Spanish-Style Scrambled Eggs

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 ounces dry chorizo, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 4 ounces thinly sliced lomo or serrano ham, cut into wide ribbons
• 1/4 cup piquillo peppers from a jar, drained and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 dozen large eggs, beaten lightly
• 4 ounces Manchego cheese, coarsely shredded (1 cup)
• Pinch of smoked paprika

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

1. 1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook over moderately high heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and slice the potatoes crosswise 3/4 inch thick.
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3. 2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the potato slices and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chorizo and ham and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the ham is crisp, about 2 minutes. Stir in the piquillo peppers and cook for 1 minute.
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5. 3.In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Add them to the skillet and use a rubber spatula to scrape and stir until large, soft curds form, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Manchego and cook, stirring, just until melted, about 30 seconds. Transfer the eggs to a platter, sprinkle with smoked paprika and serve.

SERVE WITH

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 to 5 pounds potatoes (russets, Yukon gold or a combination), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• Salt
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
• 1 small sprig fresh rosemary
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided 2 Tbsp and 1 Tbsp
• 8 ounces cream cheese (full fat), room temperature
• 1/2 cup plain or Greek yogurt (can sub with sour cream)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Chives for garnish

Method:

1 Cook the potatoes. Place peeled cut potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with an inch of cold water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. Add the garlic cloves and rosemary sprig. Heat on high to bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover to maintain a simmer until the potatoes are just cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Once potatoes are done, drain the potatoes. Discard the rosemary sprig, save the garlic cloves with the potatoes.

2 Mash the potatoes and garlic cloves. While the potatoes are still hot, use either a potato masher or a potato ricer to roughly mash the potatoes in a large bowl. A ricer will yield fluffier, less gluey, mashed potatoes.

3 Mix in cream cheese and yogurt. In a large upright mixer (or if you have strong arms, you can do this by hand), add the riced or roughly mashed potatoes into the mixer bowl, along with 2 Tbsp of butter, the softened cream cheese, and the yogurt. Mix on low to start, then increase the speed to medium and mix just until everything is well incorporated. (Don't overmix!) Stir in the minced rosemary, the salt, and pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

4 Place in casserole dish. Butter generously the inside of a 2-quart casserole dish. Add the mashed potatoes, and spread out in an even layer. Dot with the remaining 1 Tbsp butter.

At this point, you've done the make-ahead part of the recipe. You can cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to bake. You can make up to 2 days ahead. (Or you can freeze for up to 2 weeks ahead.)

5 Bake. When ready to make, remove from refrigerator and let sit for an hour to come to room temperature. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.

Skirt Steak Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons fatija seasoning
• 1/4 cup grape-seed or olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped plus more for serving
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, halved crosswise
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, halved and sliced vertically
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 2 wedges of lime

Instructions:

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the garlic, fajita seasoning, grape-seed oil and cilantro. Toss the steak to coat in the marinade. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the butter, olive oil, and onion in the skillet. Season with salt, stir and cook until the edges of the onion are deeply golden yet still a bit firm, about 10 minutes. Add the peppers and cook for 5 - 6 minutes more, depending on how you want them. Transfer the onion and peppers to a small dish. 
3. Working in two batches, sear the steak on both sides for 3- 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 to 8 minutes before slicing into thin strips. Return the strips and any juices from the cutting board to the skillet, squeeze in the juice from the lime wedges and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Serve with warm tortillas, guacamole, cotija cheese and pico de gallo.

Beer-Battered Buttermilk Fried Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

BUTTERMILK SOAK:

• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 4 pounds medium chicken wings, thighs and drumsticks

BEER BATTER:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 18 ounces crisp beer, such as lager or pilsner (2 1/4 cups)
• Vegetable oil, for frying

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk with the salt, black pepper and cayenne. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate for 4 hours.
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3. 2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Whisk in the beer to make a thin batter.
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5. 3. Drain the chicken and thoroughly pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Transfer the chicken to the batter, turning to coat.
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7. 4. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil to 350°. Set a rack over a baking sheet and line the rack with paper towels. Lift the chicken from the bowl, letting the excess batter drip back into the bowl. Fry the chicken in batches at 315°, turning once, until golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 160°; about 18 minutes for wings and 20 minutes for thighs, breasts and drumsticks. Transfer the fried chicken to the rack and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

MAKE AHEAD

The 

Butter-Basted Rib Eye Steaks

INGREDIENTS:

• Two 1 1/4-pound, bone-in rib eye steaks
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 rosemary sprig

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Season the rib eye steaks all over with salt and freshly ground pepper. Let the meat stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the canola oil until shimmering. Add the steaks and cook over high heat until crusty on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the steaks and add the butter, thyme, garlic and rosemary to the skillet. Cook over high heat, basting the steaks with the melted butter, garlic and herbs, until the steaks are medium-rare, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut the steaks off the bone, then slice the meat across the grain and serve.

SUGGESTED PAIRING:

Pair boldly tannic Cabernet Sauvignon with these indulgent rib eyes.

Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

• 1 (14.75 ounce) can salmon, undrained and flaked
• 1 slice of bread, shredded
• 3 Tbsp chopped green onion, including the green parts
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped dill weed, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 3 Tbsp minced green bell pepper
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Several turns of freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

METHOD:

1. In a large bowl, gently mix together the salmon, bread, green onion,garlic, dill, bell pepper, flour, egg, paprika, lemon zest, lemon juice, saltand pepper. Form into 8 patties; each about 1/2 inch thick.

2.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Cook the patties until nicely browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.