chicken paprikash

"Waiter, there is too much pepper in my paprikash."



"But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie."

I didn't even know what paprikash was when I first saw that movie. I know what it is now, but for some reason had never made it until recently when I crashed dinner at Brother #1's place and Pam gave me a big ole plate of it. I was inspired to get that in my belly again ASAP without having to invade a sibling's home. I should really get HER recipe because it was freaking awesome, but I think this one is not bad at all. Winter comfort and egg noodles that's easy enough to make on a weeknight after a long, frustrating, irritating day at work. What? I'm not having a great day, and I need a big bowl of this immediately. Recipe after the jump:



CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

2 pounds of chicken legs, separated into drumsticks and thighs
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large onions, sliced lengthwise
2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Place the chicken pieces in the hot butter skin side down and sear until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Turn and sear the other side an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set on paper towels to drain some of the fat.

Add the sliced onions to the pan and saute until softened and lightly brown, about 8 minutes. Add the paprika to the onions and stir to distribute. Add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan for any brown bits. Add the chicken pieces back in the pan among the bed of onions. Bring to a low simmer, then cover and cook for 25 minutes-1 hr, depending how soft you'd like the meat.

Remove the chicken from the pan to a bowl. Add the sour cream to the pan and stir into the onions and sauce. Return the chicken to the pan to reheat if the sour cream cooled the sauce down. Serve hot over egg noodles or rice.

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j-cat's balls

Wow, you have a dirty mind, I was just talking about matzo balls. I made the soup, J-Cat made the balls, we ended up eating it on Sunday instead of waiting until Passover actually began because I wound up sick. Good timing.

The key to great chicken soup is a great chicken stock, and there's really nothing to it. I had roasted a chicken earlier in the week, so the carcass made the stock, and stock made from a previously roasted chicken just always seems to have a deeper flavor than one made of a boiled whole chicken. If you plan ahead, I also recommend making the stock a day ahead, straining and refrigerating, then skimming off the fat that rises to the top the next morning. Use this fat to make the matzo balls and you will discover a whole new world of amazing balls. Recipe after the jump:



CHICKEN AND MATZO BALL SOUP

For the chicken stock:
1 small whole chicken, 3-3.5 pounds, or the leftover carcass and meat of a larger roasted chicken (I had the carcass and about half the meat of a 4.5 lb chicken)
2 medium carrots, cut in large chunks
2 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
10 black pepper corns

Place the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. If using a previously roasted chicken, remove majority of the cooked meat and set aside to add to the completed soup, adding just the carcass to the pot. Set heat on high and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, add the remaining ingredients, and cover. If using a raw chicken, cook 45 minutes until the meat is cooked and easily comes off the bone. Remove the chicken, pull off majority of the meat and set aside to add to the completed soup. Return the carcass to the pot and continue to simmer for another hour. Strain the stock and discard the solids. At this stage you can let the stock cool completely, then refrigerate for later use. When the stock is fully cold, skim off the fat and use in the matzo balls.

For the matzo balls:
3 eggs
2 tbsp chicken fat
1/2 cup water
1 cup matzo meal
1/2 tsp baking powder
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large stockpot. Mix the eggs, fat, and water together. Add the matzo meal, baking powder, salt and pepper, and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes. Form small balls with your hands (easiest if they're wet) and drop into the boiling stock. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot, and cook for 30 minutes.

For the soup:
2 medium carrots, cut into rounds
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
leftover cooked chicken, shredded into bite-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

About 10 minutes into cooking the matzo balls, add the carrots, celery, and onion and continue cooking. About 5 minutes before the matzo balls are ready, add the chicken, fresh dill, and salt and pepper.

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it's not burned

It's balsamic. Four ingredients, 20 minutes, really tasty. I use chicken thighs because they are better. Really, they are tastier. Chicken breasts are boring. If you MUST use breasts, at least get bone-in skin on. And yes, in this case, eat the skin, otherwise it will not taste like the sauce. Skin is delicious, and after a couple minutes under the broiler this skin gets delightfully crispy and sticky from the balsamic. This cannot be easier nor tastier. One tip: when the balsamic is on the stove simmering away and reducing down, don't stick your face right over the pot. Recipe after the jump:



BALSAMIC GLAZED CHICKEN THIGHS

1 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pound)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Combine the vinegar and garlic in a small saucepot and set over medium high heat. Bring to a light boil and allow to bubble until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and set aside.

While the balsamic is reducing, set a heavy, oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the hot skillet skin side down and sear until browned, 3-5 minutes. Remove the chicken, pour off excess fat, then return the chicken skin side up. Place the skillet in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.

Remove skillet from oven. Turn the oven to broil. Brush the chicken thighs with the balsamic, then set under the broiler until bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.

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the velveteen chicken

Complete and total comfort food. And one of those odd recipes that doesn't necessarily sound like it will work. The majority of the "cooking time" for this chicken recipe involves no actual heat.

And does it really feel like velvet? Yes, actually, it really does. Smooth and not at all stringy, super moist and flavorful. I even used some of the poaching liquid to saute baby bok choy for a perfect homestyle cozy dinner.



VELVET CHICKEN

1 3-pound chicken, rinsed and dried
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (low sodium)
1 cup dark soy sauce
1 cup Chinese rice wine (preferably Shaoxing)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 bunch scallion, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 inches ginger, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 strips of orange zest
1 tablespoon salt
3 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
1 dried red chile
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
Chopped cilantro

Add everything except the chicken and the cilantro to a large pot. Bring to a boil. Carefully lower the chicken in breast side down. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and don't touch the pot for 30 minutes. Then flip the bird over, cover, and let sit for another 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken. Break down into legs, thighs, wings, and breasts and arrange on a platter. Pour some of the poaching liquid on top of the chicken and garnish with cilantro.

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we have a stove!

It FINALLY got turned on just days before Christmas. Merry Christmas to me! And boy, it is a great stove. I was really quite stunned with how quickly a big pot of water came to a boil. Because of course the first thing I cooked was pasta. Can you believe how long I went without making pasta?

Anyway, that pasta post will be coming along shortly, but until then, here is my last no stove post, an oven-roasted lemon chicken with fennel.



This one couldn't be any easier, it just takes a bit of planning ahead because of course, the longer you can let these babies marinate the better. If you can remember to whip up the marinade and get this in the fridge one night, then the next evening you have a super simple and delicious dinner with no effort at all. Recipe after the jump:



ROASTED LEMON CHICKEN WITH FENNEL

2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly cracker pepper
1 large fennel bulb

Generously salt and pepper the chicken breasts and place in a baking dish. Whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, oil, salt and pepper. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Trim, core and quarter the fennel bulb and scatter in the baking pan with the chicken. Roast the chicken breasts skin side up for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and juices run clear. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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j-cat cooks: chicken cordon bleu

J-cat is definitely showing a tendency towards cooking those old-school classic dishes with questionable heritage(Beef Wellington, Chicken Francese, etc.). This time it was Chicken Cordon Bleu, which I must admit I had never eaten before. I probably never ate it because the only places I ever saw it on the menu were diners, where it is not exactly wise to veer from the burger or breakfast realm. But if you think about it, there's no way it could be bad - chicken, prosciutto or ham, gruyere, bread crumbs. I always imagined it would just be layered but J-Cat got all fancy and made it roulade style. I did my best at slicing it to show off the fanciness.

J-Cat does not use single recipes, and he almost immediately forgets what he did, so it's pretty tough for me to post a recipe. But it was pretty straight forward - pound out chicken breast, layer prosciutto slice, layer gruyere slice, roll it up, do the flour, egg, panko bread crumb breading process, bake, yum.

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french food i did not eat in france: coq au vin

The French seem to really love their chicken. I was just craving some homey, classic, filling food as the weather starts cooling down. Coq au vin really hit the spot. Now, I did not have a rooster for this dish, so there is a disclaimer that this is not completely authentic.



I also didn't marinate the chicken in the wine before cooking, which many recipes call for. I think I might try that next time to see how much of a difference it makes, but I did not think this version was lacking flavor at all. In fact, the intensity of the wine and mushroom flavor - set off by the sweet pearl onions and the salty bacon - was really perfect for my taste. I almost felt like we were back in Paris, and it prompted J-Cat to say that he wants to do that whole trip over again, with more foods. Recipe after the jump:



COQ AU VIN
Adapted from Simply Recipes

1/2 lb bacon slices
20 pearl onions, peeled (blanch in boiling water to ease peeling)
3 lbs chicken thighs and legs, excess fat trimmed, skin ON
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups red wine, preferably pinot noir
2 bay leaves
Several fresh thyme sprigs
Several fresh parsley sprigs
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp butter
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Blanch the bacon to remove some of its saltiness. Drop the bacon into a saucepan of cold water, covered by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, drain. Rinse in cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Cut the bacon into 1 inch by 1/4 inch pieces.

Salt and pepper the chicken parts. Place in a large resealable plastic bag with the flour and shake to coat the chicken. Shake off the excess flour and set aside.

Brown bacon on medium high heat in a dutch oven big enough to hold the chicken in one layer, about 10 minutes. Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon, set aside. Keep the bacon fat in the pan. Working in batches if necessary, add onions and chicken, skin side down. Brown the chicken well, on all sides, about 10 minutes. Halfway through the browning, add the garlic.

Discard any excess fat. Add the chicken stock, wine, and herbs (it is easiest to tie the herbs into a bouquet garni). Add back the bacon. Lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove chicken and onions to a separate platter. Remove the bay leaves, herb sprigs, garlic, and discard.

Add mushrooms to the remaining liquid and turn the heat to high. Boil quickly and reduce the liquid by three fourths until it becomes thick and saucy. Lower the heat, stir in the butter. Return the chicken and onions to the pan to reheat and coat with sauce. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Serves 6. Serve with potatoes or over egg noodles.

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french food i did not eat in france: for julia

[Thanks to Tom for making this photo less beige and much more appetizing.]

It's been quite a Julia-centric week, with the long-awaited premiere of Nora Ephron's Julie & Julia. I attended a screening of the movie last week. I won't get into my feelings about it here, but I will say that I obviously have a great love for Julia Child and all that she has done for food in America. Julia influences not just my attitudes about food and cooking, but my livelihood as well. So here is a small tribute to her, Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons, from her 1961 masterpiece "Mastering the Art of French Cooking".



Now, J-Cat does not like chicken breast. Actually I don't like it either, for the most part. But it appears that saucing your chicken breast with copious amounts of butter, cream, port wine, and mushrooms suddenly makes it the most delicious meat you can imagine. J-Cat inhaled his before I even had two bites. He then put extra sauce directly on rice and ate it straight. This sauce is crack. I took the liberty of using more mushrooms than the original recipe calls for, partially because I assumed that our giant American-raised chicken breasts would be monsters compared to what Julia had access to in Paris in the early 60's. I was right, as the cooking time was quite different. I would recommend either flattening the breast just to even them out, or using the smallest chicken breasts you can find. Recipe after the jump:

Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons
(Chicken Breasts with Mushroom and Cream)
From “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child (Knopf, 1961)

4 supremes (boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Big pinch white pepper
5 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced shallot or green onion
1/4 pound diced or sliced fresh mushrooms
1/8 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
1/4 cup white or brown stock or canned beef bouillon
1/4 cup port, Madeira or dry white vermouth
1 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons minced parsley

Rub the chicken breasts with drops of lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a heavy, oven-proof casserole, about 10 inches in diameter until it is foaming. Stir in the minced shallots or green onion and saute a moment without browning. Then stir in the mushrooms and saute lightly for a minute or two without browning. Sprinkle with salt.

Quickly roll the chicken in the butter mixture and lay a piece of buttered wax paper over them, cover casserole and place in hot oven. After 6 minutes, press top of chicken with your finger. If still soft, return to oven for a moment or two. When the meat is springy to the touch it is done. Remove the chicken to a warm platter (leave mushrooms in the pot) and cover while making the sauce (2 to 3 minutes).

To make sauce, pour the stock and wine in the casserole with the booking butter and mushrooms. Boil down quickly over high heat until liquid is syrupy. Stir in the cream and boil down again over high heat until cream has thickened slightly. Off heat, taste for seasoning, and add drops of lemon juice to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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changing my mind about chicken

I've been hearing about this famous Zuni Cafe roasted chicken for a while now. It's one of those recipes that every known food blogger seems to have attempted at some point. And I have a confession; I have a hard time imagining a roast chicken so good that it would cause this much commotion. This one singular chicken recipe. And that is probably because I don't love chicken. Is that horrible to say? It's not that don't like chicken, I just don't love it, and I am fully aware that this is a result of the fact that about 95% of the chicken I've ever been served in my life has been pretty lame. So at some point, I just stopped ordering chicken in restaurants. Unless it's fried, that's a different story. But I have just never been inclined to ordered a roast chicken in a restaurant - even a great restaurant - because I figure it's on the menu for the diners who are least adventurous. But now I am realizing that that is a pretty unfair way to look at it, because obviously there are restaurants out there that are doing such great roast chicken that people all the way on the other side of the country are talking about it. And talking about it, and talking about it. And since I'm over 3000 miles away from that famous chicken, it's pretty lucky that they shared their recipe so I could make it for myself.



What stunned me about this recipe was how simple it was. It appeared that the main secret to this lauded roast chicken was a dry brine, and a long dry brine at that. Just salt the heck out of that chicken, and stick it in the fridge for 1-3 days. That's it! And the result? Juicy, delicious, perfectly crisped skin, and a chicken that changed my mind about chicken. Recipe after the jump:

ZUNI CAFE ROAST CHICKEN
From The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers

[Note: The originally recipe is written in conjunction with the bread salad that they serve with the chicken at the restaurant. I have pulled out just the portion of the recipe regarding the chicken because the technique for roasting is what I was most interested in. Go here for the recipe in its entirety.]

1 small chicken, 2-3/4 to 3-1/2-pounds
4 tender sprigs fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary or sage, about 1/2 inch long
Salt
About teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
A little water

Rinse the chicken thoroughly in cold water. Using paper towels, dry the chicken inside and out very thoroughly. Slide your finger under the skin of the breast, carefully separating the skin from the meat. Place a sprig of your herb of choice under the skin. Season the bird inside and out with a generous amount of salt and the black pepper and rub into the skin. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-3 days depending on the size of the bird.

Preheat the oven to 475. Unwrap the brined bird and pat any condensation on the skin off with a a paper towel. Heat a saute pan or skillet just larger than the bird over medium heat for about five minutes. (I used a 10-inch skillet for a small 2 3/4 pound bird). Place the bird breast side up in the hot skillet and place in the middle of the preheated oven. Roast for 20 minutes. At this point, check that the skin is browning. If it is not, raise the heat to 500. If it looks too dark, lower it to 450. After it has roasted 30 minutes, flip the bird over. Roast for 10 to 20 minutes depending on size. Flip back to expose the breast and roast an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Total roasting time will be 45 to 60 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and turn off the heat. Leave the bread salad to continue warming for another 5 minutes of so.

Lift the chicken from the roasting pan and set on a plate. Carefully pour the clear fat from the roasting pan, leaving the lean drippings behind. Add about a tablespoon of water to the hot pan and swirl it.

Slash the stretched skin between the thighs and breasts of the chicken, then tilt the bird and plate over the roasting pan to drain the juice into the drippings.

Set the chicken in a warm spot and leave to rest. The meat will become more tender and uniformly succulent as it cools.

Tilt the roasting pan and skim the last of the fat. Place over medium-low heat, add any juice that has collected under the chicken, and bring to a simmer. Stir and scrape to soften any hard golden drippings. Taste-the juices will be extremely flavorful.

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easy weeknight dinner: cinnamon chicken

Remember that episode of Little House on the Prairie where Mrs. Oleson tries to snag Almanzo for Nellie by having her cook him dinner, but Nellie can't cook so Laura offers to help her, all the while plotting to sabotage the dinner because she's really in love with Almanzo but she's still a kid and he doesn't see her that way? Well, the dish Laura is supposed to cook for them is cinnamon chicken. But she "accidentally" uses cayenne instead of cinnamon and totally ruins the dinner set-up. Of course, it all backfires on Laura, who gets in big trouble when Caroline finds out, plus Nellie gets back at her by feeding her incorrect information for her teacher's exam. They end up having a huge catfight in the mud, then Almanzo takes Laura home to help her clean up (because, let's face it, he loved her from the very beginning), and Charles barges in and sees Laura in a robe and thinks Almanzo has taken advantage of her. It's actually a two-part episode, that's how awesome it all is. Anyway, what was my point? Oh yeah, cinnamon chicken. I always thought cinnamon chicken sounded tasty, but of course I have no idea what Laura's cinnamon chicken contained. So I just searched around for something that sounded tasty, and this was the result.



There really is nothing more to this recipe than some cinnamon and some ginger. But the best part is that you end up cooking your starch right in the same pan, which I always appreciate. You also use the same seasoning for the couscous, and the golden raisins are the perfect hint of sweetness to give this dish a bit of a Moroccan flair. I can imagine that if Laura did cook this chicken and Nellie passed it off as her own with Almanzo, history may have turned out a bit differently and the next generation of Wilder kids would have been really really blonde. Recipe after the jump:

CINNAMON CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS AND GOLDEN RAISINS
Adapted from Epicurious.com

4 whole chicken legs (about 3 pounds)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 teaspoon ground ginger, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup golden raisins, or mixed chopped dried fruit (such as currants, apricots, and prunes)
1 14-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
1 cup couscous
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint, divided

Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ginger. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook until skin is brown, about 8 minutes. Turn chicken and transfer skillet to oven. Roast chicken until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate; tent with foil.

Discard excess chicken drippings from the pan, leaving about 1 tbsp of fat. Add onion to drippings; sauté onion over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add raisins and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ginger; stir to coat. Add broth; bring to boil. Remove skillet from heat, stir in couscous and 1 teaspoon mint. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork to separate and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mound couscous on platter; place chicken atop couscous. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon mint and serve.

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sunday supper: pomegranate-glazed cornish game hens

Sweeeeet. I love a chicken with a sweet, tangy, crisp skin. You really can't beat that. And you really can't beat how completely easy it is to achieve that. These little cornish game hens with a pomegranate-honey glaze have the zing of ginger and the mellowness of scallions for an Asian-inspired flavor.



Not to mention how juicy these little hens come out. The breast meat doesn't dry out at all, the leg meat is super succelent, and a little 1-pound bird is the perfect size for a hearty Sunday Supper. And all there is to it is a little brushing, and 1 hour of your time. Recipe after the jump:



POMEGRANATE-GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS

2 rock cornish game hens (approx 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each)
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup pure pomegranate juice (be sure this is not a juice blend)
1 1/2 tbsp honey
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the hens and pat very dry with paper towels. Truss the birds, then season liberally with kosher salt, rubbing it into the skin. Place the birds in a roasting or baking pan and roast dry for 15 minutes.

While the birds are roasting, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and allow to heat. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, being careful to not allow it to burn. Add the scallions and saute until softened. Add the pomegranate juice and the honey and stir until the honey is well dissolved. Lower the heat to a very gentle simmer.

After the hens have roasted for 15 minutes, lower the heat to 350. Brush the birds well with the pomegranate glaze. Continue to roast the birds, basting every 15 minutes, until they have cooked for 1 hour total.

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totless hot dish

I have no idea what a "hot dish" is. I assumed it was just, well, a hot dish. As opposed to a cold one. I guess growing up in the household that I did means that some of the really classic American foods are actually foreign foods to me. I've recently become somewhat fascinated with the casserole, partially because J-Cat has a certain fondness for stuff mixed with cream of mushroom soup and baked. I'd never had any of it before. Seriously. I've never had that green bean casserole with the crunchy onions. Ever.

So it was strange timing that I heard not once, but at least half a dozen times in recent weeks of this mystical concoction called the Tater Tot Casserole. Could it be? It sounded both magically delicious and sickening all at the same time. What exactly is it? I was surprised to find that it was made with turkey. I don't know why I was surprised, I just was. Anyway, it was some kind of mixture of turkey meat, cream of something soup, veggies, etc., topped, of course, with frozen tater tots. And I'll tell you, the idea of this dish haunted me for weeks. It sounded scary, yet, I was inexplicably drawn to it. Tater tots! How could that be bad?!

Well, in the least, it sounded pretty bad for you. So I was happily surprised to stumble on this recipe from The Kitchen Sink, which took the classic casserole of her Minnesotan youth and reimagined it as a completely fresh, fairly healthier version. It also informed me that they call these things "hot dish" out there. Who knew? (Probably a lot of people knew).



The result? YUM. Granted, I should probably make the classic to know what this is inspired by, but as a dish unto itself, it was extremely tasty and far less guilt-inducing than it could have been. We gobbled it up heartily. Recipe after the jump:

TATER TOT(LESS) HOT DISH
From The Kitchen Sink

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced (1/4-inch dice)
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 pound ground turkey (light or dark, or a mixture of the two)
1 1/2 cups leeks, trimmed and sliced thinly into half-moons
1 cup celery, sliced thinly into half-moons
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
2 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a large baking dish (a gratin dish or 9×13-inch pan) and set aside.

Toss diced potatoes in 1 tablespoon of the oil and some salt and pepper, spread on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, turning halfway through. Reduce the oven heat to 350.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven. Add the ground turkey, a small pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until the turkey is nearly cooked through. Add the leeks, celery, garlic, celery seed, herbs de Provence and a pinch of salt and pepper; saute for several minutes until softened.

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the pan. Place the flour in a small bowl, and whisk in the milk. Add milk mixture to pan, stirring constantly. Gradually add remaining chicken stock; cook 8 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Pour the turkey mixture into the buttered dish. Top with the roasted potatoes and grated parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

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introducing claire! well, her food anyway

So remember last week when I wrote about how indulgent my days on set were? Well here is a good example of just what kind of indulgence was going on. This delicious Duck Breast with Citrus Port Cherry Sauce is the creation of our newest star, the lovely Claire Robinson. Claire is hosting a new show called 5 Ingredient Fix, premiering on Saturday April 4 at 9:30 AM. I have no qualms about plugging the heck out of this show, because I LOVE CLAIRE. And, I love her food. Yes, this gorgeous duck breast has only five ingredients. Total. Seriously.



On top of all that goodness, I ended up with almost 8 ounces of duck fat stored away, just waiting to roast some potatoes. Hells yeah.



Crispy and juicy and rich meat. Sweet and tart and layered sauce. How can you go wrong? This is just one of Claire's recipes that I've made so far, and I'll be posting more in the days to come. Recipe after the jump:



CLAIRE ROBINSON'S DUCK BREAST WITH CITRUS PORT CHERRY SAUCE

2 whole duck breasts, separated into 4 breast halves
1 shallot, minced
½ cup pitted cherries (frozen defrosted are fine)
¼ cup ruby port wine
1 tsp orange zest
½ cup fresh orange juice

Score the duck skin and fat in a diamond pattern, then season with salt and pepper. Please skin side down in a large hot skillet and sear until golden brown over medium heat. Flip and sear the other side 3 minutes. Transfer duck to a baking dish and place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Drain the excess fat off of the skillet and reserve. Add shallots to pan and sauté until translucent. Add the orange juice, port, zest and cherries. Scrape the fond from the skillet. Allow sauce to come to a boil, then lower to a simmer until reduced, about 5 minutes. Serve the duck breast thinly sliced with the sauce spooned over the top.

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take-out takedown: gai pad krapow

One of my favorite lazy night take-out meals is the classic Thai dish Gai Pad Krapow, a chicken and basil stir-fry. My one complaint about my neighborhood Thai restaurants, however, is that this dish always seems to be swimming in grease. It doesn't stop us from eating it, but I was pretty thrilled to stumble upon a recipe for the dish recently on Serious Eats. It was far simpler than I even realized, and made at home I could completely control how greasy it got. Even better, the Serious Eats version threw in some extra added green with the string beans, so it could truly become a one-pan meal.



J-Cat exclaimed that it tasted really authentic to him, then got a mouthful of chili pepper and didn't say anything else for a while. Recipe after the jump:

GAI PAD KRAPOW
Adapted from Serious Eats

Ideally, this dish should be made with holy basil, which is not to be confused with sweet basil or even the purple-stemmed Thai basil. You'll know it by its scalloped edges and clove-like aroma, but you may have a hard time tracking it down. Regular sweet basil tastes just as good in this dish, if not quite so "authentic."

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Chilis, finely chopped (use 2-3 serrano peppers for a very mild heat; 2-3 bird's eye chilis for a medium heat)
1 large shallot, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed, chopped in 1-inch lengths
1 pound ground chicken
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 bunch basil, leaves only

To serve:
Boiled rice
Fried eggs, 1 per person (optional)
Nam pla prik (recipe follows) or fresh lime wedges
Procedure

1. Heat the oil over high heat in a wok or large frying pan. When you can see waves forming in the hot oil, add the chilis, shallots, and garlic and stir-fry until golden, about 30 seconds.

2. Add the green beans and stir-fry until cooked but still crunchy, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add the ground chicken, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat into small pieces. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through.

4. Add the fish sauce and sugar to the pan, and stir to distribute. Taste, and add more fish sauce or sugar if desired.

5. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the basil leaves and stir-fry until completely wilted. Remove from heat.

6. Serve with boiled rice, fried egg (optional), and nam pla prik or lime wedges.

NAM PLA PRIK (Chili Fish Sauce)

Ingredients

Fish sauce
Fresh lime juice
Chilis, finely chopped
Shallots, finely sliced
Procedure

Mix fish sauce and lime juice to taste (a typical ratio is 3-4 parts fish sauce to 1 part lime juice) and pour over chilis and shallots. Consume immediately, or pour into a clean jar and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

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chicken pot pie

I thought it was a nice touch to make this pinnacle of comfort food in my mom's hand me down corning ware casserole dish. It's utterly appropriate. It was also a good thing that I chose to make a somewhat leaner version of the dish that I found in a recent issue of Real Simple Magazine, because not only was it completely tasty despite the lowered fat, but these last few days have been so ridiculously indulgent that the healthy-ish pot pie is the only bit of guilt-free dining I've had this week. Burgers, donuts, falafel, donuts, crepes, donuts. Sometimes my job just destroys my willpower.

J-Cat declared this dish one of his favorites, and ate a good 2/3 of it in one evening. When that skinny boy can stuff that much into himself, it is the ultimate sign that I made some good stuff. Recipe after the jump:



CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE POT PIE
Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 shallots, chopped
4 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups 1 percent milk
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Kosher salt and pepper
1 9-inch store-bought piecrust, thawed if frozen (the Pillsbury Just Unroll crust is perfect for this for a weeknight dinner)

Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the chicken in a pot of simmering water until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool, then cut into small cubes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes (do not let them darken). Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a shallow 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish.

Lay the crust on top, pressing to seal. Cut several vents in the crust. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

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my philosophy of the turkey burger

Here is the key to a good turkey burger - put stuff in it. There is nothing less appetizing than a turkey burger that is literally just turkey, with no seasonings and no life. Let's be honest, ground turkey needs help. A turkey patty will never, ever stand up to a real burger. But if approached as a thing unto itself, a palette onto which you can paint a multitude of wonderful flavors, turkey burgers can be awesome. I don't think I've ever made a turkey burger the same way twice, but every time it comes out great. No matter what flavor you decide to go with, turkey will probably be willing to accept it. Recipe after the jump:

EVERYDAY TURKEY BURGER

1 tbsp canola oil
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 large egg
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Shape into 4 patties about 1/2 inch thick. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for about 4 minutes per side until browned and juices run clear.

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sunday supper: perfect day for cassoulet

Apparently cassoulet is much more popular than I thought. As soon as I said I was making it, a handful of people got extremely interested and hungry. There's just something about a hearty cassoulet when the snow is falling and you're cozy at home. I adapted Thomas Keller's recipe for a slow-cooker cassoulet, which somewhat streamlines the process but stays true to the essence of the dish. I did find it odd that his recipe did not call for duck confit, but it is true that not every cassoulet is made with it. Mine was, I couldn't resist. I did not, however, make that part on my own.



I did soak my own beans, which seems to go without saying for a dish like this, but I was surprised to find out in a recent meeting that this is considered time-consuming and a hassle. I don't understand how putting beans in a bowl with water and ignoring it is a hassle, but apparently many people do. I was actually told that people might think it's culinarily snobby to require that, but seriously? Soaking dried beans is like the opposite of culinary snobbery. It's the cheapest, most peasant way to feed a gang of people. Duck confit, that's snobbery.



I adjust the god-chef's recipe a bit because his was written for that fancy schmany All-Clad slow cooker with the cast iron insert that you can use on the stove and in the oven. I have a lesser slow cooker, so I did the first several steps on the stove in a separate pan. I also decided to use pork bones instead of a pork shoulder roast, partially because I couldn't find a particularly small roast, and partially because I thought the bones would add a lot of flavor, which they did. Opposite of snobbery. The supreme cheapness also balanced out the cost of the duck confit. Balancing out the snobbery.



In short, Cassoulet appears to be misinterpreted as both a difficult and snobbish dish. To me, time + simple ingredients + beans = the most down to earth dinner you can get. Recipe after the jump:

SLOW COOKER CASSOULET
Adapted from a recipe by Thomas Keller at Williams Sonoma.com

Ingredients:

4 lb. pork bones
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 cup panko
4 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
4 cups coarsely chopped yellow onions
2 cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can (35 oz.) peeled Italian plum tomatoes, drained and
coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups dried Great Northern beans, picked over, rinsed and
soaked overnight
1 1/2 lb. fresh chorizo sausage, each halved on the bias
2 duck confit legs
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1 lb. baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
Coarse sea salt, such as sel gris, for garnish

Directions:

Season the pork generously with kosher salt and pepper; set aside.

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, combine the canola oil and panko. Cook, stirring constantly, until the panko is toasted and golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the panko to a baking sheet and season with kosher salt and pepper.

Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat in the pan.

Add half of the pork to the pan and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining pork.

Add the onions and 1 tsp. kosher salt to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes and broth. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and add the beans, pork, chorizo, duck legs, and garlic.

Cover and cook on low until the beans are tender and the pork pulls apart easily with a fork, about 7 hours. Skim off the fat, and remove and discard the garlic. Adjust the seasonings with kosher salt and pepper. Fold in the panko and the 1/4 cup parsley. (I chose to simply top the cassoulet with the bread crumbs for two reasons. 1. I wanted to keep them crispy, 2. the cassoulet was already so thick that it did not need the crumbs mixed in.)

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat the broiler.

Brush the baguette slices with olive oil. Arrange the slices, oiled side up, on top of the cassoulet, overlapping them. Broil until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.

Let the cassoulet stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle each serving with the reserved bacon, sea salt and parsley. Serves 8 to 10.

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sunday supper: not a pretty picture

I cannot blame my poor photography skills for this one. The fact of that matter is, if you put a chicken in a slow cooker for seven hours, it is generally not going to be attractive. It will, however, be extremely tasty. This is a slow cooker version of the Filipino classic Chicken Adobo. Adobo is a simple combination of soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves and is traditionally made with pork or chicken or both. Some people like to brown the meat after cooking for a nice crisp edge, but because this version cooks for so long, I don't recommend attempting it, the chicken just falls completely off the bones. That, of course, is a good thing in itself. Seven hours in it's salty, tangy bath and the chicken was completely infused with flavor, lovely and tender, and perfect comfort food on a cold Sunday. I went off to spend a lovely day knitting at Leah's house and came home to the delicious aroma of a hot dinner. I love slow cookers. Recipe after the jump:

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN ADOBO

1 3-pound chicken, cut into parts (or parts of your choice)
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 cup plus two tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
10 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
2 bay leaves

Place chicken pieces in a slow cooker. In a small bowl mix the onion, garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar, and pour over the chicken. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves. Cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours. Depending on the fattiness of the chicken, you may end up with quite a bit of fat on the surface of the liquid, I prefer to skim some of it off so that it is not so greasy, but this is to your taste. Serve over steamed white rice.

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easy weeknight dinner: lemon chicken with artichokes

This one literally takes 20 minutes, it's fantastically tasty, and it's quite healthy. I think that's all that needs to be said about it. Recipe after the jump:



SAUTEED LEMON CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken meat (I prefer thighs for flavor, but anything will do) large dice
1 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts (canned or jarred – not frozen)
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste (I used half a lemon)
1/2 cup lightly packed basil leaves, chiffonaded
1 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add onion and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
2. Add chicken and cook, stirring rarely, until well browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and cook until slightly broken down, about 3 minutes.
3. Add wine, water, and juice and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned bits. Cook until alcohol smell is cooked off and sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in basil and lemon, and serve over rice or pasta.

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the elusive real enchilada sauce

It is very frustrating when searching around for authentic recipes to continually come across ones that appear to take a shortcut. I was determined to make chicken enchiladas one night, but quite a bit of searching kept turning up recipes that called for "enchilada sauce". But WHAT is this mysterious sauce? Why can't I figure out a way to make it from scratch? Do I really have to go back to the market and find this stuff? It just feels like cheating.



Searching for enchilada sauce recipes also turned up a mish-mash of recipes, some even calling for jarred salsa, which, really? Come on. So whatever, I have to go find myself a real Mexican cookbook to figure this out, but in the meantime I cobbled some things together and made something that mostly resembled chicken enchiladas. They were actually very good, but I wouldn't call them authentic. And that just kills me, to be honest. Recipe after the jump:



SORT OF REAL CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

For the enchiladas:
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 6-inch corn tortillas
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups enchilada sauce, recipe to follow
3 cups (about) shredded cooked chicken (use leftovers, or simply poach a couple of chicken breasts in broth or water)
3 cups packed grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 12 ounces)
Sour cream or Mexican crema, to garnish
Cotija cheese, to garnish

Heat 1/3 cup vegetable oil in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, add 1 tortilla and cook until softened, turning once, about 15 seconds for each side. Transfer tortilla to paper towels and drain well. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in heavy large skillet. Add onion, pepper, and oregano and saute until onion and pepper are tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lightly oil 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Spoon 1/2 cup enchilada sauce into dish. Place scant 1/4 cup chicken in center of 1 tortilla. Sprinkle with 1 generous tablespoon onion mixture. Set aside 1/2 cup cheese for topping. Spoon 2 generous tablespoons cheese atop chicken. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, onion mixture and cheese. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with foil. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.)

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake enchiladas, covered, until sauce bubbles and cheese melts, about 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes to lightly brown the top. Serve hot with sour cream and a sprinkling of cotija cheese.

For the sauce:
3 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp oregano
3 cups chicken broth
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Stirring constantly, slowly add enough of the broth to make a thin paste. Pour into pan and add rest of broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Stir in tomato sauce.

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