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Pollo al Marsala con Funghi (Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms)

In Chicken, Recipes on July 26, 2015 at 2:50 PM

Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms (Pollo al Marsala con Funghi)

(Preparation time, 40 minutes; Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1.5 lbs. skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
1/4 lb. unsalted butter
2 eggs, beaten & seasoned with salt & pepper
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
Fresh sage, about 8 large leaves, chopped coarse
1 + 1/4 cup Sweet Marsala

Procedure:

1. Heat a large (12″ or more) non-stick skillet on medium-high.
2. Add 2 tbsp. of butter. When bubbling, add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
3. Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels, dip them in the seasoned egg and then in the seasoned flour and set aside until all pieces are floured.
4. Melt the remaining butter in the pan on medium heat.
5. When bubbling, add the floured chicken breasts and lightly brown for 5 minutes on each side.
6. Add the chopped sage and sautéed mushrooms and mix well. Add 1 cup of Marsala, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, turning once after 5 minutes.
7. Turn heat to medium high, remove the cover and cook for 5 minutes more.
8. Check the chicken for doneness, remove all to a serving plate and keep warm.
9. Deglaze the skillet with the remaining 1/4 cup of Marsala, scraping up any fond and pour the sauce over the chicken.

Serve with a well-chilled bottle of Italian white wine, such as an Arneis.

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Pollo con Pesto (Pesto-Crusted Pan-Roasted Chicken)

In Chicken, Recipes on July 8, 2014 at 10:29 AM

Pesto-Crusted Roast Chicken

Pesto-Crusted Pan-Roasted Chicken

(Preparation time, about 1 hour – Serves from 2 to 4, depending on chicken size)

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, halved
3 tbsp. olive oil
4 tbsp. Pesto Sauce
½ cup + 2 tbsp. dry white wine
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a cast iron skillet large enough to hold the chicken, heat the olive oil on medium high until shimmering, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Rinse and pat dry the chicken.
4. Sprinkle both sides of each chicken half liberally with salt & pepper.
5. Gently place chicken halves skin side down in the pan, and brown for 8 to 9 minutes. Periodically place a weight on the chicken pieces pressing down to insure that the skin gets crispy.
6. Turn chicken pieces skin side up and remove pan to top rack of oven. Roast for 30 minutes, basting skin with fat drippings after 15 minutes.
7. In the meantime mix the pesto with 2 tbsp. of the white wine.
8. When chicken is done, remove the pan from the oven, re-baste the chicken and spoon pesto over each half. Return to oven and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
9. When done, remove chicken from the pan, set aside and keep warm while preparing the gravy.
10. To make the gravy, pour off all but 2 tbsp. of fat, retaining the solids, heat pan on stove on high, add the ½ cup of wine, bring to boil and de-glaze the pan scraping up the fond. Serve gravy alongside the chicken.

Please see: Summer Serendipity

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Chicken with Eight Flavors

In Chicken, Meat, Recipes on October 21, 2013 at 10:59 AM

Chicken with Eight Flavors

Chicken with Eight Flavors

Yesterday it was time to start cleaning out the freezer, before we once again lose power in a winter storm. Halfway into the freezer, we found a package of boneless, skinless, chicken thighs. It was to be chicken for dinner again, but I craved something different and didn’t feel like standing over a stove, so it would be baked or broiled.  In the mood for flavor and  crunch, I opted for marinated and broiled.  A perusal of the refrigerator and pantry revealed eight standby items with which to prepare a marinade. The result, accompanied by sautéed spinach, was excellent.

Active preparation – 20 minutes. Total time – 1 hour & 45 minutes.

Ingredients for the marinade:

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp hot chili sesame oil
1/2 tbsp white rice vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
2 tbsp finely minced ginger
3 scallions, sliced
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed

1.25 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 6 thighs.

Procedure:

1. Prepare the marinade: add the first 4 ingredients to a small bowl and whisk briskly, then add the next four and whisk again.
2. Place the defrosted chicken pieces in a mid-sized bowl.
3. Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix well.
4. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature for one hour, stir several times.
5. Place chicken thighs on a rack on a broiler pan, add few tablespoons of marinade to each piece.
6. Place pan about 6 inches from broiler element and cook 25 minutes turning once halfway through. Add remaining marinade after chicken has been turned.
7. Remove broiled chicken to serving platter and pour all of the pan drippings and juices over them.

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Dorothea’s Broiled Chicken with Lemon Gravy

In Chicken, Recipes on August 12, 2013 at 3:02 PM

Dorothea's Chicken with Lemon Gravy

Dorothea’s Chicken with Lemon Gravy

Eating the Ersatz Moroccan Chicken, which I concocted a few weeks ago, triggered a memory of one of my best-loved childhood meals, my mother’s Chicken with Lemon Gravy. It was my favorite comfort food (a term which admittedly was non-existent 60 years ago). Not only was the chicken juicy and tender, even the breast meat, but the skin was crispy and delicious. The lemon gravy was redolent of oregano and garlic; and, as a reward if I ate all of my chicken, I could pour some of the extra gravy onto my plate and sop it up with Italian bread.

So last night in memory of mom, I cooked up a batch of her Chicken with Lemon Gravy and after eating all of my portion, 1/2 of a split-breast and a thigh, I sopped up the extra gravy with several chunks of Italian bread. It was a great trip down memory lane and I felt very comforted. With a nod toward more contemporary cuisine, the chicken was accompanied by Grilled Summer Vegetables and roasted sweet potato slices drizzled with balsamic glaze; the latter, an idea introduced to us by a friend.

Dorothea 1943

Dorothea 1943

Ingredients:

5 lbs. of chicken pieces with skin on (we used 5 thighs and two split breasts, each cleaved in half*)
Juice of 8 lemons, approximately 1 cup
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano
1/3 cup thinly sliced garlic, about 16 cloves.
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Procedure:

1. Sprinkle both sides of each chicken piece with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, water, oregano and garlic to make a marinade.
3. Place chicken skin side down in a non-reactive pan and add marinade.
4. Marinate 1 hour at room temperature turning once after 30 minutes. If you have the time, marinate overnight in the refrigerator and turn pieces periodically.
5. Position oven rack about 6 inches below broiler element, remove chicken from marinade, place skin side up on a broiler pan and baste before placing under heat.
6. Add marinade to a small pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer while chicken is broiling.
7. Broil chicken for about 22 minutes, basting frequently with the marinade. Turn pieces and broil 22 minutes more, basting frequently.
8. Raise rack one level, turn chicken pieces skin side up, baste with marinade and broil for about 4 minutes to crisp the skin.
9. When chicken is done, remove to a plate and keep warm.
10. Add pan juices to the boiled marinade, skim the fat and serve with chicken.

*Note: This recipe provided a main course for two, with enough leftovers for another meal.

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Ersatz Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

In Chicken, Meat, Recipes on August 1, 2013 at 2:22 PM

Ersatz Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

Ersatz Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

The jar of Preserved Lemons was hanging around in the pantry for several years and would soon reach its expiration date. The pantry also contained a box of Trader Joe’s Couscous, as well as a jar of Zatar, the latter thanks to a Penzey’s gift certificate from my daughter. A quick perusal of the freezer revealed four chicken legs, both thighs and drumsticks; so it seemed to me that I had the basics for a Moroccan dinner.

While I had eaten a chicken tagine on more than one occasion in New York, which pretty much has a restaurant for every type of ethnic food, I had never prepared a Moroccan meal. As luck would have it, the pantry also disclosed a jar of Harissa Spices, compliments of Williams-Sonoma and the refrigerator gave up a jar of Kalamata olives, as well as some green olives, albeit with pits. Good enough for me to give it a go.

Improvising as I went along, I browned the chicken pieces in olive oil, tossed in Zatar, then Harissa, added a dash of powdered ginger on a whim, deglazed the pan with the preserved lemon liquid, then added the preserved lemons and olives, covered the pan and cooked the concoction for 10 minutes. In the meantime, following Trader Joe’s directions, I made a batch of couscous.

When the chicken was done and I tasted the sauce, I knew I had a winner! There were no leftovers worth worrying about, and whether it was real or ersatz Moroccan, neither I nor my wife gave a fig.

Ingredients:

4 whole chicken legs split
3 tbsps. Extra virgin olive oil
1 & 1/2 tsps. Zatar
2 tbsps. Harissa spices
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
12 oz. jar preserved lemons, about 8 lemons
2/3 cup green olives
1/3 cup Kalamata olives

Procedure:

1. In a sauté pan with a cover, and large enough to comfortably hold the chicken, heat the olive oil on medium, then add the chicken pieces. Reduce the heat to medium – low and brown the chicken for 20 minutes, turning frequently, about every 3 or 4 minutes. After the first complete turn slowly sprinkle the Zatar all over the chicken and after the second complete turn do the same with the Harissa Spices. Then sprinkle the powdered ginger all over the chicken.
2. After 20 minutes remove the chicken, add the liquid from the preserved lemon jar, but not the lemons, and de-glaze the pan.
3. Add back the chicken, toss in the lemon and olives, raise heat to medium, cover and cook  for 10 minutes turning the pieces once or twice to make sure they are well coated.
4. In the meantime cook the couscous according to the directions on the box.
5. When the chicken is done, transfer the cooked couscous to a serving platter, remove the chicken and place over the couscous. Raise the heat to thicken the sauce, then pour it over the chicken and couscous. Serve immediately.

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Coq au Vin

In Chicken, Meat, Recipes on February 25, 2012 at 12:49 PM

Coq au Vin

Serves 8 or serves 4 with leftovers.

Adapted from several cookbooks, see East Side, East Side, All Around the Town

Ingredients:

2 Bell & Evans Free Range Chickens, quartered, about 8 or 9 lbs. total weight
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 bottles of Côtes du Rhône
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme
1 large shallot coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
¾ lb. pearl onions, about 16 to 20 depending on size
½ lb. thick sliced bacon
1 lb. Cremini mushrooms
¼ lb. unsalted butter
3/4 cup flour
½ cup cognac
2 & ½ cups unsalted beef stock
6 tbsps. Beef demi-glace

Preparation:

Steps 1 to 7 take about 1 hour and can be performed a day in advance and refrigerated overnight.

1.    Prepare a bouquet garni, by wrapping the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, shallot & garlic in a piece of cheese cloth and tying it off.
2.    Separate the drumsticks from the thighs and cut each breast in half leaving the wings attached to the upper half of the breast. You will end up with 16 pieces of chicken. Liberally salt and pepper each piece.
3.    Place the chicken pieces and the bouquet garni in a large non-reactive bowl and cover with the contents of 1 bottle of the wine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate, marinating the chicken for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
4.    Bring a small pot of water to boil, add the pearl onions and blanch for 1 minute. Remove the onions and when cooled, remove and discard their skins.
5.    Re-boil the water; add the bacon slices and par-boil for about 3 minutes to remove some of the saltiness. Drain and pat the bacon dry. Heat a non-stick sauté pan on medium and fry the bacon until cooked but still soft about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the bacon, slice into ½ inch wide pieces and set aside.
6.    Remove most of the bacon fat from the sauté pan leaving about two tablespoons.  Add 2 tbsps. of butter and then the skinned onions, brown on high heat for about 3 minutes, remove and set aside.
7.    Repeat step 6 with the cremini mushrooms, adding 2 tbsps. of butter and browning the mushrooms for about 5 minutes.
8.    When the chicken pieces are finished marinating, drain and pat them dry; reserve the marinade and the bouquet garni.
9.    Dredge the chicken pieces in flour. Melt 4 tbsps. of butter in a stainless steel sauté pan on medium heat and brown the chicken pieces well, for about 10 minutes turning them several times. You will probably have to do this in two batches.
10.    Remove the chicken to a large casserole, or Dutch Oven.
11.    Add the cognac to the sauté pan; bring to a boil and deglaze the pan about 1 minute. Pour the cognac and the fond over the chicken; add the reserved marinade, 2nd bottle of wine, beef stock and bouquet garni.
12.    Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes adding the mushrooms, onions, bacon after 15 minutes.
13.    Remove the chicken, bacon, onions and mushrooms, set aside and keep warm. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.
14.    Strain the liquid through a fine sieve, and pour off the fat. Clean the casserole, return the sauce to it and bring to a boil, add the demi-glace to thicken the sauce and when it reaches the consistency thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add back all of the set aside ingredients, stir well and heat covered for about 15 to 30 minutes on low, prior to serving.

Serve with Mashed Potatoes and Côtes du Rhône

Please see East Side, East Side, All round the Town

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Chicken Campagna

In Chicken, Meat, Recipes on January 15, 2012 at 5:34 PM

Chicken Campagna

(Preparation 15 minutes; active cooking 30 minutes. Serves 4, or serves 2 with leftovers)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tbsps. of coarsely chopped garlic, about 7 large cloves
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6 tbsps. flour
Freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt to taste
1 cup of sliced onion; slice medium onion in half from top to root end and then thinly slice each half
4 sliced Cherry Peppers, stems removed and discarded
2 cups of sliced Campari Tomatoes® or Cherry Tomatoes, about 10 oz.
½ cup red wine
2 tbsps. of chopped sage
1 tbsp. beef demi-glace

Preparation:

1.    Add the flour to a shallow bowl and mix in the salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken thighs and set aside.
2.    In a stainless steel sauté pan, heat the olive oil on medium. When shimmering, add the garlic and stir.
3.    When garlic is translucent add the chicken thighs and brown for 8 minutes in total. Turn after 2 minutes and brown for 2 minutes on the other side. Repeat – 2 minutes on each side.
4.    Remove the thighs and keep warm. Lower the heat and de-glaze the pan by first adding the onions, then the cherry peppers and tomatoes. Mix well with the onions, scraping up the pan, let cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Then add the wine and bring to a boil.
5.    Return the browned chicken to the pan, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 12 minutes, turning the chicken pieces once, after 6 minutes.
6.    Add the sage and cook 2 minutes more, uncovered.
7.    Remove the chicken to a warmed serving platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Raise heat to high, add the demi-glace and mix well, stir until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
8.    Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

Serve with Broccoli Rabe Sauteed in Garlic and Olive Oil  and Crusty Italian Bread with which to sop up the delicious sauce.

Please see The Best Italian Restaurant

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Roasted Chicken with Tarragon and Lemon Zest

In Chicken, Meat, Recipes on October 31, 2011 at 6:56 AM

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Bell & Evans roasting chicken, about 7 lbs.
4 tbsps. unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 lemon
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black pepper
1 cup dry white wine

Preparation:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2.    Zest the lemon to obtain about 2 tablespoons of zest. Retain the lemon for step 6.
3.    Using a fork, blend the chopped tarragon and lemon zest into the softened butter.
4.    Starting above the cavity, gently slip one or two fingers between the skin and the meat of the chicken’s breast to lift the skin and create a pocket.
5.    Take ½ the butter mixture and gently slip it into the pocket on one side of the breast bone, then do the same on the other side, spread the butter mixture by smoothing over the skin.
6.    Slice the lemon in half and place it in the chicken cavity.
7.    Generously salt and pepper the chicken skin.
8.    Place it on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and roast for 25 minutes per pound (about 3 hours for a 7 pound chicken).
9.    About 90 minutes into the roasting, baste the chicken with the juices that have collected in the pan, pour the wine over the chicken and continue roasting for 30 minutes.
10.    Baste the chicken, raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue roasting for 1 hour.
11.    Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, if it reads 175 degrees or more it is done.
12.    Remove the roasting pan from the oven, place the chicken on a platter and cover with foil, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
13.    Place the roasting pan on a stove top burner. Make a gravy by pouring the drippings from the roasting pan into a fat separator. Let the fat rise to the top, pour the drippings back into the pan, heat to a boil on low, whisk in several tablespoons of flour to thicken the gravy to your desired consistency. If too thick, add more wine and boil off the alcohol.

Serve with Roasted Herbed Vegetables and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

The vegetables and potatoes can both be cooked at the same, during the last hour that the chicken is roasting at 375 degrees, and the prep can be done while the chicken is in the early roasting stage.

Arneis, a crisp, flavorful, Piemontese white wine from the Roero goes great with this dish, as its hints of lemon are in perfect harmony with the flavors of the chicken.

Please see: Sunday Chicken Dinner – No Leftovers!

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Chicken Parmigiana alla Caprese

In Chicken, For Moms on the Go, Meat, Recipes on August 7, 2011 at 1:03 PM

Caprese Salad is a delicious combination of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. It is frequently served as a stand-alone appetizer, or as a topping on a pounded, breaded and fried veal chop or cutlet. Bruschetta is a fresh tomato and basil combination mixed with a good extra virgin olive oil and served on toasted Italian bread, as an appetizer, hors d’ oeuvre or amuse-bouche. We have taken both ideas, adapted them slightly and added them to Chicken Parmigiana, but have substituted the bruschetta for tomato sauce. The combination of cold tomatoes and hot chicken with melted mozzarella is delicious and easy to make. As a matter of fact the bruschetta can be made a day in advance and refrigerated, or can be prepared while the chicken is being fried or baked, thereby cutting down on the time required for preparing dinner.

Total Time 40-45 minutes, active time 25-30 minutes

Chicken Parmigiana alla Caprese

Ingredients:

For the Bruschetta:

2 fresh, ripe tomatoes sliced and diced.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 basil leaves, chopped
2 slices of red onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp. dried oregano

Hint: If any of Grandpa Tom’s Tomato Salad should be left, which is highly unlikely, you can chop it up and add the red onion and oregano.

For the Chicken:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Italian Style breadcrumbs
1 medium-sized (about the size of a baseball) fresh, unsalted, mozzarella, cut into 4 slices

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Crack the egg into a shallow bowl, whisk well and add salt & pepper.
3. Add breadcrumbs to a second shallow bowl.
4. Pre-heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the butter.
5. While the butter is melting, dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture, coating it well and then in the breadcrumbs, again coating it well and add to the melted butter once it is bubbling.
6. Fry the breaded chicken breasts on medium heat for 15 minutes, turning several times to ensure a good browning on both sides.
7. When the chicken breasts are browned, transfer them to a non-stick baking pan, or cookie sheet sprayed with Pam and bake in the oven, on the center rack, for 15 minutes or until the chicken breasts register 170 degrees on a meat thermometer.
8. While the chicken breasts are baking, prepare the bruschetta by chopping, slicing, dicing and mixing, or if made in advance, pour yourself a glass of wine and relax.
9. When the chicken breasts are baked, place two slices of mozzarella atop each breast and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese melts.
10. Remove the chicken breast to plates and cover generously with the bruschetta, using a slotted spoon to reduce the amount of liquid.

Serve with Broccoli Florets Sautéed in olive oil and garlic.

A Chianti Riserva filled with depth and complexity makes a great accompaniment to this dish.

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Chicken Scarpiello alla Chef Scar

In Chicken, Meat, Recipes on June 18, 2011 at 11:16 AM

Ingredients:

10 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
10 sweet Italian sausages
12 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
2/3 cup of flour
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of dry white wine
3 12 oz. jars of marinated and quartered artichoke hearts with their liquid
5 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves removed and chopped

Steps:

1.    In a large stainless steel frying pan, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat, add the sausages and brown them until substantially cooked, about 25 minutes. When done, remove them from the pan, let then cool and then cut them into ¾ inch pieces, set aside. Pour off the liquid fat, but leave the frond. Deglaze the pan with one-half  of the wine, pour it off the liquid and reserve for step 6. Clean the pan.
2.    While the sausages are frying, add the flour to a one-gallon sized zip lock bag and add the black pepper.
3.    Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and add them, 3 pieces at a time, to the bag. Seal it and shake it well, thoroughly coating the chicken.
4.    After all the chicken pieces are floured, add the olive oil to the cleaned frying pan and heat it on medium high, add the garlic and saute until dark brown then remove the garlic.
5.    Add the floured chicken pieces without overcrowding them and brown on medium-high for 6 minutes, then turn them and brown for 6 minutes more. (Note, Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to do this in two batches, or use 2 pans for the chicken.)  When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan or pans and deglaze with the remaining wine.
6.    Return the chicken to the pan, bring the wine to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium, turn the chicken, add the sausage pieces and their reserved liquid and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
7.    Add the artichoke hearts and their liquid to the pan. Raise the heat to high and cook for 5 minutes turning the chicken once or twice.
8.    Add the oregano; let the flavors blend by cooking for another two minutes or so while turning the chicken and sausages several times.

Note: This recipe makes enough for about 6 people and can be prepared in advance and reheated.

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