With a simple repertory of sauces one can prepare an infinite variety
of pasta, meat, fish and vegetable dishes. This class will feature four
sauces which, when you master them, will make you a masterful host, mate
with cooking responsibilities, cooking-buddy or self sufficient culinarian.
As we prepare these sauces, consider the variations you may later prepare
to satisfy your own preferences. Variations might include additional ingredients
as well as combinations of the four sauces themselves. For example, one
might add garlic cream sauce to Marsala wine reduction, or pesto to filetto
di pomodoro. Filetto with a little pesto and cream added makes a wonderful
sauce as does garlic cream with pesto, no tomato-- or tomato, no pesto.
The sauces are: Pesto alla Genovese, Filetto di Pomodoro, Garlic Cream
and a Skillet Reduction of Marsala Wine and Herbs (prepared with boneless
breast of chicken).
Recipes are for Four:
Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts weighing about 6 oz each
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth (canned broth is ok)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
2 oz clarified butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Procedure:
Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet large enough to hold
the chicken
Press the sage into the chicken, sprinkle with salt & pepper
to taste
Dust the seasoned chicken breasts with flour
Saute the chicken for 2 1/2 minutes on each side, moderate heat
Add shallots after sauteeing the chicken for 2 minutes on second
side
Add Marsala, shake the pan and allow the wine to ignite.
Turn Chicken in wine
Add chicken broth, cover, reduce heat, simmer for about 5 minutes.
When chicken is cooked through, transfer to serving dish.
Pour sauce on top
Sauce may be quickly reduced/thickened by rapid cooking or extended
by adding additional broth. Finish with parsley and ground pepper.
The garlic cream sauce served at Cafe Capriccio is sweet and luxurious. Our patrons love it with ravioli, in combination with grilled chicken breast, with shrimp and sun dried tomatoes and in many other preparations. The concept of this sauce is to caramelize fresh garlic by simmering it first in wine and then chicken broth until only the essences of taste and substances remain in the thick emulsion covering the bottom of your pan. The caramelized emulsion is an exquisite confection to which is added heavy cream. The combination is magical.
Ingredients:
2 heads of garlic, peeled, left whole
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth (canned is ok)
1 qt. heavy cream
Procedure:
Combine the garlic and white wine in a non reactive pot
Simmer until the wine has evaporated (careful, don't burn the garlic)
Add chicken broth when wine has evaporated
Simmer until the broth has evaporated and a caramelized confection
results
Add heavy cream and simmer for about 5 minutes
Use a hand blender or whisk to integrate garlic and cream
Voila!
A couple of points:
1. Be careful not to burn the garlic--watch the pot closely at the
end. If you burn it, as we have burned it countless times, you must start
over again. No second chances with garlic cream.
2. The basic garlic cream sauce can be seasoned with herbs and spices,
added to other ingredients or left along. It really needs nothing else.
Nowadays, one can find many variations of pesto, from sun dried tomatoes,
to spinach, arugula, sweet red pepper, basil and more. The name pesto is
now assigned to virtually anything pureed and suitable for dressing pasta
, fish or meat. Pesto alla Genovese is basil pesto associated with the
area around Genoa where the herb is abundant and used in many indigenous
dishes. The historical meaning relates to the "primitive" mortar and pestle,
which was used to emulsify the ingredients into a paste; today we usually
use electronic mixing devices with good results. Purists will, of course,
say that the best pestos result from skillful use of the mortar and pestle
and they may be correct. For this recipe will use a blender or Cuisinart.
Ingredients:
8 cups of fresh basil; leaves removed from stems (assume 2 cups
basil leaves per person will result in sufficient pesto for 4 oz of pasta)
4 tablespoons of pine nuts roasted until light brown (careful not
to burn the nuts)
Other nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pistachio can be used
4 cloves of garlic (more if you like)
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Procedure:
Clean the basil and dry it
Assemble basil, garlic, nuts and cheese together in a blender
Blend, while slowly adding olive oil, until a smooth paste results.
Ecco!
People in the Northeast are accustomed to meatless tomato sauce being named 'marinara'. Visit Lombardo's restaurant in Albany and I bet you'll find marinara sauce on the menu--probably in a half-dozen places, maybe more. Since in Italian (as well as in Spanish, Portuguese and French) this term and its derivations refers to the sea, it seems like a misnomer to me. I believe a 'marinara' sauce should be full of ingredients from the ocean, don't you? Go figure! Because we deplore confusing culinary appellations at Cafe Capriccio, we name our fresh tomato sauce 'filetto di pomodoro', which is exactly what it is. Historic tales about Nonna's marinara sauce taking all day to cook are either erroneous, or Nonna was a lousy cook. And we know for sure that all Nonnas were brilliant cooks. Therefore, we must assume that Nonna knew the splendid virtues of a quickly prepared filet of tomato sauce still bright with color and fragrant with olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs. The best tomatoes to use are called 'San Marzano', from the region around Napoli-- and available in cans. Save your fresh tomatoes for salads. When you want a dish of pasta, there is nothing better than Italian plum tomatoes in the can, on your pantry shelf.
Ingredients:
4 cups San Marzano tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves chopped garlic
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Procedure:
Crush the tomatoes with your hands, discard bitter core, skins &
seeds
Heat olive oil in a pan for about 30 seconds
Add garlic to the olive oil, sautes for 30 seconds; don't burn the
garlic
Add tomatoes, herbs and spices . Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes--10
minutes tops.
Cook your favorite pasta and toss it in the sauce, leaving a little
extra for the top.