Monday, October 19, 2015

Garlic Chicken In A Pot



Another keeper from The New York Times! We liked this Garlic Chicken Recipe on a cold night.

Garlic Chicken In A Pot
New York Times

WHEN I was just starting out in the kitchen -- a young woman with expensive pots, no experience and an ambition to cook in the grand manner -- a friend of mine, an older, wiser man who had notched decades behind a stove, gave me this advice: ''Before you attempt soufflés and flambés,'' he said, ''master one no-matter-what recipe.''
My friend's definition of a no-matter-what recipe was simple: it was a dish that would be good no matter what the occasion (and with whom you were sharing it); no matter what you added or subtracted (No potatoes? Skip them or use turnips) and no matter what little mistakes you made (like forgetting it in the oven for an extra half hour).
The foolproof recipe I chose, which I have been playing theme-and-variation with ever since, is chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. It is a version of the time-honored chicken in a pot, in which the entire meal -- chicken, vegetables and resulting sauce -- is cooked in a pot and, if you like, served in the pot, the better to keep all those dunkable cooking juices hot. It is a dish made for crusty bread and a lot of wine, and one for which the term comfort food might have been invented.
The first chicken in a pot I made came from Richard Olney's cookbook ''Simple French Food'' (Atheneum, 1974). Mr. Olney, an American painter who moved to Provence and became an almost cult culinary figure, gives a recipe for garlic chicken, instructing the cook to put a cut-up chicken in a casserole with 40 cloves of unpeeled garlic, two-thirds of a cup of olive oil, salt, pepper, dried herbs and a bouquet garni.
The casserole is sealed with a flour-and-water paste and slid into a 350 degree oven to cook for one hour and 45 minutes. When the seal is broken at the table, that first puff of fragrant steam is intoxicating.
I loved that dish. I could put it together blindfolded in 10 minutes and it was always delicious. But it became even more delicious when I started tweaking it. One day I added potatoes, the next carrots. When I had leeks, they went into the pot, as did green beans, red peppers, shallots, celery root, parsnips or fresh herbs. Sometimes I would add one vegetable, sometimes lots more.
I was certain I had savored garlic chicken in every guise imaginable when I came across a version by Antoine Westermann, the Michelin three-star chef from Alsace, France. In his incarnation, the chicken is whole, and it and the vegetables are browned before they are nestled in the pot. The liquid for the dish is white wine, chicken broth and olive oil, the herbs are fresh, and everything is enlivened by small squares of zest from a salt-preserved lemon, a genius addition to the recipe. This dish looked better than the original when the lid was lifted, and the lid was lifted in less time: Mr. Westermann's chicken cooks at 450 degrees for just 55 minutes. I dabbled with the new recipe as well, and I realized again how flexible this dish is. There are five variables -- the pot, the chicken, the vegetables, the liquid and the temperature -- and if you stay close to the spirit of the original with each, the recipe will be a success.
For the pot, look for heft and a lid. My favorite chicken-in-a-pot pot is Le Creuset's casserole made of enameled cast iron, but any lidded Dutch oven or large heavy pot, even an earthenware casserole, will do.
Your choices for the chicken are basic: whole or cut up. I think a whole bird looks a little dressier than pieces, but a whole chicken needs to be quartered before serving, while pieces go from oven to table nonstop. Pieces have another advantage: You can fit more than one chicken in a pot. Whichever you choose, you can brown the chicken before you cook it -- or not.
The vegetables are the most variable of variables, both in terms of kind and quantity. In general, root and hearty vegetables are best for this dish; think carrots, potatoes (white or sweet), some kind of onions (shallots or cippoline or quartered yellow onions), turnips, parsnips, celery root, winter squash or artichoke hearts (peeled Jerusalem artichokes work well, too).
I tend to go overboard on the vegetables because I like the way they cook to a sweet, caramely softness and am happy to have double-size portions to spoon out.
Of course, you can also follow Richard Olney's recipe, which has no vegetables (although artichokes are an option).
As for the liquid, you can keep it simple and use just olive oil, or go with my new favorite, Mr. Westermann's oil, broth and wine mélange. Similarly, I've decided I like Mr. Westermann's high-temperature cooking method. In fact, I liked everything about Mr. Westermann's rendition of my beloved chicken in the pot so much that the instant I read the recipe, I ditched my plans for dinner that night and made his dish.
As I passed a plate to a friend, he said, ''Doesn't this remind you of Richard Olney's garlic chicken? I think you should call it garlic chicken, the next generation.''
He was right, but if it is the next generation of anything, for me it is the next generation of a great no-matter-what recipe.

INGREDIENTS
½ salt-preserved lemon, rinsed well (see note)
¼ cup sugar
⅓ cup olive oil
16 small peeled potatoes (white or sweet) or 2 large peeled potatoes, each cut into 8 pieces
16 small onions or shallots, peeled and trimmed
8 carrots, peeled and quartered
4 stalks celery, trimmed and quartered
4 heads garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs Italian parsley
2 sprigs rosemary
1 chicken, whole or cut up
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup white wine
About 1 1/2 cups flour

PREPARATION

1.   Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove zest from preserved lemon and cut zest into small squares; save pulp for another use. Bring 1 cup water and the sugar to a boil, drop in zest and cook 1 minute; drain and set aside.
2.   Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add vegetables and garlic, season with salt and pepper and sauté until brown on all sides. (If necessary, do this in 2 batches.) Spoon vegetables into a 4 1/2- to 5-quart lidded Dutch oven and stir in herbs and lemon zest.
3.   Return skillet to heat, add another tablespoon of oil and brown chicken on all sides, seasoning it with salt and pepper as it cooks. Tuck chicken into casserole, surrounding it with vegetables. Mix together the broth, wine and remaining olive oil and pour it over chicken and vegetables.

4.   Mix flour with enough hot water (about 3/4 cup) to make a malleable dough. On a floured surface, work dough into a sausage; place dough on rim of casserole. Press lid onto dough to seal casserole. Bake 55 minutes. To break seal, work the point of a screwdriver between pot and lid. If chicken is whole, quarter it. Chicken may be served in the pot or arranged with vegetables on a serving platter.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Monkfish with Ginger/Crime Fraiche






We had Tom over for this FANTASTIC dish. I went wild for the sauce. I want to make it again! There  was a sourness to the sauce that I loved. Definitely try this dish!

Monkfish with Ginger/Crime Fraiche, and Seared Greens
Spice Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean by Ana Sortun

Monkfish has a dense structure, like lobster, scallops, or tenderloins of pork or beef, so it can be cooked with powerful flavors such as ginger and is perfect for high-heat cooking and sweet fall flavors.

Try serving this dish with some roasted apples, figs, or peach slices. Brush some fresh-split figs or thick slices of apple or peach with extra-virgin olive oil, and then grill, or roast the fruit in a 350 ° F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender.

Try a non-oaky chardonnay, such as chablis, with this dish.
Serves 6

2         pounds monkfish, skinned (ask your fishmonger to clean them for you)
Salt and pepper to taste
2         pounds green or red Swiss chard (about 4 small bunches)
2         tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2         tablespoons butter
4         tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 8 cloves)
1         tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
2         cups creme fraiche
4         tablespoons flour
¼         cup vermouth or dry white wine
1         lemon, cut into 4 wedges for serving

1.   Cut monkfish into 6 equal portions, each about 5 ounces, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Set them aside or refrigerate them while preparing the rest of the dish.
2.   Trim the stalks from the Swiss chard and reserve them for another use or discard them. Wash the chard well and place it in a colander to drain.
3.   Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet or deep-sided pan with a fitted cover. When the butter begins to brown, add the garlic, stirring constantly, and cook until the garlic turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the chard immediately and cover. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the chard is limp and becomes tender. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the ginger and creme fraiche and season if needed. Keep warm.
4.   In another large skillet or saute pan over high heat, heat the remaining i tablespoon oil and butter, until trie butter starts to brown. Dredge the fish in the flour and shake off any excess. Fry the fish until it is golden brown both sides, about 5 minutes a side. If the fish is very thick, turn the heat down and cover the pan to brown it more slowly and cook it all the way through.
5.   Add the vermouth to the pan and let it cook down to almost nothing. This should take less than a minute and should glaze the fish, by pulling up any sugars that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan.
6.   Remove the chard from the pan, leaving the juices in the pan, and smother the fish with it.
7.   Bring the liquid from the chard to a simmer and cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce becomes thick enough to coat a spoon.

8.   Pour the sauce over the fish and chard and serve with lemon.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Shumon Cooks






Slow Cooked Salmon

Lobster Salad





One of the joys of eating at our favorite Chinese Restaurant (Newport Seafood) is bringing back the extra Lobster. We usually make Lobster Stock out of the left over shells to freeze. We also will make either Lobster Fried Rice or a Lobster Salad using the Lobster meat. This time we made a Lobster Salad. Yum!

For the main course we made Slow-Roasted Salmon With  Cabbage,   Bacon,  and  Dill . We love this preparation. You can get the recipe from our blog of: May 31, 2014. Click the date to get the recipe. The Salmon was from McCall's. With dinners like this I could become a pescatarian (if they can eat Lobster). 

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Grilled Bass with Sauce Vierge




Here is an interesting recipe that we made: Grilled Bass with Sauce Vierge. I especially liked the sauce. We started with a Pear Salad.

Grilled Bass with Sauce Vierge
Good Food Magazine

Ingredients

50g butter, melted
4 sea bass fillets

For the sauce
100g cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tsp small capers
juice of ½ lemon
1 shallot, finely chopped
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
handful torn basil leaves and chopped chives, to garnish

Method

1.   Line a grill pan with foil and brush lightly with butter. Brush the fish on both sides with butter and season. Lay on the foil, skin-side up.

2.   Put the tomatoes and shallot in a pan with the capers, lemon juice and oil, and season.

3.   Grill the bass for 5-7 mins under a hot grill until just cooked and the skin is starting to brown. Meanwhile, warm the sauce through for 2 mins, then stir in some of the torn basil leaves. Lift the bass onto warmed plates using a fish slice and spoon the sauce around. Serve with steamed new potatoes or small baked potatoes, and add the remaining basil and chives.


Tuesday, October 06, 2015

Sausage ala Cathy



We have a recipe for Sausage and Mushrooms that we really like. We found a different recipe in The New York Times then Cathy modified it to suit our taste. It was a huge improvement. We will definitely make this recipe again.

Polenta and Sausage (Cathy Recipe)

5 cups water
1 ccup polenta
2 tbl butter

salt
½ cup Parmesean

Mushrooms

1 oz dried porcini soaked in water ½ hour
drain retain liquid

4 tablespoons butter
1 pound mushrooms sliced
Saute with porcinis (chopped)
When no liquid in pan added ¾ cup mushroom juice and cooked till absorbed
Season with Salt and Pepper

1 red onion chopped sauté in 2 tablespoons olive oil
add 6 fennel sausages to cooked onions cook for about 10 minutes
added mushrooms to sausage and onions and 2 cups hot beef stock while cooking polenta.
Add 2 tbl butter at the end to cooked sausage, onion and mushrooms



Sunday, October 04, 2015

Tuna With Oloroso




Brownie and Ice Cream
Tom and Shumon joined us for dinner. We had some beautiful Tuna Steaks that we had purchased at McCall's Meat and Fish. We have a favorite recipe for Atun con oloroso (Tuna With Oloroso) from Moro The Cookbook by Clark & Clark. If you are ever in London be sure to eat at their restaurant Moro. It is a wonderful restaurant. You can get the recipe from our blog of: April 17, 2013. Click the date to get the recipe.


The thick tuna steaks are almost like meat and tuna is one of the few fish that I don’t mind eating as leftovers. This is a good recipe! We served it with rice.

We started with Prosciutto and Melon. The Melon this year is particularly good.

We finished with Brownies and Ice Cream. It was a delicious dinner.

Friday, October 02, 2015

Sautéed Shrimp


This is a real easy and delicious shrimp dinner. You can get the recipe from our blog of: August 13, 2011. The recipe is from a great cookbook: Ottolenghi The Cookbook  Buttered Prawns with Tomato, Olives and Arak. You can serve it with polenta or rice or just by itself.