i

The Skillet Cookbook

Contents
Breakfast
Cinnamon Brioche French Toast 3

Lunch
Duck Tacos 7

Dinner
Chanterelle Risotto 12

Dessert
Mexican-Style Hot Chocolate 15

b re a k fa s t

The Skillet Cookbook

The Skillet Cookbook

cinnamonbriochefrenchtoast
1 cupswholemilk 1 cupsheavycream 7largeeggs,lightlybeaten

Makes 5 pieces
The key to a delicious french toast is how long you soak the bread in the custard mixture. Most people think just a good dunking will do the trick. Take your time and let it soak for at least 15 minutes before throwing it in the pan for a sumptuous breakfast.
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 2. In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the milk, cream,

cupsugar 1 tablespoonground
cinnamon 1tablespoonvanillaextract

teaspoonsalt
5thickslicesbrioche 1tablespoonbutter

eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour the custard into a large casserole pan. Place the brioche slices in the custard, making sure to cover each slice, and soak for 15 minutes. (Do this in stages if they wont all fit.)
3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 4. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat and

add the butter to the pan. (Make sure the pan is not so hot that the butter burns.) Allow the butter to

The Skillet Cookbook

melt, and swirl the pan to coat the bottom with the butter. Gently place 2 brioche slices (or however many will fit without crowding) into the pan and cook for approximately 1 minute, or until golden brown. Flip the slices, transfer the pan to the oven, and bake for an additional 3 minutes or until the center is firm.

The Skillet Cookbook

lunch

The Skillet Cookbook

The Skillet Cookbook

ducktacos
4roastedDuckLegs (page62) 8whitecorntortillas 1cupsmokysalsa(page63) 4sprigsfreshcilantro,for garnish

Makes 4 Servings
This is another of our most popular items. The idea for this recipe came out of doing a lot of catering events where we had some leftover duck legs, and we felt like we could do something more interesting than make them into confit. I like the richness of the duck in the tacosits saltier than pork and fattier than chicken. The preparation is really simple: we cure the legs overnight, which is basically adding salt and/or sugar to draw the excess water from the meat. Removing the water slows the bacterial growth and also gives the meat great flavor. Then we roast them until the meat falls off the bone. Once youve prepared the meat, the taco is a simple pleasure: fatty duck cut by sharp, clean flavors. Leave the skin on if you canthen you get the best part, the crispy bits. Youll have plenty of salsa left over for chips or to use later.
1. Pick the meat from the roasted duck legs and warm

cupmincedwhiteonion
hotsauce(suchastapatoor cholula),optional

it gently in a large, lightly oiled pan over medium-low heat. Lightly char the tortillas over a gas flame, or

The Skillet Cookbook

4cupslooselypackeddark brownsugar 1cupsalt 2tablespoonsgroundcumin 1tablespoonground cinnamon 1tablespoonground coriander 1tablespoonfreshlyground pepper 4ducklegs

warm them over low heat in a dry cast-iron skillet. Double up the tortillas, place about cup of duck meat in the center of each, and top with a few teaspoons of salsa, a sprig of cilantro, and a few diced onions. Add a few drops of hot sauce if you like more kick.

roasteDDuckLegs
Makes 4 legs
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar,

salt, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and pepper. In a roasting pan or other deep pan, cover the duck legs completely with a liberal amount of the cure mix. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. When youre ready to roast the duck, preheat the oven

to 330 degrees F. Brush the cure off the legs, and place the legs on a baking sheet that has a little water in the bottom. Roast for about 1 hours, or until the meat is falling apart. Set aside to cool.

The Skillet Cookbook

1tablespoonoliveoil

smokysaLsa
Makes 5 cups
1. Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet.

mediumwhiteonion,sliced
1cannedchipotlechile 2clovesgarlic 4cups(about32ounces) cannedwholepeeledtomatoes,withjuice, 1tablespoonsugar 1tablespoonsalt

Cook the onion, chipotle, and garlic for about 5 minutes, until they are soft but not browned. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomatoes with their juices, sugar, salt, and pepper, and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Char the tortillas over a gas burner until there

tablespoonfreshlyground
pepper 2whitecorntortillas

cupchoppedcilantro
1mediumlime,firstzested, thenjuiced

is very little white left, only about 20 percent. (Alternatively, toast them in a dry skillet, but dont be afraid of a little smokeyou really want them blackened.) Add the whole charred tortillas to the tomato mixture and remove it from the heat. Add the cilantro and lime zest and juice, then pure the salsa and tortillas using an immersion blender. (A food processor or regular blender will work too.) Taste the seasonings and adjust if necessary.

The Skillet Cookbook

dinner

10

The Skillet Cookbook

11

The Skillet Cookbook

chanterellerisotto
cupextra-virginoliveoil,
divided

Makes 8 Servings
Most people were shocked to see a risotto on our food truck. That was one of the times where people were like, Huh? This is coming out of the food trailer?! Were not an Italian restaurant, were a food truck, so were doing it the best we can, not with complete technical authenticity. Its important to keep it simple: risotto and mushrooms and cracked pepper and lemon zestyou dont need much more than that. A lot of people cook mushrooms before they put them in something, and that makes them flaccid. Instead of cutting the mushrooms, I pull them apart into pieces and let them go where theyd naturally go, and I dont cook them they just go into the warm risotto and the risotto cooks them, so you get as much of the mushroom texture as possible. Wild mushrooms are a pretty prominent ingredient here in Washington, and I think they should be honored and showcased on their own. If youre feeling extra luxurious, garnish the risotto at the end with slices of white truffle. Thats what we call super street fare.

cup(1stick)unsalted
butter,divided 2mediumshallots,minced 2cupscrispwhitewine, divided 1freshbayleaf Leavesfrom3sprigsfresh thyme 2cupscarnaroliorarborio rice 6cupsbeeforvealstock

poundfreshchanterelle
mushrooms,cleanedand pulledapart

seasaltandfreshlyground pepper 1cupfreshlygratedparmesan cheese

cupchoppeditalian
parsley

12

The Skillet Cookbook

1. Heat a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-

low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter and melt them together in the pan. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes, or until theyre translucent. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the pan, add the bay leaf and thyme, and bring the liquid to a simmer, allowing the wine to evaporate, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
2. Reduce the heat to low, and melt the remaining 6

tablespoons each of butter and oil in the pan. Stir in the rice and coat with the oil until the kernels are shiny, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the stock one ladleful at a time, allowing the rice

to absorb the liquid between additions. Do not add the stock too quickly, as it will affect the texture of the kernels. Stir the rice every 30 to 60 seconds, just to make sure it isnt sticking, over low heat until each ladle of the liquid is absorbed. (Dont stir it continuously unless you want oatmeal.) Repeat until most of the stock is incorporated and the rice is al dentecooked but with a little bite to itabout 25 minutes. Fold the mushrooms into the rice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the risotto from the heat. Stir in the parmesan and parsley and serve immediately.
13
The Skillet Cookbook

dessert

14

The Skillet Cookbook

mexican-stylehotchocolate
6ouncesbittersweetordark chocolate(preferably70percentcacao),finelychopped 5cupswholemilk 3tablespoonssugar Pinchofsalt 1teaspooncrushedred pepperflakes 1teaspoonchilepowder 5cinnamonsticks,forgarnish

Makes five 8-ounce servings

chocolate, milk, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, and chile powder. Heat the mixture to just below scalding, taking care not to scorch it, then turn the heat off and allow it to cool slightly. Note: The heat brings out the oils, so the longer it sits, the spicier itll be. Pour it into serving cups and garnish each with a cinnamon stick.

15

The Skillet Cookbook

Josh henderson is the founding chef and part-

ner of Skillet, which includes Skillet Street Food, bacon jam, catering and now the Skillet Diner. Skillet has been featured in Real Simple, The Today Show, GQ, Washington Post, The Food Network, Details, Sunset, and Food & Wine. He lives in Seattle.

16

The Skillet Cookbook

Skillet Street Food turns the lunch truck into haute cuisine.
S u n S eT m aga z i n e

Since 2007, Seattleites have been passionately lining up for a taste of chef Josh Hendersons culinary creations. He continues to deliver with his latest addition to the Skillet experience. Filled with mouthwatering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert recipes, The Skillet Cookbook reveals the secrets to Hendersons success, detailing everything from how to make the legendary Skillet Burger to the business of running a street-food truck.

The Skillet Cookbook

Josh Henderson
JuLy2012

Available wherever books are sold.

Photographs by Sarah Jurado

S
17

The Skillet Cookbook

sasquatchbooks.com