The Sopranos with Lindsay: Episode V

It felt very fitting to be eating a big bowl of pasta as Tony sat down with his family to do likewise. Of course, we had not just pulled out a sawed-off shotgun from our center console or poured sulfuric acid on a kid’s toes, but we could enjoy a meal fit for the Sopranos—homemade, hearty, and delicious—nonetheless. Our gang of Sopranos aficionado’s may not be the mafia, but the food sure fooled me.


Episode V Menu

Roasted Breaded Mussels

2 pounds medium mussels, scrubbed and debearded

3 tablespoons marsala or dry white wine

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil


Directions:

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Place mussels in a pan with white wine and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mussels just open. Strain mussels and reserve liquid. Remove mussels from their shells and discard half of shells. Set the other half on a baking sheet and place mussels inside.

In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except oil. Sprinkle mixture over mussels. Drizzle oil and cooking liquid over mussels. Bake for ten minutes until tops are brown and crisp. Serve warm.


Chicken Pate with Crispy Pizza Dough Crackers

Chicken Pate

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 pound chicken liver

2 tablespoons Madera

1/4 cup cream

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

3 tablespoons currants, soaked for half hour in hot water


Directions:

Melt butter in saucepan. Sauté onion in butter until caramelized. Add chicken livers and cook until soft. Deglaze pan with Madera and put contents in food processor. Add cream and puree until smooth. Mix in pine nuts. Salt and pepper to taste and top with currants. Serve with crackers (below).

Pizza Dough Crackers

1-1/3 cup hot water

1 packet of yeast

1 tablespoon sea salt, more for topping

1 tablespoon sugar

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/2 cup flour


Directions:

Dissolve yeast and sugar in hot water for five minutes. Add salt. Add flour and mix well. Knead for about five minutes and let rise until doubled, about two hours. Punch down and roll thin on a baking sheet. Brush twice with olive oil and top with coarse sea salt. Bake at 400º F until crisp and brown, about half an hour.


Filo Dough with Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onions

One onion, chopped thin