I have a sick patient at home this week with the sniffles (and lest you think otherwise, we don’t have children, so draw your own conclusions here), which led me to make one of his favorite comfort food recipes last night: garlic knots (Gourmet July 2006, via Epicurious). We paired the knots with a simple salad of spring mix and cilantro (both from our Be Wise Ranch spread), heirloom tomatoes, red onion, and goat cheese (all from Trader Joe’s), and avocados (from our backyard tree) with olive oil vinaigrette and cracked pepper.
the anti-Atkins appetizer
This recipe is truly easy (and cheap). Here’s what it calls for:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for greasing pan
- 2 lb frozen pizza dough, thawed **I use Trader Joe’s garlic & herb dough
- 1 garlic clove **Because you can never have enough garlic, I usually mince 4 (!)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (1/2 cup)
And the prep:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil 2 large (17- by 13-inch) baking sheets.
Divide dough in half. Keep half of dough covered with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth). Gently roll out other half into a 10-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. (Use your hands to pull corners. If dough is very elastic, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest about 3 minutes.)
Blogger’s Note: I don’t follow paragraph two. I should, but I don’t. Naughty gourmand!
Cut square in half with a pizza wheel or a sharp heavy knife, then cut each half crosswise into 15 strips (about 2/3 inch wide). Cover strips with a clean kitchen towel.
Keeping remaining strips covered, gently tie each strip into a knot, pulling ends slightly to secure (if dough is sticky, dust lightly with flour) and arranging knots 1 inch apart in staggered rows on 1 baking sheet. Keep knots covered with clean kitchen towels.
Roll out and cut remaining dough, then form into knots, arranging 1 inch apart in staggered rows on second baking sheet. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 20 to 25 minutes total.
While knots bake, mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt, then stir together with oil in a very large bowl. Immediately after baking, toss knots in garlic oil, then sprinkle with parsley and cheese and toss to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The result? Despite his head cold, my manfriend happily obliged when I encouraged him to clean his plate. I also love the fact that this recipe is so low-cost and doesn’t require a lot of labor; all I ever really need to buy is the pizza dough, as I typically have most everything else already in stock.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
san delicious 