The Cross and the Cleaver: The Wet Side of the Plate
“Serve with hunks of rustic, crusty bread to mop up the juices.” Such sentence at the end of recipe inevitably entices the engagement of all the senses. The crunch of the baguette, the aroma, the warm liquid being soaked in by the bread and then dripping down the chin and fingers. Yummmm …. well, I am drooling already.
Dipping bread in liquid is not new. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is mentioned dipping bread in a bowl during the Last Supper. It was not olive oil or balsamic vinegar as a visit in Italian, or any mediterranean, restaurant might have us think. There is strong evidence that it was Romans’ beloved garum (think slightly thicker fish sauce as popular then as ketchup is today). “Square meal” originated with a square piece of bread on which food was served, preserving the dripping. To my knowledge, the custom in many countries of serving soups or stews in bread bowls only recently gained in popularity, mostly thank to growth in food TV, food tourism etc. Principle remains – bowl soaks up the liquid and is hopefully eaten at the end of the meal.
Here is one recipe for juice and one for the gravy, each with brief explanation for context. Let’s get cooking and mopping up the juices!
1) My father brought this recipe from Paris where one of his business trips took him. When he cooked it, I used to offer to swap my meat portion for more juice and bread. It is slightly adapted.
Into a cold, non-stick, pan, put finely diced fat trimmings of your steak. Turn heat to med-high.
When fat begins to slightly sizzle add your steak (whatever cut you like and/or can afford) and cook to your liking. When ready take it out of the pan and cover with tin foil.
To the pan add a generous cup of onion cut into strips, stir frequently.
When onion begins to turn golden and you notice bits stuck to the pan, pour in a generous cup of red wine (with or without alcohol), or lightly sweetened cranberry juice. Deglaze the pan (meaning scrape the sticking bits), bring to boil and simmer for approx. 5 min. Add a generous tbsp of butter. Season with salt, pepper and finely chopped parsley.
Serve with baguette or crusty bread. Don’t forget the steak!!!
2) I read once that “the very purpose of the roast chicken IS the bread sauce.” It seems to echo the above story and recipe. I mean – who cares about the meat when you have THAT sauce, juice, or gravy. You can easily google the bread sauce. Here is my recipe:
In a saucepan mix 2 cups of milk, 1 finely diced onion, ½ tsp ground cloves, generous pinch of salt and pepper, 1-2 fresh, finely chopped, sage leaves (or ½ tsp of dried stuff), 1-2 crushed garlick cloves, 1 tbsp of butter. Bring to heat and simmer on low for approx. 10-15 minutes.
Add a scant cup of breadcrumbs and stir for approx. 5 minutes.
Serve with roast chicken or pork. Or just eat straight out of the pot. I will understand if you do.
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