Friday, August 27, 2010

TANDOORI-ISH CHICKEN

This recipe is courtesy of Marlow and Sons in Brooklyn.

3-4# chicken, breast and thigh bone removed, cut into eighths
3 cups of yogurt
1 lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 - 1 tsp turmeric
4 scallions, cut thinly on the bias
1/2 cup of dill, rough chopped

Place the chicken in a shallow dish to marinate. Mix 2 cups of yogurt with the juice of the lemon, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne and turmeric along with a good pinch of salt and some fresh black pepper. Pour marinade over chicken and let sit overnight in fridge, turning a few times.

You can cook the chicken two ways - either grill it or pan fry it. Either way pull the chicken from the marinade and season well with salt and pepper. To grill, drizzle chicken with olive oil and grill. If you are frying, dredge in flour and shake off excess. Heat a large cast iron skillet and add enough oil to cover the entire bottom of the pan with oil. Place the chicken in the pan and cook on medium heat until brown on both sides. If chicken browns too fast, finish cooking in the oven.

Meanwhile, place the remaining cup of yogurt into a bowl and add scallions and dill. Season with salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil. Spoon yogurt sauce on top of cooked chicken.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

FAKE COQ AU VIN

3-4# chicken, cut into eighths
red wine
2 carrots, peeled and cut in half length-wise
1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
3 ribs of celery, cut in half length-wise
1 head of garlic, cut in half cross-wise
1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorn
4 bay leaves
thyme, parsley
olive oil

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Place in large pan and cover with wine. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, black pepper, bay leaves and herbs to pan. Refrigerate overnight. The next day remove the chicken from wine and pat dry. Strain the vegetables from the wine and discard them. Season chicken with salt and pepper again. Heat a large saute pan with 1/4 cup oil and saute the chicken in batches until brown on both sides. When all the chicken is brown, pour off the oil and then deglaze the pan with some of the wine. Add the chicken back to the pan with enough wine to cover it by 2/3. Cover chicken and simmer either stove top or in 350 oven until tender.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Chicken with Tarragon

Known as Poulet à l’Estragon in French, this simple, classic home-style dish was a favorite of James Beard, especially because it featured his favorite herb, tarragon. The French incorporate tarragon into a myriad of dishes and condiments, from béarnaise sauce to vinegar. And, according to Beard, it’s “the best friend a chicken ever had.”

Yield:4 servings

Ingredients:
1 5 pound chicken, cut up in quarters
½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 tablespoons oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8-10 shallots or 10-12 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup white wine
4 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped or 2 tablespoons dried
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Method:Melt butter and oil in a covered skillet large enough to hold all the chicken pieces. When the butter is hot, add the chicken pieces skin side down and brown. Turn them over and brown the other side. This will take about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper them well. If you don’t have a large enough skillet, after browning the pieces place them in a covered Dutch oven or casserole and continue cooking.

Add the shallots or scallions. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer very, very slowly for 20 minutes or slightly more if the chickens are on the large side.

Remove the cover, increase the heat slightly, and add the white wine, tarragon, and parsley, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Turn the chicken pieces again, and cook briskly for 3 or 4 minutes to reduce the sauce a little.

Serve with tiny new potatoes.

James Beard "Beard on Food" (1974)

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

MOROCCAN CHICKEN with PRESERVED LEMONS


Serves 4
Okay, so this dish requires an initial investment in spices but it is YUMMY! You can find preserved lemons at most specialty grocers (Note to locals: Salamanders in Greenport carries them).

1 chicken, cleaned and cut into 8 pieces
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
½ cup chick peas (drained and rinsed)
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup rough chopped preserved lemons – seeds removed
¼ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ bunch fresh mint leaves
2 sticks cinnamon
2 bay leaves

Spice Rub:
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons salt (kosher or sea)
6 cardamom pods (green)
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1. In a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, pulverize peppercorns, cumin, salt and cardamom pods until finely ground. Place spice mixture in a large bowl, add tumeric and flour, and rub spice mixture onto chicken pieces until well-coated.

2. In a Dutch oven, or wide low-sided heavy sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. When oil is hot (but not smoking) add chicken pieces, skin side down, and brown the first side. Don’t move the pieces around. If you see smoke, the fire is too high. In 3 to 4 minutes, turn the pieces over and brown other side. Remove and set aside.

3. Add the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves to the pot and cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly caramelized, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the stock, raisins, and preserved lemons. Return the chicken pieces to the pot. Bring to simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and turn chicken pieces over. Add chick peas. Continue to simmer uncovered, until chicken is tender and cooked through, 10 minutes longer. If the sauce seems to thin, remove chicken and reduce sauce until it thickens.

4. Place the chicken pieces on a serving platter. Taste sauce for seasoning and pour around chicken. Garnish with mint leaves and serve with couscous.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Perfect Roast Chicken

Serves Four

Ingredients

• 1 (5 to 6 pound) chicken
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
• Dried herbs or fresh herbs, chopped (thyme, rosemary, oregano, tarragon or whatever is on hand)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic.

Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter, rub with herbs and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with vegetables.