This was a recipe made under duress. As Till Lindemann would say, you can't have art without pain but art exists for compensating pain. The name of the beer was merely ironic, although the taste it imparted was far from ironic.
You will need:
1 3.5 lb chicken
16 oz can whole coconut milk (please, please don't use the stuff in the soy milk sector)
1 bottle La Fin Du Monde beer
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 lb fresh figs, chopped into quarters
1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/3 cup sugar
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and set the chicken spine up in a roasting pan. Sprinkle the salt over it and pour the beer over the chicken, then pour the coconut milk. Bake for about 80-90 minutes, basting about every 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside 2 cups of the drippings.
In a saucepan, heat the figs and tamari sauce together. Add the spices and cook until the figs start to become soft from the heat; add the sugar and gradually add the drippings. Stir and keep adding and reducing the broth. Keep cooking and stirring until it begins to thicken and the sugar begins to form bubbles in the sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Divide the chicken into whatever portions you desire and serve the chutney on the side -- it is a bit spicy, so some may want more or less of it than others.
Showing posts with label Poultry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poultry. Show all posts
Friday, September 17, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Turkey Ragoux
This is essentially a robust marinara sauce with the addition of meat, but I suppose that's the definition of a proper ragoux. I decided to use turkey because of the lower fat content and the fact that I'm a bit more experienced with it. Hopefully you'll enjoy this recipe as much as my friends and I did!
You will need:
1 lb ground turkey
2 16 oz. cans San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
1/2 cup fresh whole basil leaves
3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped finely
1 tsp red chili flakes
3 cloves of garlic, zested
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning OR 1/2 tbsp dried oregano/ 1/2 tbsp dried thyme
Pour the tomatoes into a medium pot. Add the dried herbs, salt and red chili flakes and heat over medium. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium and brown the turkey. As the turkey cooks (make sure to come back and "turn" it often) add the olive oil and fresh herbs. Finish by adding the cooked turkey WITH the fat and juices. Remember that if you're making a ragu with a different type of meat the fat content may be too high so you'll want to drain that off when cooking with beef or lamb; for turkey, the small amount of fat and juice adds a ton of flavor. Simmer gently for another 15-30 minutes and serve over pasta. This sauce should be significantly thicker than regular marinara, so it does best with a strong pasta like fettuccine or fusilli.
You will need:
1 lb ground turkey
2 16 oz. cans San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
1/2 cup fresh whole basil leaves
3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped finely
1 tsp red chili flakes
3 cloves of garlic, zested
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning OR 1/2 tbsp dried oregano/ 1/2 tbsp dried thyme
Pour the tomatoes into a medium pot. Add the dried herbs, salt and red chili flakes and heat over medium. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium and brown the turkey. As the turkey cooks (make sure to come back and "turn" it often) add the olive oil and fresh herbs. Finish by adding the cooked turkey WITH the fat and juices. Remember that if you're making a ragu with a different type of meat the fat content may be too high so you'll want to drain that off when cooking with beef or lamb; for turkey, the small amount of fat and juice adds a ton of flavor. Simmer gently for another 15-30 minutes and serve over pasta. This sauce should be significantly thicker than regular marinara, so it does best with a strong pasta like fettuccine or fusilli.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken parm, the Americanized version of eggplant parmigiana, is a recipe I only started making in the last few months. It's my male acquaintance's favorite dish that I make so far -- however, after repeated testing, I've determined that for it to be good versus excellent chicken parm, the quality of ingredients is vital. For that purpose I am being strangely specific with this recipe. It's time and labor intensive but worth the work if you want to impress someone. This recipe serves 3.
3 kosher, organic chicken breasts, thawed (don't use large, mass produced varieties, they don't have near the flavor of naturally raised chicken meat)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
dash of salt
1 cup bread crumbs
3 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
Heat a large skillet over medium. Whisk together the milk, eggs, salt and red pepper flakes. Put the butter and garlic in the pan and using a spatula, whisk together. Dip the cutlets into the egg mixture then toss in the bread crumbs and place into the skillet individually. Once one side is browned, flip and repeat until they're all done. Set them on a small baking sheet and drizzle with the remaining garlic butter, set aside.
1 can fire roasted tomatoes, crushed
1 can regular tomatoes, crushed
1/2 cup basil leaves whole, or 3 tbsp chopped finely
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
1 lb cooked rigatoni pasta or 1 box dry
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
3 tbsp finely shredded parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine all the above ingredients except the pasta in a large saucepan over medium low heat and simmer for at least half an hour. In this time, cook and drain the pasta. Put a small amount of mozzarella in the bottom of a baking pan, follow with the pasta, then the sauce and then the rest of the mozzarella. Bake in the middle rack for 30 minutes. Put the chicken breasts on the bottom oven rack and bake along with it. Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken onto the pasta and serve.
3 kosher, organic chicken breasts, thawed (don't use large, mass produced varieties, they don't have near the flavor of naturally raised chicken meat)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
dash of salt
1 cup bread crumbs
3 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
Heat a large skillet over medium. Whisk together the milk, eggs, salt and red pepper flakes. Put the butter and garlic in the pan and using a spatula, whisk together. Dip the cutlets into the egg mixture then toss in the bread crumbs and place into the skillet individually. Once one side is browned, flip and repeat until they're all done. Set them on a small baking sheet and drizzle with the remaining garlic butter, set aside.
1 can fire roasted tomatoes, crushed
1 can regular tomatoes, crushed
1/2 cup basil leaves whole, or 3 tbsp chopped finely
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
1 lb cooked rigatoni pasta or 1 box dry
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
3 tbsp finely shredded parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine all the above ingredients except the pasta in a large saucepan over medium low heat and simmer for at least half an hour. In this time, cook and drain the pasta. Put a small amount of mozzarella in the bottom of a baking pan, follow with the pasta, then the sauce and then the rest of the mozzarella. Bake in the middle rack for 30 minutes. Put the chicken breasts on the bottom oven rack and bake along with it. Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken onto the pasta and serve.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Roast Chakhokhbili: Roasted Georgian Chicken
Making this dish was an adventure in and of itself; eating it was another. Chakhokhbili is a Georgian chicken stew infused with lots of spices and vegetables; instead of making a stew, I decided to roast the chicken whole to give my guests their desired selection of meat. This was the hands-down favorite at my last dinner party. Georgian cuisine is very flavorful and based on ingredients native to the region; one cannot categorize it as Middle Eastern, Indian or Russian, it is an entity in and of itself. The Georgian people are fiercely proud of the culinary bounty provided by their native land, which is clear from the first bite.
The recipe is based on Clarissa Hyman's chakhokhbili recipe published in The Jewish Kitchen, one of my favorite cookbooks. I had to adjust a few ingredients and the cooking time, as always, but I stuck fairly close to the original recipe. However, the sauce came out a little too chunky for my taste, so I'm describing each step separately.
For the sauce:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 lb peeled and boiled potatoes
15 oz can plain tomato sauce
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp hot paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
1 cup Shiraz or other red wine
Put the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent and slightly browned; remove from the heat. Combine all sauce ingredients and mash together, not all lumps need to be gone but the potatoes should be mashed enough to contribute to the texture of the sauce. Heat for about 10 minutes.
For the chicken:
1 medium chicken
1 large roasting pan, lined with foil
1 cup chicken broth
several tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the broth into the roasting pan and after salting and rinsing, add the chicken. Top the chicken with a cup to a cup and a half of the sauce and bake for an hour and a half. Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 400. Using a wooden spoon, gently clear some of the sauce from the top of the chicken -- this will allow the outside to become crispy. Put it back in the oven and cook until the outside is brown and crispy; using a meat thermometer, check to make sure the meat on the thigh hits at least 165 degrees before removing for good. You can either serve this whole and allow people to sauce it as they desire or you can divide it into about 8 sections, toss and coat with the remainder of the sauce and finally, top with the fresh mint.
The recipe is based on Clarissa Hyman's chakhokhbili recipe published in The Jewish Kitchen, one of my favorite cookbooks. I had to adjust a few ingredients and the cooking time, as always, but I stuck fairly close to the original recipe. However, the sauce came out a little too chunky for my taste, so I'm describing each step separately.
For the sauce:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 lb peeled and boiled potatoes
15 oz can plain tomato sauce
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp hot paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
1 cup Shiraz or other red wine
Put the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent and slightly browned; remove from the heat. Combine all sauce ingredients and mash together, not all lumps need to be gone but the potatoes should be mashed enough to contribute to the texture of the sauce. Heat for about 10 minutes.
For the chicken:
1 medium chicken
1 large roasting pan, lined with foil
1 cup chicken broth
several tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the broth into the roasting pan and after salting and rinsing, add the chicken. Top the chicken with a cup to a cup and a half of the sauce and bake for an hour and a half. Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 400. Using a wooden spoon, gently clear some of the sauce from the top of the chicken -- this will allow the outside to become crispy. Put it back in the oven and cook until the outside is brown and crispy; using a meat thermometer, check to make sure the meat on the thigh hits at least 165 degrees before removing for good. You can either serve this whole and allow people to sauce it as they desire or you can divide it into about 8 sections, toss and coat with the remainder of the sauce and finally, top with the fresh mint.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Chicken Soup: A Vegetarian's Experience
I've mentioned that I am a vegetarian, which is the basis of this blog. I also admit to cooking for large numbers of people on a fairly regular basis, and especially when you're away from home you need something to take you back. One night in particular several guys from our student group in Moscow came to our dorm to attempt blini (Russian buckwheat pancakes). I had a whole chicken and some odds and ends around the kitchen and seeing as the blini weren't going as planned, I decided to try something new that would cure them of their homesickness.
What you need:
1 whole chicken, no innards, thawed
about a gallon of water
1 large onion, diced
4 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
3 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried basil
3 bay leaves
3-5 tbsp salt, depending on taste
a few grinds of black pepper
1 lb spaghetti, broken into "2-3 inch pieces
3 cups shredded cabbage (optional)
sour cream
I never touched the raw chicken. It freaks me out. I don't even want to know what flesh feels like in that state. I will eat things made with broth but as far as the actual meat is concerned I usually pawn it off on someone else. I know, I'm weird. Anyway, I put a large stock pot with the gallon of water on to boil and stick the chicken in whole (after rinsing very well, of course). Add the salt, set the pot to simmer and put the lid on -- then just let that sucker cook for two to four hours. When you come back to it, lift the chicken out and allow it to cool for a few moments. Put the onions, spices, pasta and cabbage (if you're using it) into the pot and bring to a low boil. Pull bite sized pieces from the chicken and place in a bowl, adding them all once the chicken is bare. Put the lid back over it and boil for approximately 10-12 minutes. Take off the heat and pour into bowls. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and a shot of ice cold Russki Standart to get the authentic experience.
What you need:
1 whole chicken, no innards, thawed
about a gallon of water
1 large onion, diced
4 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
3 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried basil
3 bay leaves
3-5 tbsp salt, depending on taste
a few grinds of black pepper
1 lb spaghetti, broken into "2-3 inch pieces
3 cups shredded cabbage (optional)
sour cream
I never touched the raw chicken. It freaks me out. I don't even want to know what flesh feels like in that state. I will eat things made with broth but as far as the actual meat is concerned I usually pawn it off on someone else. I know, I'm weird. Anyway, I put a large stock pot with the gallon of water on to boil and stick the chicken in whole (after rinsing very well, of course). Add the salt, set the pot to simmer and put the lid on -- then just let that sucker cook for two to four hours. When you come back to it, lift the chicken out and allow it to cool for a few moments. Put the onions, spices, pasta and cabbage (if you're using it) into the pot and bring to a low boil. Pull bite sized pieces from the chicken and place in a bowl, adding them all once the chicken is bare. Put the lid back over it and boil for approximately 10-12 minutes. Take off the heat and pour into bowls. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and a shot of ice cold Russki Standart to get the authentic experience.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Lemon Chicken Risotto
I'm back from Russia and it has been amazing! Not only did I learn a huge amount about another language and culture but I picked up some little known recipes and cooking methods. Part of the challenge was the lack of an oven or toaster; we had 3-6 burners to work with and a limited number of pots and pans. Similarly, when it came to finding ingredients I was left to improvise quite a bit. I wasn't always sure what I was coming home with. But with the ingredients that became available I made it into an interesting culinary and life experience.
About the chicken bit of this recipe -- I've been vegetarian for around 13 years now, more for preference and health reasons than anything else. However, I was cooking for more than one person most of the time and most people want a little meat in their diet. The produkti near our dorms in Moscow carried whole chickens for not a whole lot of cash and this recipe came about. I will admit that I had to have someone else cut up the raw meat and such but the broth added a lot. If you want to skip the chicken just use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and you can leave out the actual meat -- a lot of people like squash or pumpkin as a filler.
What you need:
a large bottomed, shallowish pot
a small stockpot or very large regular pot
4-6 oz ladel
medium frying pan
apx. 2c arborio rice (gotta be arborio)
3 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/3c white wine
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
2 tbsp oregano
1-2 large chicken breast(s)
1 large lemon
1 1/2c grated parmesan cheese
apx. 3 qt water
4 tbsp salt, or to taste
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
Bring the water in the stock pot to boil; add the salt and bouillon cubes. Cut bite sized pieces off of the chicken breasts, set aside and put the remains (bones with some meat still on them in the stockpot). Let it boil for at least an hour, two or three is ideal but keep an eye on it so it doesn't bubble over.
When the broth tastes right and turns a golden color, turn it to simmer and heat the vegetable oil in the shallow pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent; if they begin to brown immediately after hitting the oil it's too hot. Add the arborio rice and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until it begins to look translucent -- about three minutes. Add 3/4 of the white wine and stir quickly, it will evaporate fast so once the rice looks "creamy" get your ladel and stock ready.
Add one ladel of stock to the rice mixture and stir -- continue stirring gently until most of the liquid is gone and the rice appears creamy rather than soupy. Continue to do this three or four times.
Around the fourth ladel, start preparing the chicken. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Cut the lemon into quarters, remove the seeds and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Throw the rinds in with it. Add the herbs and about a teaspoon of salt, stir with a spatula and cover the skillet with a tight lid. After about five minutes add the remaining white wine and cover again. Get back to the risotto.
Add another ladel of broth -- the rice is done when it's al dente, which takes about 6-8 ladels for this recipe. The only way to really know is to taste it though; it shouldn't be mushy but it also shouldn't be crunchy, good risotto takes about 20-35 minutes total. Just continue adding stock and stirring, stirring, stirring. Check on the chicken and once it's done to your liking remove the lemons, add to the risotto and mix. Ideally, add the chicken before the last ladel of broth goes in.
When all is said and done, serve it hot with parmesan cheese over the top. Some people say to put the cheese over the risotto in the pot and cover for a few minutes but I've found that different people prefer different amounts. It's a long recipe but this has been a crowd pleaser and it's pretty easy to get right!
About the chicken bit of this recipe -- I've been vegetarian for around 13 years now, more for preference and health reasons than anything else. However, I was cooking for more than one person most of the time and most people want a little meat in their diet. The produkti near our dorms in Moscow carried whole chickens for not a whole lot of cash and this recipe came about. I will admit that I had to have someone else cut up the raw meat and such but the broth added a lot. If you want to skip the chicken just use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and you can leave out the actual meat -- a lot of people like squash or pumpkin as a filler.
What you need:
a large bottomed, shallowish pot
a small stockpot or very large regular pot
4-6 oz ladel
medium frying pan
apx. 2c arborio rice (gotta be arborio)
3 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/3c white wine
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
2 tbsp oregano
1-2 large chicken breast(s)
1 large lemon
1 1/2c grated parmesan cheese
apx. 3 qt water
4 tbsp salt, or to taste
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
Bring the water in the stock pot to boil; add the salt and bouillon cubes. Cut bite sized pieces off of the chicken breasts, set aside and put the remains (bones with some meat still on them in the stockpot). Let it boil for at least an hour, two or three is ideal but keep an eye on it so it doesn't bubble over.
When the broth tastes right and turns a golden color, turn it to simmer and heat the vegetable oil in the shallow pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent; if they begin to brown immediately after hitting the oil it's too hot. Add the arborio rice and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until it begins to look translucent -- about three minutes. Add 3/4 of the white wine and stir quickly, it will evaporate fast so once the rice looks "creamy" get your ladel and stock ready.
Add one ladel of stock to the rice mixture and stir -- continue stirring gently until most of the liquid is gone and the rice appears creamy rather than soupy. Continue to do this three or four times.
Around the fourth ladel, start preparing the chicken. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Cut the lemon into quarters, remove the seeds and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Throw the rinds in with it. Add the herbs and about a teaspoon of salt, stir with a spatula and cover the skillet with a tight lid. After about five minutes add the remaining white wine and cover again. Get back to the risotto.
Add another ladel of broth -- the rice is done when it's al dente, which takes about 6-8 ladels for this recipe. The only way to really know is to taste it though; it shouldn't be mushy but it also shouldn't be crunchy, good risotto takes about 20-35 minutes total. Just continue adding stock and stirring, stirring, stirring. Check on the chicken and once it's done to your liking remove the lemons, add to the risotto and mix. Ideally, add the chicken before the last ladel of broth goes in.
When all is said and done, serve it hot with parmesan cheese over the top. Some people say to put the cheese over the risotto in the pot and cover for a few minutes but I've found that different people prefer different amounts. It's a long recipe but this has been a crowd pleaser and it's pretty easy to get right!
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