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Like many of you, I am often at a loss over what to make for dinner. Autumn has been unseasonably warm, so the rich stews and soups we enjoy are placed on the back burner until the first frost.
The solution for me is simple: I pull out some of my favorite cookbooks and build dinner around a few simple recipes.
I decided to cook an Italian dinner without a pasta course. Everyone loves pasta in our house, but I wanted something a bit different. A fish course would begin dinner followed by a simple fennel salad and a pork dish.
Clams Casino is a dish from my childhood. This Italian-American antipasto appeared on restaurant menus for many years. I first savored these treats at The Vesper Club. I plucked the recipe from “Lidia’s Italy in America” by Lidia Bastianich.
Fennel is used in many Italian dishes. I never thought to feature it as a salad until I came across this tasty recipe from “American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America” by First Lady Michelle Obama.
Since roast pork tenderloin turns up from time to time, I wanted a change of pace and found a recipe for Pork Chops Alla Milanese in “The Babbo Cookbook” by Mario Batali.
Clams Casino
Ingredients:
36 littleneck clams
2 roasted red or yellow bell peppers, peeled and cut into 1-inch squares
6 ounces of thinly sliced bacon or pancetta, cut into 1-inch squares
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
3 tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Dry white wine, as needed
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Shuck the clams, leaving each one in the half shell and reserving the juices. Strain the juices through a cheesecloth into a bowl.
Place the clams on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each clam with a pepper square, then with a bacon or pancetta square and a dab of butter. Sprinkle the parsley on top. Pour the reserved chucking juices into a measuring cup and add enough white wine to make 2 cups of combined liquid. Pour the liquid into the bottom of the baking sheet.
Bake the clams until the bacon or pancetta is crispy and the clams are cooked all the way through, for about 25 minutes.
Serve on a platter drizzled with baking juices.
Serves six.
Winter Salad
Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb, washed and rimmed
1 ripe pear
Juice of one-half lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1/2 shallot, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons of honey
4-1/2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 ounces of Parmesan, shaved
1/2 cup of roasted walnuts
Directions:
Cut the fennel bulb in half and slice crosswise into the thinnest possible slices. Half, stem and core the pear. Slice it to the same thickness as the fennel and then cut the slices into quarter-inch strips. Place the pear slices in a medium glass or stainless steel mixing bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Add the fennel.
In a small mixing bowl, add the apple cider vinegar, shallot and honey. Whisk in the oil and season with the salt and pepper.
Add the vinaigrette and parsley to the fennel and pear mixture. Toss gently. Place on a platter and garnish with the Parmesan and walnuts.
Serves four.
Pork Chop Milanese with Arugula and Teardrop Tomatoes
Ingredients:
4 center cut pork chops, 1 inch thick, bones removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs, lightly toasted
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
1 bunch of arugula
1/2 pound of teardrop tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Directions:
Using a meat mallet, pound the pork chops until they are one quarter-inch thick. Season with the salt and pepper. Dip each chop into the eggs allowing the excess to drip off. Dredge each chop in the breadcrumbs and set aside on a plate.
Heat the 1/4 cup of oil over medium in a large skillet. Add the butter and allow it to foam for about 10 seconds. Place the chops in the pan and cook until light golden brown, for about five minutes. Carefully turn the chops and cook for another five minutes. Add more oil if necessary.
In a large bowl, combine the arugula and tomatoes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and lemon juice. Season with the salt and pepper. Toss the greens.
Place a pork chop on each of the four warmed dinner plates. Divide the arugula salad among the plates and place a lemon wedge on the side.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: If you cannot find teardrop tomatoes, grape or cherry tomatoes can be used.
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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