Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Linguine with Lemon Sauce
I need a new camera. And some better lights in the kitchen. And I desperately need to make this blog look more professional. ... As you can see, I'm going through another one of my evening depressions. Time for something soothing. A week ago, I bought some fresh garlic and herb linguine and stuck them straight in the freezer. I'd bought way too much food again and knew that they were going to make me much happier at a later date. And that date was now. But what to do with them? Fridge stock taking time! Let's see, cheese, ham, salami, eggs, a handful of broccoli, a few lemons, a mango, a pear, cream, milk... So what's it going to be? Mango crème brulée? No, I think the linguine would be better with a creamy lemon and broccoli sauce. Throw in a handful of chicken from the freezer and it is quite a respectable dinner. Even for a loser incapable of maintaining a good blog.1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1 shallot or ½ onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
½ lemon, grated rind and juice
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (or ¼ tsp dried)
50 ml white wine
100 ml cream
1 to 2 handfuls of broccoli florets
1 chicken breast
stock granules for 200 ml of liquid
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
enough pasta for 2 people
salt and pepper to taste
Slice the chicken into thin strips. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and fry until golden brown and tender. If you prefer a creamy, puréed sauce, chop the broccoli into small bits. If not, leave the florets whole. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. (Don't worry if they stick, the sauce will loosen them again.)
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add the onions, cover and sweat until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, lemon rind and oregano and continue frying until fragrant. Pour in the wine, bring to the boil and reduce to about 1 tbsp. Add the lemon juice and broccoli, cover again and steam for a few minutes. Do not let the pan boil dry! Pour in the cream and slowly heat up again. Don't allow the sauce to boil, it will curdle.
If you want to make a creamy sauce, puree the mixture, add the stock granules and return to the heat. If not, simply add the stock granules and continue to simmer just below the boiling point until the broccoli is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. Add the Parmesan and stir until it has melted.
Toss the pasta with the chicken and pour in the sauce. Mix well, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with more freshly grated Parmesan.
Christine at 8:47 pm
1 Comments
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at 2:37 pm
The Guardian said... - What?? Are you kidding me? Loser blog? No way....I love your recipes. You are on my favorites list...I'm actually so impressed at how much you cook and what a great variety of things you cook. I love to cook and make up new recipes...but at the end of the day, I'm so exhausted from work, it's hard to even find the energy to make a sandwich.
You rock!
