Garden City's Vera Sweeney Sits Down at 'Emeril's Table'

Vera Sweeney, a Garden City mother of two who's traveled extensively and owns numerous websites, can check something else off her to-do list: eating with renowned chef Emeril Lagasse.

Sweeney, who joined Lagasse in New York City on his new show, Emeril's Table, is one of four mommy bloggers who learned to make Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Cerignola Olives as well as Chicken Roulade wrapped in prosciutto and served with a side of Chard and Parmesan.

Lagasse's daily half-hour cooking show airs on the Hallmark Channel Monday through Friday at 11 a..m. The upcoming episode with Sweeney airs Friday.

“I have truly enjoyed filming this special series," said Lagasse. "Some of my most fulfilling memories have been in the kitchen preparing a meal with my family and friends and 'Emeril's Table' creates that same kind of connection."

He added: "Food brings us all a little closer together and I hope that as we’re gathering around my table each day everyone will invite us in to their kitchens and be inspired to cook along."

THE RECIPES

Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Cerignola Olives

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Sizzling Skillets and Other One Pot Wonders, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 2011, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

• 4 to 6 pieces chicken, such as legs and thighs (bone-in)
• ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon peel, see recipe that follows
• 1 cup pitted and sliced Cerignola olives
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock or canned, low sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leavesSteamed couscous, for serving

Rub the chicken with the juice from the lemon and season with the salt and pepper. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large Dutch oven or tagine over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown for 4 to 6 minutes per side. Add onions, garlic, saffron, ginger, preserved lemon, olives, and chicken stock. Take care that the chicken is covered with the herbs and onions. Cover the pan and cook over medium low heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add the cilantro and parsley and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the chicken literally begins to fall from the bone.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately with rice or couscous.

Yield: 4 servings

Simple Preserved Lemons

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Sizzling Skillets and Other One Pot Wonders, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 2011, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

If you happen to have access to homegrown lemons, this is the perfect way to preserve their fresh flavor in a unique way. Any variety of lemon will work here – thick skinned, thin skinned, Meyer, you name it -- as long as the lemons have not been waxed. Keep in mind that these lemons need to sit for at least 4 weeks before using, so make a batch when lemons are in season and use them throughout the year – they will keep for up to 1 year after mature and the flavor
will improve with age.

• 4 unwaxed lemons, preferably organic, well washed and dried
• 4 tablespoons sea salt or Kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or as needed

Using a sharp knife, cut each lemon lengthwise almost through to the stem end, and then rotate the lemon 45 degrees and repeat; the lemon should still be connected at one end but you should be able to open the lemon up much like a flower. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the salt into the center of each lemon and press to close. Squeeze the lemons into a sterilized jar with a tight fitting lid (it’s ok if you need to squeeze firmly to compact the lemons, they will soften over time) and add any salt that has fallen from the lemons to the jar. Cover the jar and set aside in a cool, dark place for several days. Uncover the jar and squeeze downward (using your fingers or the back of a spoon) to compress the lemons. Add enough lemon juice to completely cover the lemons – the amount of lemon juice will vary depending on the ripeness of the lemons (I have had batches where no additional lemon juice was necessary because the lemons themselves
exuded so much juice). Cover the jars and once again set aside in a cool dark place for 1 month, shaking the jar occasionally to distribute the salt and brine.

When the lemons are ready, the peel and flesh will be very soft. The peel is the most often used portion – you will see that the flesh easily peels away. Discard the flesh and then rinse the peel briefly under cool water and use as needed.

Yield: 4 preserved lemons

Chicken Roulade and Chard with Parmesan

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 large sage leaves
• Salt, for seasoning
• Two 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• ½ teaspoon Emeril’s Original Essence
• Freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
• 4 thin slices (about 2 ounces) prosciutto
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup white wine
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• Grated parmesan, for serving
• Chard with parmesan, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a slotted spoon and a paper towel-lined plate near the stove. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in an 8-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry 4 of the
sage leaves, in batches if necessary, for about 10 seconds, and then quickly remove them from the pan with the slotted spoon and transfer them to the lined plate to drain. Sprinkle the leaves with a little salt, and set aside. (The leaves will be nicely green and crisp when they have cooled. This can be done a day in advance; keep the fried sage leaves in a closed container at room
temperature).

Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a work station. Place the chicken breasts side by side, with about 2 inches of space in between. Lay another sheet of plastic wrap on top of the chicken. Using the flat side of a mallet, pound the chicken into evenly thick, ¼-inch cutlets. Season the cutlets on both sides with Essence. Lay two sage leaves down the middle of each cutlet, and then roll each cutlet into a tight cylinder. Wrap 2 slices of prosciutto around each roll.

Place the flour in a small shallow bowl, and lightly dredge the chicken rolls in the flour. Set aside. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 10-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken roulades, seam side down, to the pan and brown for 2 minutes. Turn them over and continue to brown on all sides for 2 to3 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken rolls to the prepared baking sheet (reserve the sauté pan), place it in the oven, and bake for 8 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

While the chicken is baking, make the sauce: Add the chicken broth and white wine to the hot sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the pan, for about 7 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup. Whisk in the butter one piece at a time, removing the pan from the heat as needed (this will help prevent the sauce from breaking), until butter is fully incorporated. Turn off the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the Chard with Parmesan evenly among the 4 serving plates. Slice the chicken roulades crosswise, and drape the slices over the Chard. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and top each with a fried sage leaf and grated parmesan. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

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