Fresh Ham
1/2 Fresh Ham (shank end) - about 9 pounds
12 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Olive and Almond Sauce
11/4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups unpitted green french olives - (reserve 1/4 cup of the brine)
1 cup slivered blanched almonds
6 cardamom pods (use seeds and pods), bruised
2 teaspoons ground dried lemon grass (or 2 tablespoons fresh)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons lemon juice
freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
- Heat oven to 400 degrees
- With a sharp knife, diagonally score the skin of the ham at one inch intervals. Cut only halfway through the fat; do not penetrate the meat. Place the garlic cloves in the center of the roasting pan. Set the ham on top of the garlic cloves. Roast, basting with pan juices occasionally, about 3 1/2 hours, or until the center of the thickest part of the roast reaches 165 to 170 degrees.
- Sauce: Tilt the roasting pan so the juices run to one corner. With a large spoon, skim off and discard the fat. Place the pan with the juices over medium heat and add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until the liquid reduces by half. Add olives, almonds, reserved olive brine, cardamom seeds and pods, lemon grass, and cumin. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and a generous amount of pepper and salt.
- Slice the ham against the grain into thin slices.
PaellaI almost always serve Paella with a Ceaser Salad and fresh garlic bread. They're both simple to make and big crowd pleasers. The picture is from Dallas and my Rehearsal Dinner. The Paella is garnished with clams but the extras were served in a separate bowl.
1 pound shrimp, shelled
1 dozen or more small clams, steamed
1 1/4 pounds mussels (about 24), steamed
12 chicken thighs without skin (note: can use boneless chicken breasts but they have a tendency dry out )
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 pound ham, sliced into 2 inch strips
6 fresh chorizo, cooked and sliced
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups white rice
4 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon saffron
1 4-ounce jar pimentos
- Create marinade for the chicken -- mix olive oil, wine, minced garlic, peppercorns, salt, 3 tablespoons diced onion, basil, thyme and oregano. Hold extra onion for later. Whisk together. Add the chicken turn each piece so it is covered with the marinade. Marinade in the refrigerator at least two hours but the longer the better. Can leave overnight.
- Prepare all the other ingredients -- chop peppers, onion, cut ham into strips, cook sausage and slice.
- Steam the mussels and clams - you can use a combination of clams and mussels or just one of them. I allow at least 4 shellfish per person. Some people add lobster, but I feel it gets lost with all the other great things that in the Paella.
- Make a large, hot charcoal fire. Heat enough of the marinade to cover the bottom of the paella pan (can buy these at Sur La Table and other cooking stores). Add the chicken and brown for about 10 minutes. Add the ham, sausage, onion, peppers, coriander and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and rice and cook for 5 minutes. Add the boiling water, mix well and fairly continuously so the mixture doesn't burn, until all the liquid is absorbed -- about 20 minutes. Add the shrimp about 5 minutes before the rice is done so it doesn't overcook.
- Add the pimentos and stir in to warm.
- Garnish with steamed mussels and clams.
Servings: 6
Notes:
- You can add or substitute different shellfish in this recipe. I like to vary the sausages from time to time - any kind of sausage will work, so use whatever you like best - hot Italian sausage, chorizo or andouille -- whatever suits your taste. The same is true for the peppers -- green work just fine, but the red and orange add color. It's also fun to use different types of ham - tasso is a fun alternative.
- You can buy Paella pans at Sur La Table and other cooking stores.
Source: Adapted from "The Original New York Times Cookbook"
Copyright: 1961
