Roast chicken with dijon mustard-thyme sauce

From Cook's Illustrated

Jean-Louis Gerin of Restaurant Jean-Louis in Greenwich, Connecticut, serves this sauce with butterflied baby chicken (poussin). The immersion blender transforms all the wonderful tasting (but not-so-wonderful looking) browned mustard bits and pieces into flecks, giving the sauce a smooth, more refined look.

Ingredients

1/2	cup Dijon mustard
1	tablespoon fresh thyme , stems removed
4	chicken breast halves
2	tablespoons butter
1 1/2	cups chicken stock
1/4	cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. 1. Mix Dijon mustard and thyme; coat chicken pieces with this marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

2. 2. Bring chicken to room temperature and heat oven to 350°. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet. Add 2 breasts and cook, skin side down, over medium-high heat, until well browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer breasts to a roasting pan. Repeat cooking process with remaining chicken, adding another tablespoon butter, if necessary. Transfer chicken to the oven; roast until juices run clear when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. 3. Meanwhile, add chicken stock to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up any brown bits that have stuck to the pan; simmer until stock reduces to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add cream; return to simmer for 1 minute. Pour sauce into an appropriate container. Submerge an immersion blender and blend until sauce is smooth and frothy. Place a piece of chicken on each of 4 dinner plates. Spoon a portion of sauce over each piece of chicken and serve immediately.

Chipotle chicken, apricot and brie quesadillas

From Closet Cooking

After a long break from Texmex/Mexican cuisine I was back into the zone and craving more. I also wanted to use some fresh local ingredients and I remembered seeing a chicken, apricot and brie panini on good Life {eats} which sounded like a good combo. I immediately thought about doing a quesadilla version but I knew that I would need some heat so I added some chopped chipotles in adobo sauce. I followed that with some cilantro, and green onions and I was just about done. For the apricots, I decided to grill them first and I thought that since brie goes well with jams that a bit of apricot preserves would both enhance the apricot flavour and add a nice touch of contrasting and balancing sweetness. I like to cook my quesadillas stove top in a pan as I am always able to get them nice and golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside and ooey gooey and melted and good on the inside and this time was no different. The chipotle chicken, apricot and brie quesadillas turned out really well! I liked the combination of the spicy chipotle chicken along with the apricots and the melted cheese all wrapped in crispy tortillas. The touch of sweetness from the apricot preserves worked just as well in these quesadillas as they do in grilled cheese sandwiches and I am going to enjoy experimenting some more with the new combo.

(makes 1 quesadilla)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chicken (cooked and shredded)
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
1 chipotle in adobo sauce (chopped)
1 green onion (sliced)
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
a touch of butter
2 large tortillas
1 apricot (sliced in half, stoned, grilled and thinly sliced)
4 ounces brie (thinly sliced)

Directions:
1. Mix the chicken, apricot preserves, chipotle in adobo sauce, green onion, cilantro in a large bowl.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan.
3. Place a tortilla into the pan and swirl it around in the butter and set aside.
4. Repeat for the other tortilla and leave it in the pan.
5. Spread the chicken mixture, apricot and brie on the tortilla and top with the other tortilla.
6. Cook until the quesadilla is golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted. (I placed a plate onto the quesadilla and flipped it from the pan to the plate and then slid it back into the pan.)

Chicken and dumplings II

From Cook's Illustrated

Serve 6 to 8. Published February 15, 2005.

Don't use low-fat or fat-free milk in this recipe. Start the dumpling dough only when you're ready to top the stew with the dumplings.

Ingredients

Stew
5	pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
	Table salt and ground black pepper
4	teaspoons vegetable oil
4	tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4	carrots , peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2	ribs celery , sliced 1/4 inch thick
1	large onion , minced
6	tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4	cup dry sherry
4 1/2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4	cup whole milk
1	teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2	bay leaves
1	cup frozen green peas
3	tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Dumplings
2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon baking powder
1	teaspoon table salt
1	cup whole milk
3	tablespoons reserved chicken fat (or unsalted butter)

Instructions

1. 1. For the Stew: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the browned skin. Pour off the chicken fat and reserve. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and the remaining chicken. Pour off and reserve any chicken fat.

2. 2. Add the butter to the Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, and bay leaves. Nestle the chicken, with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 1 hour.

3. 3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the bay leaves. Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes, then skim the fat from the surface using a wide spoon. Shred the chicken, discarding the bones, then return it to the stew.

4. 4. For the Dumplings: Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and fat in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.

5. 5. Return the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Following the photos below, drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve.

Getting it Right: Adding the Dumplings

1. Gather a golf-ball-sized portion of the dumpling batter onto a soup spoon, then push the dumpling onto the stew using a second spoon.

2. Cover the stew with the dumplings, leaving about 1/4 inch between each.

3. When fully cooked, the dumplings will have doubled in size.

Quick homemade chicken stock

From Cook's Illustrated

Makes about 2 quarts. Published January 1, 2004.

This stock can be refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 4 days or frozen for 4 to 6 months.

Ingredients

1	tablespoon vegetable oil
1	medium onion , chopped medium
4	pounds whole chicken legs or backs and wingtips, cut into 2-inch pieces
2	quarts water (boiling)
1/2	teaspoon table salt
2	bay leaves

Instructions

1. 1. Heat oil in large stockpot over medium-high heat until shimmering; add onion and cook until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer onion to large bowl. Brown chicken in two batches, cooking on each hside until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to bowl with onions. Transfer cooked chicken to bowl with onion. Return onion and chicken to pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and sweat until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to high; add boiling water, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer slowly until stock is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes, skimming foam off surface, if desired.

2. 2. Strain broth and discard solids. Before using, defat stock. After stock has been refrigerated, the fat hardens on the surface and is very easy to remove with a spoon. To defat hot stock, we recommend using a ladle or fat separator.

Thai chicken soup

From Cook's Illustrated

6-8 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course. Published January 1, 2007.

If you want a soup with less fat, it is possible to substitute light coconut milk for one or both cans of regular coconut milk. Fresh lemon grass can be omitted, but the soup will lack some complexity. Don't be tempted to use jarred or dried lemon grass-their flavor is characterless. If you want a spicier soup, add more red curry paste to taste. For a more substantial meal, serve the soup over 2 to 3 cups of cooked jasmine rice. The soup can be prepared through step 1 up to one day ahead of time and refrigerated, but it should be completed immediately before serving, as the chicken and mushrooms can easily overcook.

Ingredients

1	teaspoon vegetable oil
3	stalks lemon grass , tough outer leaves removed, bottom 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
3	large shallots , chopped
8	sprigs fresh cilantro leaves , chopped coarse
3	tablespoons fish sauce
4	cups low-sodium chicken broth
2	(14-ounce) cans coconut milk , well-shaken
1	tablespoon sugar
1/2	pound white mushrooms , cleaned, stems trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1	pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts , halved lengthwise and sliced on bias into 1/8-inch-thick pieces (see illustration below)
3	tablespoons fresh lime juice from 2 to 3 limes
2	teaspoons red curry paste (Thai)
Garnish
1/2	cup fresh cilantro leaves
2	serrano chiles , sliced thin
2	scallions , sliced thin on bias
1	lime , cut into wedges

Instructions

1. 1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering. Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, 2 to 5 minutes (vegetables should not brown). Stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk; bring to simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors have blended, 10 minutes. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer. Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan.

2. 2. Return pan to medium-high heat. Stir remaining can coconut milk and sugar into broth mixture and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove soup from heat.

3. 3. Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce in small bowl; stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, chiles, and scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

The Indian burger

From Washingtonian.com

How To Build a Better Burger, part 6

The Indian Burger

By Mitul Tuli of Heritage India

21/4 pounds ground chicken
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon yellow-chili powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup whole cashews, ground
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped ginger
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons mint chutney (recipe follows)
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped (for garnish)
Salt to taste
4 buns

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the chicken with the eggs, cumin, yellow-chili powder, white pepper, and vegetable oil. Season with salt. Set aside for 15 minutes. Fold in the cashews, chopped onion, ginger, 1/3 cup cilantro, and garam masala. Divide into 4 patties.

Roast the patties in the oven for 8 minutes, basting once with butter. When the burgers are cooked through, remove them from the oven.

Slice 4 buns in half. Spread one side with mayonnaise and the other with mint chutney. Place a burger on each bun and garnish with tomato, red onion, and chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with more mint chutney on the side.

Mint chutney (makes 2 cups):

31/3 cups fresh mint leaves
12/3 cups fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 jalapeno peppers
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
5 tablespoons yogurt
1 tablespoon chat masala
1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red-chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put the mint, cilantro, lemon juice, jalapenos, onion, and ginger in a blender and puree into a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the yogurt, chat masala, and chili powder. Season with salt.

The chicken burger

From Washingtonian.com

How To Build a Better Burger, part 5

The Chicken Burger

By Robert Weland of Poste

11/2 pounds chicken breast, diced
8 egg whites
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus more to taste
1/4 cup summer savory
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup arugula
2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced
4 poppy-seed brioche buns

Chill the bowl and blade of a food processor in the freezer for 10 minutes. When the processor is cold, pulse the chicken and egg whites until smooth. Add the mustard and summer savory, season to taste with salt and pepper, and continue blending until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the cream until the mixture becomes aerated and mousselike. Refrigerate the mixture until cold. Mold into 4 patties and return to the refrigerator.

Preheat the grill to high heat and cook patties 5 minutes on each side.

Serve on toasted brioche buns with Dijon mustard, arugula, and tomato.

Jook or congee

From David Lebovitz

Six to eight servings

Jook also goes by the name congee, a word which doesn't sounds appealing to me. (Kinda like, "Would you like some gruel?"...um, no thanks...) A Chinese cook I worked with told me that jook means "arrow." I don't know if that's true, but whenever I drink a bowl, I feel like it hits the bulls-eye.

Don't try to stick too close to the recipe; use it as a springboard for what's available. Like the dried mushrooms, for example, could be swapped out with some fresh, sautéed ones. I've given some suggestions, but like most soup recipes, this lends itself to plenty of customization.

1. Take 1 cup unrinsed short grain rice, and put it in a big pot with 8 cups of water and 2 cups chicken stock(or use all water, if you don't have stock). Let it simmer for about an hour or so, over low heat, until the rice is completely soft and swollen.

2. Meanwhile, soak a large handful of dried Chinese mushrooms in boiling water or shaoxing, and let them sit until soft. Firmly squeeze out the liquid, trim off any hard stems and thinly slice the mushrooms. Then dd them to the pot along with a 2-inch (5cm) piece of fresh ginger that you've peeled and minced.

3. At this point, you can add...

-frozen or fresh peas
-diced chicken or turkey breast, cooked or uncooked
-cubes of lap chong (Chinese sausage) or slab bacon, cooked or uncooked
-finely-diced carrots
-raw peeled shrimp
-a big dash of fish sauce (see Note)

4. Then I simmer the soup for about thirty minutes more, to meld all the flavors. So much depends on the rice that it's hard to note exact cooking times. But this is rustic fare, so just use your judgment and cook it until the grains of rice are very plump and tender and the ingredients look happy together. When done, the jook should be soupy and runny, not thick enough to hold a spoon. But there's no standard for jook-consistency, so it's right when it's as you like it.

5. Possible garnishes are sliced scallions and/or cilantro. I am a big fan of frying cubes of bacon until crisp them and adding them to each bowl of soup. Smoked tofu, cut into cubes, would work for a vegetarian bowl. Scatter a few roasted peanuts on top, or finish with deep-fried shallots.

(Jennifer brought me some amazing deep-fried onions from the south of France, which are the 'local' version of French fried onions.)

Note: To me, the dash of fish sauce is pretty much obligatory to add to the jook, in my opinion, and adds an elusive background flavor. If you don't have any, add a sprinkle of salt. If you want to be more egalitarian, bottles of soy sauce, chile paste, and sesame oil can go on the table so folks can help themselves. I don't like soy sauce, though, since too much of it quickly overwhelms everything else in the soup.

Jook will thicken if refrigerated, so just thin it with more water or stock if you store leftovers in there. Although this makes a great lunch or dinner, it's popular with some folks for breakfast, too.

Nigerian Suya

From Dutch Girl Cooking

Some time ago, I happened upon a dish called ‘Suya‘. It looked utterly fantastic! Not having heard of it before, I googled it. Found several recipes and -even though most of them were different- they all had one thing in common; simplicity. Later on I learned Suya is a very popular Nigerian barbecued street food that you can mainly find at night.

Now depending on where you live, you may call this satay, kabob or even simply ‘meat on a stick’. However, what makes Suya stand out from all those other grilled ’meat sticks’ is the use of a special peanut spice rub. It gives the chicken (or meat) a unique flavor, fragrance and texture.

The ingredients are simple and pure -precisely how I like it- but don’t let the simplicity fool you because it’s one of the most flavorful ways to prepare chicken/meat. Because of the simpleness you should have no problem assembling the ingredients, no matter where you live. Chances are, you already have everything you need in your pantry.

Over time I tweaked the ingredients a bit, so what you see here is the recipe as I like it best. Just add or subtract whatever you like.

Chicken and dumplings I

From Ye Olde Gluten Free Blogge

Many of you will remember the GF Dumpling episode back in March (http://crystalstair.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/review-arrowhead-mills-gluten-free-all-purpose-baking-mix/). Well, I’ve been inspired by Gluten Free Cooking School to take one of their biscuit recipes and make it in to dumplings. These dumplings are SO MUCH BETTER than the ones from Arrowhead Mills. (Sorry AHM).

Yeild: 5 qts

Ingredients:
Approx 1 lb bite sized chicken bits of your choosing
9 cups water
3 tblsp chicken flavored bullion
1 tblsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 c. + 2 tblsp white rice flour
1/2 c. coconut flour
1/2 c. + 6 tblsp sorghum flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 stick of butter (melted)
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1 1/4 c. water
1 egg, beaten
1 tblsp. black pepper
1 tblsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. dried sage

Directions>>
1. In a 5 qt (or larger!!) stock pot, dump in raw chicken chunks, water, 1 tblsp. pepper, 1 tsp. cayenne, 3 tblsp. chicken bullion and bring to a boil. (NOTE: This can be done with almost any combination of spices, we like pepper, cayenne, sometimes garlic and ginger… but about anything will work, whatever floats your boat, just don’t forget the bullion)

2. Mix up the dumplings in the meantime in the following order: all dry ingredients in to your workbowl (this is easier with a mixer), stir to combine and work in some air. Then add melted butter, stir. Next, milk, water, egg (previously beaten, please). Stir until dough comes together. Then add pepper and sage and poppy seeds (or whatever seasonings float your boat).

3. Once the pot of chicken bits and water has come to a boil, drop by rounded teaspoons (one from your kichen drawer is fine) into the boiling liquid, making sure to keep newly dropped dumplings seperated from older ones to prevent stickage and fusion. This gets a bit tricky as the pot gets full. When the pot fills, walk away for 15 minutes and come back and drop dumplings again until you run out of room (I had to do this three times). Simmer for 45 minutes or until the dumplings are done all the way through. The stock should be opaque now instead of clear.

4. Garnish and serve. YUM!