Category Archives: Chicken
November 19, 2011 Cornish Game Hen With Pomegranate Molasses, Pomegranate Seeds & Roasted Broccoli Rabe
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RECIPE
Serves 2
A CookTale As an alternative to a 3 pound Chicken, or a 1 pound Poussin, Cornish Game Hens are inexpensive and, if not overcooked, are a very juicy and tasty bird. These were grill-pan cooked in what is called, “Pollo al Mattone”, or “Chicken Under a Brick” a Tuscan style of grilling chicken, then brushed with Pomegranate Molasses and flash roasted in a 450 F oven. Measuring the internal temperature is tricky due to the thinness of the Hen’s flesh. Therefore better to undercook, realizing it still has a few minutes in a very hot oven to melt the Pomegranate Molasses. INGREDIENTS F0r the Cornish Game Hen 1 Cornish Game Hen, (spatchcocked, spine & wing tips removed, completely flattened) METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 450F degrees. 2. Coat a large saute pan with 1 TB of EVOO & bring to medium-high heat. Season the Hen on both sides generously with Salt & Pepper. Carefully lay the Hen in the pan, skin side down & cook until the skin becomes brown & crispy, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the hens over & to the flesh side & brown. Remove the Hen to a sheet tray. 3. Combine the Molasses & the smashed Garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the Molasses to a boil & reduce by half until syrupy, about 15 minutes. Set aside. 4. Brush the Hen on both sides with the reduced Molasses. Place the Hen in the oven & roast for a very few minutes. 5. Remove the Hen from the oven. Plate with the garnish of Pomegranate seeds & spoon on any pan juices. RECIPE Roasted Broccoli Rabe INGREDIENTS 1 Bunch of Broccoli Rabe (1 pound) METHOD 1. Cut off the tough ends of the Broccoli Rabe stems. With a paring knife, peel the stem, working your way around until it’s completely peeled. As you peel the stem, some of the large tough outer leaves will also be removed. Discard those as well. Repeat with the remaining stems. 2. Wash the trimmed Broccoli Rabe. Drain in a colander. 3. Heat the 2 TB of EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Scatter on the Garlic & cook, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove & set aside. Carefully lay the Broccoli Rabe stems into the hot Oil, season lightly with Salt & the 1/4 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper. Stir & toss to combine. 4. Pour 1/3 cup water into the skillet and bring to a boil. Cover tightly & cook, lifting the lid to turn the stalks occasionally, until the Broccoli Rabe is fork tender. Taste & season with additional Salt & crushed Red Pepper if necessary. Return the Garlic slices to the pan. 5. Move the sauteed Broccoli Rabe to an oven proof casserole dish & place in the still hot 450F oven. Roast for 10 minutes. 6. Divide onto the dinner plates & serve. |
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November 12, 2011 Pan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
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RECIPE
Serves 2 Most Generously A CookTale On Monday we enjoyed a Roast Chicken. We had the Thighs and Legs, and reserved the Breast meat for another dinner. It was vacuum packed In our indispensable Food Saver. Last evening its time arrived. The Chicken Breasts and the Vegetables were all diligently cut to a 1″ dice. Fresh Herbs were prepped, and a sauce was made from concentrated Chicken Demi Glace and Chicken Broth. The original Roast Chicken might have competed for last evening’s tasty dinner, but it’s questionable. INGREDIENTS Leftover Roasted Chicken Breasts (diced into 1″ pieces) METHOD 1. Cut the Chicken Breasts into 1″ pieces. Set aside in its bowl. 2. Melt 3 TB of Butter in a large saute pan. Add the Turnips & Onions, 1 tsp of Salt & 1/2 tsp of Pepper. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until evenly browned & cooked through. Remove from the pan to the master bowl. 3. In the same pan, melt 2 more TB of Butter. Add the Mushrooms, & saute until Tender. Remove to the master Bowl. 4. Add the Red Bell Peppers, Garlic, Thyme, Paprika, 1 tsp of Salt, 1/2 tsp of Pepper & the Red Pepper Flakes. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the edges of the Peppers are seared & the vegetables are tender. 5. Just before serving return the Chicken & the vegetable mixture back to the pan. Add the Demi-Glace sauce & heat through. Add the Scallions & Parsley, gently toss together & serve. |
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November 7, 2011 Chicken Spatchcocked And Roasted Atop Vegetables
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RECIPE
Serves 2 A CookTale Isn’t Spatchcock an odd name in the culinary dictionary? The origin seems to be 18 Century British and the method continues to be popular as a way to significantly reduce cooking time and have an extremely juicy bird. In 2008 Mark Bittman featured a 12 pound Thanksgiving Turkey that could be perfectly roasted in 45 minutes. Since then we have had success with Turkey, Duck, Cornish Game Hens and Chicken. Of course it was necessary to alter the oven time for each bird. Last evening we enjoyed the legs and thighs, tonight the breasts will hopefully reach our plates as a tasty Chicken Hash. INGREDIENTS For the Chicken 1 3 Pound Chicken (organic & free range preferred) METHOD 1. Whip together the Butter, Paprika & EVOO to make a smooth emulsion. 2. Heat the oven to 425F. Put the Chicken on a cutting board, breast side down & cut out the backbone (cutting from front to rear). Turn the bird onto the skin side & press to flatten. Season liberally with Salt & Pepper. 3. If the Butter Paprika emulsion has effectively softened, take a small spatula & smear it evenly as possible all over the skin. 4. Place on a baking sheet & Roast for about 30 minutes, undisturbed. By this time its internal temperature, on an instant-read thermometer should have reached 135 to 140 F, as we prefer for a juicy medium result. 5. Remove the Chicken from the oven & allow it rest for at least 5 minutes before transferring to the cutting board. Cut it in half, then separate the thighs & legs from the breast. 6. For serving, add a bed of roasted vegetables* to the plate & top with as many pieces of the Chicken that satisfies your appetite. INGREDIENTS For the Roasted Vegetables 2 Turnips (medium size & cut to a 3/4″ dice) METHOD 1. Add all the prepared vegetables & the Garlic to a large bowl. Season with Salt & Pepper & the EVOO. Toss them together & set aside to absorb the seasonings & the EVOO. 2. When ready, add them in a single layer to a roasting pan, top with the Spatchcock Chicken & roast. |
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November 1, 2011 Chicken Giblets & Turmeric Rice
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RECIPE
A CookTale This is for those that enjoy Chicken Hearts and Gizzards. To all others may I suggest that it’s worth giving a try. If you like offal you may be surprised at the flavor, the texture and the taste. The Turmeric Rice adds another dimension to the dish. To me it brings back very old memories when I lunched at a New York restaurant on West 33 Street, where it was a house speciality. Of course everything that I remember, I seem to remember glowingly. INGREDIENTS 1 Pound of Chicken Hearts & Gizzards (in one package) METHOD 1. Place the Chicken Hearts & Gizzards in a large saucepan, & add enough water to cover. Cover & bring to a boil. Boil over medium-high heat until the Giblets are very tender. Drain, reserving the enriched water & slice the Giblets into bite size pieces. 2. Cook the Rice with the Turmeric Powder, using the reserved enriched water according to package directions. 3. Heat the Oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the Onion, Garlic & Mushrooms until the Onion is translucent & tender & the mushrooms have browned. Add the Giblets & saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the canned Chicken Broth, the Demi-Giace or Bouillon & bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by 1/2, about 10 to 15 minutes. 4. To the plate add a bed of the Rice, top with the Giblets, season with Salt & Pepper, & serve. |
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October 28, 2011 An Oven Roast of Chicken Thighs & Fennel
 RECIPE
Serves 2
A CookTale Our once-a-week routine of Chicken for dinner resulted in this dish, using the oven instead of a saute pan. INGREDIENTS 2 Boneless and skinless Chicken Thighs (8 ounces each) METHOD 1. Heat the oven to 425F. Line a large non-stick baking pan with foil. Trim the Chicken Thighs of excess fat, Pat dry & liberally sprinkle with Salt & Pepper. 2. Combine the melted Butter with the Mustard, Honey & smashed Garlic clove in a small bowl. Whisk to emulsify. 3. In another bowl, combine the Breadcrumbs with the shredded Parmesan, Paprika, 1/2 TB of Salt, 1 tsp of Pepper & Parsley. 4. Brush the Chicken Thighs with the Butter & Mustard mixture then press all sides in the bread crumb mixture to coat thoroughly, shake off the excess breadcrumbs. 5. Place on the baking sheet. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until juices run clear when Chicken is lightly pierced with a fork & the internal temperature is about 135F. As it rests, the temperature will increase. RECIPE For the Roasted Fennel INGREDIENTS 1 Fennel Bulb METHOD 1. Slice the Fennel vertically into 3/4″ pieces. Add them in a single layer to a sheet pan. Coat both sides with the EVOO & Salt & Pepper. 2. In the same 425F oven with the Chicken Thighs, add the sheet pan of Fennel. Roast for 30 minutes or until the Fennel is tender & has taken on color. 3. Remove & keep warm to plate with the Chicken Thighs. |
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October 15, 2011 Pollo alla Cacciatora
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RECIPE
Serves 2 with generous leftovers
A CookTale When I run out of ideas as to what to do with Chicken Thighs, a savory stew like Chicken Cacciatore continues to work for me. And of all the recipes for Chicken Cacciatore (Google lists over 800,000), Mario Batali’s Chicken Hunter Style, which dates back to 2000, is my old reliable. My adaptation has the audacity to make changes in Signore Mario’s recipe. But when eaten, it all seems to work out. INGREDIENTS 5 Chicken Thighs 8 Ounces each (bone in, skin on) METHOD 1. Cut the Chicken Thighs into 10 pieces. 2. Combine the Garlic, Rosemary, Salt & Pepper & enough EVOO to make a somewhat dry paste. Divide the paste evenly among the 10 pieces, toss, cover & refrigerate for 2 hours. 3. In a dutch oven, add EVOO and cook until smoking. Brush the excess paste from the bird & sear each piece of meat on all sides. (This is part of their cooking). Remove the seared Thighs to a plate lined with paper towels. 4. Add the Onions, Mushrooms & Pancetta to the dutch oven & cook over high heat until the Onions are golden brown & the fat has been rendered from the Pancetta. Drain the excess oil, then add the Wine & stir the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge the browned bits. Add the Tomatoes, squeezing each in your hand to break them up, add the Chicken Stock, the (optional) Demi Glace, the Sugar & Chili flakes & bring it all to a boil. Return the Chicken Thighs to the pan. Cook for 15 minutes, covered, then 10 minutes more, uncovered. The Thighs must not be overdone. 5. Heat a large skillet with 1TB of EVOO. Add the 12 pieces of Sausage & saute until browned. Do not overcook them or they’ll dry out. Place them in the dutch oven with the other ingredients. Maintain the heat on low to keep the Stew warm. 6. Add three or four pieces of Chicken Thighs to each plate, and liberally spoon the sauce on & around. Top with chopped Parsley & serve immediately. |
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October 7, 2011 Chicken Liver Mousse with Sautéed Apples
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RECIPE
Serves 6 or more
A CookTale An elegant yet easy to prepare first course. It’s amazing how the thought of Mousse, Pate, Parfait and Terrines of Chicken, Duck, or Salmon can be intimidating. Cathie has a motto, “If you can read, you can cook”, and she is a fine cook. Combine that motto with the determination to do it right, and you might be delighted with the result. INGREDIENTS Chicken Livers (2 containers, 2-1/2 pounds) METHOD 1. In a spice grinder combine Peppercorns, Juniper berries or Allspice, Clove & Coriander Seeds; finely grind & set aside. 2. Melt 2 tablespoons Butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat, when foam subsides, add Onion & cook until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the Livers to pan & sprinkle with salt; cook the Livers on one side until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes, then flip them & cook the other side. Be sure to keep heat relatively high so that the outside of Livers sears & the centers stay pink. 3. Put the Onion, Livers & their Buttery juices into a food processor or blender, add the remaining Butter, the Heavy Cream, the ground Spices & the Brandy or Cognac. Dissolve the Gelatin in 1/4 cup of Water & add it to the food processor or blender. Purée the mixture until it is velvety smooth. Taste & adjust the seasoning. 4. Transfer the Mousse to a Terrine lined with Parchment paper, smooth the top with a wet spatula & refrigerator for at least 3 hours or as long as necessary. You want the Mousse to be fully set & easy to slice. Unmold to a suitable platter. |
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September 24, 2011 Chicken Thighs With Curry Butter Under The Skin
 RECIPE
INGREDIENTS 2 8 Ounce Skin On Chicken Thighs METHOD 1. Mix together 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 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 delicious Curry Butter sauce on & around them. |
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September 24, 2011 Fusilli With Norma Sauce and Curry Butter Under-The-Skin Chicken Thigh
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RECIPE
Serves 2
A CookTale
A Sauce with a glorious history. One version suggests it was named Pasta alla Norma after Italian composer Vincent Bellini’s much-loved 1832 opera Norma. Others believe that Bellini’s opera was such an outstanding work, the name Norma simply became associated with what’s wonderful, hence the Norma sauce. RECIPE For the Norma Sauce INGREDIENTS 2 TB of EVOO + extra for drizzling METHOD 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 2 TB of Salt. 2. In a 12″ saute pan heat the 2 TB of Olive Oil until smoking. Add the Red Onion & the Garlic, cook until soft but not yet browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. 3. Add the diced Eggplant & cook, stirring regularly until softened & browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. 4. Cook the pasta according to package directions Drain well & pour the hot pasta into the pan. RECIPE For the Curry Butter Chicken Thighs INGREDIENTS 2 8 Ounce Skin On Chicken Thighs METHOD 1. Mix together 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 3. When ready , heat the pan, (for this recipe I 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 delicious Curry Butter sauce on & around them. |
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- Posted under Chicken, Dinner, Pasta
September 19, 2011 Lemon Chicken
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RECIPE
My adaptation of Rao’s Lemon Chicken Serves 2 A CookTale Of the many outstanding dishes served at Rao’s on East 114th Street in New York, I would venture a guess that Lemon Chicken stands out in people’s minds as the one most associated with the restaurant. Yet the one time Cathie and I had dinner there, I remember ordering Broccoli Rabe with Orchiette and Veal Marsala. At home in New York City I occasionally attempted to cook Lemon Chicken, generally unsuccessfully. Last evening with an organic, free range bird from Heather Ridge Farm, I finally rated one star from Cathie, my most critical critic and taster. INGREDIENTS 1 3 Pound Chicken, halved METHOD For the Chicken 1. Preheat broiler at least 15 minutes. Broil Chicken halves, turning once, for about 25 minutes or until skin is golden-brown & the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. (Do not over broil; the broiled Chicken goes back in the broiler for 3 minutes more.) 2. Remove the Chicken from the broiler (leaving the broiler on). Using a very sharp knife, cut each half into 6 pieces (legs, thighs, wings & breast pieces). 3. Place the broiled Chicken parts in a large bowl & pour 2 TB of Lemon Sauce over the Chicken. Gently toss to coat. They can be left to marinate until you’re ready to complete the dish. 4. Add the Chicken parts to a deep sided baking sheet, return the Chicken to the broiler & broil for 2 minutes. Turn each piece and broil for an additional minute. 5. Remove from broiler & divide the Chicken onto 2 plates. Pour the Lemon Sauce into a heavy saucepan. Heat gently. Stir in the Butter & the Parsley. Pour an equal amount of the enriched Sauce over each plate & serve LEMON SAUCE METHOD Whisk together Juice, Oil, Vinegar, Garlic, Oregano, and Salt & Pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Whisk or shake vigorously before using. Li
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CookTeaser 