Trying my hand at Colicchio's 'craft'

I am a Top Chef fan and have always appreciated Tom Colicchio’s even-tempered analysis of the chef’s dishes. His comments are short, though perhaps a bit too short, and to the point. It’s always been clear that his palate and skill-set are impeccable and his confidence comes from years of practice.

Colicchio, as explained in his book, ‘Think Like a Chef’, grew up around food: his first job was at an open-air food market in Elizabeth, NJ, he went crabbing and fishing with his grandfather, and he prepped and learned valuable skills at a slew of restaurants. His first restaurant job in NYC was at 40 Main Street, before moving on to The Quilted Giraffe, and then trying his hand abroad at L’hotel de France. It’s nearly impossible to recap the variety of experiences Colicchio has had in the restaurant industry; he eventually ended up at Gramercy Tavern, before opening up his series of Craft Restaurants. Most recently, Colicchio has shut Craftsteak NYC in order to open up Colicchio & Sons. Colicchio & Sons appears to be a revival of what Colicchio loves about cooking: fresh ingredients and honoring traditions. I haven’t been yet, but Serious Eats has a good write-up of their dining experience.

So, to say the least, it’s both humbling and exciting to flip through ‘Think Like a Chef’ and then attempt to cook something. This isn’t you’re average cookbook; sections are divided into ‘Techniques’, ‘Studies’ (roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, and artichokes), ‘Trilogies’, and ‘Component Cooking’. The recipe I tried a few nights ago was from ‘Component Cooking’ (yes, the end of the book!). Most of his ‘studies’ are based on spring and summer ingredients, and I was anxious to try something now.

This led me to ‘Swiss Chard Cannelloni with Chanterelle Sauce’. Swiss chard is not in season, unless you’re buying from a greenhouse or hoop house. However, mushrooms are plentiful at the market and the whole dish seemed earthy and perfect for the winter.

I had to make a few modifications to the dish. I couldn’t find chanterelles at the market, so I settled for shitake mushrooms from Madura Farm. I also used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and decided not to make my own crepes (maybe next time!). Prepping and cooking this meal took up every last inch of our kitchen, using multiple pots, cutting boards, and knives. Recipe writing is an art-form, and Colicchio (and his editors) did a wonderful job with the order: everything was easy to follow and made perfect sense.

After it was plated, we were both impressed that a dish like this had come out of our kitchen! When the weather warms up, I’m excited to try Colicchio’s Roasted Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Eggplant Lasgana.

Swiss Chard Cannelloni with Chanterelle Sauce
Serves 4

For the chanterelle sauce:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 pound (8 ounces) chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2-2 cups chicken stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 sprig fresh thyme

For the cannelloni:
2 pounds Swiss chard
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 leek, white part only, trimmed and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8, 8 1/2″ crepes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 spring onions, white parts only, halved lengthwise

Directions

1. Making the sauce. Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan.  Add the shallot and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

2. Reserve 8 small chanterelles for garnish.  Add the remaining mushrooms to the skillet.  Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms soften slightly, about 5 minutes.  Add 11/2 cups stock and the thyme, and simmer until the mushrooms are very tender, 5-10 minutes.

3. Puree the mushroom mixture in a blender until smooth.  Add up to 1/2 cup of stock if the sauce is too thick; the sauce should be just thick enough to nap a wooden spoon.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary and set the sauce aside.

4. Making the cannelloni. Cut the Swiss chard leaves from the stalks, discarding all but four of the stalks.  Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan.  Add the leek and garlic and cook until the leek begins to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add the Swiss chard leaves a handful at a time, and season with salt and pepper.  Let the chard wilt a bit before adding the next handful.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the chard is wilted and tender, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the chard to a colander.  Drain thoroughly, squeeze dry, and then chop.

5. Prepare the crepes and trim into even circles. Fill each with the chard and roll tightly.

6. Assembling the dish. Heat the oven to 250 degrees.  Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan.  Place the cannelloni in the skillet, seam side down.  Add the butter and cook, turning to brown on all sides, about 3 minutes.  Keep the cannelloni warm in a low oven.

7. Cut the reserved chard stalks into 2-inch lengths.  Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan.  Add the chard stalks, spring onions, salt and pepper and cook, turning once or twice, until the stalks begin to soften, 1 to 3 minutes.  Add the reserved chanterelles and cook until the vegetables are tender and golden, about 10 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, warm the chanterelle sauce over low heat.  Divide the sauce between 4 plates, place 2 cannelloni on each plate and garnish with the spring onions, chanterelles, and chard mixture.