berries).
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, baking powder and nutmeg. Transfer to a piece of wax paper. In the same large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the whiskey and cream. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and the cream mixture alternately in three additions, mixing well between additions, but do not overmix. Stir in the cranberries, making sure they are well distributed.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack 5 minutes, then invert the cake onto the wire rack to cool completely.
Before serving, sift confectioners’ sugar over top. Makes 16 servings.
Per serving: 372 calories, 6 grams protein, 18 grams fat, 46 grams carbohydrates, 146 milligrams cholesterol, 277 milligrams sodium, 44 percent calories from fat.
*These are available at specialty food stores and some supermarkets.
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ENTREE
CHEZ JEAN-PIERRE’S OSSO BUCO
At the restaurant the shanks are served with risotto and pasta.
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 to 8 pieces of veal shank, cut
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches thick
2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch
dice
3 large carrots, scrubbed,
trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups dry white wine
Salt and fresh-ground black
pepper, to taste 4 cups veal stock*
1 bouquet garnie**
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon soft butter
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a heavy skillet or roasting pan with a tight-fitting lid and large enough to hold the veal shanks in a single layer, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Sear the veal shank pieces about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, saute the diced vegetables about 4 minutes or until golden brown, adding more olive oil if the mixture seems too dry. Pour in the wine and cook until the mixture reduces by two-thirds (only one third of the original amounts remains).
Nestle the veal shanks amidst the vegetables, season with salt and pepper (watch the salt because reducing the liquid at the end will intensify its salty flavor) and add the veal stock and bouquet garnie. Cover the pan, bring the mixture to a simmer on top of the stove, then place in the preheated oven and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the veal tests very tender when prodded with a wooden chopstick or a fork.
Remove the veal shanks to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Strain and reserve the liquid, pressing down on the vegetables to get all the juices from them as possible. Discard the vegetables and bouquet garnie. Return the liquid to the original pan and cook it over high heat until mixture is reduced by half. To thicken it slightly, combine the flour and butter into a paste. Stir this into the liquid one teaspoon at a time, cooking for a minute after each addition. Add enough flour mixture to make the sauce the consistency of heavy cream.
To serve, place a veal shank on each warmed serving plate and spoon some sauce over each. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Per serving: 376 calories, 50 grams protein, 13 grams fat, 11 grams carbohydrates, 179 milligrams cholesterol, 204 milligrams sodium, 32 percent calories from fat.
*I substituted 4 teaspoons Steero brand instant beef bouillon stirred into 4 cups hot water. Steero has recently come out with a low-sodium version of both their beef and chicken granules.
**To make a bouquet garnie: Tie together 3 sprigs fresh parsley, 1 large bay leaf and 1 sprig fresh thyme with a piece of white kitchen string. If using dried thyme, use 1/2 teaspoon and place it along with the parsley and bay leaf on a square of dampened cheesecloth. Gather in corners and tie to form a package.
SOUP
PEAR AND LEEK SOUP
2 pounds leeks 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large ripe Bartlett or Bosc pears, peeled, cored and diced
6 cups chicken broth 1 teaspoon summer savory
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Trim the leeks, leaving about 1 inch of green. Trim off the root end. Then slit down the center of the leek from the root end to where the green part starts. Fan out the leaves and run under warm water to clean thoroughly. Chop coarsely.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute about 8 minutes, then add the pears and cook, stirring, another 4 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and savory; bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until the leeks and pears are very soft.
Puree the mixture in batches in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, or a blender. Return the soup to the saucepan, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper. To serve hot, heat over medium heat until warm; do not boil. Or refrigerate and serve well chilled. Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 388 calories, 8 grams protein, 21 grams fat, 45 grams carbohydrates, 58 milligrams cholesterol, 815 milligrams sodium, 49 percent calories from fat.
