The Essential James Beard Cookbook by James Beard Read Free Book Online Page A

heat until the oil registers 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Working in batches, add the pork balls and deep-fry until golden and cooked through, about 2½ minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels. Serve the pork balls hot on toothpicks.
    RILLETTES OR RILLONS
    MAKES 8 SERVINGS
    The difference between the two is that the rillettes are ground or pounded, the rillons left in small dice.
1¼ pounds fresh pork fatback, finely diced
1 pound pork shoulder, trimmed, finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Toast or sliced crusty French bread, Dijon mustard, and cornichons, for serving
    Mix the ingredients in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and barely cover with water. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the water has evaporated and the meat is very tender and swimming in the melted fat, about 3 hours.
    Remove the bay leaf. Strain off and reserve the fat. Return the meat to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until crisp and brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Rillons are left as they are. For rillettes, let the meat cool until tepid, and then grind in a food processor. Pack the meat into pots, bowls, or jars. Pour in the reserved melted fat to cover the meat by ½ inch. Refrigerate overnight. Serve cold with the bread, mustard, and cornichons.
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    Editor: Fresh pork fatback (not to be confused with salt pork) is available at Latino and Asian butchers. You may be able to order it from your supermarket meat department because it is usually trimmed from the commonly available pork loin roast. To dice the pork and fatback in a food processor cut them into 1-inch pieces and freeze an hour or so, or until very firm. In batches, pulse until diced in a food processor fitted with the metal blade.
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    GRAMMIE HAMBLET’S DEVILED CRAB
    MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
    This is far and away my favorite of the many versions of this most traditional of American dishes. I often serve a small helping as a first course before broiled or roast meats. [ Editor: Polly “Grammie” Hamblet was the mother of Beard’s lifelong friend Mary Hamblet. His autobiography with recipes, Delights and Prejudices, was dedicated to Mary. ]
2 pounds crabmeat, picked over for cartilage and shells
2½ cups coarsely crushed cracker crumbs
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 large green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
1 cup finely sliced scallions (white and green parts)
½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup heavy cream
1½ teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash of Tabasco
    Combine the crabmeat, 1½ cups of the cracker crumbs, the butter, celery, bell pepper, scallions, parsley, cream, mustard, salt, and Tabasco in a large bowl and toss lightly. Spoon into a buttered baking dish, top with remaining 1 cup crumbs, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is delicately browned. Serve at once.
VARIATION
DEVILED CLAMS: Substitute 2 cups steamed minced clams or drained chopped canned clams for the crabmeat.
    GRAVLAX
    MAKES ABOUT 12 SERVINGS
    For this dish, native to Scandinavia, the raw salmon is cured with salt and sugar, a process that, like the action of lime or lemon juice on fish, “cooks” the flesh and gives it a most exciting and interesting flavor.
For the Gravlax
Two 1½-pound center-cut salmon fillets
2 ⁄ 3 to ¾ cup kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black peppercorns
Large bunch of fresh dill, stems removed
For the Sweet Mustard Sauce
1 ⁄ 3 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons German-style prepared mustard (not hot, but very spicy)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
1 bunch fresh dill, for garnish
Buttered pumpernickel bread