Gnocchi with Crispy Sausage & Swiss Chard

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Enjoy this warming dish made with simple, yet quality ingredients to prepare for any occasion

George’s Gnocchi with Crispy Sausage & Swiss Chard

Makes 6 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | georgehirschlifestyle

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

8 ounces Italian Sausage, cooked whole, cooled then sliced thin

4 cups Swiss Chard, Tuscan Kale, or spinach; washed, green leaves roughly chopped

8 cloves caramelized garlic

2 apples, 1 green / 1 red, chopped small

2 fresh sage leaves

1 pound gnocchi

½ cup of water from gnocchi

¼ cup Parmesan cheese or to taste

Fresh ground black pepper 

Pre heat a large sauté pan to medium high heat.

Heat a large pot of water to a boil.

To the sauté pan, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, sliced sausage and cooked until sausage begins to crisp and brown. Remove sausage and add remaining olive oil, kale, apples and sage. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until kale and apples soften.

Meanwhile, add gnocchi to the boiling water and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a strainer and add to the kale. Top with crispy sausage and Parmesan cheese.

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Italian Grits: I’m a Fast Cook, I Guess

My grandfather who was a great maker of polenta called it "mush",  as it was commonly eaten during Roman times. It seemed as though he stood at the stove for hours stirring and stirring until it was just the right consistency. No fancy sauces were put on this delicacy; it was just pored out hot onto a wooden board and you raced to dig right in before it disappeared. Later in life, Grandpa loosened from his traditional roots. He added red meat sauces and other salted meats; such as bacon or pancetta, and even anchovy to dress the polenta. He passed his pot on to me, so I ran with it and continue the family tradition today.

Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal and is often cooked in a huge copper pot, known as paiolo, for even heating. Traditionally polenta is a slowly cooked dish; it can take an hour or longer, and constant stirring is a must. The time, dedication and arm-stirring labor of traditional preparation methods has sparked the way for many shortcuts today. There is now instant polenta available from Italy that allows for quick cooking - kind-a-like instant grits, or there's fully cooked polenta in a tube that requires only slicing and reheating. I suggest reheating by grilling, roasting, sautéing or baking, then top with your own creative sauce. It may not be Grandpa’s, but if in a pinch, try it with my favorite recipe; grilled topped with a sauce of creamy gorgonzola and crispy pancetta. 

I'm a fast cook, I guess - reminds me of the classic line from the movie My Cousin Vinny. Mr. Tipton: “I don't know, I'm a fast cook I guess.” AS IF THERE IS SUCH A THING AS MAGIC GRITS!

Vinny Gambini: "So obviously it takes you 5 minutes to cook your breakfast."

Mr. Tipton: "That's right."

Vinny Gambini: "That's right, so you knew that. You remember what you had?"

Mr. Tipton: "Eggs and grits."

Vinny Gambini: "Eggs and grits. I like grits, too. How do you cook your grits? Do you like them regular, creamy or al dente?"

Mr. Tipton: "Just regular I guess?"

Vinny Gambini: "Regular. Instant grits?"

Mr. Tipton: "No self respectin' Southerner uses instant grits. I take pride in my grits."

Vinny Gambini: "So, Mr. Tipton, how could it take you 5 minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit eating world 20 minutes?"

Mr. Tipton: "I don't know, I'm a fast cook I guess."

Vinny Gambini: "I'm sorry I was all the way over here I couldn't hear you did you say you were a fast cook, that's it?"

Mr. Tipton: "Yeah."

Vinny Gambini: "Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than anywhere else on the face of the earth?"

Mr. Tipton: "I don't know."

Vinny Gambini: "Well, I guess the laws of physics cease to exist on top of your stove. Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?"

credits, IMBD image

Making the Best Fish and Chips

Buying food and reading labels can be a dizzying task. One can't help but be overrun with questions like - Is this good for me and my family? Is it safe to eat? Where did this come from? Is this sustainable? Reading labels can work most of the time, but what if there’s no label, as with fish? You would think if a fish has been around since the beginning of time and spawned billions of eggs - there wouldn’t be any problem, right? But not so fast, too much of anything can be harmful, even cod. 

Here's a solution - Seafood Watch, provided by the same folks who operate the Monterey Bay Aquarium; which by the way is a fantastic experience to visit in itself. I’ve had the occasion to visit for both leisure and as a keynote speaker and celebrity chef a few years back to kick off the Monterey Food & Wine Classic. 

Pardon me while I digress, I will get right back to cod...While I have you in Monterey, I want to mention a one degree of separation between John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row (the gritty side of life in this seaside post depression novel) and lovely Monterey. One of my friend’s families was the basis of a character in Steinbeck's tome. It is also that same good friend, Bert Cutino from the famed Tortilla Flat neighborhood on Canary Row who owns the famed Sardine Factory, a must stop when in town. 

Now, back to the cod. With it’s mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh, it's no wonder cod is one of the most common fish used for fish & chips along with haddock and plaice. But, did you know it is currently at risk from over fishing in UK, Canada and other Atlantic waters? So be in the know with Seafood Watch. Use this guide to find ocean-friendly alternatives to seafood on the Seafood Watch “Avoid” list. It’s a good thing to use discretion and follow their lead so in the future when we are calling all cods, there are still some around.

Best Choices: Cobia (US farmed), Cod- Pacific (trap, hook-and-line, longline from AK)

Good Alternatives: Cod- Atlantic (Northeast Arctic and Iceland), Cod- Pacific (U.S. trawl)

Avoid: Cod: Atlantic, Iceland and Northeast Arctic (trawled),  and Pacific (imported)

The carbonation in the beer makes the batter exceptionally airy and produces a crispy coating. Malt vinegar is a British favorite on fish and chips.

George Hirsch Beer Batter Cod

George's Beer Batter Cod
Recipe by George Hirsch, Know Your Fire Cookbook, Putnam 1997 

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 eggs
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 cup beer, a strong full flavored Stout or IPA
vegetable oil for frying
2 pounds cod fillet, cut into serving pieces
Malt vinegar for serving

Combine 1 cup of the flour, sugar, baking powder and black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and hot sauce. Slowly pour in the beer, stirring constantly, until the foam subsides and the batter is smooth. Let the batter rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil to 370 degrees F. in a deep sauce pan or deep-fat fryer.

Dredge the the cod in the remaining 1/4 cup flour, shaking off any excess, and dip into the batter.

Carefully slip the pieces into the hot fat and cook until brown on both sides, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Serve with french fries and malt vinegar.

New Years Eve, Cotechino Con Lenticchie

In Italy, people welcome the New Year by tossing old things out of their windows to make room for the new and bring luck into their lives in the upcoming year. In regards to food traditions, Italians cook up a dish called Cotechino Con Lenticchie, pork sausage served over lentils. This dish is eaten during the New Year because of the presence of a rich and robust pork sausage with lentils in the dish. Cotechino sausage is a symbol of abundance because it is rich in fat; while the coin-shaped lentils symbolize money. 

I love it served with a steamy dish of gnocchi and sautéed garlicky greens, another symbol of prosperity. 

Cotechino Con Lenticchie: Pork Sausage Served over Lentils

by George Hirsch | Makes six servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com

If you can't find cotechino, a high quality fresh pork sausage flavored with nutmeg, and pepper a good hearty italian style sausage will suffice. 

1 pound cotechino, pork sausage
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 large carrot, chopped
1 bay leaf
8 whole black peppercorns
1 sprig fresh thyme 
1 pound dry green lentils
4 cups chicken broth
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped 

Pierce the cotechino with a fork in several places. 

Pre heat a large pot and add olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, carrot, 1 bay leaf, peppercorns and thyme. Simmer vegetables for two minutes and add cotechino, cook two minutes and add lentils, cover with 4 cups broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 45 to 50 minutes or until lentils are soft. Add additional water if necessary. 

Remove the bay leaf and discard. Spoon the lentils into a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil and slice rounds of the cotechino over the top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve. 

Make & Bake Pizza

Everyone likes the thought of tossing pizza dough high up in the air. You must try it at least once. Today I have an easier method and you can still be creative while having fun tossing on your own toppings like grilled veggies, seafood, meats and nuts. The choices are endless, I encourage you to make your own designer pizza pie. 

Solution: When you just don't have the time for making a dough, Fabulous Flats makes an excellent substitution. Their Tandoori Naan and Stone-Baked Pizza Crusts are authentic and truly fabulous. The flatbreads are preservative-free and contain no hydrogenated oils and no trans fats. I really like making it with their whole wheat variety which has a made-from-scratch taste because of the hearth baked nutty flavor. I’ve mentioned before, I admit I'm a pizza snob who will travel 50 miles for a great pie, so I won't steer you wrong!

When the Gorgonzola melts, it becomes creamy and gives the pizza a nutty flavor. Top with pecans for additional nuttiness that is ideal with the creamy cheese. Ideal for luncheon entrée or dinner appetizer served a tossed green salad.

Grilled Three-Cheese Naan Pizza

(Adapted from Grilling with Chef George Hirsch with Marie Bianco)

Makes four appetizer servings
 

1 pre-baked Naan Bread Crust
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1/2 cup goat cheese or feta
6 fresh basil leaves, lightly torn
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Pre heat grill to medium or an oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush Naan on both sides with olive oil. Top Naan on one side with cheeses leaving a half-inch border around crust. Place Naan on grill top shelf or bake on a pizza pan for about five minutes until crust is crisp and cheese is melted. Remove top with fresh basil and pepper, serve immediately.

image, © Kristen Johansen | istock