Rice and Sweet Corn Porridge with Dried Scallops

Recipe: Corey Lee's Rice and Sweet Corn Porridge with Dried Scallops

Ingredients

8 small dried scallops (1 ounce; see Note)

6 small dried wood ear mushrooms ( 1/2 ounce; see Note)

2 ears of corn—kernels cut off, cobs cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

2 quarts plus 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 large chicken thigh (7 ounces)

One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 celery rib, sliced 1/2 inch thick, plus 1/2 cup celery leaves

1 1/2 cups short grain or sushi rice, rinsed

1 tablespoon tamari

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Salt

Directions

1. Put the scallops and mushrooms in 2 small separate bowls and cover with water. Let stand at room temperature overnight.

2. In a small saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the corn kernels until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.

3. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, corn cobs, chicken thigh, ginger and sliced celery and bring to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, 30 minutes. Strain the broth and reserve the chicken thigh. You should have about 5 1/2 cups of broth.

4. Preheat the oven to 325°. Measure out 1 cup of the broth and reserve. In a 3- to 4-quart casserole or Dutch oven, combine the remaining 4 1/2 cups of broth with the rice and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cover and bake for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and a thick porridge has formed.

5. Drain the scallops and transfer to a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the scallops to a plate. Remove any membranes, then thickly shred the scallops; cover. Add the tamari to the cooking liquid in the pan and cover.

6. Drain the mushrooms and cut off the knob ends. Cut the mushrooms into 1/2-inch pieces. Remove the meat from the chicken thigh and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Add the chicken, mushrooms, corn, the remaining 1/2 cup of reserved broth, half of the celery leaves and the cheese to the porridge. Season with salt.

7. Spoon the porridge into bowls. Top with a little of the scallop-tamari broth. Scatter the shredded scallop and remaining celery leaves over the porridge and serve.

(Paid $13 for 8 dried scallops in SF Chinatown. Gulp.  Next time I'm so taking a Chinese speaking friend with me.  Update!  Here's what my Chinese coworker said after seeing the 8 little guys... "I think they are worth $13.  I almost paid $25 for a small bag of top quality dried scallops.")

Supremes De Volaille Aux Champignons

Happy 100th, Julia Child 

Recipe from Julia Child's Supremes De Volaille Aux Champignons

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (supremes)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 big pinch white pepper
 5 tablespoons butter 
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 lb sliced fresh mushrooms 
1/8 teaspoon salt 
For the sauce:
1/4 cup stock (white or brown) 
1/4 cup port wine (or madeira or dry white vermouth) 
1 cup whipping cream 
salt and pepper 
2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Rub the chicken breasts with drops of lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a heavy, oven-proof casserole, about 10 inches in diameter until it is foaming. 
3. Stir in the minced shallots or green onion and saute a moment without browning. Then stir in the mushrooms and saute lightly for a minute or two without browning. Sprinkle with salt. 3 Quickly roll the chicken in the butter mixture and lay a piece of buttered wax paper over them, cover casserole and place in hot oven. 
4. After 6 minutes, press top of chicken with your finger. If still soft, return to oven for a moment or two. When the meat is springy to the touch it is done. 
5. Remove the chicken to a warm platter (leave mushrooms in the pot) and cover while making the sauce (2 to 3 minutes). 
6. To make sauce, pour the stock and wine in the casserole with the cooking butter and mushrooms. Boil down quickly over high heat until liquid is syrupy. Stir in the cream and boil down again over high heat until cream has thickened slightly. Off heat, taste for seasoning, and add drops of lemon juice to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Whole-Wheat Penne with Tomatoes and Red Onion

Recipe adapted from Whole Living


Ingredients
3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
8 oz dried whole-wheat penne
1 garlic clove, miced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese


Directions

1. Preheat broiler. Toss tomatoes and onion with 2 teaspoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the red-pepper flakes. Broil on a rimmed baking sheet until tomatoes are just starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
3. Toss warm pasta with garlic, remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in tomato mixture and the basil. Add 1/4 cup reserved cooking water to moisten; stir in remaining water as needed. Divide pasta among 4 bowls, and stir 1 tablespoon ricotta into each.