French Chicken with Dijon Mustard and Grilled Tomatoes

Make sure to pick up your organic chickens from us at the farmers' market tomorrow along with beautiful, heirloom tomatoes from Sang Lee Farms for this inspired recipe for the grill.  Perfect for the cooler nights at the end of summer!

Serves 8.

2 whole chickens, 3-4 pounds each
Olive oil for brushing, plus 1/4 cup
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white wine
1/3 cup strong Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup of panko, or fresh white bread crumbs, plus extra for tomatoes
4 tomatoes, halved

Heat the grill and prepare it for indirect cooking over medium heat.

Rinse and dry chickens.  Using poultry shears, or a very sharp knife, cut down the length of each backbone (on each side) and remove. Turn chickens breast side up and break the breastbone by striking it with a blunt object (such as a can of beans). 

Spread chickens open and lay flat.  Tuck wing tips under the upper wings, then brush all over with olive oil. 

Season with salt and pepper, and place in center of grill, skin side up.  Cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, assemble the mustard sauce.  Whisk together the white wine and mustard, then slowly drizzle the 1/4 cup of olive oil and the butter into the mixture.  Add the thyme, cayenne and scallions and combine.  Reserve 8 teaspoons for the tomatoes. 

After cooking chickens for 20 minutes, turn them over and spread mustard sauce on backs of chickens.  Grill, covered, for 10 minutes.  Turn breast-side up and spread mustard sauce on the skin. Grill another 10 minutes, covered.  Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grill, covered, 10 - 15 minutes more or until juices run clear. 

Remove from heat and allow chickens to rest for 10 minutes.  Spread each tomato with reserved mustard sauce, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grill while the chicken is resting.  Serve hot.

Blue Ribbon Northern Fried Chicken

Chef's Eric and Bruce Bromberg opened Blue Ribbon in Manhattan over 20 years ago and now have a small empire of excellent restaurants. Their trick is to take a realtively simple dish with perfect ingredients and give it a twist.  This dish takes chicken out of the fyrer and hits it with alot of spice. For faster prep, substitute our Browder's GRILL blend for the seasoning!

Serves 4.

6 cups of soy oil
1 3-4 pound chicken, cut into 2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 brest pieces, 2 wings
4 large egg whites, whisked
1/2 cup matzo meal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons hot paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Freshly ground white pepper

1.  Fill a large pot with about 3 inches of oil.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat until deep-fry thermometer reades 375 degrees.

2.  Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry.  Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl.

3.  In a sperate bowl combine the matzo meal, flour and baking powder.  Dip each chicken piece into egg white and let excess drip back into bowl.  Next, press each chicken piece into the matzo mix and tap off excess.

4.  Working in 2 batches, fry the chicken until the coating is a dark golden color, about 10 minutes for white meat and 13 minutes for dark meat.

5.  In a seperate bowl, while chicken is frying, combine the paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, basil and cayenne to make the spice seasoning.

6.  Transfer cooked chicken to a paper-towled lined plate.  Sprinkle immediately with salt and white pepper, and then coat the pieces with at least of teaspoon of the spice seasonings.

Devilish Chicken

Looking for a way to cook your Browder's chicken this weekend?  Chef Mary Ann Esposito, host of the PBS tv show "Ciao Italia" offers this easy recipe for a whole chicken cooked on the grill. 

Serves 4

1 - 3 1/2 to 4 pound free-range, organic chicken, butterflied
1/4 cup of olive oil
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper or dried hot pepper flakes
1 cup of dry white wine
Lemon wedges

To butterfly chicken,  place it on a plastic cutting board, breast side down.  With kitchen shears or a boning knife, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove the bone (save it for stock).  Turn chicken over, skin side up, and flatten it by pressing down with hands or a meat pounder.

Coat chicken completely with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.  Transfer chicken to a dish, cover, and marinate for several hours.  This step can also be done the day before. 

Preheat grill.  When coals are white or a gas grill temperature reaches 500 degress, place chicken on grill, breast side down.  Cook, turning frequently, and keeping the fire under control so as to not burn the chicken. 

About 10 minutes into grilling, begin basting the chicken with white wine.  Continue to baste every 10 minutes.  The chicken is cooked when a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh bone registers between 175 and 180 degrees.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and cut into serving pieces.  Serve hot, with lemon wedges and a squirt of lemon juice.  Use your fingers, not a fork, to eat. 

Cast-Iron Skillet Roasted Chicken for a Picnic

For your next picnic, why not serve classic, roasted chicken sandwiches?  The twist is to split and roast your bird in a cast-iron skillet the night before, and then serve it cold along with some sliced sourdough or whole grain bread.  Include seasonal fixings such as spring lettuces, fresh herbs, radishes and chutney or homemade mayonnaise.  Add a bottle of wine along with the grilled chicken and you are good to go!

Start to finish:  50 minutes
Servings: 8

4-pound Browder's Birds organic chicken
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Place chicken on a cutting board, breast side down.  Use sturdy kitchen shears to cut down the length of the spine on both sides.  Discard the spine. 

Turn the bird breast-side up.  Gripping the two sides, open the bird up, pressing down firmly at the center to flatten it.

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, garlic powder, thyme and pepper.  Rub the mixture evenly over the entire chicken. 

Set a large cast-iron skillet on a burner over medium-high heat.  When the skillet is hot, add the chicken -  breast side down. Let the chicken brown for 5 minutes, then use tongs to carefully flip so breast side is up.  Set the skillet in the oven and roast for 30 - 40 minutes, or until the thickest part reaches 165 degrees. 

Remove the chicken from the oven and serve immediately for dinner, or let cool and then refrigerate for use in a picnic the next day.

Curried Chicken Salad with Apples and Raisins

With the chilly weather the last few nights, we've been indulging in roasted chicken for dinner.

Instead of making soup with the left-overs,  I've been using a fork to shred the chicken from the bones and making chicken salad for our lunch the next day. Much more 'Spring' appropriate!  

Serves 2

1/4 cup of low-fat or regular mayo
1 teaspoon pf curry powder
2 teaspoons water
1 cup of shredded chicken
1 small apple, chopped
1/3 cup of diced celery
3 tablespoons raisins or currants
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine mayonnaise, curry powder, and water in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add the chicken, chopped apple, celery, raisins or currants, and salt; stir mixture well to combine. Cover and chill. 

Chicken with Ginger

This recipe is courtesy of Mark Bittman of The New York Times.

We were lucky to get lots of fresh ginger this season from Dan of The Lone Acre farm in Southold. I use our cast iron skillet to make this dish.

Yield 4 servings
Time 40 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 pound ginger, the fresher the better
1 Tablespoon of sugar, optional
1 Tablespoon of sesame, peanut or olive oil
1 3-4 lb chicken, cut into pieces
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
1 Tablespoon of soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Peel ginger, and mince 1 Tablespoon; set aside. Thinly slice remaining ginger. (If extremely fibrous, put it in a small saucepan with sugar and 2 cups of water , and bring to a boil; simmer 10 minutes then drain.)

2. Put oil in an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold all the chicken, and place on stove over med-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook, rotating pieces and adjusting heat as necessary, until chicken is well-browned on one side -- about 10 minutes. season with salt and pepper, then scatter sliced ginger around pieces; turn and season again. Transfer pan to oven; cook 20 minutes, or until all pieces cooked through.

3. Return skillet to top of stove, drain off any excess fat and add stock or water along with soy sauce. Cook over med-high heat until sauce is slightly reduced, then stir in lime juice and minced ginger. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish and serve.

Chicken Casserole with Mustard & Tarragon

I made this hearty dish twice in the month of December. It is really satisfying on snowy days!

1/4 cup cup extra-virgin olive oil
4# chicken, cut into pieces (I cut each chicken breast into halves)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
11 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 Tb chopped tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried (I have also used sage in place of tarragon)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 Tb of olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish over medium heat, and cook chicken in batches until golden. Remove from dish.

Add the remaining oil to the casserole and cook the onion, leek, and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes or until they are soft and browned. Add the tarragon, chicken stock, cream, lemon juice, and mustard, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the casserole dish and season well. Cover.

Place the casserole dish in the oven and cook for 1 hour or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Season to taste and serve over rice or with potatoes.

Serves 4-6.