Kitchen Kupboard

"Perfect Roast Chicken"

Ingredients:

	1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
	Kosher salt
	Freshly ground black pepper
	1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
	1 lemon, halved
	1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
	2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
	1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
	4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
	1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
	Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with vegetable oil. Combine the fleur de sel and cracked pepper on a plate and roll the steaks in the mixture, pressing lightly to evenly coat all sides.

When the skillet is ready, add the steaks and sear them evenly on all sides for about 2 minutes per side, for a total of 10 minutes.

Top each steak with a tablespoon of butter, if using, and place the skillet in the oven. Cook the steaks until they reach 120 degrees F for rare or 125 degrees F for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer. (To test the steaks, insert the thermometer sideways to be sure you're actually testing the middle of the steak.)

Remove the steaks to a serving platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Serve hot with Roquefort Chive Sauce on the side.

Roquefort chive sauce:

	1 1/2 cups heavy cream
	2 ounces French Roquefort Cheese, crumbled (4 ounces with rind)
	1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
	1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
	1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has become thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cheese, salt, pepper and chives and whisk rapidly until the cheese melts.

Yield: 4 servings (cut in 1/2 to serve 2)

"Sautéed Wild Mushrooms"

Ingredients:

	2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, porcini, and Portobello
	1/2 cup good olive oil
	1 cup chopped shallots (4 large)
	4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
	2 teaspoons kosher salt
	1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
	2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
	1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Direction
Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.

Heat the olive oil in a large (11 - inch) Dutch Oven or saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the butter, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until they are tender and begin to release their juices, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Toss in the parsley, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

"Cornmeal-Meal Onions"

Ingredients:

	2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
	2 cups buttermilk
	Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
	1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
	1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
	1 quart vegetable oil

Directions
Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch Oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

"Truffle Tarts with Raspberries"

Ingredients:

	1 1/2 cups fine chocolate wafer crumbs (from Oreo cookies or chocolate wafers)
	6 tablespoons melted butter
	1 recipe Dark Chocolate Truffles, recipe follows, whipped but not shaped into balls
	6 fresh raspberries, plus extra for serving

Directions
Use a fork to mix together the chocolate wafer crumbs and butter. Spray the cups of a 6-muffin tin with a vegetable spray. Line the cups with strips of parchment or waxed paper, cut so that they are as wide as the diameter of each cup and long enough to overhang the sides (you'll need this overhang to remove the tarts). Use the bottom of a small glass to press the crumbs over the bottom and sides of the muffin cups, building the sides up to only about 1 1/2 inches. Place a raspberry in the center of each crust and with a pastry bag or small plastic bag with the corner snipped off, fill the tarts with the truffle mixture. Smooth the tops and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours

Dark Chocolate Truffles:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good-quality (70 percent) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup cocoa powder, for dusting

In a saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer over low heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate in a bowl and let stand about 10 minutes to melt the chocolate. Add the vanilla and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then beat the chocolate at medium speed until it gets thick and light colored. Spread over the bottom of a baking dish and smooth the top. Refrigerate about 2 hours, until firm.

Pour the cocoa powder onto a deep plate or shallow bowl. Use a melon baller or small ice cream scoop to scoop out balls of chocolate; place them on the plate with the cocoa powder and roll between 2 forks to completely coat with the cocoa powder. Then use the forks to carefully transfer them to a parchment or waxed lined baking sheet.

Enjoy Love!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

"Steakhouse Steaks"

Ingredients:

Directions

Roquefort chive sauce:

Direction
Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.

Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

"Steakhouse Steaks" Ingredients:

Directions

Roquefort chive sauce:

Direction Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

"Steakhouse Steaks"

Ingredients:

Direction
Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.