This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
01/29/2020 11:01 PMThe first cookbook I ever had came with a carton full of encyclopedias. Back in those days, a salesman (always a salesman) came to your house and tried to sell us encyclopedias.
My ex-husband and I, parents of a very young daughter, believed in education. We bought the whole deal.
We had very little money, so I guess we paid for the set over a year or so. It may even been before credit cards.
Darcy was probably less than a year old. We were living in Ithaca, New York, and I remember reading the encyclopedias and showing Darcy the pictures.
But my attention was drawn to the big cookbook that came with the books.
Other than the few recipes I had from my mother-in-law, I knew nothing about cooking.
Me, and my Revere pots and pans, and that cookbook began to cook.
My husband didn’t like anything I made. Maybe I didn’t, either. Let’s say I had a long learning curve.
I no longer have that cookbook, but it did last longer than that marriage.
When I met Doug, the love of my life and my second husband, I began to cook again. This time I sprung for a copy of The Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso. If you are anywhere near my age, no other explanation is needed. It was the cooking bible of its time when it was first published in 1982.
And, like most ladies of the ’70s, that fabulous Chicken Marbella became a staple at my dinner parties.
In the new Bon Appetit, there is an updated recipe using pork. It is easier and even more delicious. Even if you have never made the original, you are in for a treat.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Pork Marbella
From Bon Appetit, February 2020
If you have the time, let the pork marinate in the sauce overnight before searing it, although it will be super tender without the extra step.
Yield: serves 4 to 6
2 one-pound pork tenderloins
2 teaspoon kosher (or sea) salt
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup pitted prunes, cut in half
½ cup pitted Spanish green olives
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup capers, plus 1 tablespoons brine
¼ cup red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoons dried oregano
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped parsley (optional)
Season pork with salt. Let sit 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix wine, prunes, olives, brown sugar, capers and brine, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and ¼ cup oil into a medium bowl to combine; set sauce aside (or use to to marinate pork up to 12 hours.
Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Heat remaining oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high. Cook pork, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat and let sit 1 minute to pan can cool down a bit. Pour reserved sauces over pork and give pan a few shakes. Transfer to oven and roast pork, basting with sauce halfway through, until instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of tenderloin reads 145 degrees, 22 to 26 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes
Return pork to medium-high heat. Add butter to sauce and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter is melted and sauce is slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, if using.
Slice pork against the grain. Transfer to a platter and spoon sauce over.