Why I love leftovers!!

[Jenise]

Last Thursday night: a rolled 2 1/4 pound boneless sirloin became a pot roast dinner for Bob and I and our boat partners.

Last Friday night: this time I was feeding the two ladies who have been organizing the estate sale at the home next door, and a 2 lb whole filet of silver salmon was poached in butter and served over an herb-flavored basmati rice with sauce bearnaise and a heavy layer of toasted sliced almonds.

Sunday lunch: the leftover salmon was flaked and tossed into a caesar salad. The rest of the almonds went in, too.

Tuesday dinner: the leftover beef, about a pound, was divided and shredded. Half became two layers in one of my favorite meals in all the world, a French Miroton a la Zuni Cafe Cookbook, in which a ceramic souffle dish is layered with fresh sliced tomatoes and sauteed sliced onions, seasoned with thyme, and topped with bread crumbs drizzled with olive oil. It's baked until the ingredients melt together and the top carmelizes and starts burning on the sides of the dish, about two hours, and served with spoons that you use to spread the goo on crusty whole grain bread. The aroma wafted out to the street and drug neighbors to the door, dying to know what was for dinner--so, totally impromptu, dinner for four again. Fabulous beyond reason with a garlicky green salad and a little Bordeaux Superiore.

Wednesday lunch: the other half the leftover beef was combined with the little bit of leftover pot roast gravy, about three cups of chicken broth, a diced fresh tomato, chopped fresh parsley, thyme, black pepper and chili flakes and simmered for about 15 minutes to meld the flavors, then in went the leftover basmati rice from the salmon dinner. Made two generous servings and there's a third leftover for tomorrow.

Someone here once said that they never have leftovers. I believe the topic was actually cling film, and the fact that they never have leftovers was cited as the reason why they don't need cling film. That's SO hard for me to imagine: some of the best, freshest meals in the world not only benefit from leftovers, they essentially require pre-cooked ingredients.

Point is, today's dinner can, and should, become part of the blank canvases that are the available ingredients for the meals you make tomorrow. And the next day. I cannot imagine my kitchen without the these wonderful building blocks.

One of these days I am showing up at your door around dinnertime. You rock.

And I completely agree, Jenise.

But a lot of people (most people?) aren't "hmm.... I've got this and this and oh THAT TOO! in the fridge so I can make THIS tonight" kind of cooks.

may just toss last nights salmon into my pasta with eggplant, squash, tomatoes, and basil.

Arrrrrr matey, chop lickin' i' is. Arrrrr.

Dastardly Dick

You're a gal after my own heart Jenise! Sounds fantastic!

So, can you give me the complete recipe for the Mirotin?

Jenise, a couple other people I know refer to recipes from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook. What's your overall opinion? Worth adding to my collection?

[Jenise]

You're a gal after my own heart Jenise! Sounds fantastic!

So, can you give me the complete recipe for the Mirotin?

Maria, yes. I posted it once upon a time on the old FLDG. Let me go get it. This will be interesting to read, btw, since I no longer refer to the RCP. I may have drifted somewhat in my own renditions since. I'll post my comments at the bottom after I've read it.

Here it is:

Date: 26-Dec-2003 16:40
Author: Jenise Email
Subject: RC: "Le Miroton"--beef, onion and tomato gratin
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This recipe is from Judy Rodgers' Zuni Cafe Cookbook, which is one of my very favorite cookbooks. More than just recipes, she provides detailed, thoughtful explanations of the what and why of of each dish. So much so that a beginning cook attempting one of her recipes would feel they had their hand held the whole way, and an experienced cook like me feels like I'm hanging out in the kitchen with a friend. Too, my cooking style is very similar to hers; I never open this book without getting lost in it for an hour or two.

And so it was the other day that I took this book off the shelf with buying short ribs in mind. Wanted to treat an old cut a new way and was looking for inspiration. A quick search found two options, one of them short ribs simmered for a pot-au-Feu, and, following that, this gratin. "An elaboration of the comforting stand-by of cuisine bourgeoise, Miroton is to the French home cook what roast beef hash or shepherd's pie is to an American cook; an unpretentious way to transform tasty leftovers into a totally different dish. Made with beef and broth from a pot-au-feu..." the gratin consists of two layers each of a quick sauteed onion stew, beef and then tomato topped with, of course, bread crumbs.

I didn't have to read any further. I made Judy's pot-au-feu early in the week but because it was the Miroton I was ultimately after, I skipped the short ribs in favor of a 3 lb beef top loin roast for the first dish to ensure I'd have a generous lump of slicable leftovers for the second. Leftover pot roast would work well in this dish, too.

We had the miroton last night and loved it, really LOVED it. I served it with boiled potatoes tossed with butter, fresh dill and parsley. Even better would have been hot crusty rolls to scoop the gratin onto--next time! With a vivid green salad, it's a complete and satisfying meal.

For wine, mindful of the sweet onion, I opened a serious but fruity red wine, the 2000 Ridge Dutcher Creek Carignane. It was a good match.

Some cook's notes about the recipe: I had ample meat (about a pound and a half), and frankly four cups of onions seemed like overkill so I halved that quantity and would do so again. The proportion of meat to onion seemed just right. Moreover, if I'd had more than two tomatoes on hand I'd have used at least one more, maybe two. I sliced them thinner than she specifies to get coverage in my shallow gratin dish, and for my tastes the dish would benefit from a more lavish tomato layer.

Here's Judy's recipe:

"Since you are likely to make this dish from whatever amount of meat you have, I provide basic moderate appetite per person meausres. The amounts are easy to multiply for larger gratins. A shallow 1 quart gratin dish is about the right size for four servings. [Jenise's note: I disagree, 2 quarts would be fine, though.]

"This variation begs for others, and my favorites include using sliced black truffles in lieu of the tomatoes or, more modestly, layers of blanched swiss chard. In the latter case, use melted butter spiked with a dab of mustard instead of olive oil for the bread crumb topping. This is a two-helping sort of dish...."

Per Serving:

About 5 ounces leftover beef from pot-au-feu, trimmed
1 tblsp mild olive oil
2 cups sliced yellow onions
1 tsp AP flour
1/2 c broth, or as needed
Fresh cracked black pepper
1 small tomato

For the topping (again, per person):

1/4 c fresh bread crumbs [Jenise's note: panko works fine]
1 tsp EVOO
Splash of wine

Slice the meat across the grain about 1/4 inch thick.

Choose a skillet that will hold the onions in about a one inch layer. Warm a film of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat, add the onions and stir or toss once or twice. Leave to color slightly. Salt lightly and stir again, then reduce heat and cook until the onions have fallen into a soft, silky pile, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the onions with flour and simmer until juices have thickened. Stir in the broth to produce a syrupy stew. Cook for a few more minutes on low heat, then salt and pepper to taste.

While the onions are cooking, preheat the oven to 425 F.

Prepare the tomatoes: sliver off the ends, then slice 1/4 inch thick. If they seem quite wet, place on paper towels to purge the juice a bit and concentrate their flavor.

Combine the bread crumbs, olive oil, and splash of wine. Toss with your fingers to distribute the additions evenly.

Construct the miroton in a shallow gratin dish. Begin with a smear of the onion stew, then pave with barely overlapping slices of meat. Spread with a second, thicker layer of onions and then a layer of tomatoes. Repeat the sequence, finishing with a spartan layer of tomatoes. The assembled gratin should be quite moist--if not, add a splash of broth [Jenise's note: I added another quarter cup since I was meat-heavy] or water. The liquid will thicken and reduce during baking; you want enough to guarantee a saucy gratin.

Top with a lacy layer of bread crumbs. Depending on the shape of your dish, you may not need them all. Using too much topping could result in a pasty gratin, and they might soak up too much sauce.

Bake the gratin until it bubbles at the edges and the crumbs are golden brown. This may take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. [Jenise's note: I cooked mine for about 35.]

Serve family style from the dish.

Ai yi yi. Yes, I've drifted some!

My ingredients/methods:

2 large onions, sliced and sauteed until somewhat limp and transluscent, about five minutes, tossed with 1 tlbsp flour
3 medium tomatoes, sliced
about 1/2-3/4 lb cooked leftover beef, shredded
black pepper
salt
about 1/2 tsp dried thyme
panko bread crumbs
olive oil

No chicken broth needed--the tomatoes and onions provided all the juice required.

Cooking time: like I said in my intro, about two hours. The longer, the better. Think cassoulet--it will certainly be tasty enough when it's just heated through, but something magical happens with extended cooking.

Cooking dish: I use a 2 quart souffle dish. The ingredients fair fill it up, but by the end of cooking time it reduces by about half.

And about what to serve it with: do not under any circumstances consider serving this with anything but hot crusty bread--don't wimp out and think it's crusty enough the way it came from the bakery. Really, it's no trouble--throw the loaf in the oven with the miroton about ten minutes before you serve dinner.

[Jenise]

One of these days I am showing up at your door around dinnertime. You rock.

And I completely agree, Jenise.

But a lot of people (most people?) aren't "hmm.... I've got this and this and oh THAT TOO! in the fridge so I can make THIS tonight" kind of cooks.

You'd be most welcome, Cynthia. There's always room at the table for one more.

Re the Zuni cookbook, it's great. It's not just her recipes, it's her theory of cooking. Admittedly, it talks to me because in my life in the kitchen I've arrived at so many of her conclusions myself, so I really found her a kindred spirit. She's the anti-Rachel Ray. She doesn't cut back on anything to please people who want to make a 30 minute meals, nor would she compromise ingredients like a Mark Bittman, to mention someone whose name comes up here often, just to satisfy some arbitrary limit on the number of things that go into a dish.

I'm a leftover junkie as well. Rarely use the leftovers as is. Get a thrill out of figuring out interesting re-incarnations by using other leftovers or adding a new ingredient. Great sequence of meals Jenise. Thanks for the le Miroton.

Thank you so much for posting the recipe Jenise. I am absolutely going to make this!

I had some Q's about the beef though...does it need to be braised first? If not, and you use leftover roast, how do you shred it? Does it break down enough during cooking to be tender?

I am going to put that cook book on my wish list too...Thanks again!

Thanks, Jenise. This is going on my to-do list as well...near the top!

rwj

[Jenise]

Thanks, Jenise. This is going on my to-do list as well...near the top!

rwj

Thanks, by the way--no beans.

[Jenise]

I had some Q's about the beef though...does it need to be braised first? If not, and you use leftover roast, how do you shred it? Does it break down enough during cooking to be tender?

I am going to put that cook book on my wish list too...Thanks again!

Maria, the meat needs to be braised, boiled, or fatty and extremely long roasted to the well done and fall apart stage. You wouldn't use leftover medium rare prime rib. It doesn't need to be shredded, it can be sliced--the long cooking in its new life as a Miroton will fairly dissolve it. If you don't regularly do a pot roast or something else that will provide you with an adequate amount of beefy leftovers (note that Judi makes hers with just five ounces, where I more than double that--though the quantity is not set in stone--remember, this is about using up whatever you have left), just take a pound or so piece of lean chuck meat and pour a can of beef broth over it and simmer it for about 90 minutes. You'll have the meat you need right there.

Someone here once said that they never have leftovers. I believe the topic was actually cling film, and the fact that they never have leftovers was cited as the reason why they don't need cling film. That's SO hard for me to imagine: some of the best, freshest meals in the world not only benefit from leftovers, they essentially require pre-cooked ingredients.

I agree totally with you Jenise. I can't imagine cooking a lovely meal and throwing out the leftovers.
Actually for the past month, whenever I make a meal that I know will freeze well, I have been putting it in the freezer for an upcoming RV trip. Oh my, the joy of being out all day, seeing the sites, going down a wild river trip, etc. and coming home (RV) to a ready made, tasty dinner.
Even better is having it the next night, it usually tastes even better and I have less cooking or none to do.
You are very creative with your leftovers. I do that sometimes......but usually it is a treat not to have to be in the kitchen that day.

I'm nut for leftovers. Love them. Even though we are a household of two, I usually make enough for at least six or eight people just so we will have leftovers and maybe even another meal to freeze. Jenise, you certainly are creative with yours. I'm going to think outside of the box more going forward. Occasionally I do. Leftover roast chicken becomes Chicken pizza with fresh tomatoes, garlic, fresh mozz on split pitas, or leg of lamb gets cut up and sauteed with garlic oil and piled into warm pitas with onions, cukes, tomatoes and yogurt spiked with mint and garlic.

Most of the time, though, I enjoyed it so much the first night that I can't wait to have it again as is the next or two nights later. Especially after a dinner party, where I'm concentrating more on whether everyone has what they needs and that conversation (and wine) is flowing to fully taste everything.

Jenise, I don't have any meat on hand tonight so I am going to try the Miroton with eggplant and squash. I'll give a full report.

rwj

edited to say that it just dawned on me that this would make it ratatouille (basically) and that I am a complete dumba**.

We make soups to use up stuff that isn't quite enough for a meal and would go to waste otherwise...

also Lorena makes this awesome baked pasta casserole based on a simple Jacques Pepin recipe to use other left overs.. her twist is to use Mexican crema fresca instead of the sour cream or heavy cream that the recipe suggests... wow.. what a diff it makes..

And it turned out pretty much the way one might expect. But since I sliced the veggies instead of cubing them and cooked them in a deep casserole there was a nice cake-like consistency; similar to Pommes Anna.

I spiced it up with oregano from my garden and some of my new smoked paprika from Penzey's. Not bad at all, but it didn't floor me. I'll have to tweak it some.

rwj

Jenise:
You just go, GIRL!!

I've made a couple of recent meals from leftovers that were just as good as the originals.

Last week it was chicken alfredo from a leftover roasted chicken.

This week it was the side dishes that inspired the meal. I had mashed potatoes, and a combination vegetable dish of green beans, cherry tomatoes, onions, carrots and mushrooms in a balsamic butter sauce.

So I browned and seasoned some ground beef, layered in a baking pan with the veggies, some frozen white corn and topped it with the mashed poatoes (with shredded white cheddar on top) for a quick shepherds pie.

The only downside is my daughter wants me to make meals like that for her to take home when she moves out on her own.

[Jenise]

Your Shepherds Pie sounds delicious, Doug--that's a perfect use of leftovers. Leftover mashed potatoes are a real gift, aren't they?

Karen, thanks for mentioning RV meals. We're contemplating our first long weekend boat trip, and that's probably just how I need to be thinking too. Though I have a galley stove, I do not plan to do any cooking there because I don't want to sleep with the smells, and I have a built-in microwave that ensures I don't have to.

A new wrinkle for me - leftover dessert !

I found myself with 2 beautiful pineapples this weekend - I failed to communicate with my husband before going to the store - we both came home with the same items . Not wanting them to go bad I reviewed Alice Waters cooking with fruit book and made the Frangipane Pineapplet Tart.
There was leftover sauteed pineapple - too much to fit in the tart so the next day I combined it with sliced apples, put a crumble topping [also from the same book] and had a put me together dessert. Very nice as well.

Ordinarily I do not like cooked pineapple but the aroma alone was exquisite - sauteed in butter, deglazed with a bit of Kirsch - I was happy just inhaling the intense pineapple vapors. The tart came out of the oven with nice bits of brown, carmelized pineapple. All things said, I wouldn't do it again unless in the same jam of needing to quick find a use for spare pineapple. The frangipane would be an excellent base for other fruit tarts and I will experiment with that.

[Jenise]

Good cookin', Christina. You know what, I started agreeing with you about not liking cooked pineapple, but then I remembered the Mexican pineapple turnovers that I would make a special trip to East L.A. for once upon a time. Too, I presume your category of cooked would exclude fresh grilled pineapple? That's like my favorite accompaniament to seared foie gras. I'll bet that leftover pineapple would be a nice topping for, speaking of Alice Waters, her olive oil/Sauternes cake--have you made that?

Yes, I have made that. It is wonderful. I have loved everything I have tried from that book. The upside down plum tart is divine . Last year I did the pears and figs poached in Zinfandel with cassis cream from her menus book-terrific-the guests for that dinner are begging for another sample.