Tag: Chicken

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

On By lukephillaryhIn ClassicoLeave a comment
Nigella Lawson buttermilk roast chicken
Chicken dinner for the WIN

This recipe, which we sourced from Nigella Lawson, has made its way around the web a bit. You can find a version from Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. Martha makes a similar recipe with just two additional ingredients – lemon zest and fresh dill. It’s a tried and true recipe that is welcome to a little tinkering. And like Romeo and Juliet or Jay-Z and Beyonce, buttermilk and chicken are an illustrious couple, most famous of course for the wondrous results of frying buttermilk brined chicken. Buttermilk is such an amazing marinade because it not only imbues flavor, but its acidic composition also tenderizes the meat – double win!! As long as you can remember to whip together this super simple marinade the night before, this chicken recipe comes together real quick and yields flavorful, tender meat with salty, crispy skin. Enjoy with a green salad and some bread to sop up the chicken juices. You’ll feel like you’re seriously spoiling yourself for a weekday dinner.

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 chicken bone-in thighs (or a mix of thighs, drumsticks, wings – important to have bone-in chicken, whatever you choose!)
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup + 2 TBS veggie oil (we used canola)
  • 1 TBS freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 TBS sea salt
  • 2 TBS freshly chopped rosemary
  • 1 TBS honey
  • 2 cloves peeled and crushed garlic + garlic cloves with skin on for roasting (optional)

Directions:

  1. The night before, marinate yo chicken! Place chicken in a large freezer bag. Add buttermilk, 1/4 cup oil, salt, crushed garlic, rosemary, and honey. Seal bag securely, mix contents around, and store in your fridge. Chicken can be marinated for up to 2 days.
  2. Remove chicken from marinade and place on rack so excess can drip off. Try to let your chicken rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, or an hour ideally. This will allow your chicken to dry off a bit and come to room temperature, which ensures even cooking and crispiness.
  3. Preheat oven to 425°F. We opted to cook our chicken in our cast iron skillet, but you can also cook on a tinfoil lined roasting pan (tinfoil makes for easy cleanup). Drizzle chicken with 2 TBS of oil. Sprinkle with a bit more sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Throw the couple cloves of garlic in the skillet as well, if you’d like (they turn soft and are great spread over a slice of bread). Place in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until when chicken is pierced the juices run clear.
  4. Remove from oven and let rest for about 5 minutes. Then enjoy immediately!

Details: Serves 4-ish. Maybe we’re gluttons, but we have a hard time eating just a single chicken thigh per person.

Smothered Chicken with Gravy

On By lukephillaryhIn Classico2 Comments
Craig Claiborne Smothered Chicken
Classic comfort food

As if New York in January isn’t dreary enough, we now have Trump’s inauguration looming. Friday, January 20th. How did this date come so quickly? Back in November, I attempted to write an election related post. The draft begins, predictably, with a rehashing of my 24-hour emotional journey, from the morning of November 8 to the morning of November 9. There’s some political correctness. I avoid outrightly bashing Trump supporters and admit to living in a liberal enclave. And then there’s a recount of the meals I ate in the days following. They’re decadent, definitely self-indulgent and all international in origin:

On Thursday, Luke and I had ramen topped with a thick slab of pork belly and a perfectly poached egg, all swimming in a rich, miso spiked broth. Friday night, I ordered in. Chicken tikka masala and samosas, India’s ultimate comfort food. There were no leftovers. And on Saturday, I enjoyed a slightly more than I can afford Italian dinner, complete with a few glasses of Tuscan wine.

On Sunday, Luke and I agreed we had to return to cooking. 

For dinner we made Craig Claiborne’s Smothered Chicken. Americana comfort food at its finest, it was a reminder of our country’s wonderful unconventionality. Craig Claiborne, a child of Mississippi, grows up and becomes the preeminent food editor of his time for the most sophisticated U.S. publication, The New York Times. He’s credited with broadening Americans’ food horizons, but he still had a deep appreciation for classic American home-cooked food. Easy, delicious, heartwarming – we finished this meal feeling a little lighter. Not necessarily in calories, but certainly in spirit. Our country no longer felt like such a foreign place.

Remembering this dinner and these days, I’m still wondering how I can do more. And what could that “more” mean? In a muddled way, I’ve thought about “more” a lot and have ended up not doing much at all. Perhaps the answer is to think less and simply act more. Not necessarily through a grand initiative, that takes a lot of toiling to think up, but with positive, incremental actions each day. Make an effort to be consistently informed and accountable. Make an effort to think constructively and avoid defaulting into a pessimistic mindset. Make an effort to be open, to question, to listen. Make an effort to understand. This election, for me, has been a reminder of some personal complacency. And in these next four years I don’t want to be comfortable. So while I may be enjoying comfort food, I’m making it my personal mission to avoid a metaphorical food coma.

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken (the smaller the better), spatchcocked
  • salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 TBS unsalted butter
  • 2 TBS all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

  1. We maybe should’ve started this post with a disclaimer…Craig Claiborne insisted that a cast iron pan be used for this recipe. But, we won’t discourage you from trying it out with a large skillet! Start by making sure the chicken is at room temperature and thoroughly dried off. If your chicken has been in the fridge, season with salt and pepper, and then let it rest on your counter for 30 minutes before preparing. After 30 minutes, pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
  2. Melt the butter in your cast-iron skillet. Add chicken, skin side/breast side down. Fold the wings under the breasts to secure. Cover the chicken with a plate and the on top of the plate place a brick or 2-3 heavy cans – something heavy to weigh the plate down. You want good contact between the chicken and the skillet. Cook over low heat undisturbed until skin is nicely browned, about 25 minutes.
  3. Once browned, remove the weight and plate. Turn the chicken so the skin side is up. Replace the plate and weight and continue cooking for 15 minutes more.
  4. Remove the chicken and pour off fat from the skillet, leaving about 2 TBS in the pan. Add the flour to the fat and stir with a metal whisk over medium heat. Then gradually add chicken broth. When thickened, return chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plate and weight and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes, until the meat is exceptionally tender. Finish by spooning the sauce on top.
  5. Cut into serving pieces and enjoy immediately! We served with mashed potatoes, though rice, biscuits, or crunchy bread would also be tasty. Anything to sop up the gravy!

Details: Serves 4

Chicken Noodle Soup from Scratch

On By lukephillaryhIn Classico1 Comment
Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch
Classic comfort

This chicken soup recipe is very apropos. Why? We’ve got three compelling reasons. Reason one, winter is here, aka cold season. Maybe you’ve got some sniffles already. Or feel the flu coming on. Chicken soup is the OG penicillin. Reason two, it’s the New Year and you’ve made some New Year’s resolutions. Like cook more. Or, stop eating so much processed garbage. Put this homemade goodness in your body and you’re satisfying both of those resolutions. Reason three, it’s January, the drabbest month of the year, and all you want to do is sit in front of your SAD lamp. Make this chicken soup this weekend and you’ll have an excellent reason to sit on your couch and watch Netflix all day. Tell your friends you have amazing, homemade chicken broth simmering on the stove and can’t leave your house. Foolproof excuse.

This homemade chicken soup fulfills all your current life requirements. And it’s delicious! Julia Moskin provides the original recipe (with a beautiful video), which we did some slight tweaking too. Enjoy!

Ingredients for broth:

  • 1 chicken, 3 to 3 1/2 lbs (or the smallest you can find in your supermarket) with skin on, cut up into 8 pieces
  • 3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks (optional)
  • handful of parsley springs
  • 10 or so black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp kosher salt

Ingredients for soup:

  • reserved chicken fat (up to 3 TBS)
  • 2-3 leeks, rinsed, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced into thin half-moons
  • 2 shallots sliced thinly
  • 2-3 celery stalks, diced
  • 2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1-2 TBS freshly chopped herbs (parsley, tarragon, thyme, dill all work wonderfully)
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3-4 handfuls of egg noodles (or something starchy – pasta, rice, beans)

Directions:

  1. Making the broth is easy, just start a day in advance. Place cut up chicken (here’s a how-to), vegetables, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves in a large soup pot. Cover with cold water by 1 inch.
  2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn heat all the way down. You want hardly any bubbling. Cook uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, you could turn the heat all the way off, cover, and let the chicken sit in the warm pot all morning and/or afternoon.
  3. Once the broth has cooled down, remove the chicken and place in a separate container. Notch up the heat just a little bit and let the broth simmer. You want it to get concentrated and flavorful. An additional hour should suffice. Just don’t let all your broth cook off! Then strain your broth through a fine sieve (colander lined with cheese cloth also works well). Discard solids.
  4. Refrigerate chicken and broth separately for at least 8 hours (up to 3 days) until a layer of yellow fat has risen to the top of the broth. Once ready, skim the fat and set aside. You can also now shred the chicken into bite size chunks. Shredding the 2 breasts should yield enough chicken pieces. You can reserve the dark meat for something else.
  5. You are now ready to make the soup. Place 3 TBS of chicken fat (+butter, if necessary) into a soup pot. Add leeks and shallots and cook over medium heat until leeks begin to fry and shallots are translucent and soft.
  6. Reduce heat and add celery, carrots, and a heaping TBS of herbs. Sprinkle with salt. Cover pot and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Don’t brown! And don’t worry. They will cook more in the broth.
  7. Add broth to the pot and heat to a simmer. Add noodles and continue simmering until noodles are cooked through. Add the chicken chunks and salt and pepper, to taste.
  8. Serve with a sprinkling of freshly chopped herbs on top.

Details: Serves 4

 

 

Garlicky Lemony Anchovy Chicken

On By lukephillaryhIn Ode to NYTLeave a comment
Garlic lemon anchovy chicken thighs Melissa Clark recipe
THIS is your weeknight chicken recipe

We love Melissa Clark. And Melissa Clark loves lemon, anchovies, garlic, capers, and chile flakes. Though not all chronicled here, we’ve made enough of her recipes to know these are her go-to pantry ingredients (see Salmon with Anchovy Butter, Fried Lemon Pasta, Seared Lamb Chops). And when a couple, or all, of these elements are combined, they do make for an incredibly quick, simple, and flavorful dinner. This chicken dish is so easy to make it’s almost shockingly delicious. Boring old boneless, skinless chicken thighs are transformed into succulent, tangy, salty, addicting goodness. Enjoy with a hunk of bread to sop up all that amazing pan sauce and you’ll be overwhelmingly satisfied.

Checkout Melissa’s recipe for video instruction!

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves (5 smashed and peeled, 1 minced)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 5 anchovy fillets
  • 2 TBS drained capers
  • 1 large pinch chile flakes
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Season chicken thighs with salt n’ peppa.
  2. Prep garlic, anchovies, and capers. Heat a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, then add the oil, smashed garlic cloves, anchovies, capers, and chile flakes. Let cook for 3-5 minutes, until garlic has browned around the edges. Stir with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies (they will disintegrate).
  3. Add the chicken thighs and cook until nicely browned on one side, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken, place the pan in the oven and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
  4. When chicken is done, remove from the oven. Transfer chicken to a plate and return the skillet to the stove on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and lemon juice and cook for 30 seconds. Return the chicken to the skillet and garnish with parsley.

Details: Serves 2-4 (maybe Luke and I were just really hungry but we each had at least 2 chicken thighs)

Adobo Chicken Tacos

On By lukephillaryhIn Ode to NYTLeave a comment
Chicken adobo tacos New York Times food recipe
Taco with all  the fixings

Cinco de Mayo came a little early for Luke and I this year. Up until recently (currently, the NY forecast is rain rain rain), spring had been treating us very well. For two weekends in a row we enjoyed clear skies and 70 degrees weather -ahhhmazing! When the weather is nice, I drink margaritas (and Luke by default). Always on the rocks, with salt. And nothing goes better with margs than tacos. So last Saturday night for dinner, we made these simple and delicious chicken tacos. The chiles in adobo are critical – their amazing smoky, spicy flavor makes the meal. It took a little bit of searching the supermarket aisles to find them, but besides that it was smooth sailing! Enjoy these tacos for Cinco de Mayo and all summer long.

Ingredients:

  • 4 bone-in chicken thighs
  • 3 scallions, left whole
  • 1 thyme branch
  • 5 black peppercorns
  • 3 allspice berry
  • 2 cloves
  • salt
  • 3 TBS olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2-4 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
  • 3 TBS adobo sauce, from the can
  • 1/2 cup broth (use broth from simmered chicken)
  • corn tortillas

Onion, thinly sliced radishes, avocado, queso fresco or feta cheese, cilantro – all excellent garnishing options!

Directions:

  1. Put chicken thighs in a saucepan and cover with 3 cups water. Add scallions, thyme, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove chicken and let cool. Shred chicken with your fingers or with a fork, discarding the skin and bones. Strain broth and reserve.
  2. Put olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, season with salt, and cook until softened and a bit browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute more. Add chopped chipotle chile and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Add shredded chicken, salt lightly and stir to coat in sauce. Add chicken broth and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit.
  3. Heat the tortillas however you like, we find that cooking them in a dry skillet, about 1 minute on each side, works well.
  4. Build your tacos while the chicken is still warm! Garnish however you like. This time, we chose avocado (nicely balances the spice), feta, cilantro, radishes, and a spritz of lime.

Details: Makes 4 servings, about 2 tacos per person.

Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁)

On By lukephillaryhIn ExoticLeave a comment
kung pao chicken homemade recipe
Better than Golden Dragon or Chinese Wok

This meal is an ode to the 4 semesters of Mandarin I suffered through in college. Hillary took Mandarin in high school and triumphantly (miraculously) tested out of our college’s language requirement…I wasn’t so fortunate. Like my Zhongwen skills, this Kung Pao is good enough to get by and occasionally impress someone. But unlike those torturous Mandarin classes, it’s way easier to comprehend and cook up. While most of the ingredients can easily be picked up at your local supermarket, we definitely recommend taking a trip to an Asian grocery store. You’ll be able to get cheap chili and sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce, and enough Chinese Rice Wine to last you until 2020. And now that your kitchen cabinet is full of these ingredients, you can attempt a more advanced dish, like fried or steamed dumplings. In the meantime, this Kung Pao Chicken will be the perfect dish for a weekday dinner.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Marinade:

  • 1 TBS soy sauce
  • 1 TBS Chinese rice wine
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp chili oil
  • 1 tsp sambal oelek
  • 2 tsp corn starch

Sauce:

  • 2 TBS + 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 TBS + 1 tsp Chinese rice wine
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp chili oil
  • 1 tsp sambal oelek
  • 1 tsp corn starch

Other:

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 TBS vegetable or canola oil
  • 6 dried chili peppers or 1 TBS of red chili flakes
  • 1/2 chopped peanuts (I don’t use, but you can)
  • 2 scallions, chopped for garnish

Directions:

  1. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Make the marinade, adding the corn starch last. Place chicken cubes into a plastic bag or container and pour marinade over. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. While chicken is marinating, make the sauce and chop the vegetables.
  2. Once chicken is finished marinating, heat your wok, cast iron pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Add 2 TBS of oil and then drop the chicken in.
  3. Stir-fry the chicken until it’s about 80% cooked (3 minutes), set aside.
  4. Add the remaining 2 TBS oil and then add the garlic and chili peppers, cooking for 1 minute. Then add the onion, red pepper, tomato. Stir-fry until soft, about 5 minutes.
  5. Pour in the sauce, bring to a boil, and then add the chicken. Stir-fry everything for 3-4 minutes more adding in the peanuts during this time.
  6. The tomato will have cut the spice quite a bit and added some extra liquid, so feel free to drop a couple teaspoons of  chili oil and sesame oil in while you’re stir-frying.
  7. Serve in a bowl on top of white rice and garnish with chopped scallion. Add chili oil for extra heat.

Details: Serves 4. Makes great lunch leftovers.

To print the recipe, click here: Luke’s Kung Pao

My Momma’s Brunswick Stew

On By lukephillaryhIn Hillary's DishesLeave a comment
Brunswick stew recipe homemade
Stew-y Goodness

Growing up, my mother would make Brunswick Stew every Halloween. But, to my childhood self Brunswick Stew was known as Witches Brew and it was a delicious, incomparable concoction my mother created all on her own. One of my favorite meals, I remember it having a salty, sweet, tangy broth, chunks of moist chicken, and a well rounded mix of vegetables and legumes.  Every spoonful was chock-full of goodness. Recently, while browsing The Kitchn I came across a list of quintessential Southern recipes and BAM! Brunswick Stew made the list! I was unaware of the contention surrounding Brunswick Stew. I didn’t even know it was Southern dish! So I did some research, compared recipes, read up on the controversy, and finally called my mom. Because momma always knows best! This is the recipe she recited to me from memory and when Luke and I made it for the first time it was just as good as I remember.

Ingredients (to cook chicken):

  • 1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 – 4 lbs
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 3-5 carrots (depending on size), cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 3 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 TBS freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 TBS salt
  • 8 cups water (approximately)

Ingredients (for stew):

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 28 oz can whole tomatoes
  • 5 cups chicken stock + 1 1/2 – 2 lbs shredded chicken (from above)
  • 1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 16 oz can green lima beans
  • 2 cups corn (we use frozen)
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 TBS brown sugar
  • 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

  1. Cook chicken: This should be done the night before serving or morning of.* Put whole chicken in a large soup pot and cover entirely with water.  Add onions, celery, carrots, and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then immediately simmer over med-low heat for 1/2 hour.  Then cover, remove from heat, and let sit over night or all day (8-12 hours).
  2. Shred Chicken: Remove chicken from the pot and place in a dish.  Strain chicken stock and return to soup pot.  To shred chicken, just start pulling away skin and chunks of meat.  Don’t shred too finely! Aim for 2-3 inch pieces. And make sure to be thorough, cleaning the meat off the bones.  Discard skin and place chicken chunks in a separate dish. Cover chicken with a couple spoonfuls of stock to keep moist. Return the chicken bones to the soup pot with the stock.  Simmer stock with bones for 45 more minutes, reducing by 1-2 cups and boosting the flavor.  Then strain the stock again into a large bowl.
  3. Stew assembly: Heat olive oil in a large soup pot.  Add onions, cooking for 2-4 minutes, then garlic, cooking for 2 minutes more.  Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands or with a spoon as well as the tomato juices in the can.  Then literally add everything else all at once – 5 cups chicken stock you made (should have some still leftover), lima beans, corn, potatoes, ketchup, BBQ sauce, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a boil, then add shredded chicken and then simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.You’ll have so much stew!! 3-4 quarts. Serve with cornbread. Makes ahhhmazing leftovers.

You’ll have so much stew!! 3-4 quarts. Serve with cornbread (see our recipe here!!). Makes ahhhmazing leftovers.

*Note 1: If you’d like, you can source 1 1/2 – 2 lbs shredded chicken elsewhere (for example: supermarket rotisserie chicken) and skip this step entirely.  You’ll also need to source five cups chicken stock.

To print the recipe, click here: Brunswick Stew

Comforting, Simple Chicken Curry

On By lukephillaryhIn ExoticLeave a comment
chicken curry simple Meera Sodha recipe
Curry – get in mah belly!

Luke and I have many cooking aspirations of varying attainability. Bake our own bread (very attainable),  reattempt to cook coq au vin (somewhat attainable), start a goat farm  and make our own chèvre (less attainable).  Another farfetched dream of mine: starting a chain of Indian buffet restaurants.  Because what is better than endless chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, and samosas, all for $12.95?? In hopes of achieving this goal, Luke and I have been trying to master more Indian-ish recipes.  Some may challenge the authenticity of this curry recipe (see our Chickpea + Spinach “Curry” for another possibly questionable recipe).  But authentic or not, it is undeniably delicious and very easy to make, so long as you stock up on just a few essential Indian spices: cumin, turmeric, and garam masala (we also recommend investing in some paprika).

And if you’re interested in exploring more Indian recipes, check out Meera Sodha’s new cookbook Made in India, the source for this very comforting chicken curry.

Ingredients:

  • 2 TBS unsalted butter
  • 1 TBS neutral oil (ex. canola oil)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (or panch puran)
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped
  • 1 2.5 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or minced
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup pureed tomatoes
  • 2 TBS tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp tumeric
  • 3 TBS whole milk yogurt
  • 1 3/4 – 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Melt the butter in the oil in a large dutch over over medium heat.  When hot and shimmering, add the cumin seeds (or panch puran) and cinnamon sticks.  Cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, then add onions.  Cook for about 15 minutes, until golden.
  2. Meanwhile, mash garlic, ginger, and jalapeños into a paste in a mortar and pestle, with a pinch of salt.* You can also do this with a knife on a cutting board.
  3. Add the paste to the onions and cook for 2 minutes or so.  Then pour in the pureed tomatoes and stir.  Add tomato paste, cumin, turmeric, and another pinch of salt (you can also add 1-2 tsp sugar for a little sweetness).  Stir to combine.
  4. Add the yogurt to the mixture, 1 TBS at a time, stirring in with a wooden spoon.  Let the mixture bubble and then add the chicken.  Lower heat, put the lid on and allow the curry to cook gently for about 30 minutes, until chicken is good through.  Add garam masala and cayenne pepper.

You can serve this curry with additional yogurt, naan, and/or basmati rice.  As lovers of samosas, we never pass up an excuse to get a couple from our Indian takeout place!  Always a tasty addition.

Details: Serves 4.

*Note 1: Safety advised when mashing up the garlic, ginger, and jalapeños! Click here for safety gear suggestions.

To print the recipe, click here: Comforting Chicken Curry

Feta-Brined Roast Chicken à la Melissa Clark

On By lukephillaryhIn Ode to NYTLeave a comment
Brined roast chicken Melissa Clark recipe
The ~ perfect ~ sunday night dinner

Roasted chicken. It’s a classic dish. But what recipe to choose? It’s all over the web, in every cookbook. There’s a plethora of tips, an abundance of varieties. The options are endless! Luke and I initially made your typical roast chicken – lemon and garlic in the cavity, salt and pepper, yada yada yada. But then NYT Food posted a new Melissa Clark video – Feta-Brined Roast Chicken. Of course we had to try it. Melissa makes just a few modifications to the usual recipe. The result: a roast chicken with all its wonderful traditional characteristics, but a nuance of newfangled taste.

One important lesson we’ve learned from Melissa’s recipe:

Brining makes everything better!!

You’ll find that this recipe produces an especially moist and flavorful chicken with extra crispy skin.

Ingredients:

  • 1 3.5-4 lb whole chicken
  • 2 oz feta (plus about 2 oz more if you’d like to add to the pan drippings at the end of cooking)
  • 4-6 cups water
  • 2 tsp salt (brine) + 1 1/2 tsp salt (dry rub)
  • 1-2 TBS freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 TBS dried oregano
  • 2 large lemons
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

  1. Brine the chicken: Do this the night before serving or morning of (brine for at least 8 hours, up to 36 hours). In a blender, combine water, 2 tsp salt, and 2 oz feta and blend until smooth. But your chicken in an extra-large resealable plastic bag or container and cover with feta-brine.  Add extra water to fully submerge chicken if necessary.
  2. Prep chicken to cook: Remove chicken from the brine, pat dry, and let rest for about 1 hour so that it reaches room temperature.
  3. Make dry rub and dress chicken: Combine 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1-2 TBS black pepper (we tend towards 1 TBS), 2 TBS oregano, and zest of 2 lemons. Rub all over the bird and in the cavity.  Do not skimp on rub!! Cut one lemon into quarters and place into the cavity. Truss the chicken.
  4. Cook: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a large, oven proof skillet (cast iron pan) over high heat.  Once heated, add oil. Place chicken breast-side up (legs in the air!). Transfer entire pan to the oven.  Cook for 50 minutes – 1 hour, basting once or twice. To test if finished, pierce chicken with a knife.  If juices run clear the chicken is ready!*
  5. Remove chicken from oven.  Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing (check out this video for carving instruction). Add some feta and juice of 1 lemon to the pan drippings to make a simple sauce. Enjoy with a baguette and green salad!

Details: Serves 4 (Luke and I love using the leftovers for chicken salads).

*Note 1: Another way to test doneness is with a meat thermometer.  Chicken is finished when the internal temperature reaches 150 – 160°F.

To print the recipe, click here: Feta-Brined Roast Chicken

Chicken Caesar Salad

On By lukephillaryhIn ClassicoLeave a comment
Chicken Caesar Salad dressing
Emily Gilmore would approve

This recipe reminded Hillary of a lesser known, but quintessential exchange between Emily Gilmore and Luke Danes of Gilmore Girls.  The scene’s setting is none other than Luke’s diner, of course:

Emily: How is your Caesar salad prepared?

Luke: I’d have to call Paul Newman and ask him

This dressing is not inspired by Mr. Newman’s and we think would definitely meet Emily’s standards in both safety and taste.

Ingredients – dressing:

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 5 anchovy fillets
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 TBS red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 egg – coddled
  • 5 TBS olive oil

Ingredients – chicken:

  • 1 – 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (obvi)
  • 2 TBS salt **for brine!
  • 2 cups water **for brine!
  • Seasoning: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (a dash), squeeze of lemon

Directions:

  1. Brine Chicken: Dissolve 2 TBS salt in 2 cups water in a medium size container or big ziploc bag.  Submerge chicken breasts, cover or seal, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.  You can do this a couple hours ahead.  Refrigerate if brining over 30 minutes.  When finished brining, pat dry.
  2. Prep chicken: Cut into thin slices, moving from top to bottom.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
  3. Cook: Warm 1-2 TBS olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken.  Cook for 5-6 minutes making sure to flip chicken pieces at least one.  Finish with a squeeze of lemon then set aside to cool.
  4. Dressing / anchovies + garlic: Dice up anchovies and garlic then chop and mash together, either in a mortar and pestle or on a cutting board with the edge and blade of your knife.*
  5. Dressing / acids: Transfer anchovy and garlic to a bowl and add vinegar, dijon, and lemon juice. Whisk.
  6. Dressing / coddle egg: Get some water boiling (just enough to cover an egg).  While waiting, with a pin poke a hole in the broad side of the egg.  Carefully drop the egg into the boiling water and let cook for 60-90 seconds.*  Remove from boiling water and run cold water over to cool.  Then crack the egg into bowl with mix.  Make sure to scrap out everything – all the white bits!  Whisk.
  7. Dressing / olive oil: Slowly add olive oil to the bowl, either vigorously whisking or blending.
  8. Chill dressing for 5 minutes.  It can keep for about 3 days.
  9. Combine! Combine dressing and chicken with romaine (or kale, though kale requires extra dressing, you’ll have enough), plenty of parm, cracked pepper, and croutons too if you like!

Details: Serves 2-4, add more chicken to feed extra people!

*Note 1: A mortar and pestle can be used to make dressing in its entirety.  You can also mix in a food processor, with a whisk, or hand blender.

*Note 2: In the printable recipe coddling time is written as 30 seconds – this is incorrect!  60-90 is recommended.

To print the recipe, click here: Chicken Caesar Salad