CookTeaser

Serves 2

A CookTale

Here is yet another redux on how we prepare and serve Chicken Thighs. Their on the table at least once or twice a month, especially when we’re meated out. A mild Curry powder emulsified with Butter and spread under the skin, does wonders to the dish. As seen in the photo, the sauce is the result of the Curry Butter combining with the natural fat from the Chicken and spooned on and over the Thighs. The saute of Chanterelles that were added were ones we did’nt use the other evening. They were kept fresh by keeping them lightly covered with damp paper toweling in the fridge. Chanterelles or any other wild mushroom is a delicious option.

INGREDIENTS

2 8 oz skin on Chicken Thighs
1 TB of mild Curry Powder (or to your liking)
2 TB of Butter
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
1 TB of Olive Oil for the fry pan
3 ounces of fresh Chanterelles (or other wild mushroom, optional)

METHOD

1. Mix the Curry Powder & Butter into a smooth emulsion. Carefully lift the Thigh’s skin & with a spatula & coat the meat.

2. Rub any remaining Curry Butter on the skin. Salt & Pepper the Thighs. Set aside.

3. One half hour before dinner, heat the pan, (for this recipe we like the control of an electric pan) to 325F. Add 1TB of Olive Oil & when rippling, add the Thighs, skin side down.

4. Pan fry for about ten minutes & turn the underside down for another ten to twelve minutes. Check the internal temperature, 135F is ideal for Meduium Rare.

5. Remove each Thigh to a plate & spoon the Curry Butter sauce on & around them. Add the optional Mushrooms.

Serves 2

A CookTale

Here is a redux of our most favorite way to serve Chicken Thighs, When we’re meated out, we prepare them at least once or twice a month. A mild Curry emulsified with Butter and spread under the skin, does wonders to the dish. As seen in the photo, the sauce is the result of the Curry Butter combining with the natural fat from the Chicken and spooned on and over the Thighs.

INGREDIENTS

2 8 oz skin on Chicken Thighs
1 TB of mild Curry Powder (or to your liking)
2 TB of Butter
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
1 TB of Olive Oil for the fry pan

METHOD

1. Mix the Curry Powder & Butter into a smooth emulsion. Carefully lift the Thigh’s skin & with a spatula & coat the meat.

2. Rub any remaining Curry Butter on the skin. Salt & Pepper the Thighs. Set aside.

3. One half hour before dinner, heat the pan, (for this recipe we like the control of an electric pan) to 325F. Add 1TB of Olive Oil & when rippling, add the Thighs, skin side down.

4. Pan fry for about ten minutes & turn the underside down for another ten to twelve minutes. Check the internal temperature, 135F is ideal for Meduium Rare.

5. Remove each Thigh to a plate & spoon the Curry Butter sauce on & around them.

An adaptation of a recipe in Fine Cooking Magazine

A CookTale

There’s a great deal to say in favor of a one-pot dinner. It is a delicious blending of different tastes and flavors, with a tempting plate appeal. When each ingredient is individually cooked and set aside, then reassembled at the end, which is the way I prefer a one-pot dish to be handled, you have far better control over the final result. The chances that any one ingredient is under or overcooked is reduced to a minimum. In this take on Coq au Vin, a Riesling Wine substitutes for the usual Red.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup of EVOO
6 Chicken Thighs (skin on & boned is optional)
2 Italian Sausages (optional)
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
7 oz. of Pancetta, (cut into 3/4″ dice)
8 medium Shallots (halved)
4 medium Carrots, (cut into 3/4″ slices)
8 oz of Green Beans (cut into 2″ pieces)
1 small Fennel Bulb (trimmed, cored, & cut into 3/4″ dice)
1 large Garlic Clove (finely chopped)
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf Parsley
4 sprigs fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
2 cups of Alsatian or German dry Riesling
3 cups of Chicken Broth
2 tsp of Lemon Zest
1 TB of chopped fresh flat-leaf Parsley

METHOD

1. Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven & heat to 300°F.

2. Heat 2 TB of the EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the six Chicken Thighs with 1 Salt & Pepper. Arrange the Thighs skin side down in the pot in a snug single layer. Sear, turning once until the skin has taken on a deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the Sausages (optional) & cook until almost done. Set aside.

3. Cook the Pancetta in the same pot until well browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off & discard the fat. Set aside.

4. Heat the remaining 2 TB of EVOO in the same pot over medium-high heat. Cook the Shallots until tender & richly colored. Set aside.

5. Cook the Carrots & the Fennel, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the Garlic, stirring frequently, until its aroma subsides, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

6. In a soup pot, parboil the Green Beans for 5 minutes, immediately immerse in cold water, drain on paper towels & set aside.

7. Tie the Parsley, Thyme sprigs, & Bay Leaf together with twine (or tie them in a small cheesecloth sachet). Add the herb bundle to the pot, along with the Riesling Wine. Simmer briskly, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen the brown bits. Add the broth & return the Chicken, Pancetta & Sausages to the pot, arranging the Chicken & Sausages in a single layer. Bring to a simmer, cover & transfer to the oven.

8. Braise in the 300 degree oven for no more than 10 minutes. all the meats should be slightly undercooked. Return all the cooked vegetables to the pot with the Chicken & Pancetta. Heat through.

9. With a slotted spoon transfer the Chicken, Pancetta, Sausage & all the Vegetables to a large bowl or serving platter & tent with foil. Discard the herb bundle. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat & reduce to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Stir in the Lemon Zest & a final generous seasoning of Salt & Pepper.

10. To serve, add a hefty portion of Chicken, Pancetta, Sausage & Vegetables to a dinner plate, spoon on the reduced sauce, & sprinkle with chopped Parsley.

Serves 3 or more

A CookTale

Last evening I prepared what had to be the zillionth way to cook Sicilian Chicken. This morning I feel as if I was inducted into a world-wide club with over 3,000,000 members. That’s Google’s number of listings just about Sicilian Chicken. I originally was impressed by the recipe in Mario Batali’s 2005 great book, Molto Mario. It’s taken me 6 years to finally prepare it, and with apologies to MB, I made a number additions, changes and variations that suited the way I thought about the dish. Two significant changes was using White Wine in place of Red, and Chicken Thighs only instead of entire Chicken parts. Another change, one that I always rely on, is cooking each ingredient separately, then returning them to the pan together when they’ve all been cooked.

INGREDIENTS

4 Chicken Thighs bone-in or boneless (6 oz each, rinsed & patted dry) (they will ultimately be cut in half)
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
3 TB of EVOO (plus more for drizzling)
8 baby Russet Potatoes (cut in half)
3 Bell Peppers, Green, Red & Yellow each (each cored, seeded & cut into 1-1/2″ wide strips
1 Celery Rib, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small Eggplants, cut into large cubes (about 3 cups)
2 medium Carrots, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
4 oz of Baby Portobello Mushrooms (thinly sliced)
4 Plum Tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 cup Black Olives, (Sicilian or Calamata pitted)
3 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
2 TB of salt-packed Capers, rinsed and drained
3 dried hot Chiles
1-1/2 cups of dry White Wine
2 TB of chopped fresh Mint
2 TB of chopped fresh flat-leaf Parsley
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

METHOD

1. Season the Thighs with Salt & Pepper. In a 12-inch deep saute pan, heat 3 TB of EVOO over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the Thighs skin side down, brown on both sides, about 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Set aside.

2. In same pan, add the Garlic slices & the Potatoes, cook until softened & beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Remove to its bowl. Add the Mushrooms & another TB of EVOO, saute until tender & lightly colored, Remove to its bowl.

3. Add the Bell Peppers, cook until softened & beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Remove to its bowl. Add the Celery & Carrots, cook until softened & beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Remove to its bowl.

4. Add the Eggplant, cook until softened & beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Remove to its bowl. Add the Tomatoes, Olives, Capers, & Chiles; season with Salt & Pepper. Return all the vegetables & seasonings to the pan.

5. Cut the Thighs in half & add them to the vegetables, Add the Wine, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover, & cook until the Thighs are cooked through, 10 minutes or so. Keep them slightly undercooked, or they’ll be dry instead of juicy.

6. Stir in the Mint, Parsley, & Red Pepper Flakes. Individually plate, & drizzle with EVOO.

A CookTale

In November 2008, Mark Bittman in his New York Times column changed the way that we will forever more do Turkey. No more four hours of 325 degree oven time. No more pan juice basting every 20 minutes. And no more questionable results. Ever since that article was published, our Thanksgiving day Turkey has been simply fabulous. May I suggest that you do not wait until 2012 to enjoy this experience, Christmas is only weeks away.

INGREDIENTS For the Turkey

1 10- to 12-pound Turkey
12 Garlic Cloves, (peeled & lightly crushed)
2 Branches of fresh Rosemary & a bunch of Thyme)
1/3 cup of EVOO +2 TB of Butter
1/3 cup of dried Thyme
Kosher Salt & Pepper (liberally applied)

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the Turkey on a stable cutting board breast side down & cut out the backbone. Turn the Turkey over, & press to flatten it. Place it breast side up in a roasting pan.

2.Tuck Garlic & Thyme underneath the Turkey & in the nooks of the wings & legs. Drizzle with EVOO, dot with Butter & sprinkle liberally with Salt, Pepper & dried Thyme.

3. Roast for 20 minutes, undisturbed. Turkey should be browning. Baste only once with the pan juices, Reduce the heat to 400 degrees (only if the Turkey browns too quickly, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, otherwise leave it be).

4. At 35 minutes, check the Turkey’s internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. We consider it ready to remove when the Thigh meat registers 145 degrees & the Breast meat reaches 135 degrees. But that’s us, if you prefer your Turkey not as medium-rare, give it a few more minutes. Keep in mind that as it rests it continues to cook, & the longer it cooks, the drier the white meat gets.

5. Carve & spoon on the roasted Garlic Cloves and pan juices.

INGREDIENTS For the Stuffing

2 cups of two day old Bread (cut to 3/4″ cubes)
1 ½ cups of Sweet Onion (cut to 1/2″ dice)
1/2 a Fennel bulb (cut to 1/2″ dice)
2 Celery stalks (cut to 1/2″ dice)
3 Garlic Cloves (sliced)
1 to 2 TB of Butter (more if needed)
1 TB EVOO
1 pound of ground Pork (hot or sweet Italian)
¾ cup of dried Cranberries
2 cups of Mushrooms, (I used Portobello cut to 1/2″ dice)
2 Eggs (lightly beaten)
1/2 cup of Demi Glace (diluted in water)
½ cup of Pine Nuts (toasted)
½ cup of chopped fresh Parsley
1/2 cup of chopped fresh Sage
1 large fresh Bay Leaf
1 ½ tsp of Salt + 1 tsp of fresh Black Pepper
1 cup of dry Vermouth

METHOD

1. Add 2 TB or two of Butter to a medium sauce pan. Over medium heat, fry the Bread cubes for about 3 minutes until crisp. Remove to a large bowl.

2. In the same frying pan, add 1 TB of EVOO & the Garlic, Onions, Fennel, Celery, ground Pork & Mushrooms. Sauté, breaking the Pork into small pieces. Continue cooking over medium heat until ingredients start to brown & tenderize. Toss in the Pine Nuts, the dried Cranberries, Sage, Parsley & Salt & Pepper. Add the beaten Eggs & gently mix together. Add to the bowl of crisp bread cubes.

3. Deglaze the empty pan with the Vermouth & reduce by half, then add the diluted Demi Glace, stirring & loosening the dried bits at the bottom of the pan. Add to the large bowl. Taste to adjust seasoning.

4. As dinnertime approaches, spoon the stuffing into a Buttered deep casserole, dot with the Butter & bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.