Stevens - All about roasting: a new approach to a classic art

Also by Molly Stevens

ALL ABOUT BRAISING

BUTTERFLYING PORK TENDERLOIN ()

SEASONING ONE-HOUR ROSEMARY RIB ROAST ()

Copyright 2011 by Molly Stevens
Photographs copyright 2011 by Quentin Bacon

All rights reserved
First Edition

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Book design by George Restrepo
Production manager: Julia Druskin

ISBN 978-0-393-06526-8

ISBN 978-0-393-25367-2 (e-book)

W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
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W. W. Norton & Company Ltd.
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In memory of my father,
E. W. Dann Stevens,
who loved to gather around the table.

CONTENTS

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A S YOU MASTER THE TECHNIQUE OF ROASTING, YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT A PERFECTLY COOKED ROAST NEEDS NO EMBELLISHMENT. IN FACT, A PERFECTLY cooked roast often deserves no embellishment. Its almost a matter of respect, especially if you make the effort to buy top-quality, humanely raised meat and poultry. I realize, however, that there are times when we all crave a little something extraa little pizzazz on the plate. For these instances, you have two options. The first is to make a pan-sauce or gravy from the drippings left in the roasting pan. Youll find examples of these throughout the book and an explanation of how to improvise on . Your second option is to make what I call go-withs a variety of boldly flavored relishes, pestos, flavored butters, vinaigrettes, seasoned salts, and dips that complement the savory taste of roasted foods. Go-withs are made separately from whatever youre roasting and have the advantage of being hugely versatile. The following charts list all the go-withs in the book, along with suggestions for alternate pairings.

Salsas, Pestos, Relishes, and Condiments

Vinaigrettes

Sauces

Flavored Butters

M OST AMERICAN COOKS USE A STANDARD SYSTEM OF MEASURING LIQUID BY TEASPOONS, TABLESPOONS, CUPS, AND QUARTS. WHEN IT comes to dry measure, the customary U.S. system is again one of spoons and cups, but since weight is the most reliable measure for dry measure, many cooks (especially bakers) choose to measure dry ingredients by weight. For instance, 1 cup of flour can weigh between 3 and 5 ounces, depending on the climate and method of filling the cup measure, whereas 4 ounces of flour will always be the same.

When converting a recipe from U.S. measure to imperial or metric, its important to use a little basic kitchen sense. For example, the exact equivalent of 1 cup of water is 236.5 milliliters. In all but the most exacting kitchen laboratories, this amount can be interpreted as 250 milliliters. Likewise, if a recipe calls for 1 pound of peaches, and the market sells them in kilo (500 gram) sacks, theres no need to fuss around trying to weigh out 453 grams of peaches. The key is to be consistent and follow the spirit of the recipe.