Green Apple, Marcona Almond & Idiazábal Cheese Slaw

I have never liked cole slaw, the picnic and church social standby side of shredded cabbage, iceberg lettuce and grated carrot in a mayonnaise-based dressing. I don't particularly dislike any one of its elements, but the combination of flavors have never appealed to me.

About five years ago, when I lived in Madrid, I discovered my inspiration for this dish in a tapas bar near the Plaza de Santa Ana. A couple of friends and I were tapeando (going from tapas bar to tapas bar, filling up on small plates and having plenty of wine) a little before midnight, which is when nightlife in Madrid really gets going. Unfortunately, because there are dozens of places like the one I visited, I can't recall exactly which bar it was! The good news is that I have remembered very well the different components of the "salad," as the bar called it: crisp, green apple; rich, nutty Idiazábal cheese, sliced Marcona almonds and a rosemary vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, grated or cut into matchsticks

1 cup Idiazábal (Manchego can be substituted) cheese, grated or cut into matchsticks

1/2-cup Marcona almonds, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 teaspoons red wine vinegar

3 teaspoons dijon mustard

Rosemary, chopped, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

(1) Combine apple, cheese and almonds in a bowl.

(2) Mix red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, plenty of chopped rosemary and a bit of black pepper in another bowl. Slowly pour in olive oil, whisking constantly and rapidly.

(3) Incorporate vinaigrette into other ingredients and serve slaw either immediately or chilled, on its own or over a bed of arugula.

Pizza Redux

I usually make two small pizzas every week or so. Over the last two weeks, I have made the following, from top to bottom.

(1) Applewood-smoked bacon, arugula, and chili oil;
(2) Caramelized onions, Moroccan olives, blue cheese, and thyme;
(3) Soppressata, serrano rings, and shaved garlic; and
(4) Applewood-smoked bacon, asiago, and rosemary.

All pizzas were cooked in a cast iron skillet using the method I detail here, with standard mozzarella cheese and a simple tomato sauce as a base. Sometime in the near future, I'm planning on making a pissaladiere as well as a cherry tomato tart, so be on the lookout for those updates!

Malta-Orange Braised Chicken over Sage-Parsnip Puree

What if I were to tell you that the secret ingredient to a deep, sophisticated sauce is a bitter and super-sweet soda than can be found in the Latin American aisle of your local grocery store for $0.50? Unlikely, yes, but sometimes unlikely ingredients used in a way to highlight their positives can bring a certain je ne sais quoi to a dish. The key to this sauce is a soda called malta, and is widely distributed around the US by the brands Goya and Hatuey. When used in cooking, malta imparts a rich, molasses flavor on whatever is braised in it as it reduces, and goes especially well with citrus and herbs. Here, I sear chicken thighs until golden and then braise them in a 50/50 mixture of malta and orange juice with a few generous pinches of sage and rosemary. I served the chicken over a parsnip puree infused with more sage, and together, this resulted in one of the best plates of food I've eaten in a while!

PARSNIP PUREE

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds parnsips
1 large (or 2 small) onion
1 bulb fennel
4 cups chicken stock
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Sage, chopped, to taste
Olive oil
2 tablespoons butter

Procedure:
(1) Chop onion and fennel. Sautee in olive oil for about 15 minutes.
(2) Cut parnsips into small chunks and add to pan along with salt, pepper, and sage.
(3) Sautee parnsips for about 10 minutes before adding chicken stock.
(4) Allow contents of pan to reach a boil, then simmer over low heat for about 10 more minutes.
(5) Add butter and allow to melt, then puree mixture with an immersion blender of standing blender.

MALTA-ORANGE BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds chicken thighs
6 ounces malta soda
6 ounces orange juice (fresh-squeezed or bottled are both fine)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Sage, a few generous pinches, chopped
Rosemary, a few generous pinches, chopped
Orange zest, for garnish

Procedure:
(1) Liberally season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
(2) Sear in olive oil until golden brown; flip and repeat on other side.
(3) Add malta and orange juice to pan along with chopped sage and rosemary.
(4) Allow sauce to reach a simmer and spoon it over chicken thighs every few minutes as it reduces. Once you add the liquid, allow meat to braise for about 15-20 minutes total.
(5) Incorporate some of the excess sauce into the parsnip puree. Serve chicken over puree, spoon extra sauce over top if desired, and garnish with orange zest and more chopped sage.