New York State of Mind

1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons sherry
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large bunch broccoli, tops only, cut or broken into very small florets
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, approximately
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

1. Place chicken in a large pot. Cover with cold water. Add peppercorns and salt. Cover, place over high heart, and bring water to a boil. As soon as the pot boils, turn off the heat and let stand for 3 hours. Uncover the pot. Remove the chicken. Reserve broth for another use. (It may be kept for several days in the refrigerator, or for several months in the freezer.)
2. Meanwhile, make a white sauce: In a small to medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour with a wire whisk. Let bubble for about 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let the bubbling stoop. Beat in milk all at once. Return pot to heat and, stirring constantly with the whisk, bring mixture to a boil, at which point it should be thickened and smooth. Stir in nutmeg, sherry and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer another minute. Stir in lemon juice. Cover and keep hot over very low heat.
4. Remove the skin of the chicken and carve the breast, leg and thigh meat into neat slices. Whatever you cannot slice neatly, save for another purpose.
5. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Cook broccoli until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain broccoli in a colander and then arrange it in one layer in a deep heatproof serving platter or in a shallow casserole or gratin dish.
6. Preheat oven to 400F. Sprinkle broccoli with about half the grated cheese. Arrange chicken meat on top of the broccoli.
7. Whisk egg yolks into the white sauce. Fold in whipped cream. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese.
8. Pace in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes, to heat through.
9. For a final glazing, place the casserole about 5 inches below the broiler heat source, and cook until tinged with brown, about 3 minutes. Serves 8.

From Arthur Schwartz’ New York City Food (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2004, www.stcbooks.com); "Relish This and That" February 2006.

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chili sauce or ketchup
2 tablespoons finely minced pimento stuffed olives
1 tablespoon finely minced green pepper
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 chopped hard-cooked egg
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. In a small bowl, blend all the ingredients together. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

From Arthur Schwartz’ New York City Food (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2004, www.stcbooks.com); "Relish This and That," February 2006.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 to 3 1/2 cups cooked lobster (from 2-pound lobsters—see Note), body meat cut into 1/2-inch thick crosswise slices, claw meat cut into chunks
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons Madeira
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste.

1. In an 8- to 10-inch skillet over medium high heat, heat butter until foam begins to subside. Immediately add lobster and sauté, turning all the pieces, for about 2 minutes.
2. Add 3/4 cup of the cream and salt. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Meanwhile beat remaining 1/4 cup of cream together with egg yolks.
4. Add Madeira and cayenne pepper to lobster mixture. Continue to simmer for another minute.
5. Stir in a few tablespoons of the simmering cream mixture into the egg yolk and raw cream mixture.
6. Remove lobster from heat, and when the simmering subsides, stir in the egg yolk and cream mixture. Return pan to low heat and stir until thickened but not boiling. Serve immediately. Serves 2 to 4.
Note: To cook lobster, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add the lobster(s), head first, pushing the entire lobster under water if possible. Otherwise, wait until the lobster stops moving and then arrange it so it will be entirely underwater. Cook for 12 minutes from the time the lobster is fully in the water. (Cook for about 15 minutes if you are eating the lobsters immediately instead of cooking them further as in this recipe. Remove from the boiling water and let cool. The lobster can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
Variation: For shrimp à la Newburg, substitute 1 pound jumbo shrimp (16 to 18 shrimp), shelled, for the lobster. Follow the directions exactly, sautéing the shrimp until they turn pink on both sides. For large shrimp, sauté only 1 minute.

From Arthur Schwartz’ New York City Food (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2004, www.stcbooks.com); "Relish This and That," February 2006.