Today, I asked the boy what he wanted for dinner: chicken, pork or beef. His answer? “Ham. Not that stuff that comes in the zippy bags. Thick ham. From the oven. Slices. Can you do that?” Huh. Didn’t see that coming. I also didn’t realize that nobody sells ham outside the holiday season. I hit three supermarkets before finally scoring half a spiral sliced ham — on sale, no less! — at Trader Joe’s.
Separating the onions by hand. He was later crushed to discover that red onions don't look as lovely once they're cooked.
While the ham sat in a 250 degree oven for an hour and a half, I decided to get ambitious in what turned out to be The Night of Butter.
I made Lyonnaise potatoes (onions, potatoes and butter) and pan-seared brussels sprouts accented with fried prosciutto. I stumbled across the fried prosciutto by accident in a somewhat awful pasta recipe. The only highlight was the astonishingly light, crunchy and salty crumbles that taste like superbacon. Use them the next time a recipe calls for crumbled bacon. Mmm.
Lyonnaise Potatoes
The Tiny Kitchen Assistant took it upon himself to separate every last onion “rainbow,” one by one by one. You don’t need to do this at home, unless you’re trying to keep a 3-year-old busy.
Ingredients
- Yukon gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- Unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and 1/4 tsp kosher salt and allow to caramelize for about three minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cover for 10 more, until onions are soft. Remove onions from pan.
Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a microwave-safe dish. Toss potatoes in butter. Microwave for 6 minutes, until tender.
Melt another 1 Tbsp of butter in the onion skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and let sit for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Do not stir. Flip potatoes to brown the second side. Return onions to pan for 2 minutes to let flavors blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
"They're not quite golden yet. I want them to look like the color of the bottom of the pot. That color makes everything taste better!"
"They're not quite golden yet. I want them to look like the color of the bottom of the pot. That color makes everything taste better!"
Prosciutto Brussels Sprouts
I’ll admit that I winged this one based solely on the recollection of a recipe that I once saw at the farmer’s market involving bacon and brussels sprouts.
Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and cut in half
- 3 slices prosciutto
- Unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Melt 1/2 Tbsp butter in a skillet. Add prosciutto and fry until crisp. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Try not to nibble on it while cooking the rest of the meal.
Melt another 1/2 Tbsp butter in the prosciutto skillet (there will be some residual grease and lots of residual flavor remaining). Add brussels sprouts and sear until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crumbled prosciutto.
Results: Mixed. For the first time in his life, E ate a potato that wasn’t a french fry, and requested more. He also tried the brussels sprouts, but ultimately rejected them. However, he was not opposed to “maybe next time skipping the green things and just having a big plate of the yummy bacon. I like this bacon!” I think that’s genetic from his father’s side. (Are you reading this, Grandpa?)