Savor: Steely Resolve

Chef Alex Sze and his French Steel Pan

Westchester Home, March 2011

By Julia Sexton

For several years, I wrote Savor, a column that I conceived for Westchester Home, a quarterly. In it, I asked chefs to name their favorite kitchen tool and show how best to use it in recipes. I loved this column because the chefs chose tools that showcased their particular style of cooking.

In the world of kitchens, there are many types of pans, from countrified cast-iron skillets to extravagant copper evasées. There are nonstick and stainless, aluminum and enameled—and those are just the materials; we’re not even discussing the designs.

In his open kitchen in Hastings-on-Hudson’s Juniper, Chef Alex Sze keeps it simple. He favors the high-sided French steel pans sold by Manhattan’s JB Prince. This restaurant supply store’s pans (see box at right) have pro characteristics that separate them from the domesticated pack, including steep, angled sides that facilitate certain techniques. “We do a lot of pan roasting at Juniper, so we tip the pan on its side over the fire and baste the food in butter.” Extra-long, raked-up handles make this easier on crowded cook tops, plus they offer room for a cool, two-handed grip when it comes to shifting these weighty beasts.

“The heavy-duty steel shares a lot of characteristics with cast iron,” Sze says. “It weighs a lot, forms a great sear, and you need to season it before you use it. In fact, at Juniper, we don’t use detergents on these pans; we just wipe them out with water.” Like well-used cast iron skillet, these steel pans form a polymerized, non-stick coating with use—paradoxically, this makes older steel pans more valuable.

Would you recommend this pro gear to home cooks, who may be wedded to expensive All-Clad nonstick pans? “I would,” Sze answers. “These pans are cheap, and they’ll probably last longer. They’re virtually indestructible—you can use metal utensils, put them in the oven, and they’ll never wear out.”

FRENCH TOAST WITH POACHED PEARS, WHIPPED CRÈME FRAICHE, WILDFLOWER HONEY, AND CANDIED ALMONDS Serves 2

FOR THE POACHED PEARS 2 cups white wine 2 cups water 1 cup sugar 1 vanilla bean, split 2 Bosc pears, cut in half

Bring white wine, water, and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the saucepan with the scraped pod. Cut a round of parchment paper to exactly fit inside the saucepan, then add pears to the liquid and cover with the round of parchment paper. Bring back to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pears are fork-tender. Remove the pan from heat and allow the pears to cool in the liquid. Remove the cores from the pears and slice each half into thirds. Store pears in poaching liquid.

FOR THE WHIPPED CRÈME FRAICHE ½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream 2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Whisk crème fraiche until soft peaks form. Fold in the powdered sugar.

FOR THE CANDIED ALMONDS

½ cup sliced almonds 8 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp canola oil 4 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 300°. Combine sugar, water, and oil in a medium saucepan, and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add almonds and toss until they are evenly coated. Drain liquid, and, on a half sheet tray lined with a Silat or parchment paper, spread almonds. Bake the almonds for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes, until evenly golden brown.

FOR THE FRENCH TOAST 1 cup milk 1 cup cream ½ cup sugar 3 eggs 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 4 slices good quality white bread, sliced ¾ inch thick 4 Tbsp butter Powdered sugar (to taste) Wildflower honey (or your favorite kind of honey), to taste

Whisk the milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Add the slices of white bread and let the bread soak up the liquid for about 1 minute. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of butter and allow it to brown slightly. Add the piece of soaked bread and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Flip the bread and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes on the other side until golden brown. Wipe out pans and cook the other slices of bread, adding one tablespoon of butter each time.

TO SERVE Plate a couple of French toast slices and top with a few slices of poached pears, a dollop of crème fraiche, a drizzle of wildflower honey, a scattering of candied almonds, and powdered sugar to garnish.

STROZZAPRETI PASTA (COOKED IN THE STYLE OF RISOTTO) WITH SAVOY CABBAGE, PANCETTA, BLACK TRUFFLE, AND SUNNY SIDE EGG Serves 4 Strozapretti Pasta

2 quarts chicken stock 1 Tbsp olive oil ½ lb pancetta, diced 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves of thinly sliced garlic 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 cups Savoy cabbage, shredded 4 Tbsp butter 2 cups dried strozzapreti pasta

1 cup white wine 2 tsp black truffle oil 4 Tbsp chives, chopped 4 Tbsp parsley, chopped

FOR THE PASTA In a large pot, heat the chicken stock until simmering. To a pan placed over medium heat, add the olive oil. When hot, add pancetta and cook until it releases its fat and browns slightly, about 5 minutes. Add onions, sliced garlic, a sprig of thyme, and sauté the mixture over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper, then remove the sprig of thyme and discard.

Add Savoy cabbage to the pancetta mixture and sauté over medium heat until the cabbage is tender (about 10 minutes). Re-season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer the cabbage and pancetta onto a plate, then add 4 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Add the dry pasta to the pan and toast it over medium heat until it’s slightly fragrant. Add wine to the pan then cook until all of the raw alcohol smell is gone. Add two cups of hot stock to the pan and let the mixture simmer. As the pasta absorbs the stocks, continue adding ½ cup of stock at a time until the pasta is al dente. Return the cabbage and pancetta back into the pan. Drizzle in black truffle oil, chives, and parsley. FOR THE SUNNY SIDE UP EGGS 4 eggs 2 tsp butter Parmesan cheese for grating Freshly ground pepper

Heat 1 teaspoon of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook eggs gently for 2 minutes, or until whites are just set. TO SERVE Divide pasta among 4 bowls, and place a sunny side up egg on top of each. Top with cracked pepper and grated Parmesan.

PAN-ROASTED PORK CHOP WITH WARM BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD, CIPOLLINI ONIONS, APPLES, AND HAZELNUTS Serves 4

FOR THE WARM BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD 2 cups Brussels sprouts, split in half lengthwise ½ cup cipollini onions 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp butter 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 sprigs of thyme

Preheat oven to 375°. Over medium-high heat, place 2 heavy skillets. When hot, add olive oil to each pan. Divide Brussels sprouts between the pans, placing them cut side down, and sear until golden. Divide cipollini onions between the pans and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon of butter to each pan and cook until the butter is slightly brown and smells nutty. Add one clove of smashed garlic to each pan, and one sprig of thyme. Transfer the pans into a 375°F oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and keep warm.

FOR THE SHERRY VINAIGRETTE 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar ½ tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp chopped shallot 6 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the sherry, mustard, and shallots. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. FOR THE PORK CHOPS 2 Tbsp canola oil 4 pork chops, about 10 ounces each 4 cloves of garlic 1 sprig of rosemary 2 Tbsp butter

Heat 2 heavy skillets over medium-high heat. Add canola oil. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Place two pork chops in each pan and sear until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and sear the other side until also golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Split butter, rosemary, and garlic between the pans and continue cooking the chops, occasionally basting them with the fat in the pans, until they’re nearly cooked (internal temperature reads 130°F). Remove fom heat and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes.

TO SERVE ½ cup sliced apples 4 Tbsp chopped roast hazelnuts 4 Tbsp chives, chopped Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet placed over high heat, toss the roasted Brussels sprouts mixture with the apples, hazelnuts, chives, and sherry vinaigrette. When hot, plate alongside the roasted pork chops. Serve.

Julia Sexton is a Westchester-based food writer whose CRMA award-winning Eat.Drink.Post. blog appears at westchestermagazine.com.