Tag: Western

Sheet Pan Potato Hash

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This is one of those perfectly versatile dishes that serves as breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner. I mean, it’s crispy potatoes loaded with all the salty-savory fixings, so what’s not to love? Put an egg on it and voila, you have the perfect one-plate meal.

Sheet pan potato hash

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4), scrubbed, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
4 eggs
8 ounces hot-smoked salmon or other fish
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
Trout or salmon roe, chopped dill, and thinly sliced red onion, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Toss potatoes in a large bowl with 1/4 cup oil. Season generously with salt.

2. Transfer potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet and spread out into an even layer (it’s okay if they overlap as long as they’re even). Roast, undisturbed, until browned and very crisp, about 45 minutes.

3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Crack eggs into pan and fry until set, about 3 minutes.

4. Divide potatoes among plates and top each with an egg, smoked fish, and creme fraiche. Spoon roe over and scatter dill and onion on top.

Wild Mushroom, Ricotta, and Fontina Pizza

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There’s sort of no such thing as bad pizza. I mean, even the soggiest, simplest pizza satiates that base craving for cheesy, tomatoey comfort food, right?

But good pizza, dare I say great pizza, is a whole other level. When fall hits and you’re craving earthy, creamy, mushroomy things, make this pizza and don’t say I didn’t warn you. I could eat this every day.

Wild mushroom, ricotta, and fontina pizza

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2/3 cup tomato puree
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups mixed wild mushrooms
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
8 ounces fontina cheese, sliced
Black pepper

1. Make the dough: Put 1 1/4 cups warm water in a bowl, add the yeast and sugar, and let sit for 5-10 minutes, until foamy. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Gradually pour in the yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix to make a smooth dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a floured bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.

2. Make the tomato sauce: Place the crushed tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, dried oregano, bay leaf, vinegar, and half of the garlic in a saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, remove the lid, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced.

3. Make the topping: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms and remaining garlic. Season to taste and cooking, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Knead the dough for 2 minutes, then divide into 2 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a round and place onto two lightly oiled baking sheets.

5. Spoon the tomato sauce onto each dough round. Brush the edges with a little olive oil. Add the mushrooms, fresh oregano, and cheeses. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown and serve warm.

Ricotta Toast with Figs and Seeded Honey

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Say hello to my new favorite breakfast. It’s super simple, so the dish really rests on the quality and seasonality of the ingredients. The figs? Local. The ricotta? Local. The honey? Definitely local. Insufferable, but delicious.

Ricotta toast with figs and seeded honey

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/2 cup honey
1/2 loaf rustic bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 fresh ricotta
6 figs, sliced

1. In a medium bowl, combine the seeds and honey and mix.

2. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Cut the bread into 4 thick slices and brush with oil. Toast bread on skillet until warmed through and lightly toasted, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

3. Spread the ricotta onto the toasted bread and arrange figs on the ricotta. Drizzle the honey-seed mixture over the top and serve.

Zucchini Fritters with Pistou

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Did you plant zucchini this summer and now have way too many of them and don’t know what to do? Tired of zucchini salad? Enter zucchini fritters with garlicy pistou. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, I could eat a million of these.

Zucchini fritters with pistou

Ingredients:

1 handful basil leaves
1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound zucchini, grated
2/3 cup flour
1 egg, separated
Vegetable oil for shallow-frying
salt
pepper

1. To make the pistou, place the basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, lemon zest in a food processor and pulse until grainy. Gradually blend in 1/2 cup olive oil, a little at a time, until combined, then transfer to a small serving bowl.

2. To make the fritters, put the grated zucchini in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let sit for 1 hour, then rinse. Squeeze and drain well.

3. Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the center, then add the egg yolk and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Measure 4 tablespoons water and add a little to the oil.

4. Beat the egg yolk and oil, gradually incorporating the flour and water to make a smooth batter. Season and let sit for 30 minutes.

5. Stir the zucchini to the batter. Beat the egg white until stiff, then fold into the batter.

6. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan. Add spoonfuls of batter to the oil and fry for about 4 minutes per side, until golden. Drain the fritters on paper towels and serve warm with the pistou.

Loaded Baked Potatoes

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These aren’t your everyday baked potatoes. Oh no, my friend. These are the most impossibly fluffy baked potatoes you’ve ever had: crispy on the outside and ethereal on the inside. The secret lies in enveloping them in a thin coating of oil, rather than foil. Topped with sour cream, herbs, and caviar, these are a perfect weekend indulgence.

Loaded baked potatoes

Ingredients:

4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed, patted dry
Vegetable oil (for potatoes)
Salt
Pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup finely chopped chives or green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped dill and/or parsley
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1–2 oz. jar trout or salmon roe
Flaky sea salt

1. Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 450F degrees. Prick potatoes all over with a fork (this allows the steam to escape, which helps the insides of the potatoes cook evenly and make the skins crisp).

2. Drizzle a little oil over each potato and rub all over with your hands to cover in a thin layer; season with salt and pepper. Set potatoes directly on a wire rack set atop a baking sheet and bake until the outsides are browned and crisp and the insides are very tender about, 70 minutes.

3. Using tongs or oven mitts, transfer potatoes to a platter. Set out along with sour cream, chives, dill, butter, roe, sea salt, and pepper and top as desired.