By Wendy Binns
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The recently released book Murphy's: 25 Years of Recipes and Memories tells the success story of neighbor and restaurateur Tom Murphy of Murphy's restaurant in Virginia-Highland. He sold hot dogs from a stand in the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center and, at age 21, he drafted a college business proposal for his future restaurant. This compelling background, like a first course to a delicious meal, keeps the reader wanting more.
The book continues with nostalgic photographs (one from the late photographer known as Panorama Ray at the Murphy's St. Patrick's Day party in 1985 on North Highland Avenue), numerous memories from long-time customers and contributions from renowned chefs who worked with Murphy over the years, including Rob Atherholt, Alon Balshan, Shaun Doty, Gerry Klaskala, Lou Locricchio, Michael Tuohy and Hector Santiago.
In addition, it treats us to more than 50 recipes that fans of this INtown eatery have long wanted to recreate in their own kitchens. Here's a taste:
LINDA'S OMELET
Serves 1
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely diced onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced white mushrooms
1 cup baby spinach leaves, very well
washed and spun dry
1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar
In a bowl, beat the eggs with the cream
until smooth, and add a good pinch
of salt
and some pepper.
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Place a 6-inch, non-stick skillet over low
heat and add the oil. When it is hot, add the
onions, mushrooms and spinach and cook,
stirring, for 3 minutes. The vegetables should
be slightly wilted.
Add the egg-cream mixture to the pan. At first, move the eggs around with a heat-resistant spatula, pushing the cooked eggs towards the center of the pan to let the uncooked eggs flow out to the edges.
Continue cooking until the omelet is cooked through. Spread the shredded cheese on the top, and immediately fold the omelet onto a plate.
CHICKEN AND SPINACH BURGERS
Serves 4
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2
cups)
2 strips uncooked, smoked bacon, finely
chopped
1 1/2 pound ground chicken (white meat
only)
1/2 pound frozen spinach, thoroughly
thawed and squeezed firmly to get
rid of as
much water as humanly
possible
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper
In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Set the pan aside until the onions are completely cool.
In a bowl, combine the bacon and ground chicken and mix together thoroughly. (This may be accomplished best with --clean-- hands.)
Add and mix in the cooled onions, cream and bread crumbs, and season to taste with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Form the mixture into four 8-ounce patties.
Preheat the griddle pan or very large skillet to medium-high heat. Griddle the burgers until done through and firm to the touch (slice gently if you are not sure when the chicken is cooked), 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
Serve on toasted rolls with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese, in the quantities desired.
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MURPHY'S BEST PASTA SAUCE
From Mike Hufler
Makes 5 cups, serves 8 to 12
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or
homemade stock
2 tablespoons chicken stock base (avail-
able in well-stocked markets), or 2
bouillon cubes
3 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tar-
ragon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper, preferably
fresh ground
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour until the mixture forms a paste. Reduce the heat to very low and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes to cook off the raw taste of the flour. Slowly add the broth or stock and the chicken base, whisking constantly to blend it evenly with the roux. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the tarragon, basil, mint, salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Adjust with salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired.
To serve, depending on the number of diners, combine half the sauce with pasta of your choice in a warmed bowl. Add grilled shrimp or sliced, grilled chicken, and top with the remaining, deliciously rich sauce.
Murphy's: 25 Years of Recipes and Memories ($24.95, Schroder Media) by Tom Murphy and Jan Butsch will be available this month at Murphy's, local bookstores and online. |
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