"Knife's Edge" - Surf-and-Turf Manicotti
Kate Stark #3
EXCERPT:
“Explain which thing?” Rikka shouted as she headed back from the ovens.
Eleven of the surviving twelve kitchen staff were head-down on their own tasks—pastry was already done for the day. The noise—no conversation was possible from more than an arm’s length. Ladles clanged in soup tureens, releasing clouds of a sweet-corn clam chowder. Three different chopping boards resounded from the rapid vivisection of produce for two types of salad. The sharp snap of a torch announced the sugar glazing of the pound cakes to accompany the honey-sweetened four-berry topping for desserts.
Kate raised her hand to Rikka as if examining both sides.
“Oh, that thing,” Rikka leaned in close enough to be heard. “That will take some explaining.”
“Fine, get over here and help me stuff the manicotti while you explain it.”
“Sure, just one more tray of mushrooms.” She made quick work of that, then joined Kate. “You know about the White Hand, of course.” She took up a piping bag of smoked salmon-spinach-ricotta filling and began stuffing the tubes.
“No.” Kate began piping reindeer and ricotta as her half of tonight’s surf-and-turf manicotti.
“The Irish mob in New York? Where your paternal great-grandpa made his fortune during Prohibition? Well, out in the Bronx, but still New York.”
“He did? No. Maybe…” What did she know? It was only her heritage.
Active time: 45 minutes / Cook time: 15-20 minutes / Total time: 1 hour / serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. manicotti (about a dozen), cooked very al dente
- 1 c. mozzarella, grated and divided
- 2 c. Parmesan, grated and divided
- 2 c. ricotta, divided
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The Beef Filling · 1/4 lb. ground beef and · or 1/2 lb. thin steak, partially frozen then diced into 1/4” cubes · 1/4 c. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed then 1/4” dice · 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce · 1 tsp. dried oregano · 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon · 1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes · Salt and pepper to taste · 1 egg, beaten in a bowl and combined until smooth with: o 1 c. ricotta o 1/2 c. mozzarella o 1/2 c. Parmesan |
The Salmon Filling · 1 c. smoked salmon, flaked · 1/4 c. shallot or red onion, diced fine · 1 tsp. lemon juice · 1 tsp. dried dill · 1 egg, beaten · Up to 2 oz. milk if needed to create smooth mixture · 1 c. ricotta · 1/2 c. mozzarella · 1/2 c. Parmesan Optional: · 1 c. baby spinach, packed (then chopped and cooked) · or a spear of baby asparagus the length of each manicotti, cooked |
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The Red Sauce · 1-1/2 c. favorite spaghetti sauce, jarred or homemade · 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Optional toppings for both: · Chopped parsley · Cherry tomatoes, halved · Artichoke hearts, coarse-chopped are lovely too |
The Creamy Garlic Sauce · 1 Tbsp. butter · 2 Tbsp. shallot, diced fine · 4 cloves of garlic, minced · 1/2 c. half and half · 1/2 c. yogurt, regular or Greek · 1 tsp. Italian seasoning · 1/2 tsp. black pepper · 1/2 c. Parmesan |
The Instructions
1. Cook the manicotti per package instructions, stirring often but gently. Rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Do not overcook. Place separated on greased baking tray or Silpat to keep from sticking together.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9” x 9” baking pans with a light coating of olive oil or cooking spray.
The Fillings
3. Sauté the meat and mushrooms together over med-high heat until the meat is well browned. Add spices and sauté until aromatic, 30-60 seconds.
4. While it’s browning: combine all ingredients for The Salmon Filling in a bowl with the cheese and mix until smooth and creamy.
5. Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl to allow mixture to cool. Once cool, combine with beaten egg and cheese until smooth and creamy.
The Creamy Garlic Sauce
6. While the meat is cooling, wipe the pan with a paper towel, then add the butter.
7. Sauté the shallot for 1 minute. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the other ingredients except for the cheese.
8. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until just thickening, then add the cheese and stir until melted. Remove from the heat.
Assemble and Bake
9. Fill the now-cooled manicotti, half the tubes with each mixture. Use a piping bag with a large orifice nozzle or a kitchen storage bag (freezer grade so that it won’t split). Put all the filling in the bag, then squish it away from a corner. Snip it off in stages until you have a hole just slightly smaller than the pasta opening. Fill to the middle from either end. (You can also use a butter knife or the back end of a spoon but the bag is way easier.) Tip: broken Manicotti can be filled and placed broken side down, almost undetectable in the thick sauces.
10. In the first baking pan, place a thin layer of The Red Sauce. Arrange the “Turf” manicotti in a single layer, top with the rest of the sauce, then the cheese.
11. In the second, repeat the setup with The Creamy Garlic Sauce and the “Surf” manicotti.
12. Bake for 15-20 minutes uncovered until heated through and the cheese is melted.
Serve with a salad or steamed baby asparagus.
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| Surf (front)-and-Turf (rear) Manicotti ready to serve. | Surf-and-Turf Manicotti served with a spinach, cranberry, blue cheese, walnut salad. |