A “tian” refers to a large number of French layered vegetable dishes, some of which include rice and a binder of some sort (as typified by Julia Child’s Tian de Courgettes au Riz, featured in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2).

I enjoy both styles but admit a particular fondness for the rich creaminess of the latter. It’s simple home cooking at its delicious best, and it lends itself to endless seasonal variation.

The following concept recipe can be interpreted with any number of different vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, fennel, celery, bell peppers, summer squash, zucchini, winter squash, pumpkin, carrots, parsnips, or spinach.

It provides a great vehicle for using leftover raw vegetables, such as broccoli or celery stalks combined with a few carrots. It’s also great with onions only and fabulous with leeks.

For a one-dish meal, diced, cooked ham, chicken, shrimp, crab, prosciutto, or bacon can be added, along with a little more cheese.

Fennel, Bell Pepper, & Summer Squash Creamy Rice Tian

…
In this homey, satisfying tian, rice is partially cooked, enrobed in a creamy white sauce (Béchamel), combined with partially cooked veggies and Parmesan, and then baked until bubbly. Serve on its own for a simple supper, with crusty bread alongside.

Rice
½ cup raw, long-grain white rice

Béchamel Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
¾ cup milk
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Veggies
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds fresh vegetables, such as:

• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
• 1 small summer squash, trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 orange bell pepper, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 poblano chile, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and chopped (use disposable gloves)
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and chopped (use disposable gloves)
• 1 handful baby spinach

Finishing
½ cup grated Parmesan
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus additional for the baking dish

1. To prepare the rice, in a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil and add the rice. Simmer for 5 minutes exactly and drain. Reserve.
2. To make the Béchamel Sauce, in a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and stir in the flour. Cook, whisking continuously, for 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the stock and milk. Bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce, whisking all the while. Remove from the heat, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve.
3. To prepare the veggies, in a large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter, and sauté the onions (or shallots or leeks) and garlic until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining veggies and cook for 3-5 minutes, until still crisp but softening slightly.
4. To finish, in a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, sauce, veggies, and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Butter a 6-cup baking dish or soufflé mold. Turn the mixture into the mold and dot the top with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
6. Bake at 425° for 20-30 minutes, until the tian is bubbling and the top is browned. The rice should absorb all the liquid. Serve hot.

Serves 6.

Resources

• Italicious: Zucchini and Rice Tian
• Slashfood: French Vegetable Recipe & Explanation
• Wikopedia: French Tian
• WiseGeek: What is a Tian?

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Copyright 2012 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

There are few dishes in the world more deeply satisfying than a perfectly made Potato Gratin. And by perfectly made, I mean the potatoes are cooked just until tender (not falling apart), are enveloped in a creamy (not curdled) sauce, and are well-seasoned (not bland). Of course, it goes without saying that  a copious quantity of cheese should be used and it should be of excellent quality and aged to boot. In a dish this simple, each ingredient counts.

Even though my earlier Potato Gratin post features a master recipe and SEVEN variations, there appears to be no end to the improvisation on this favorite dish. Why just last week, it occurred to me that I could make this dish more center-of-the-plate worthy by increasing the protein as well as the overall flavor impact.

So that’s what we have here. Add a salad, and call it DINNER. I promise, you won’t hear any complaints.

Potato Gratin with Ricotta, Pancetta & Melted Leeks

When local leeks hit the Northwest farmers markets in the spring, I can’t get enough of them. They are marvelous in so many dishes and the perfect partner for potatoes. I can’t decide if I like this dish better with Cheddar or Gruyere. The latter is perhaps a bit more sophisticated when you want to pull out all the stops. If you do use cheddar, it must be aged. A young cheddar will curdle.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 ounces diced pancetta

Melted Leeks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or perhaps a bit more)
4 cups sliced fresh leeks (white and pale green portions only) (1 pound trimmed)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
fine sea salt, to taste

Ricotta Filling
2 cups whole milk ricotta
6 tablespoons cream
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
fine sea salt, to taste

Cream Sauce
3 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
¾ cup heavy cream
3 cloves garlic, finely minced, optional

Layering
3 pounds baking potatoes (Russet Burbank), peeled, sliced 1/4-inch thick, and covered with cold water
fine sea salt
freshly ground white or black pepper
4 cups grated Gruyere, Emmenthaler, cheddar, or other well-aged, melting cheese of choice (8 ounces)
½ cup finely grated parmesan

1. Butter 9- by 12-inch, 12-cup capacity, baking dish.
2. In a small saute pan, cook the pancetta, turning often, until it is browned and most of the fat is rendered. (Pancetta is usually fatty enough to not require added fat for the pan. However, if the pan becomes dry, add a little vegetable oil and continue.) Reserve.
3. To make the Leek Filling, melt the butter in a large sauté pan, add the leeks, and cook over low heat until the leeks are very soft but not browned. If the pan becomes dry, either add a bit more butter or water, and partially cover to complete the cooking. Remove from the heat, add salt to taste, and reserve.
4. To make the Ricotta Filling, in a processor fitted with the knife blade, puree the ricotta until it is as smooth as possible, and then, while continuing to puree, gradually add the cream and then the garlic. Incorporate salt to taste, and reserve.
5. To make the Cream Sauce, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and a couple tablespoons of chicken stock until smooth. Add the rest of the chicken stock, cream, and garlic, and whisk to combine. Reserve.
6. Before you begin layering the gratin, make sure you have all components prepared and lined up on the work counter.
7. Carefully dry the potato slices with a clean kitchen towel and begin arranging them, slightly overlapping, into the dish. When you complete the layering, you will have four layers of potatoes and three layers of fillings. The top layer of potatoes is covered with the remaining sauce and cheese only (no leek or ricotta filling).
8. Season each layer of potatoes rather generously with salt and pepper. Then, over the first three layers, distribute ¼ of the grated cheese, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, 1/3 of the pancetta, 1/3 of the Melted Leeks, 1/3 of the Ricotta Filling, and ¼ of the Cream Sauce.
9. Proceed with layering, ending with a top layer of potatoes, final ¼ of the Cream Sauce, and remainder of the cheeses.
10. Cover with a dome of foil (it should not touch the cheese), and bake in the upper third of the oven at 375º for 30-45 minutes, until the gratin is bubbling lightly. Remove foil and continue cooking for a total time of 60-75 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when tested with a fork and the top is nicely browned.
11. This dish can wait, loosely covered, for half an hour or so. To hold it any longer, stop the cooking process just before the last bit of liquid has been absorbed, cool, cover and refrigerate, and then reheat gently, covered with foil, in a 325º oven for about 30 minutes before serving. It is actually much easier to cut neatly when baked ahead and tastes even better the next day.

Serves 4-6.

Copyright 2011 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

Years ago in Sedona, Arizona, a dish titled Fire-Smoked Lemon and Herb Marinated Artichoke caught my attention. I asked the server how it was prepared, and she said the artichokes were marinated for days in a lemon, garlic, olive oil, and fresh herb vinaigrette, then grilled over mesquite. She said they were to die for. They weren’t. In fact, I could barely discern the marinade at all.

So when I got back to my own kitchen, I tried it. My result was no better than what we had eaten in the restaurant. Not bad, mind you, but not packed with flavor. So over the next few years, I tried this and that, stuffing the artichokes, steaming them, braising them, and grilling them. But the results were just okay, no matter what.

Then one night recently, a moment before I was about to fall asleep, a thought floated across the pearly blue sky of my mind. That thought was “What if you marinate the artichokes AFTER partially cooking them?”

It made perfect sense. A marinade doesn’t permeate a raw artichoke. I knew this from repeated attempts. And sauces served alongside or even over an artichoke remain separate as well. What I wanted was the flavor of the marinade IN the flesh of the artichoke.

And that folks, thanks to a midnight revelation,  is what I offer you here. This is the artichoke of my dreams, and now that I know the secret, local Northwest artichokes will be on our table even more often than usual this summer.

Before you jump into the recipe, however, be sure to check out the new Artichoke Primer page. It contains step-by-step directions (with photos) for trimming artichokes, plus everything you need to know about seasons, selection, storage, preparation, cooking, eating, and great flavor pairings.

Lemon & Thyme Marinated Artichokes with Spicy Sorrel Chive Pesto, Garlic Breadcrumbs & Toasted Hazelnuts

This is how artichokes should taste. The flavors sing and the textural play of the toasted breadcrumbs and hazelnuts with the silky-tender artichoke heart is pure heaven.

Note Spicy Sorrel Chive Pesto gilds the lily here (and I love it), but it’s not essential if you don’t have it on hand. Another pesto will work or use none at all. There is plenty of flavor here even without the pesto.

4 whole globe artichokes
½ cup fresh lemon juice

Lemon & Thyme Vinaigrette
zest of 2 large lemons
½ cup fresh lemon juice (mostly from above)
½ cup cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more to taste

Bread Crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
fine sea salt, to taste

Stuffing
Spicy Sorrel Chive Pesto, optional

Garnish
¼ cup chopped parsley
½ cup toasted, skinned, coarsely chopped hazelnuts

1. Trim the artichokes as described on the Artichoke Primer page. The result will be well-trimmed (lower leaves and top removed, stem trimmed and peeled, remaining leaves trimmed, and choke removed), quartered artichokes, coated with lemon juice.
2. Fill the bottom of a large pot with steamer insert with water to just below the insert. Bring water to a boil.
3. Add the trimmed artichokes to the pot, cover, and steam for 15 minutes.
4. Drain the artichokes and remove to a large bowl.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, quickly make the vinaigrette by whisking together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, thyme, and salt to taste.
6. Pour the vinaigrette over the still hot artichokes, toss gently, and let cool to room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and frig until you want to serve.
7. In the meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumbs. In a large saute pan, melt the butter. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic, and toss repeatedly to evenly and lightly brown the crumbs. Remove the crumbs to a small mixing bowl and salt to taste. When cool, cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature until needed, up to 2 days.
8. Just before serving, preheat the oven to 400°.
9. Using a small spoon, stuff a small amount of pesto between each of the leaves. (Or skip this step if you wish.)
10. Butter an edged baking sheet and arrange the artichokes on the sheet. Drizzle a little of the marinade over the artichoke to help keep them moist while baking. Sprinkle heavily with breadcrumbs.
11. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until artichokes are heated through and fully tender.
12. Remove artichokes to serving plates. Garnish with chopped parsley and hazelnuts. Drizzle each plate with a little of the remaining marinade. Serve hot.

Serves 4-5 as an appetizer or side dish.

Copyright 2011 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

I’m a sucker for polenta (AKA grits). No matter what other fabulous dishes a menu is featuring on any given night, if I spot polenta or grits, that’s the dish I order. That’s what happened at Craigie on Main in Cambridge recently. And it was breakfast no less. But just look at the dish above, and I’m sure you’ll agree I would have been out of my mind to order anything else.

Polenta is basically a thick cornmeal mush (although culinary goddess, Marcella Hazan, calls this description an  indelicate use of the English language), which is either served hot and creamy from the pot with a sauce of some type or shaped and left to cool, then later sliced and fried, baked, or grilled. 

Polenta is a specialty of Northern Italy, in particular the provinces of Friuli, Emilia Romagna, Lombardy, and Veneto. The rest of Italy hardly uses corn at all, and in fact there is the general attitude in the south that corn is fit only for the feeding of pigs. Be that as it may, America loves corn and has taken to polenta with a passion.

Grits are likewise a thick cornmeal mush, but the dish originated with Native Americans. Today, the Southern United States is Grits country.

In California, as early as 1985, I began to note the inclusion of polenta on New American Cuisine restaurant menus of that time. The name “corncakes” was in fashion then, however. Today, it’s polenta or grits. And not many menus seem overly particular about the naming distinction between the two dishes.

To be nit-picky, Polenta is made from coarsely ground whole yellow corn. Grits are made from less coarsely ground (usually) whole white corn or white corn kernels (hominy). Grits cook faster than polenta because of the finer grind and are usually very creamy, almost porridge-like. Polenta tends to be a bit more toothsome and is often served firm and fried.

Whatever you call it, this simple, homey dish is altogether comforting and irresistible.   

Depending on what you sauce or layer the polenta with, it can be either a straight-forward unassuming dish or an almost sophisticated one. It can be served right from the pot in a hot, steamy mound or allowed to cool and harden, then sliced into slabs. In the latter case, the polenta is often layered in a casserole with a sauce and cheese, although it can also be simply grilled or fried. 

In the northern provinces of Friuli and Veneto, grilled or broiled slices of polenta accompany the main course in place of bread. In American restaurants, polenta or grits is often served as the starch component of a composed plate, under or alongside the meat.  

To vary the color and texture, fine, medium, coarse, yellow, white, or blue cornmeal can be used, and in fact, other grains altogether, such as buckwheat or barley, can be treated to the same cooking method to produce different flavor profiles. Although many recipes for polenta specify cooking the cornmeal in water, excellent results can also be obtained by using stock, milk, some cream, or even some wine.

Just look at the dish below photographed this past Fall at Cowboy Ciao in Scottsdale. Grilled polenta triangles are smothered in the most delectable wild mushroom sauce imaginable and topped with  a sprinkling of avocado and diced tomato. I thought I’d died and gone to polenta heaven.

Basic Polenta

There are two tricks to this basic polenta. The first is to add the cornmeal grits to cold liquid. This ensures that the grits do not clump when you add them. The second is to use a deep stockpot and the longest handled wooden spoon you can find. Polenta spatters as it cooks, and it is very easy to get burnt with hot globs flying out of the pot. Stand back from the pot, and let the long handled wooden spoon take the heat.

When it comes to which liquid to use, I prefer stock with a bit of cream. But some chefs make a strong case for using water rather than stock, as then nothing interferes with the flavor of the corn. I almost always add cheese as well, but rarely add butter. These choices, however, are all yours.

6 cups cold water, stock, or milk, approximately  
2 cups coarsely ground corn grits (cornmeal will also work but won’t be as toothsome)
fine sea salt, to taste
optional: ½-1 cup cream (in place of equal amount of stock)
optional: 4-8 tablespoons unsalted butter (herb butters can be wonderful)
optional: ½-¾ cups grated Parmesan  or other cheese of choice

1. Fill a deep stockpot with your liquid of choice. While the liquid is still cold (room temperature is fine as well), slowly sprinkle on the grits, stirring all the while.
2. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring constantly (but no need to work too hard at this) with a long handled wooden spoon.
3. Add salt to taste and butter or cream if using. 
4. Cook slowly for 20-30 minutes, stirring slowly but rather steadily. 
5. When done, the polenta should be thick, smooth, and soft, and should tear away from the sides of the pot as you stir. You can test the set by spooning a large dollop on a plate. It should mound rather than flatten on the plate. If the mixture is becoming too thick, and grits are not yet tender, add additional liquid, in ½ cup increments as needed.
6. Finish by folding in the Parmesan (or other cheese), if using. 
7. Now, do ONE of the following. (If you choose the second, third, or fourth option, you will then need to saute, grill, or bake the cooled polenta before serving. Several suggestions are below.)

• Pour onto a large platter, make an indent in the center of the mound, top with sauce of your choice and grated cheese, and serve immediately.
• Pour into an oiled, edged baking sheet or baking pan and spread to an even depth of 1/4-1/2 inch, depending on what you intend to use the polenta for, and let cool. For baking, 1/2-inch works best; for grilling, 1/4-inch is preferable. When cool (can be refrigerated), polenta can be cut with a 3-inch round cookie cutter, into 2- by 3-inch rectangles, or into oblique diamonds of similar size, which are especially nice for grilling. Cover with plastic wrap and frig for at least 4 hours to allow to set up.   
• Pour into a mound and let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and frig for at least 4 hours to allow to set up. Then slice vertically into slabs with a taut length of fishing line.   
• Pour into a 9- by 5-inch oiled bread pan, cool, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow to set up. Turn out when set and slice vertically with fishing line. Cut each slice in half crosswise to form rectangular pieces. 

Reheating Cooked Polenta

Fried Polenta

Heat a good layer of clarified butter or corn oil in a skillet. Arrange slices of polenta in the pan and fry until a light to medium brown crust forms on one side. Turn and repeat on the other side. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Baked Polenta

Butter a shallow baking dish and arrange layers of polenta slices, alternating the direction of each layer. Drizzle melted butter and grated Parmesan over each layer and bake at 400° for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Broil the top for a minute or two to brown slightly.

Heavenly Light Baked Polenta

Butter a 2 quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Spread half the polenta evenly over the bottom of the dish. Spread ¾ cup cream over the polenta and top with ½ cup finely grated Parmesan. Top with the remainder of the polenta, and spread with 1 cup cream, lightly seasoned Top with ¼ pound sliced Fontina. Bake at 325° until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes; the cream will be absorbed by the polenta.

Batter Baked Polenta

Dip slices of polenta into beaten egg, then into a half-and-half mixture of wheat germ (or toasted, ground nuts) and bread crumbs. Arrange on a buttered baking sheet and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve hot with sour cream and sliced green onions, tomato sauce, or béchamel sauce.

Grilled Polenta

Place slices of polenta on an oiled grill and cook for a minute or two on each side. Serve as an accompaniment to grilled meats and vegetables.

Resources

• Bob’s Red Mill Corn Grits
• Bobby Flay: Sweet Potato and Smoked Chile Grits
• CookThink: What’s the Difference between Polenta and Grits?
• Dana Treat: Mushroom and Herb Polenta
• Dana Treat: Polenta Baked with Corn, Tomatoes, and Basil
• Eating for England: Polenta vs. Grits
• Food & Wine: Bobby Flay’s Corn and Goat Cheese Grit’s
• Food.Com: Bobby Flay’s Jalapeno Cheese Grits
• I’m a Nola Girl: Zea’s Roasted Corn Grits
• St Petersburg Times: Grits and Polenta: Cousins of the Corn
• The Online Pioneer: Updated classic: Cheesy Grits
• The Pioneer Woman: Creamy Cheesy Grits with Chilies
• Wikopedia: Grits
• Wikopedia: Polenta
• YumSugar: Polenta Versus Grits

 Copyright 2010 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.