Gribenes

When I was a child, we always had Friday night dinner at my Grandmother's. She often served Gribenes basically Crispy Fried Chicken Skin, that is fried in Schmaltz (Chicken Fat). I loved it. I don't think I have had it since my childhood. It has to be one of the singular most un-healthy dishes that you can eat. But it sure was good. We made an Indian Chicken recipe for Butter Chicken, that called for skinless pieces of chicken. When I skinned them I realized I could use the skin to make Gribenes. I didn't have a recipe so I used the one below from The New York Times. I don't actually remember if my Grandmother used onions, but I followed the recipe. The recipe doesn't say how much Schmaltz to use, in fact maybe they just want you to use the fat attached to the skin, it was unclear. We had to go to McCall's Meat and Fish and I noticed they had Duck Fat for sale, so I bought a tub of Duck Fat and used it to fry the skin and onions till they were crispy. We noshed on the Gribenes like Potato Chips. 

Schmaltz and Gribenes Recipe

The New York Times

Schmaltz is rendered poultry fat, in this case made from chicken, while gribenes are its crispy, crackling-like byproduct that comes from bits of chicken skin. The key to this recipe is to go low and slow: You want the fat to cook gently and thoroughly so it renders completely without burning. Some would argue that the onion is mandatory and not optional, but if you plan to use the schmaltz for very delicate recipes, or sweet recipes (chilled schmaltz works wonderfully as the fat in pastry dough), feel free to leave it out. Your schmaltz won’t have as deep a flavor, but it will be more versatile. Schmaltz will last for at least a week in the refrigerator and up to six months in the freezer. If your butcher won’t sell it to you, the best way to obtain chicken skin and fat is to collect trimmings in the freezer every time you buy a whole bird. Or you can strip the skin and fat from chicken thighs and save the skinless meat to use in other recipes.

INGREDIENTS

¾    pound chicken skin and fat, diced (use scissors, or freeze then dice with a knife)

¾    teaspoon kosher salt

½    medium onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices (optional)

Preparation

1.   In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, toss chicken skin and fat with salt and 1 tablespoon water and spread out in one layer. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until fat starts to render and skin begins to turn golden at the edges.

2.   Add onions and cook 45 to 60 minutes longer, tossing occasionally, until chicken skin and onions are crispy and richly browned, but not burned.

3.   Strain through a sieve. Reserve the schmaltz. If you want the gribenes to be crispier, return to the skillet and cook over high heat until done to taste. Drain gribenes on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Cauliflower and Butter Chicken

When we are in India, one of my favorite dishes is Cauliflower (Gobi in Hindi). It is prepared in numerous ways. We found this easy recipe for Whole Roasted Cauliflower on the Israeli web site of the newspaper: Haaretz. It is not Indian but Middle-Eastern. We wanted the cauliflower to go with an Indian Chicken dish called: Butter Chicken that we were making. The Butter Chicken was good, but as with many Indian recipes, it doesn’t quite catch the magic of eating it in India!

Butter Chicken

New York Times

Butter chicken is the General Tso’s of Indian food, a great, ever-evolving, cross-continental dish found in Delhi, London, New York, Perth and most points in between. In its purest form, it is yogurt-and-spice-marinated chicken dressed in a velvety red bath comprising butter, onions, ginger and tomatoes scented with garam masala, cumin and turmeric, with a cinnamon tang. This version was adapted from one a young kitchen hand at the restaurant Attica, in Melbourne, Australia, made for staff meal, and that the photographer Per-Anders Jorgensen included in "Eating With the Chefs," his collection of photographs of top restaurants around the world. It is wildly luxurious. Serve with basmati rice and mango chutney, with papadums or naan if you can find them, with extra rice if you cannot.

Ingredients

1-½   cups full-fat Greek yogurt

2       tablespoons lemon juice

1-½   tablespoons ground turmeric

2       tablespoons garam masala

2       tablespoons ground cumin

3       pounds chicken thighs, on the bone

¼      pound unsalted butter

4       teaspoons neutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil

2       medium-size yellow onions, peeled and diced

4       cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3       tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely diced

1       tablespoon cumin seeds

1       cinnamon stick

2       medium-size tomatoes, diced

2       red chiles, like Anaheim, or 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced  Kosher salt to taste

⅔      cup chicken stock, low-sodium or homemade

1-½   cups cream

1-½   teaspoons tomato paste

3       tablespoons ground almonds, or finely chopped almonds

½      bunch cilantro leaves, stems removed.

Preparation

1   Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala and cumin in a large bowl. Put the chicken in, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and refrigerate (for up to a day).

2   In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter in the oil until it starts to foam. Add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds, and cook until the onions start to brown.

3.  Add the cinnamon stick, tomatoes, chiles and salt, and cook until the chiles are soft, about 10 minutes.

4   Add the chicken and marinade to the pan, and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes.

5.  Stir in the cream and tomato paste, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

6   Add the almonds, cook for an additional 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Garnish with the cilantro leaves.

Whole roasted cauliflower

Recipe by Eyal Shani and Miri Hanoch.

Haaretz

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1     whole medium-size, fresh, white cauliflower, florets tightly packed and covered in bright green leaves

3     tbsp. olive oil

mineral water

sea salt

Directions:

·    Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius (430 degrees Fahrenheit).

·    Place the cauliflower in a metal pot and fill until 3/4 full with mineral water. Add about 10 grams of salt per liter of water. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, lower to a moderate boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the cauliflower.

·    Drain.

·    Brush the cauliflower with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Place in a baking dish, place the dish in the center of the oven, and bake until the top turns golden brown (about 30 minutes).

·    Serve to the table in the baking dish. The outside of the cauliflower should be crisp and the inside as soft as butter. Separate the florets with a spoon and serve.

Bucatini all 'Amatriciana

Bucatini all’Amatriciana is one of the most quintessential dishes of Lazio.  It’s exceedingly simple, but relies on a perfect al dente noodle and a high-quality Bacon to really sing. We were shopping at Angelini Alimentari and noticed that the sell Amatriciana Sauce. That makes the dish a no-brainer with their excellent sauce.