Roast Chicken with Plums

We saw this recipe for Roast Chickens with Plums in The New York Times. We decided to make it and really liked it. It was plum season and we found small plums that were very sweet and juicy at Cookbook. We will make this again!

Roast Chickens with Plums

New York Times

This recipe, which roasts two chickens at the same time, has been engineered to feed a crowd. It's no harder than roasting one chicken. The birds get rubbed down with a garlicky sumac spice rub brightened with lemon zest. Then, as they cook, their fragrant drippings season sliced plums roasting in the pan underneath them, which caramelize into a fruity, chutney-like sauce. Feel free to halve the recipe if you’d rather, but be sure to reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. For two chickens you need the higher heat so they both crisp properly, but for only one chicken, slightly lower heat keeps the plums from burning.

Ingredients

For The Chicken:

2       large lemons

2       tablespoons ground sumac

4       teaspoons kosher salt

1       tablespoon black pepper

1       teaspoon cinnamon

1       teaspoon allspice

4       tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4       garlic cloves, grated or minced

2       chickens, 4 to 4 1/2 pounds each

1       bunch thyme, more for garnish

For The Plums:

2-¼  pounds plums, halved or quartered if large

4       shallots, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

2       tablespoons honey

1       tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½      teaspoon salt

½      teaspoon cinnamon

¼      teaspoon allspice

1       bay leaf, torn in half

Preparation

1.   Grate the zest from the lemons and place in a small bowl. Set aside the zested lemons.

2.   Stir sumac, salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice into the lemon zest. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic. The mixture should feel like wet sand. Rub it all over the chickens, including inside the cavity.

3.   Divide thyme bunch in half and place in the chicken cavities. Place chickens on a roasting rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and let marinate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

4.   When ready to roast, let chickens come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

5.   In a large roasting pan, toss together plums, shallots, honey, oil, salt, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf and 2 tablespoons water. Spread out plum mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place chickens on the rack over the plums in the pan. Roast for 30 minutes.

6.   Meanwhile, squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from reserved lemon and mix it with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Drizzle this over the chicken, then continue to roast until the birds are golden-skinned and cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes longer.

7.   Let chickens rest, covered lightly with foil, for 10 minutes. Carve and serve with the plums and more thyme for garnish.

Cathy's Birthday

We had lots of great food for Cathy's birthday. We had it at Bon Temps located in downtown Los Angeles. The restaurant is exceptional (and beautiful). I recommend it!

Rigatoni with Veal Bolognese and Butternut Squash

Rigatoni with Veal Bolognese and Butternut Squash was an unusual combination. I liked the pasta. It was sweet and mild. Give it a try for a change of pace!

Rigatoni with Veal Bolognese and Butternut Squash

Food and Wine

Ingredients

2         thick-cut slices of bacon, minced

2         tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½        cup minced carrot

½        cup minced celery

½        cup minced onion

3         large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

1         pound ground veal

1         sage sprig

1         parsley sprig

1         bay leaf

2         teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

1         teaspoon dried basil, crumbled

1         cup dry red wine

One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

2-1/2  cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

½      medium butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (3 cups)

¼        cup heavy cream

Freshly ground white pepper

1         pound rigatoni

Finely chopped thyme, for garnish

How To Make It

1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, cook the bacon in the oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the ground veal, sage, parsley, bay leaf, oregano and basil and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 8 minutes.

2. Add the wine to the casserole and cook, stirring, until nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices and cook, stirring, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 8 minutes. Stir in the squash and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 25 minutes. Discard the sage, parsley and bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream and season the sauce with salt and white pepper; keep warm over very low heat.

3. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well and transfer the pasta to deep bowls. Spoon the sauce over the pasta, garnish with thyme and serve.

Make Ahead

The Bolognese sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat gently before serving.

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Tomato Risotto

We made Tomato Risotto for the 2nd time this year. This is a new favorite. If you haven't had it you should make it when tomatoes are at their peak! You can find the recipe on our blog of: August 28, 2019. Click the date to get the recipe!

Pork Chops With Salted Plums

Pork Chops With Salted Plums was a new recipe for us. We liked it and will make it again! Yummy!

Pork Chops With Salted Plums

New York Times

This weeknight affair pairs savory pork with a sweet-and-sour mixture of sliced plums and red onions. When a recipe has so few ingredients, it’s important that they be of the highest quality possible. The pork chops here will deliver most of the fat, so make sure they’re well marbled (bone-in loin or rib chops both work). As for the plums, this is one of the rare occasions in which underripe is preferred to perfectly ripe, so they maintain texture after they get briefly tossed in the skillet, and also deliver plenty of acidity for the pan sauce.

Ingredients

2    bone-in pork chops (1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch thick, about 1 1/2 pounds total)

Kosher salt and ground pepper

1    pound medium plums, pitted and sliced

½   small red onion, thinly sliced

¼   cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar or fresh lime juice, plus more as needed

½   teaspoon fish sauce (optional)

2    tablespoons canola oil

1    cup fresh mint leaves

Olive oil, for drizzling

Preparation

1.   Season pork with salt and pepper; set aside.

2.   Combine the plums and onion in a medium bowl along with vinegar and fish sauce, if using. Season with salt and pepper and try a plum; they should be relatively tangy and salty. Add more vinegar or salt, if needed, and set aside.

3.   Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook, without moving, until well browned on one side, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip chops and cook until well browned on the other side, another 3 to 5 minutes.

4.   Transfer pork chops to a cutting board to rest. Add plum and onion mixture to the skillet and remove from heat. Give everything a toss, just to deglaze the skillet and scrape up any of those browned bits, slightly wilting the onion and letting some of those plum juices run free.

5.   Slice pork chops to your desired thickness and transfer to a large serving platter. Scatter with plum mixture, top with mint and give everything a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

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Pear Salad and Spaghetti With Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce

We started with a Pear Salad with Candied Walnuts and crumbled Blue Cheese. We then made Scott Conant's Spaghetti With Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce. It was delicious. This was the first pear of the season and it was a reminder that fall has arrived!

Scott Conant's Spaghetti With Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce

New York Times

Ingredients

3       pounds fresh plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and quartered

3       ounces olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1       pinch crushed red-pepper flakes

1       pound dry spaghetti

2       ounces extra-virgin olive oil

1       tablespoon butter

6       leaves fresh basil, shredded

2       tablespoons freshly grated

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Blanch the tomatoes and remove the skins. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut the tomatoes crosswise. Set aside in a bowl.

2. Heat 3 ounces olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until it smokes slightly. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Since the tomatoes will reduce and the salt will be concentrated, it is better to season initially with a lighter hand.

3. Chop the tomatoes with a potato masher until they are in fine chunks and all their liquid is released. Be sure they are chopped and crushed fine, for a semichunky sauce. Simmer for 25 minutes over medium heat.

4. While the sauce simmers, heat the water for the pasta. Cook the spaghetti in salted water about half of the way cooked. Drain, reserving some of the water.

5. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the pasta to the sauce and cook over medium-high heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente. If the sauce is overreduced, use the pasta cooking liquid to adjust it.

6. At the last moment, remove the pan from the heat; add the extra virgin   olive oil, butter, basil and cheese. Mix thoroughly until the pasta is an orangy color. Taste again and adjust

Grilled Fish and Plums with Sweet Mirin Barbecue Sauce

We wanted to make Grilled Scallops and Plums with Sweet Mirin Barbecue Sauce but the market didn't have any Scallops. We substituted Fish for the Scallops and it worked perfectly. The plums were great. I simply tossed them on the grill. We served Spicy Corn on The Cob with Miso Butter And Chives with the fish. You can get the original recipe for the Grilled Scallops and Plums with Sweet Mirin Barbecue Sauce on our blog of: August 18, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

Spicy Corn on The Cob with Miso Butter And Chives

New York Times

Corn slathered in miso butter is special enough, so you’re within your rights to ignore any other ingredients in this recipe. But for lovers of spice, the Japanese spice blend shichimi togarashi is worth seeking out. In English, it translates to “seven-flavor chile pepper,” though not all of those seven flavors are chile: There’s also roasted orange peel, sesame seeds, ground ginger and seaweed in the mix. Add it gradually, so as not to overpower the subtle flavor of the miso butter (and because everyone likes a different amount of spice). If you can’t find shichimi togarashi, substitute crushed red-pepper flakes.

Ingredients

4       ears fresh corn, shucked

4       tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2       tablespoons white miso paste

2       tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

1       teaspoon shichimi togarashi or crushed red-pepper flakes

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation

1.   Heat your grill to medium-high. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until cooked through and lightly charred, 10 to 12 minutes. (Alternatively, drop corn in a large pot of salted boiling water and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.)

2.   Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together butter and miso paste.

3.   Slather hot corn with miso butter. Sprinkle with chives and shichimi togarashi, and serve with lime wedges alongside for squeezing.