Pappardelle with Chicken Liver and Sage

There is something about egg pasta that makes it so delicious when cooked al dente. The noodles on their own have this unctious chew to them. And they have an almost buttery flavor that endows the noodle with a wonderful finish. In this recipe, we take the taste of the pasta to the next level by adding chicken liver to the dish as a well flavored, buttery sauce and as a base ingredient that you'll find will melt in your mouth with every bite. This dish is a bit rich but the sage gives it an earthy flavor that compliments the meal. This is a beautiful recipe to make.

Ingredients:

Pappardelle Noodles

16 oz fresh Chicken Liver

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 shallot (finely chopped)

4 tbsp Brandy (plus 1 glass for the chef)

2 oz white wine

2 tbsp heavy cream

1 cup unsalted butted plus 2 pats

10 sage leaves

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and fresh ground Pepper

Fresh Ingredients.

Fresh Organic Chicken Livers.

Recipe:

Trim the white center of the chicken livers and reserve. Finely mince/chop 4 oz of the chicken livers and separate from the rest. Coarsely chop the remaining livers. Begin boiling your water for the pasta. In a large saucepan using high heat, heat half the vegetable oil and add the white centers and 4 oz of finely chopped chicken liver. Spread these over the pan and allow to cook for 2 minutes. They should stick to the pan. Scape gently and flip, letting them stick to the pan again for another two minutes. Scape and turn, reducing the heat to avoid burning them. Use a fork and mash the liver to a paste. Add the shallot and toss for a few more minutes. Turn the heat back up and add 2 tbsp of the brandy, then carefully flame the livers. When the flame is gone, add the white wine and cream and reduce for 2-3 minutes, then reduce the heat. Whisk in the 1 cup of butter a few pats at a time. When the butter has melted and incorporated into the sauce, pour the sauce through a sieve and keep warm.

Chicken livers and shallots.

Making the sauce.

In the same sauce pan, heat the remaining oil and add the coarsely chopped liver. Season and turn over. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn down the heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp of brandy. Flame the livers, add seasoning, the remaining two pats of butter, and the sage leaves. Allow the butter to foam.

Cook your pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta and add one ladle full of the pasta water to the livers. Then add the pasta to the sauce pan and toss. Add the reserved sauce, Parmesan cheese, and stir. Do not heat too long or the sauce will split. When heated through, plate and serve. Accept the accolades and thank Saint Lorenzo, patron Saint of Italian Cooking.

Mangia!

Finished, ready to eat!

Vegetarian Shepard's Pie

Now that it officially getting cold here in North Carolina, I thought it was time to work on my Vegetarian Shepard's Pie recipe. This version came out delicious and I am sure ou will like this as much as Ginny and I did. Also, a shout out to Elaine who has been waiting patiently for this. If you make this, please let me know what you think, or how you improved on it.

Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb portabella mushrooms (diced)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup frozen Edamame beans
1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes (or Russets) cubed

1 egg yolk
2 ounces unsalted butter  

1/4 cup soy milk

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Boil potatoes until soft. Add butter, soy milk, and egg yolk. Whip potatoes. While potatoes are cooking:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add canola oil to large pan and heat on high. Add onions and carrots and saute about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to take on color. Add garlic and allow flavors to mix, then add portabello mushrooms. Stir and heat for 3 minutes, then add flour and mix in. Add vegetable broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and mix to combine. Heat until thickened (10-12 minutes), then add Edamame and corn, then spoon mixture into a 11X7 casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, making sure to spread the potatoes out to seal in the vegetable mix. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Enjoy.

This was very tasty and using Edamame instead of peas worked really well. A delicious dish for cold weather.