Glazy Barbecue Sauce

Use this homemade sauce on your favorite bone-in chicken parts, and on whatever else you plan to grill.  Left-over sauce will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge.

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 teaspoons Sriracha or favorite hot sauce

1.  Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook garlic, turning occasionally, until golden brown - about 4 minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pan, until slightly darkened - about 3 minutes.  Add maple syrup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and Sriracha.  Bring to a boil.

2.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors have come together - about 1 minute.

To use:  Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat; oil grate.  Season bone-in chicken cuts with salt.  Grill chicken over direct heat, turning every minute until browned on all sides - about 5 minutes.  Move chicken over indirect heat.  Cover, and continue to grill, turning every 5 minutes or so for 18-20 minutes. Baste chicken with barbecue sauce and grill, turning and basting occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 for white meat and 165 degrees for dark meat, about 10 minutes longer.

Braised Chicken Thighs & Greens

A comforting one-pot, stove-top meal, chicken thighs are browned, then simmered with sturdy greens.  Serve with crusty bread to enjoy the brothy braise. 

Ingredients

1-1/2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs
kosher salt & black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup of onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 to 2 bunches of greens, such as kale or swiss chard, roughly chopped 
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup of green olives, pitted, chopped
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped



1. Season chicken thighs well with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook undisturbed until nicely browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and brown the other side, about 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Return the pan to medium-low heat. Add red onion, and cook until it begins to soften, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.

3. Add chopped greens to the pan and stir, tossing to coat. It may seem like a lot of greens, but they will cook down. Add the chicken thighs and any juices that have accumulated back to the pan and lay them on top of the greens. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to come up to the chicken about halfway. Bring the chicken to a gentle simmer. Partly cover and allow the chicken to finish cooking through, about 20 minutes more.

4. Stir in olives and raisins and cook uncovered until they are warmed through, and the raisins are nicely plumped, about 1 minute more. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Braised Dandelion Greens with Fried Egg

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb (about 16 oz) dandelion greens, trimmed and chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup mint, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
3 eggs
crusty bread, for serving

1.  Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 5-qt pot over medium-high heat.  Add the dandelion, parsley, mint, garlic, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt & pepper.  Cook, stirring, until greens are tender, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat.

2.  Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Crack eggs and cook until yolks are set, about 2 minutes. 

3.  Divide greens evenly between plates, top with a fried egg and serve with crusty bread. 

Frittata Dell' Ortolano

Recipe courtesy of Lauren Lombardi of Lombardi's Love Lane Market. Keep an eye for Lauren's cookbook on sale this Spring for more great recipes.

This frittata is named after the Italian farmers who sell their produce in the local markets. 

Ingredients:

12 Browder's Organic Eggs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 bunch of asparagus
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp olive oil
Handful of cherry tomatoes

Preparation:

Whisk the eggs, Pecorino, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Set aside.

In a 12-inch frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat.  Saute the sliced potatoes for about 5 minutes then sprinkle with salt.

Trim off the ends of asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces.  Add to potatoes.  Add chopped shallots, stir and continue to saute for another 15 minutes, until vegetables are soft.

Add the egg mixture.

With a spatula, even out the top and gently lift the sides to allow the egg to fill in the spaces.  Continue to do so while the eggs are settling for about 3-4 minutes over medium low heat.

Turn the oven onto broil.  Pace cherry tomatoes on the top and broil in oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove and let stand for about 2 minutes.

Loosen from the skillet with a spatula and slide onto a plate.  Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Avgolemono Soup

A Greek staple that is made in two parts:  chicken broth plus a rich egg-lemon sauce.

Ingredients
1 whole Organic chicken
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
2 onions
1 tsp salt
pinch pepper
8 quarts of water
1-1/2 cups orzo

3/4 cup flour
1-1/2 cups water

7 egg yolks, whisked
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Add chicken and vegetables to water.  Cover, bring to boil and simmer 1 hour.  Skim any inpurities.  Strain broth.  Cool chicken and shred.

2.  Add broth back to pot and simmer with Orzo.  Whisk together flour and 1-1/2 cups water and slowly stir into broth and let thicken. Turn off heat and let rest 10 minutes. 

3.   Whisk the lemon juice and egg yolks to make a sauce, and add to the pot slowly while whisking together.  To serve, top each bowl of soup with shredded chicken.

Pasta with Fried Eggs

Here's a quick and delicious pasta dish to make when you have little time, and even less food in the house. All you need is a box of pasta, four eggs, olive oil and garlic.  Parmesan is a delicious, but optional, addition.

 Ingredients

• Salt
• ½ pound pasta
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or lard
• 2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
• 4 eggs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, optional 

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking the pasta when the water boils.

Combine garlic and 4 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil occasionally to release its flavor; it should barely color on both sides. Remove the garlic, and add the remaining oil.

Fry the eggs gently in the oil, until the whites are just about set and the yolks still quite runny. Drain the pasta, and toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do. (The eggs will finish cooking in the heat of the pasta.) Season to taste, and serve immediately, with cheese if you like.

 Featured in: The Minimalist; Pasta From The Pantry by Mark Bittman.

Duck Egg Carbonara

Rich duck egg yolks make a delicious, silky sauce for pasta. You can always omit the anchovies, if you prefer. 

12 ounces spaghetti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
One 2-ounce can flat anchovies, drained and chopped
Pinch crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Duck egg yolks
Salt and freshly ground pepper


1.  In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

2.  In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil with the garlic and anchovies  and cook over moderately high heat until the anchovies have dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper, zest, oregano and parsley, then add the pasta and toss to coat. Remove from the heat.

3.  In a small bowl, whisk the yolks with the reserved cooking water and add to the pasta. Cook over low heat, tossing until the pasta is coated in a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

4 Servings. 

**Adapted from Chris Consentino: Nose to Tail Eating, 2011

Scotch Eggs

4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb sausage meat
1 tbsp brown mustard
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup cooking fat (lard, refined coconut oil)

1. Place the eggs in a pot, then cover by 1″ with water that’s been mixed with 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; as soon as it is boiling, cover the pot and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 6 minutes in the hot water, then carefully transfer to a bowl of ice water; allow to cool, about 5 minutes. Carefully peel the eggs.

2. Combine the sausage, mustard, parsley, and nutmeg, mixing together with your hands. Divide the sausage mixture into 6 portions, then spread each one out into an oval shape. Add an egg to the sausage, then gently form the sausage around the egg as evenly as possible.

3. Warm your cooking fat to 350F in a skillet, then add an egg or two. When first adding the eggs, be sure to gently roll them back and forth to allow the sausage to cook evenly and retain a round shape. Once the sausage starts to brown, you can let it sit on one side and rotate only every minute or so. Cook until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes per egg.

4. Preheat your oven to 170F. Transfer the cooked egg to a plate lined with a paper towel, then place in the oven to stay warm as you finish the other batches of eggs.

** These can definitely be baked instead of fried. To do so, place the sausage-covered eggs in large muffin tins and bake at 425 until golden and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Spring Egg Drop Soup from Bon Appetit

A perfect day for a Spring soup with Browder's Birds Organic eggs.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
• 6 small spring onions, bulbs only, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 medium spring garlic bulbs, 1-2 garlic scapes, or 2 regular garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 pound asparagus, sliced on a diagonal 1/2-inch thick
• 1/4 pound sugar snap peas, sliced on a diagonal 1/4-inch thick
• 2/3 cup shelled fresh peas (from about 2/3 pound pods)
• 2 large Organic eggs
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (or more) fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add carrots, spring onions, and garlic and season with salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 15-20 minutes.

Add broth and bring to a boil. Add asparagus, sugar snap peas, and peas and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. 

Meanwhile, beat eggs in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon Parmesan, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon water.

Reduce heat to low and stir basil and mint into soup. Drizzle in egg mixture in 4 or 5 spots around pot. Let stand for 1 minute so egg can set, then gently stir in 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season soup with salt and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve soup topped with more Parmesan.