Hainanese Chicken with Rice

We like eating at Majordomo in DTLA. They serve a Boiled Chicken entree that is excellent. They make a soup with the extra Chicken and serve as a second course. It is great to experience the Chicken in two different forms. We actually liked this rendition of Hainanese Chicken with Rice as much as eating at the restaurant. It is quite good. We will make it again.

Hainanese Chicken with Rice

New York Times

 

While this is the most basic version of Hainanese chicken, the best one is the provenance of devotees, who save the stock they don’t need for the rice, freeze it, and use it as a starting point for the next time they cook chicken this way. If you do this repeatedly, the stock will become stronger and stronger, as will the flavors of both chicken and rice. If you do this hundreds of times, the way restaurants do, the flavors will be quite intense. But even if you do it once, the dish is a total winner.

 

Ingredients

 

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1       whole (3- to 4-pound) chicken, trimmed of excess fat

Several cloves smashed garlic, plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Several slices fresh ginger, plus 1 tablespoon minced ginger

½      cup peanut oil, or neutral oil, like corn or canola

3       shallots, roughly chopped, or a small onion

2       cups long-grain rice

½      cup minced scallions

2       cucumbers, peeled and sliced

2       tomatoes, sliced

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2       tablespoons sesame oil

 

Preparation

 

1.    Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add chicken to pot along with smashed garlic and sliced ginger. Bird should be completely submerged, but only just. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let bird remain in water for 45 minutes to an hour, covered, or until it is cooked through.

2.    Remove chicken from pot, reserve stock, and let bird cool to room temperature. Put half the peanut oil in a skillet over medium heat; you may add trimmed chicken fat to this also. When oil is hot, add remaining garlic, along with shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until glossy. Add 4 cups reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover; cook for about 20 minutes, until rice has absorbed all liquid. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

3.    Make a dipping sauce of remaining oil, ginger, half the scallions and a large pinch of salt.

4.    Shred or chop chicken, discarding skin. Put rice on a large platter and mound chicken on top of it; decorate platter with cucumbers, tomatoes, remaining scallions and cilantro. Sprinkle sesame oil over all and serve with dipping sauce.

 

 

Beef Stroganoff

Another Prime Rib, another Beef Stroganoff. What is better use of leftover Prime Rib then making Beef Stroganoff? We love it! You can find the recipe on our blog of: December 1, 2020. Click the date to get the recipe.

Prime Rib

Kashmera and Krushna were in town. We had to make Prime Rib. Timmy joined us for dinner. The Dry Aged Prime Rib from McCall's was exceptional. We don't make Prime Rib very often but when we do we love it. You can get the recipe for the Prime Rib on our blog of: March 7, 2021. Click the date to get the recipe. With the Prime Rib we served Snap Peas and fabulous Baked Potatoes. These are the best Baked Potatoes ever! You can get the recipe on our blog of: February 8, 2022. Click the date to get the recipe.

Pasta with Scallops, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, and Parsley

 

Pasta with Scallops, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, and Parsley is a great dish. We purchased the Scallops at McCall's Meat and Fish. The Lemon Zest set off the flavors. Surprisingly the Tomatoes in winter were quite good. We used lots of French Bread to soak up the sauce. Thank you Martha!

Pasta with Scallops, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, and Parsley

Martha Stewart

 

This simple, but satisfying, Pasta with Scallops, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, and Parsley dish is colorful and easy to prepare.

 

Ingredients

 

Coarse salt 

1       pound linguine or spaghetti 

5       tablespoons olive oil 

4       garlic cloves, thinly sliced 

½      teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes 

1       pound bay or sea scallops, tough muscles removed 

1       pint container ripe grape tomatoes 

Freshly ground black pepper 

2       tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish 

1       tablespoon unsalted butter 

 

Directions

 

1.    Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil, and add salt generously. Add pasta; cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.

2.    Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; toast until lightly golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer garlic to a small bowl; set aside

3.    Add scallops to pan (if using sea scallops, cut in half); saute until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and cook, stirring frequently, until the skins begin to split, 2 to 3 minutes; crush a few with the back of the spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

4.    Add pasta, parsley, reserved cooking water, and butter; toss to combine. Divide among bowls, and serve immediately; garnish with reserved garlic and parsley.

One-Pot Chicken with Dates and Caramelized Lemon

We made Creamy Israeli Couscous to go with this delicious Chicken preparation. We really like it and want to make it again. The Pepper was spicy and the Dates make it sweet. This is an excellent Chicken one pot dinner! Highly recommend.

One-Pot Chicken with Dates and Caramelized Lemon

Nothing Fancy

Alison Roman

3½ to 4-pound chicken, or 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on. chicken thighs or legs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4      tablespoons olive oil, divided

1      lemon, cut into thick slices crosswise, seeds removed

2      shallots, halved lengthwise

4-6  medjool dates (3 ounces), pitted

4      sprigs fresh thyme or oregano, plus more for serving

1      cup water

2      teaspoons ground Urfa chile, or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Flaky sea salt

1.    This one-pot oven-cooked chicken is a true treasure. It's sweet and tangy and a little spicy, and just downright special. It's got the kind of bold flavors you wouldn't expect from such few ingredients, which I guess is part of what makes it remarkable. But it's also a rather flexible dish, able to be made with a whole chicken or chicken parts (bone-in skin-on thighs, if you please) for a more weeknight-friendly vibe. But what makes it really special is how it's cooked: first seared, breast side up, letting the legs and thighs brown and render, then lemons and shallots are fried in that fat, then water is added to provide adequate sauciness, cooking the chicken quickly yet gently. The lid is then removed so the top can finish browning. And then there you have, all at once, a chicken, that is both nearly fall-apart tender and deeply golden brown on all sides. A chicken revelation!

 

1.    Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2.    Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large (at least 8-quart) Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the pot breast side up, and using tongs or your hands (be careful!), press lightly to make sure the skin comes into even contact with the pot bottom. This is your chance to brown the legs and render that excess fat! It's rarely offered in whole-chicken recipes, so take advantage. (If using parts, just sear the chicken skin side down.)

3.    Cook, without moving, until the chicken is nice and browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Seriously, no peeking! Nothing exciting will happen before 5 minutes, I promise you.

4.    Add the lemon slices and shallot, maneuvering the chicken however you need so that the slices come into contact with the bottom of the pot. Let everything sizzle in the chicken fat until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes.

5.    Add the dates, thyme, and water. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with the Urfa chile and place the lid on. Put the Dutch oven in the oven and roast until the dates are plump, the lemon is jammy, and the chicken is almost but not totally cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes (it will look mostly cooked through and a little anemic from getting covered with the lid).

6.    Remove the lid and drizzle the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced by half and the top of the chicken is an illustrious, glistening golden-brown, another 20 to 30 minutes (depending on if you're using parts or whole bird).

7.    Let the chicken rest in the Dutch oven for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and carve. Serve along with the shallot, lemons, and dates, with some more thyme and flaky sea salt sprinkled over.

 

DO AHEAD This chicken can be made a few hours ahead, then kept in the Dutch oven at room temperature. If you wish to reheat it before serving, pop it back into the oven without a lid for 10 to 15 minutes or so.

 

Thyme-Roast Lamb Chops With Tomatoes, Black Olives, Potatoes and Goat Cheese

This was a wonderful dish. Thyme-Roast Lamb Chops With Tomatoes, Black Olives, Potatoes and Goat Cheese reminds me of the sort of dish you would get in a Bistro in Paris or a restaurant in Provence. Lamb Chops are a favorite of mine, even though we don't make them that much. Eating this dish makes me want to prepare them more often! Try this dish for a real treat.

Thyme-Roast Lamb Chops With Tomatoes, Black Olives, Potatoes and Goat Cheese

From the Oven to the Table

 

SERVES 4

 

8       thick loin lamb chops

4       tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more leaves from

5 thyme sprigs, plus 3 whole thyme sprigs

1       lb small waxy potatoes, scrubbed, halved or quartered, depending on size

¾      lb cherry tomatoe

1              large red onion, cut into wedges

sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

1              head of garlic

scant 1 cup good-quality black olives, pitted or not, as you prefer

5½    oz goat cheese, broken into rough chunks

 

Not an all-in-one dish, as you have to brown the chops and then put them on top of the vegetables, but even in the short period they're in the oven at the same time, the juices from the lamb flavor the potatoes, bringing both components together. The chops will take 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven. Keep an eye on them the first time you make this dish and then you'll know how long to cook them the next time.

Put the chops in a dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and half the thyme. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, or in the refrigerator overnight.

When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Put the potatoes, along with the tomatoes and onion, into a large gratin dish or a shallow casserole (about 12in across is ideal) in which all the vegetables can lie in a single layer. Add the rest of the oil, some salt and pepper, and the rest of the thyme. Separate the cloves of garlic and add those, too (you don't need to peel them). Toss everything together and roast in the oven for 25 minutes. Add the olives and scatter the goat cheese over the top. Spoon on a little more oil. Return the dish to the oven for 10 minutes.

Heat a frying pan over a very high heat until really hot, season the chops, and sear them until browned, about 1½ minutes on each side.

Put the chops on top of the vegetables and roast for a final 10 minutes, by which time they should be cooked through, but remain a little rare. The vegetables should be tender and the goat cheese toasted on top.

 

Veal Chops and the Best Potato Ever!

We were at McCall's Meat and Fish and saw some perfectly beautiful Veal Chops. We decided to make them. Cathy found an incredible Baked Potato recipe from Nancy Silverton. This recipe includes a separate recipe for Bagna Cauda which we did not make. Just the recipe for the Baked Potato is perfection! We served the Veal Chop with Sautéed Snap Peas.

 

Roasted Potatoes Nancy Silverton

 

Nancy Silverton, the James Beard award-winning chef and restaurateur, may be known for her magic touch with bread, pizza, and pastries, but in her cooking class for YesChef — a subscription-based streaming platform offering cinematic cooking classes taught by world-renowned chefs — she’s gently coaxing the flavor out of buttery-soft potatoes. “What I love doing is cooking them until they’re almost cooked before finishing them in the oven,” Silverton says of the potatoes, which she confits in an aromatic bath of olive oil, butter, garlic cloves, and herbs.

In this recipe, Silverton pairs the potatoes with bagna cauda, an Italian sauce of sharp garlic and briny, salty anchovies. Once the potatoes are tender to a knife’s poke and have steeped in the warm oil until cool, Silverton spoons some reserved oil onto a sheet pan, and transfers over the halved potatoes. 

The spuds crisp in a hot oven while Silverton prepares bagna cauda to go alongside. “This is really to taste,” she says, “it’s not science.” Silverton likes her bagna cauda to telegraph the pungent taste of garlic, and a kick of saltiness from anchovies, so she goes heavy on both ingredients. Though the sauce is traditionally eaten as a dip with raw vegetables, Silverton likes the way anchovies pair with creamy bufala mozzarella or, in this case, tender potatoes. 

In a mortar, Silverton smashes 12 cloves of garlic — you read that right — and a small school of anchovies until the mixture is an emulsified paste. This fishy combination meets melted butter on the stove, letting the garlic and anchovy simmer and the flavors meld. “It’s so good,” Silverton says, tasting the finished dipping sauce. “I would take a warm bath in this any day.”

Using just eight ingredients, Silverton turns out a dish in which potatoes feel elegant and anchovies are the star of the show. With a bag of potatoes, and enough garlic and tinned fish, you can too.

Roasted Potatoes with Bagna Cauda Recipe

Serves 5

 

Ingredients:

For the Roasted Potatoes:

 

3       pounds German Butterball potatoes (Butterball potatoes are fluffy, creamy, and soft; if you can’t find them, substitute with Yukon Gold potatoes)

1¼    cup extra-virgin olive oil

8       tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

2       fresh rosemary sprigs, divided

2       fresh sage sprigs, divided

4       whole garlic cloves, divided

Kosher salt

 

For The Bagna Cauda:

 

8       tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

½      cup extra-virgin olive oil

20     anchovy fillets (preferably salt-packed), rinsed, back bones removed if salt-packed, finely chopped, and smashed with the flat side of a knife

12     garlic cloves

1       hot red chile pepper such as Calabrian or Thai bird

1       cup Italian parsley, finely chopped, optional

Spanish oil-packed anchovies, optional

 

Instructions:

 

For The Roasted Potatoes:

 

Step 1:     Adjust the oven rack to the floor of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees.

Step 2:     Halve the potatoes lengthwise.

Step 3:     Put the potatoes in a large sauté pan in a single layer.

Step 4:     Cover with olive oil and add the butter and half the rosemary sprigs, sage leaves, and garlic cloves.

Step 5:     Season the potatoes with salt and place the pan over medium-low heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. The potatoes should cook only partially, as they will continue to roast in the oven. To test for doneness, insert a knife into a potato; the flesh should have a little resistance.

Step 6:     Turn off the heat and allow the potatoes to steep in the butter-oil mixture for 10 minutes.

Step 7:     Ladle about ½ cup of the butter-oil mixture onto a baking sheet, rotating the pan to cover the bottom surface, and season generously with salt. Adding salt directly onto the sheet pan ensures that the underside of the potatoes is seared and salted upon contact.

Step 8:     Use tongs to remove the potatoes from the butter-oil mixture and transfer them to a baking sheet, cut side down. Scatter with the remaining sage, rosemary, and garlic cloves.

Step 9:     Roast the potatoes until their edges are nicely browned, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Step 10:   To serve, arrange the roasted potatoes on a platter, cut side up. Add the roasted garlic and crumble the charred rosemary and sage on top.

 

While The Potatoes Are Roasting, Make The Bagna Cauda:

 

Step 1:     Combine the butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

Step 2:     Smash 20 anchovy fillets and 12 large garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle until ground together. Alternatively, you can chop the anchovies into a paste with a knife and use a Microplane to grate the garlic.

Step 3:     Once the butter completely melts, add the anchovy-garlic paste and the chile.

Step 4:     Cook over medium-low heat until the anchovies dissolve and the garlic is soft and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir constantly so the garlic doesn’t brown.

Step 5:     Reduce the heat to low and cook the bagna cauda for another 2 to 3 minutes to meld the flavors.

Step 6:     Turn off the heat and let the bagna sauce rest in the pan until ready to use it.

Step 7:     Use the bagna cauda as a dipping sauce for your potatoes. If serving with bufala mozzarella and sauces with fett’unta, stir in Italian parsley before serving and float a Spanish anchovy on top for presentation and serve warm. Stir to recombine the ingredients before serving and from time to time when it is on the buffet or dinner table.

 

Curly Endive Salad with Mustard Dressing, Egg and Gruyère

 

This is a great salad. I like mustard dressing and this is an excellent one. You should try it!

Curly Endive Salad with Mustard Dressing, Egg and Gruyère

New York Times

 

This wintry salad uses the pale center leaves of the curly endive — save the outer leaves for another use, like adding to a soup — but you could also combine them with Belgian endive and Chioggia, Treviso or speckled Castelfranco radicchio. As for the eggs, which add heft, cook them as you prefer, with a runny, gooey or moist yolk.

 

Ingredients

 

4   large eggs, at room temperature

Ice water

3       tablespoons red wine vinegar

2       teaspoons Dijon mustard

1       small garlic clove, grated or mashed to a paste

¼      cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper

4   large handfuls tender, pale curly endive (from the center of 2 medium heads), washed and dried

About 2 ounces Gruyère

 

Preparation

 

1.    Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add eggs (the water should cover them), and return to a boil. Adjust heat so that the water is at a brisk simmer. For a runny yolk, cook for 7 minutes; for a gooey center, cook for 8 minutes; for a slightly moist center, cook for 9 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath.

2.            Immediately drain eggs and plunge into ice water to cool. When cool, crack and peel eggs. (Eggs can be cooked and peeled up to several hours in advance, and refrigerated.) Roughly chop eggs into haphazard slices.

3.    Put vinegar, mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk with a fork to dissolve. Slowly whisk in olive oil to make a slightly thick dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.    Put endive in a low, wide salad bowl and sprinkle very lightly with salt. Add dressing to taste and toss well. Transfer greens to individual plates. Top with chopped egg. With a vegetable peeler, shave thin slices of Gruyère over each salad.

Chicken and Vegetable Donabe

We made this Donabe with out using our Donabe cooker. Can it still be called a Donabe? Actually is Donabe the pot or the method of cooking? I don't remember why we didn't use our ceramic Donabe when we made this. At any rate it was a good winter dish!

Chicken and Vegetable Donabe

New York Times

 

Donabe refers to the Japanese clay pot traditionally used to make this warming dish. Clay holds heat for a longer period of time than other materials. This one-pot comforting donabe is made in a Dutch oven, which still keeps heat well and can accommodate a party of four. Chicken, vegetables and broth are combined in the pot and simmered together; as it cooks, the soothing broth is reinforced with fragrant aromatics and the flavorful juices from the chicken and vegetables. A citrusy ponzu sauce adds a bright, fresh finish to the otherwise mellow dish. Yuzu kosho, a Japanese fermented condiment made with fresh chiles, yuzu peel and salt, adds a pop of heat to the donabe, but it can be left out for a milder dish.

 

Ingredients

 

4       cups low-sodium chicken broth

3       garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1       (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and halved

1-½  pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6), sliced into 1/8-inch-thick strips

Kosher salt and black pepper

8     ounces tender mushrooms, such as maitake, beech or enoki, or a combination, stemmed and broken into large clusters

6     ounces napa cabbage, chopped into 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

6     ounces daikon, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick 

3       scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths

1       large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

¼      cup ponzu

½      teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1       teaspoon yuzu kosho (optional)

 

Preparation

 

1.    In a large Dutch oven, combine broth, garlic and ginger. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and add to pot. Bring to a boil over high, skimming the foam and fat that rises to the top and discarding it. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, occasionally stirring and skimming, until foam no longer appears in the broth, about 5 minutes. 

2.    Add mushrooms, cabbage, daikon, scallions and carrot to the pot, arranging them in sections, and season with salt. Cover and simmer over medium to medium-low heat (maintain a good simmer, but do not boil) until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Discard ginger. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3.    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine ponzu, sesame oil and yuzu kosho (if using), and mix well.

4.    Divide donabe among four bowls. Drizzle with some of the ponzu sauce and serve warm.