GOOD STOCK
Sanford D’Amato
Agate Publishing
November 2013
$35.00/Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-1572841505
Sanford D’Amato graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1974. In December 1989, he opened Sanford on the former site of his father and grandfather’s grocery store. It has long been recognized as one of the best fine-dining restaurants in the nation.
GOOD STOCK is the story of Sanford “Sandy” D’Amato’s journey from a young Italian kid who loved food to unknown culinary student with a passion for classical French cuisine to one of the most respected chefs and restaurateurs in the country. Featuring more than 80 recipes and both vintage black and white and full-color photography throughout, GOOD STOCK weaves together memoir and cookbook in a beautiful and engrossing American success story. Sanford, the restaurant D’Amato opened in 1989 (and sold to his longtime chef de cuisine in December 2012), has been one of the highest- rated restaurants in America over the past 20 years, earning accolades from Bon Appétit,Gourmet, Food & Wine, Esquire, Wine Spectator, Zagat Guide, and the James Beard Foundation. D’Amato has cooked for the Dalai Lama and at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. He was one of 12 chefs chosen by Julia Child herself to cook for her 80th birthday celebration. The story of Sanford and Sandy D’Amato is in part the story of America’s embrace of fine dining and its acceptance of chefs asmaster craftsmen. Not that long ago, becoming a chef was considered a backup plan more than a craft. That transformation began in the 1970s, when Sanford D’Amato was studying at the Culinary Institute of America. American cooks were still being frozen out of elite restaurant jobs by French chefs who didn’t believe the Americans had what it took to create great cuisine. D’Amato, through persistence, skill, and the help of his mentor, Chef Peter Von Erp, became the first American cook at New York’s Le Veau d’Or, and then worked under Chef Roland Chenus through the groundbreaking opening of Le Chantilly. The heyday of classic French cuisine began to wane as rising chefs like D’Amato began leading the spread of “New American” dining. To D’Amato, though, the Midwest always signified home. His culinary inventiveness was inspired in part by his childhood home, located above his grandparents’ grocery store on the lower east side of Milwaukee. It was a small apartment filled with the sights of carefully prepared delicacies, the smells of rich dishes on the simmer, and the many flavors of generations-old Italian recipes. Drawing on this influence, as well as his rigorous training in classic French technique, D’Amato eventually opened Sanford in the same space his grandparents’ grocery store once occupied. Readers of GOOD STOCK will come to believe, as D’Amato does, that to create great food, it doesn’t matter if you’re preparing a grilled hot dog or pan-roasted monkfish—what matters is that you treat all dishes with equal love, soul, and respect, and try to elevate each dish to its ultimate level of flavor. GOOD STOCK combines Midwestern charm with superb recipes which will appeal to food lovers everywhere.
Chicken Pastina
Serves 8
The key to this soup is to make sure that it is rich and satisfying, which is accomplished by the use of a double stock. A double stock is made when you start with a chicken stock, then cook a chicken in it in order to enrich the stock. Also, make sure the vegetables are well cooked and not al dente so that they are completely infused with the flavor of the chicken.
1 1/2 pounds (681 g) on-the-bone chicken parts (leg, thigh, or breast)
2 quarts (1.90 L) unsalted chicken stock
1 bunch Italian parsley stems (reserve the leaves for garnish)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion (12 ounces [341 g]), diced small
2 carrots (10 ounces [284 g]), peeled and diced small
2 stalks celery (4 ounces [114 g]), diced small
1/2 of a trimmed fennel bulb (3 ounces [85 g]), core removed and diced small
4 cloves garlic, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 ounces (142 g) pastina or acini de pepe, cooked 5 to 7 minutes in boiling salted water, drained, and rinsed
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, to taste
In a soup pot, place the chicken parts, chicken stock, parsley stems, the 3 whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and cinnamon stick. Bring up to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 minutes.
Remove the chicken, and when cool enough to handle, take the meat off the bones; reserve the meat. Add the bones back to the stock and simmer for 20 more minutes. Strain the stock and clean the pot.
Place the cleaned pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, fennel, and the sliced garlic, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Sweat (cover and cook slowly) the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Add the strained stock, bring up to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
Shred the reserved chicken meat and add to the soup. Add the cooked pastina (or acini de pepe) and bring up to a simmer. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the reserved parsley leaves and serve. Garnish with the cheese to taste.
Dungeness Crab Ceviche With Parma Prosciutto, Candied Serrano, Orange Garlic Dressing
Serves 8
I learned to really love ceviche in Mexico City. In its simplest form, it is very fresh raw seafood marinated in an acid, usually lime, and seasoned aggressively with a bit of hot peppers or chili oil. The sweetness of the mango and the jicama play off the heat of the serranos and the saltiness of the prosciutto, and the tart orange dressing brings it all into balance.
1 pound (454 g) fresh Dungeness crabmeat, picked of all shell and cartilage
1 small mango, peeled and diced small (you need 1/2–3/4 cup [83–124 g])
1 small jicama, peeled and diced small (you need 1/2–3/4 cup [60–90 g])
3 tablespoons (45 mL) regular olive oil
2 small serrano chili peppers (1 red, 1 green), stem ends cut off, seeds removed carefully without breaking the skin, and cut crosswise into very thin rings (wear rubber gloves when working with chili peppers or immediately wash your hands after cutting them and before touching your face)
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Juice of 2 limes
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 thin slices prosciutto
1 avocado, sliced for garnish right before serving
Candied Serrano (recipe follows)
Orange Garlic Dressing (recipe follows)
Mix together all of the ingredients, except the prosciutto, avocado, Candied Serrano, and Orange Garlic Dressing.
Place 2 slices of the prosciutto on each plate. Divide the ceviche among the plates. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Cut each half into quarters from top to bottom and remove the skin. Cut each quarter in half to form 8 wedges. Cut each wedge in 1/8-inch slices, leaving the top intact, and lightly press to fan out. Season the avocado with salt and black pepper and place on top of the ceviche. Garnish with the Candied Serrano and Orange Garlic Dressing.
For the Candied Serrano
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (59 mL) water
2 serrano chili peppers, stems removed and sliced into 1/8-inch (3-mm) rounds
In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water up to a boil. Pour over the serranos in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. (You may use them when they come to room temperature or store them in the refrigerator; remove them from the syrup before using.)
For the Orange Garlic Dressing
1 cup (237 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (237 mL) fresh orange juice and fine zest of 1/2 orange, reduced to 1/4 cup (59 mL)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced and rinsed under warm water
1/2 ounce (14 g) fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until the parsley is finely puréed.
These recipes may be reproduced with the following credit:
Recipes from Good Stock by Sanford D’Amato. (Agate Publishing; November 2013; $35.00/Hardcover: ISBN-13; 978-1572841505). http://www.agatepublishing.com/
Contact: Anjali Becker
847.475.4457, x 4#
becker@agatepublishing.com