Recipe: Braised chicken with potatoes, olives, and lemon (on this page) Recipe: Broiled shrimp with tomatoes and white beans (on this page) Recipe: Pork roast with caramelized parsnips (on this page) Recipe: Baked rice with chorizo and clams (on this page) Recipe: Fried eggs with greens and mushrooms (on this page)
Preheat oven to 450°. Season chicken with salt. Heat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil. Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken, and push to side of skillet. Add 1 cup stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add potatoes to liquid. Bring to a boil. Add garlic, olives, lemon wedges, and thyme to liquid. Return to a boil.
Transfer skillet to oven. Roast, stirring potatoes halfway through, until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Return skillet to stove. Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup stock, and stir into pan. Bring to a boil to thicken sauce. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
Preheat oven to 450°. Season chicken with salt. Heat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil. Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken, and push to side of skillet. Add 1 cup stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add potatoes to liquid. Bring to a boil. Add garlic, olives, lemon wedges, and thyme to liquid. Return to a boil.
Heat broiler. Preheat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) on top rack for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toss together tomatoes, beans, capers, garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Toss shrimp with remaining tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another bowl.
Remove skillet from oven, and add tomato mixture. Broil until tomatoes are charred and beginning to collapse, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and stir in stock, then shrimp.
Broil, stirring halfway through, until shrimp are opaque, about 3 minutes more. Drizzle with oil.
Iron is one of the more reactive metals, which is why traditional wisdom is not to cook tomatoes and other acidic foods in cast iron, since they can pick up a metallic flavor. In our experience, this isn't an issue if the pan is well seasoned.
Makes 4 servings
Preheat oven to 425°. Coarsely grind 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the fennel seeds, orange zest, and chopped rosemary in a mini chopper or a spice grinder. Rub spice mixture all over pork, and insert rosemary sprig under twine. Transfer to a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) or a roasting pan.
Roast pork for 20 minutes. Toss parsnips with oil and ½ teaspoon salt; arrange around pork. Roast for 20 minutes. Stir parsnips. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of pork reaches 140°, about 15 minutes more. Transfer pork and parsnips to platter, and let pork rest for 10 minutes before untying and slicing. (If parsnips are not uniformly golden, return to oven for 5 minutes while pork rests.)
Parsnips are narrow at one end and thick at the other. To cut uniform sticks (which will cook at the same rate), slice three inches from the tip of each, and then halve or quarter the thick end. As the pork cooks, it will release its juices into the skillet, flavoring the pieces.
Makes 4 servings
Preheat oven to 400°. Heat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil. Cook chorizo, stirring often, until edges are browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Stir in rice to coat, then wine. Bring to a boil. Cook until skillet is almost dry. Add stock and water. Bring to a boil.
Transfer skillet to oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Add clams. Bake until clams open and rice absorbs all the liquid, about 10 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 servings
Make the sage-chile butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sage and red pepper flakes. Simmer until sage is crisp, about 3 minutes.
Make the eggs and greens: Heat a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat.
Swirl in oil. Cook mushrooms with ½ teaspoon salt until golden and tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in garlic, then greens and water. Cook, stirring, until greens wilt. Add unsalted butter, and stir until melted.
Push greens to make 4 wells. Crack 1 egg into each. Season with salt. Cook for 4 minutes. Let stand until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 4 minutes. Drizzle with sage-chile butter. Garnish with cheese.
For added convenience, use good quality bagged cooking greens and presliced mushrooms.
Makes 4 servings
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive
How many stars would you give the dish? If you made changes, tell us how you customized it.
video A former California highway patrolman has written a book in which he claims a 91-year-old man who died this year was the famed Zodiac Killer, who killed at least five people in the San Francisco area in the 1960s. NBC’s Mike Taibbi reports.
video The author of a new book about the life of Prince William says that the royal most likely to ascend to the throne was scarred by his parent’s marital problems, and long-believed he might not ever settle down. NBC’s Duncan Golestani reports.
video TODAY’s Jenna Wolfe speaks with stuntman Gary Connery, the first person to drop out of a helicopter wearing a “wing suit” and land without deploying a parachute.
video A lawyer for a 51-year-old New Jersey man accused of killing 6-year-old Etan Patz in New York City 33 years ago says his client has mental health problems that may come into play during his prosecution. Former FBI profiler Clint van Zandt discusses the case.
“ ”