My neighbor Marlee is back with a new (old) recipe she tried at home from one of her parent’s old Bon Appétit cooking magazines.  Marlee is new to cooking and has been working on her techniques and repertoire. I asked her to really spell out what she did and why and I think you are going to enjoy her results. I can’t wait to prepare this myself. Here’s what Marlee had to say:

This dish is particularly special to me because it has been in my family for decades now. It comes from the June 1989 issue of Bon Appétit magazine. My family has subscribed to Bon Appétit for as long as I can remember, and they save every issue they get, making notes of their favorite recipes on the inside.

My parents have been cooking this recipe for my whole life and last week I decided to try and make it myself for the first time. I cooked it for two family members and myself. I decided to share this recipe with you today because not only is it super easy to make, but it’s so delicious. How can you go wrong with green onions and cream?

While I found this recipe to be a huge success, I do have a few things I would have done differently:

• The original recipe says to sauté the chicken breasts whole and slice them afterwards, which I followed. My parents later told me that it’s faster and easier to cut the chicken first and then sauté it. It took me up to 25 minutes to thoroughly cook the chicken and get it to an internal temperature close to 165°F (the recommended temperature of doneness for chicken), because I had chicken breasts that were very thick.

• I forgot to season my chicken with salt and pepper before sautéing, and remembered half way through. I immediately seasoned, but don’t make the same mistake, season before you cook. The salt needs time to dissolve and mingle with the juices from the chicken.

• Make sure to plan out your cooking so that everything finishes at the same time. I started cooking the pasta while my chicken was still cooking because I thought my chicken would have been done faster than it was. I had my pasta finished a few minutes before everything else, and although it wasn’t a huge deal, it’s not preferred.

• If you are making this dish for less people and would like to cut the portions down, be careful. I decided to cut the servings in half and it turned out well, but I did notice that my sauce was a little heavier than I would have liked. I should have added a little bit more broth to the mixture. Either taste test your sauce before turning off the heat, or make sure to measure out properly. A taste test will probably be your best option though.

• This recipe calls for ¾ cup pasta, which if you’re cooking for 4 people may be enough, or maybe not. It all depends on personal preference. For three Italians who love pasta, we nearly finished the entire bowl. If you like leftovers, go for the whole box of pasta (usually 1 pound). But this means you may have to add a little bit more of some ingredients here and there.

• The original recipe in the magazine used green pasta (most likely some sort of spinach pasta) as an eye-catcher as well as to make the dish more colorful. Cream, cheese, chicken and plain pasta are all a similar color. Still tastes good regardless!

Ingredients:

• 5-6 chicken breast halves, skinned and cut into chunks
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
• 2 large shallots or Scallions (green onions), minced
• ½ cup chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
• 2 cups light cream
• 1¼ cups freshly grated Romano cheese
• 1 bunch Scallions (green onions), chopped
• ¾ pound green linguine or fettuccine
• Freshly grated Romano cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

How to Make:

Always get your mise en place before beginning any of the following steps. Things are going to be cooking and added very quickly and you don’t want to waste time measuring things out.

Preheat oven to 200°F and stick an oven-safe plate in it.

Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil, getting ready to cook the pasta. This should take 5-10 minutes, giving you time to cook the chicken and ensure that everything finishes around the same time.

Over medium-low heat get a 10-inch skillet hot and then melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

Season all sides of your chicken with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken to the skillet and sauté until cooked, flipping occasionally. This should take a few minutes on each side.

When your chicken is done, remove your plate from the oven and place the chicken on it. Tent the chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside.

Toss the linguine or fettuccine in the boiling salted water. I used linguine, but both pastas will be al dente between 7-10 minutes. I usually take 1-2 minutes off the time the box tells me to make sure I get that perfect al dente texture.

Place large oven-safe serving bowl into the oven to warm.

Add shallots, or green onions to the skillet you were just cooking the chicken in and stir around for 1 minute. If you find that your chicken soaked up most of the butter from before, you can add a tablespoon or less of butter to the pan at this step. I used shallots in this step, to mix it up.

Add chicken stock or broth to the skillet and raise the heat to a boil. Reduce this down to a glaze, takes around 4-5 minutes. I used commercial canned chicken broth.

Add cream to the glaze and boil until a thicker consistency, stirring occasionally. The sauce will be ideal thickness after about 5 minutes.  I may have added a little extra cream at this step, just for the fun of it. The recipe called for whipping cream, but I went on the light side.

Add your freshly grated Romano cheese and green onions to the mixture and stir until the cheese melts and everything blends and thickens. Also, for some added flavor, add the juices that have gathered on your chicken plate. Season all of this with a little pepper.

Once your pasta has finished cooking, transfer it to your heated large serving bowl. Add your remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and mix around until the butter fully melts.

Place your chicken on top of the pasta and finally pour your sauce mixture over both the chicken and pasta.

Serve immediately with freshly grated Romano cheese on the side.

Hope you enjoy this rendition of this recipe. Comments welcome.

Contributing Writer Marlee

All About Sage and How It Is Used in Veal Saltimboca

Here is another post from contributing writer Mark Vogel. When I hear of sage I immediately think of using it with chicken but as you will see in this article, there are lots of ways it can be used and is a vital ingredient for Veal Saltimboca.

Imagine a plant that:

• prevents excessive bleeding, yet can also increase blood flow
• increases urine output (a diuretic)
• reduces excessive sweating
• treats snakebites
• increases women’s fertility
• has anti fungal properties
• is an astringent
• is an antibiotic
• suppresses muscle spasms
• promotes estrogen
• assists with hypoglycemia
• can treat Alzheimer’s
• is an anesthetic
• aids digestion
• and in general possess restorative and healing properties.

And Now the Truth About Sage

Allow me to introduce you to the herb sage, whose name is derived from the Latin “salvus” meaning healthy or safe.   Ancient Greek and Roman doctors, folklorists of the Middle Ages, and even a few modern herbalists have all attributed one or more of the above claims to sage.  It’s no wonder that it was referred to as “Sage the Savior” or that a Provencal proverb asserted that “he who has sage in his garden needs no doctor.”

Too bad there isn’t a botanical entity that promotes common sense.  Most of these claims hold less water than the cells of the plant itself.  (I particularly like the diametrical beliefs that it prevents and increases blood flow.)  Over the ages most of sage’s medicinal claims have been abandoned in favor of its one unequivocal use:  in cooking.

Characteristics of Sage

Sage is a perennial herb from the mint family indigenous to the Mediterranean.  Nowadays it is grown in most temperate regions of the world.  It has woody stems, grayish-green leaves and purple flowers.  The Romans introduced it to Europe.  Charlemagne was so enamored with sage that he ordered widespread planting of it in 812.

Sage is a very pungent herb, a fact to keep in mind when employing it.  Peppery, minty, and slightly bitter are the most common adjectives describing its taste.  However, there’s a variety known as pineapple sage which believe it or not, has a pineapple scent.

Buy Fresh If Possible

Fresh sage is available year round.  Like any herb, look for batches with a bright aroma, vibrant uniform color, no blotches, and no signs of desiccation.  If the leaves look arid or limp, opt for its dried, jarred counterpart.  Most herbs are a shadow of themselves in dried form but dried sage is fairly decent. Remember the general rule of thumb; one part dried spices/herbs equals three parts fresh.

Storing Fresh Sage

Unused fresh sage can be wrapped in damp paper towels and stored in a bag in the fridge.  Or, my preferred storage method with herbs is to stand them up in a small vessel of water, (like flowers in a vase), ideally with a sealable lid, and then refrigerate them.  You need only enough water to submerge the base of the stems.

How To Use Sage

Sage has a wide variety of uses but due to its robust flavor, it marries better with heartier dishes.  It is a classic pairing with fattier fare because of the aforementioned beliefs in its digestive properties.  It is also utilized with pork, beans, certain cheeses, sausage, goose, forcemeats, marinades and especially stuffings.

In France it is most popular in Provence, a region enthusiastic about herbs in general, where it is combined with meats and soups.  In Germany they use it to season eel and even beer.  The Chinese infuse it in tea.  In the Middle East it is enjoyed with mutton.  And in Italy where it is quite popular, it can be found in osso buco, paupiettes, (rolled and stuffed meats), rice, soup, and the star of this article:  veal saltimbocca.

Photo Credit

Veal Saltimbocca

Veal saltimbocca, which probably originated in Brescia, (a region of Lombardy in northern Italy), is a specialty in Roman cuisine.  Quite simply, it is veal sautéed with prosciutto and sage in a butter/wine sauce.  In the traditional fabrication method two sage leaves are placed on a veal cutlet overlaid by a slice of prosciutto.  A long wooden skewer is then threaded through to hold the veal and its toppings in place.  This packet is then sautéed.

I have two problems with this method.  First, skewers are always awkward.  It’s a somewhat tedious procedure to ensure they are threaded properly.  The skewer must adequately penetrate each ingredient to hold it in place and in such a manner that the entire packet lays flat so it cooks uniformly.

My second issue is that sage is not dispersed evenly.  The cutlets are obviously larger than two leaves of sage.  This results in a gastronomic mood swing.  Some mouthfuls will be devoid of the herb while others will be inundated.

My solution is to first chop the sage leaves.  I stick with the basic formula of two leaves per piece of veal.  Pound the cutlets thoroughly so they are nice and thin.  Season them with salt and pepper.  Easy on the salt since the prosciutto is salty.  Sprinkle the sage evenly on the cutlets.  Top with the prosciutto, fold the cutlet in half, and then pound it again.

Deliver some extra whacks to the folded edge so it will not be inordinately thicker than the rest.  This second pounding also seals the perimeter of the folded cutlet, holding everything in place.  Remember when pounding meat to always use the smooth side of the mallet, and cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap.  This inhibits tearing of the meat and prevents the jettisoning of errant projectiles all over your kitchen.

Veal Saltimboca

Ingredients:

• 8 fresh sage leaves, cut in chiffonade, (as described below)
• 4 veal cutlets
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 oz. dry white wine

How to Prepare at Home

To chiffonade the sage, tightly roll the leaves horizontally into a cigar shape.  Then slice it end to end to produce little ribbons.

Pound the veal cutlets to thin them out and season with salt and pepper.  Evenly distribute the sage over the cutlets and then top each with a slice of prosciutto.  Fold the cutlets in half and pound them again to a uniform thickness.

Melt half the butter in a large skillet.  Place the veal packets in the pan, brown the first side, flip and repeat.  Remove the veal and reserve.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits off the bottom.  Add the remaining butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Return the veal to the pan and very briefly cook it on each side just to coat it with the sauce and serve.

Chef Mark R. Vogel

Photo Credit

As a follow up to yesterdays post on How to Become a Pastry Chef, I thought I would give you a broad idea of the pastry chef career in the United States. Here is some information I researched on the Internet about salaries, demand and job opportunities. This data was found on several web sites including the ones listed at the bottom of the post.

Although projected employment growth is slightly slower than average, job opportunities are predicted to be good. There is a high turnover rate with this profession, with the majority of these job openings coming from the need to replace workers who have left the field, although new positions will also become available.

There will be stiffer competition at high-end restaurants and well-known establishments. Being well rounded and having business skills in this industry will help out enormously.

Chefs, head cooks and food preparation supervisors held nearly 942,000 jobs in 2008. The middle 50% of chefs and head cooks earned between $29,050 and $51,540 in 2008. The lowest 10 percent made less than $22,120 and the highest 10 percent made more than $66,680.*

According to one survey, Pastry Chef and Executive Pastry Chef salaries rose 5.7% between 2008 and 2009, with the average 2009 salary being $48,861. Pastry chefs make the most money at private or country clubs, the salary being $61,167; $50,450 at Hotel Restaurants/Catering/Banquets; and $47,491 at Stand Alone Restaurants.

Where To Work

If you’re interested in location, Pastry Chefs apparently have the highest salaries in Florida, making $55,000 as opposed to $52,643 in Massachusetts, $52,059 in New York and $49,125 in California.**

Degree or No Degree?

You hear people saying that the average salaries for college graduates are much higher than their non-degree holding counterparts, and this is true. So is it the same for Pastry Chefs and Executive Pastry Chefs? One study found that between degree-holders and non-degree holders there was a $300 difference in salary.

What About Externships?

What truly made a difference in salary was whether someone has worked outside of the U.S. and unpaid externships. If a pastry chef had experience in unpaid externships, they had a $2,000 average salary increase. It seems as though the culinary industry rewards applicants with experience over education.**

Women Pastry Chefs have been found to make 22% less than their male counterparts, the males earning an average $58,900 and women earning $46,200. The majority of women in the culinary industry are Executive Pastry Chefs and Pastry Chefs, around 14% and average a 56 hour work week.**

Experience

Obviously with more experience come more benefits. While this is just one factor for the determination of a salary, here are the numbers of what to expect based on years of experience for Pastry Chefs. 1-4 years of experience earns a salary range from $28,287-$40,187; 5-9 years, $32,968-$46,341; 10-19 years, $38,798-$56,491; 20+years, $41,638-$69,603.***

While you can make your own decisions about your education and career paths, these are just averages and estimates from a few surveys found on the Internet. These are intended for research purposes and I hope this answers some of your questions about the Pastry Chef/Baker career field.

*According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov/oco/ocos330)
**According to a 2009 StarChefs.com Salary Survey
***According to Payscale.com 2010

Related Topics

Becoming a Pastry Chef

How to Become a Pastry Chef

Interview with a Master Baker and Pastry Chef

Cooking School Is Not For Everyone

Too Old For Culinary School?

Baking Schools in the United States