Daily Archives: July 22, 2012
22/07/12 Chicken Under A Brick, Tuscan Style
RECIPE
A CookTale
For those who have yet to prepare a whole Chicken in this style, here is a great new method to add to your repertoire. Cathie and I were fortunate to discover this in a small mountainside restaurant in the hills of Chianti, Tuscany. The menu was a chalkboard in Italian, the chef, clad in his undershirt, sweating over a roaring fire, was grilling a number of Chickens flattened under bricks. Here we have to rely on our gas or charcoal grills to try to replicate this old world technique. A friend who knew Italy very well once told me “In Italy avoid countryside restaurants if upon entering, you don’t get the whiff of a cook sweating against a roaring fire”. Not a wonderful image to take home, but here’s the wonderful result!
INGREDIENTS
1 (3- to 4-lb) Chicken, halved but still intact so that it lies flat
1/4 C of EVOO
6 TB of chopped fresh Herbs (such as Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano and Marjoram)
5 to 6 Garlic Cloves, chopped
Coarse Salt & Pepper to taste
METHOD
1. Rub the Chicken all over with Oil, Herbs, Garlic, Salt & Pepper. Transfer to a wide, shallow dish, cover, & refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
2. Drain excess marinade from the Chicken & arrange, skin side down, on a grill over a medium low fire (you should be able to hold your hand over the flame for 5—6 seconds). Immediately place two heavy bricks wrapped in foil or a weighted cast iron pan over the chicken. Close the lid of the grill and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes.
3. When the skin is crispy & golden, flip Chicken & cook on the other side for another 12 minutes, or until juices run clear when pierced with a knife or a meat thermometer registers 135°F. in the thighs.
Remove, it will continue to cook while it rests.
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- Posted under Chicken
22/07/12 Filet of Beef Steak With A Roast Of Artichokes, Potatoes, Shallots & Garlic
RECIPE
Serves 2
A CookTale
What turned a Steak and Potatoes dinner into something more interesting was the Vegetable combination, roasted in a hot oven. The Filets from Smokehouse Of The Catskills were up to par, and a simple grilling in a cast iron grill pan brought out the best in them. The Vegetable required a bit more preparation attention, but as the saying goes, you get out what you put in…in this case, deliciousness!
INGREDIENTS The Vegetables
12 oz of Baby Yellow Potatoes (quartered)
Box of frozen Baby Artichokes (defrosted)
2 Large Shallots (thinly sliced)
2 Garlic Cloves (sliced)
2 TB of EVOO
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Add all the Vegetables in a bowl & add 2 TB of EVOO. Gently combine.
3. Transfer from the bowl to a baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes, or until they begin to show charring.
4. Remove & allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
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- Posted under Beef and Veal
CookTeaser 