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They divvy up dishes in an egalitarian way to get dinner on the table quickly and to have a lot of fun in the process. The crucial elements: Each chef has to have his or her own space and knife, and both chefs have to communicate about the progress of their dishes, to get the timing right. The Pences share their strategies for cooking together, plus prep plans for many menus, in their book Caprial and John's Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2003; $35) and in their new television series of the same name.
This Northwest spring menu, adapted from their book, is easy enough for one person to pull together. But with two cooks, dinner's on the table in just an hour. Radicchio wraps around goat cheese, pancetta around the radicchio, and the rolls get a turn on the grill. A fillet of wild salmon with herbs and wine roasts in the oven, along with a pan of fresh asparagus. A creamy green-olive sauce finishes the salmon with a rich touch. For dessert, splash local strawberries with citrus-flavored liqueur and top with creme fraiche.
INFO: Caprial's Bistro ($$$; closed Sun-Mon; 7015 . Milwaukie Ave., Portland; .com or 503/236-6457)
1. Divide the cheese equally among the radicchio leaves, placing it in the center. Fold one edge of each leaf over cheese, then roll up gently to enclose. Wrap a slice of pancetta around each roll and secure with one or two toothpicks (it's okay if pancetta tears a little).
2. Lay radicchio rolls on an oiled barbecue grill over medium-hot coals or medium-high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Turn rolls as needed until pancetta is lightly browned and crisp on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes total.
Two-cook plan
Caprial and John Pence split steps in each dish. You could also divide the recipes and complete each solo.
COOK 1:
* Make and grill pancetta-radicchio wraps.
* Cook the orzo (step 1).
* Prep asparagus (step 1).
* Finish the olive sauce for salmon (start at step 2).
* Roast asparagus (step 2).
* Plate asparagus (step 3).
COOK 2:
* Start olive sauce for salmon (step 1).
* Season salmon and bake it (steps 3 and 4).
* Finish the orzo (step 2).
* Plate, sauce, and garnish salmon and orzo.
* Open and pour wine.
* Prepare strawberries for dessert.
3. Arrange rolls on a platter and drizzle with vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Per serving: 112 cal., 75% (84 cal.) from fat; g protein; g fat ( g sat.); g carbo ( g fiber); 185 mg sodium; 17 mg chol.
1. In a 6- to 8-inch frying pan over high heat, boil garlic and shallot in vermouth until mixture is reduced by about half, 5 to 8 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil again.
2. Add cream, olives, and chopped thyme. Boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and is reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.
3. Rinse salmon fillet and pat dry. With tweezers, pull out pin bones. Lay fillet in a buttered 12- by 17-inch baking pan. Dot the fillet with butter, drizzle with wine, and sprinkle with tarragon. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
4. Bake in a 400[degrees] oven until salmon is barely opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 13 to 18 minutes. Slide salmon onto a platter.
5. If sauce is cool, stir over medium-high heat until hot. Drizzle fish with some of the sauce; serve remaining to add to taste. Garnish fish with thyme sprigs.
Per serving: 567 cal., 62% (351 cal.) from fat; 44 g protein; 39 g fat (14 g sat.); g carbo ( g fiber); 356 mg sodium; 176 mg chol.
1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add orzo and cook until barely tender to bite, 5 to 9 minutes. Drain well. Pour into a bowl and mix with olive oil. Rinse and dry pan.
2. In the same pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallots and stir often until they start to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and orzo; mix well and cook just until pasta is warm, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in green onions and salt and pepper to taste. Mound in a serving bowl and serve warm.
Per serving: 375 cal., 22% (84 cal.) from fat; 11 g protein; g fat ( g sat.); 62 g carbo ( g fiber); 327 mg sodium; 16 mg chol.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
1. Rinse asparagus; snap off tough stem ends and discard. Spread asparagus in a 10- by 15-inch baking pan. Drizzle with plain olive oil, then shake pan lightly to coat asparagus. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Bake in a 400[degrees] oven until asparagus is tender-crisp to bite, 9 to 10 minutes.
3. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with lemon peel; drizzle with lemon-flavored oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Per serving: 54 cal., 67% (36 cal.) from fat; g protein; 4 g fat ( g sat.); g carbo (1 g fiber); mg sodium; 0 mg chol.
WINE PAIRING
* Oven-Baked Salmon with Picholine Olive Sauce: A white with forward fruit and good acid in the finish, such as an Oregon Pinot Gris--we liked Willa-Kenzie and Adelsheim, both 2003--or a minerally French white Burgundy.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Grilled Pancetta-Radicchio Wraps with Goat Cheese
PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes
MAKES: 6 servings
6 ounces fresh chevre (goat cheese)
6 radicchio leaves (about 3 by 5 in. each),
rinsed
6 slices pancetta (1 1/2 to 2 oz. total)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Oven-Baked Salmon with Picholine Olive Sauce
PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes
MAKES: 6 servings
NOTES: To pit olives, crush slightly with the flat side of a knife
blade, then remove pit.
2 cloves garlic, peeled and
chopped
1 shallot (2 oz.), peeled and
chopped (1/3 cup)
1 cup dry vermouth
1/2 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
or fish stock
1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped pitted picholine
olives (or other mild green
olives; see notes)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
leaves
Salt and fresh-ground
pepper
1 boned salmon fillet (3 lb.),
skinned
1 tablespoon butter, cut into
small pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
tarragon
Fresh thyme sprigs, rinsed
Orzo with Fried Shallots
PREP AND COOK TIME: About 20 minutes
MAKES: 6 servings
About 1 teaspoon salt
1 pound dried orzo pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive
oil
3 tablespoons butter
4 shallots (6 oz. total), peeled
and slivered
3 cloves garlic, peeled and
chopped
4 green onions (2 oz. total),
rinsed and thinly sliced
(including green tops)
Fresh-ground pepper
Oven-Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Olive Oil
PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes
MAKES: 6 servings
NOTES: When fresh garlic shoots are available, the Pences cook them
the same way.
1 1/2 pounds asparagus
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive
oil
Sea salt or regular salt and
fresh-ground pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon lemon-flavored olive
oil or extra-virgin olive oil
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