Chicken – Page 2 – Grow. Cook. Eat.

December 30, 2009

Laziness – Thwarted (Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala)

With all the holiday mayhem, I craved a simple dinner. The convenience food aisle at the supermarket beckoned my lazy alter-ego, and my taste buds responded with a cry out for Chicken Tikka Masala. Unfortunately, the market no longer carried my favorite brand of Indian simmer sauces, the prepared sauces that only require the addition of meat to create a complete “freshly prepared” meal.

I was left to my own devices… and a semi-well-stocked pantry.

I started with a recipe from Alosha’s Kitchen…and chicken from the freezer, canned tomatoes from the summer and left-over cream from lord-knows-what. But as I scanned the ingredient list, I realized modifications would be necessary.

I didn’t have yogurt to marinate the chicken, but I did have a scootch of left-over sour cream from this year’s latke-fest. I didn’t have garam malsala – an Indian spice blend – but did have most of the ingredients. And the recipe called for grilling the chicken first before simmering it – and I had no interest in adding the extra step of precooking the chicken, much less digging out the grill from under its blanket of snow. Instead, I added some smoked onions to the sauce to give it that extra depth.

This was a bit more labour intensive than I planned, but still only 20 minutes from start to finish. All-in-all a delicious dish!

From the garden: canned tomatoes and jalapenos

Here’s the original recipe with my modifications.
Chicken Tikka Masala
adapted from What's for Dinner via Alosha's Kitchen

Marinade

1 cup plain yogurt (I used 2 tbs. sour cream)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
~~1 teaspoon red pepper flakes~~
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips or large cubes

Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 smoked onion
1 tsp. fresh ginger
1 jalapeno chile, minced (I used a smoked jalapeno leftover from the summer garden)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala (or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger + 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom + 1/8 tsp. clove + 1/4 tsp. cinnamon +1/8 tsp. cumin)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups half-and-half (or 1/2 cup heavy cream + 1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In a small mixing bowl, combine everything on the marinade list, including the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is better.)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, ginger and jalapeño, and stir for a minute. Add the chicken and lightly brown. Stir in the seasonings, and salt. Add the tomato sauce, and stir for one minute. Add the half-and-half, and simmer, covered, until the sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through.

Serve with basmati rice or naan bread. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Happy New Year! Wishing you a sparkling and joyous year.

November 20, 2009

One for the Road (Recipe: Chap Jae)

The (holiday) travel season is upon us.

Boarding Passes? Printed.

Luggage? Packed.

Food?

Most airports highway rest-stops are food-challenged. Though driving offers more flexibility, the last thing I want to do is divert my route for decent food when I still have 5 hours to go. Whenever I travel, I pack a picnic.

Menu planning takes into account the obvious that I want to satiate my hunger and eat healthy. It needs to travel well and pack light. But perhaps most important, the meal must stave off any cravings I might have for crappy food along the way — I’ll admit I’m enticed by the aroma of Cinna-bons in the airport or fried chicken at highway rest-stops.

My picnic basket usually includes snacky foods like carrot sticks and whole wheat crackers. To satisfy my (limited) sweet tooth, I buy a bag of Stacy’s Cinnamon Pita chips. They aren’t the healthiest, but certainly better than the other sweet options.

For my main meal, I usually pack something that requires a fork (but no knife), so I feel like I’m really eating a meal.

Chap Jae, a Korean noodle dish, is a wonderful complete meal – with vegetables, starch and protein. It has plenty of umami from the dried mushrooms and soy sauce, which makes it extra satisfying. Like many Asian stir-fries, it’s also a great way to use up bits of left-over vegetables in the pantry. In my case, I gleaned a few leaves of kales, celery and scallions from the garden.

What's your go-to road-food?

Chap Jae
½ pound sweet potato noodles (found in Asian Markets) or vermicelli
½ pound boneless chicken or beef, cut into thin strips
5 dried mushrooms, rehydrated in warm water
3 scallions
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce + extra for seasoning
1 tablespoon sesame oil + extra for cooking
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
1 onion, peeled and sliced thin
Extra soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar for seasoning.

Julienne of Vegetables, which can include any or all of the following:
Carrots
Red Peppers
Kale
Celery
Bamboo Shoots
Broccoli
Green Beans

1. In a bowl, combine the thin strips of meat and mushrooms with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and scallions. Let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If using sweet potato noodles, cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. If using wheat vermicelli, cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add sesame oil and onions. Cook onions until soft. Add chicken and mushrooms and continue cooking until meat is cooked through. Add vegetables. When vegetables are tender, remove from heat.
4. To the same pan, add another bit of sesame oil. Stir fry noodles over high heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetables and meat.
5. Adjust seasoning with extra soy sauce, sesame oil and/or sugar.

October 20, 2009

Finger Lickin’ Good (Recipe: Korean Fried Chicken)

I went to bed last night stuffed to the gills, but also a little giddy about the left-overs I’d have for lunch today. Dinner was that good!

How could I have not loved it? It was fried chicken, after all. And my love affair with fried chicken – from Popeyes to General Gau’s – is well documented. The recipe came from a recent article in the New York Times about fried chicken that showcased variations of the classic Southern as well as a Korean version.

I didn’t have the Korean chili paste that the recipe called for. But with a little research, I discovered that it is a spicy bean paste. I had sriracha (Thai Chili Paste) and sweet bean sauce (a Chinese condiment), and blended the two. I used my homemade ketchup which had a nice balance of warm spice.

I’ve struggled over the years to get my general gau’s chicken to stay crispy after it’s been tossed in the sauce. Only once did I achieve that. With this recipe, the chicken is tossed in a mix of corn starch *and* wheat flour. This made a huge difference in crisp-maintenance.

Traditional Fried Chicken is often served with cole slaw. Inspired by Cooking with Amy’s recipe for raw Brussels sprouts, I made an Asian flavored slaw with shredded brussels sprouts.

Korean Fried Chicken
Adapted from Quick and Easy Korean Cooking by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee

Time: 30 minutes, plus one hour’s marinating

1 small yellow onion, peeled and coarsely grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 scallions, cut into rings
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for coating
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for coating
8 to 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered
3 tablespoons Korean chili paste (gojuchang), or a blend of Chinese Bean Sauce and Sriracha
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, more for garnish
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Oil for deep frying
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cornstarch

1. In a medium-size bowl, combine grated onion, garlic, 1/2 of the scallions, salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat well. Cover and set aside to marinate for about 1 hour.

2. In a large bowl, stir together chili paste, ketchup, sugar, sesame seeds and lemon juice. Taste and adjust flavors to get a spicy-sweet-tangy finish. Set aside.

3. Pour oil into a large heavy pot to a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Heat to 350 degrees. Combine flour and cornstarch in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.

4. Working in batches to avoid crowding, lift chicken from marinade, dredge lightly in seasoned flour and cornstarch, gently drop into oil and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining chicken, checking oil temperature between batches.

5. When all pieces are done, increase oil temperature to 375 degrees and refry in batches for 30 to 60 seconds, until very crisp. Drain once more on paper towels. While chicken is still hot, brush thickly with chili sauce. Serve hot, sprinkled with sesame seeds and scallions.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

October 18, 2009

Happy Food (Recipe: Crispy Chicken Livers with BBQ Sauce)

Maybe it’s a Jewish thing, but I love chicken livers (think: chopped liver on a bagel…mmmm!). Most Americans don’t like them, or any organ meat for that matter. I’ve always been confounded by this – where people draw the line that they’ll eat certain parts of the animal, but not others. It seems random to me. After all, the animal has been sacrificed, we should enjoy it all! But I digress….

I consider liver “happy” food. Yes, it’s weighted with fat and cholesterol, but it’s also jam-packed with iron, vitamin A and all the B-vitamins – those that boost energy and fight depression.

I don’t often see chicken livers at the market (or rather, I don’t see them more than one day before they expire). When I do, I snatch them up.

East Coast Grill pairs grilled chicken livers with “sweet and sour bacon greens” and a chipotle barbecue sauce. I decide to make a variation of this with the kale in my garden and a sweet potato from the market. The ketchup I made at the end of the summer morphed into barbecue sauce with the addition of a little chili paste.

Fried Chicken Livers with Garlic-Chili Greens and BBQ Sauce

½ cup ketchup, preferably homemade
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 chipotle chili minced (more or less to taste)
1 tbs. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp. chili flakes (more or less to taste)
1 bunch Tuscan kale, finely sliced
½ tbs. red wine vinegar
½ pound chicken livers
2 tbs. flour
2 tbs. corn starch
3 tbs. plain oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine ketchup, lemon juice and chipotle. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. When hot, add garlic and cook until lightly golden. Add greens and chili flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. Add vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Drain chicken livers on a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper on all sides.
4. Combine flour and corn starch in a bowl. Add salt and pepper. Toss chicken livers in flour mixture to thoroughly coat.
5. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add plain oil. Add livers and cook over high heat for 3 minutes. Turn over, and cook for three minutes more.

Serve chicken livers with wilted greens and barbecue sauce. To make it a complete meal, serve with sweet potato puree.

August 9, 2009

May I take your order? (Recipe: Chicken Saltimbocca)

We aim to please here in the Shanks household. Come for dinner, tell us what you'd like to eat. Chicken? No problem. Would you like that with a European accent, Latin or Asian? With cheese, you say? Okay. And risotto? Sure.

Such was the conversation last Wednesday evening when I invited a friend over for dinner. Some days, I just can't find inspiration to create a menu. It was just as easy to have my friend decide rather than figure it out myself.

It took a few minutes to come up with a cohesive plan. Chicken Saltimbocca with Mushroom Risotto fit the bill perfectly. Better still, I could use some sage from the garden which has come back with a vengeance.

Chicken Saltimbocca

4 chicken breast cutlets, skin on.
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
4 slices prosciutto
1 bunch fresh sage, leaves picked
3 cloves garlic, sliced.
1 tbs. plain oil
1 shallot, diced
1/2 cup sherry
2 tbs. butter
salt and pepper to taste.

1. Heat oil in sauté pan. Add sage leaves. Fry for 2 minutes, or until they begin to get crispy. Add garlic, and continue frying for 1 minute, or until garlic begins to turn brown. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper.

2. Over center of each chicken breast, season with salt and pepper and layer mozzarella, proscuitto and 1/8 of sage garlic mixture. Fold over to seal in filling.

3. Put chicken in an oven proof pan. Broil under a high heat until the skin blisters and turns golden, about 10 minutes (but keep a close eye). Turn the oven to bake and continue baking for another 5 minutes or until it's cooked through

4. When chicken is finished cooking, let it rest. To the chicken pan, add shallots and sherry. Bring wine to a boil over high heat, swirl in whole butter, and remove pan from heat.

5. Slice chicken into medallions, and serve with pan juices. Garnish with remaining fried sage and garlic.

July 20, 2009

The Quest for Authentic (Recipe: Tandoori Chicken)

When I travel abroad, I like to buy cookbooks that feature the local cuisine. Usually, they're unavailable in the US. And especially with the books purchased in Asia, they have not been tailored to the “western kitchen.” True or not, I think the recipes will be more authentic to the region. And I feel confident enough in both my cooking skills and ability to find the unusual ingredients in the Boston markets that I am unfettered by these recipes.

Thanks to the magic of the internet, Wendy Hutton's books are now available in the US. Her recipe for tandoori chicken is exceptional in flavor and tastes as good as anything I’ve eaten in a restaurant. I use this recipe for both lamb and chicken.

Mine little resembles in appearance the restaurant version since I don’t use food coloring and leave on the marinade when I cook it. I love the flavor of the marinade roasted in the butter and chicken juices, and could easily make a meal of those drippings slathered on naan. Since I don’t have a tandoori oven at home (and who does??), I cook it in a cast iron skillet on the charcoal grill outside. I was less pleased with her naan recipe and use the one from Stonyfield Farms that comes courtesy of Peter Franklin.

Tandoori Chicken
with no adaption from Singapore Food by Wendy Hutton

1 chicken, about 2 lbs.
1 tbs. melted butter or ghee

Marinade 1
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. white pepper
pinch cloves
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 ½ tbs. lemon juice

Marinade 2
4 tbs. plain yogurt
1 heaping tbs. cilantro, pounded
1 heaping tbs. mint, pounded
1 tbs. cumin
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. crushed fresh ginger
1 tsp. white vinegar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1/3 tsp. cardamom
few drops of red food coloring (opt.)

1. Remove feet, head and skin from the chicken and make deep cuts in the thighs and breasts. Combine all ingredients for marinade 1 and rub well into the chicken. Leave in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

2. Combine ingredients for marinade 2 and rub evenly all over the chicken, making sure some of the marinade penetrates the slits. Leave in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

3. Brush grill with ghee or butter and cook chicken over hot coals, brushing from time to time.

Yogurt Flatbread (Naan)
1 cup warm water
1 packet dry, active yeast
1 cup Stonyfield plain yogurt
2 teaspoons salt
5-6 cups all purpose flour
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1. In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer (i.e. Kitchen Aid), combine the water, yogurt and butter, and yeast. Mix well and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Mix together the salt and flour, and gradually add to the liquids. If the dough becomes too stiff to mix, add a bit of warm water, 1 tbs. at a time. Knead by hand for 5-6 minutes, until dough is smooth and shiny.
3. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for +/- 20 minutes.
4. Portion dough into 2 ounce pieces, and roll very thin (tortilla like thickness) with a rolling pin. Layer rolled-out pieces on flour dusted parchment or waxed paper until ready to cook.
5. The Naan may be cooked in a skillet (cast iron is best…heat to medium high heat, ungreased) or even on a barbecue grill. Cook about 2 minutes per side, or until desired level of doneness. Dough will bubble and rise a bit as it cooks. This is normal.
6. Serve warm.

June 16, 2009

Herbalicious

I favor the soft herbs — tarragon, basil, chervil, chives. On the other end of the spectrum – rosemary, sage, and oregano – the flavors tend to overpower. Too often, cooks have a heavy hand with the hard herbs, and ruin an otherwise good dish.

But back to the soft herbs… They can be mixed with lettuces for a salad or blended together for my cherished dreamy green goddess. Or, mixed with soft butter to make a compound butter.

Compound butter is versatile. I rub a few tablespoons under the skin of chicken breasts before roasting

Or finish a tomato sauce with the butter for salmon.

Or toss steamed asparagus in it.

Herb Butter
1 tbs. fresh tarragon
1 tbs. fresh chives or scallions
1 tbs. fresh parsley or chervil
1 tbs. fresh basil
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop herbs and spices. Mix with butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I'm submitting this recipe to the Weekend Herb Blogging #188, hosted this week by the ever-charming Graziana of Erbe in Cucina – Cooking with Herbs. This event was originally started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, and is now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. For more information, see the rules, hosting schedule, and weekly recaps for WHB.

June 7, 2009

Rose Petals

Down the road from Even' Star Organic Farm, in Southern Maryland, live Cameron and Donna. On their coastal property overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, they raise sheep. They only have a few dozen animals… they keep the herd small so that they can personally attend to each one and ensure they live a healthy, free-range life. Last year, when I did some work for Brett, he paid me in lamb from their farm.

On a recent visit, Cameron and Donna invited us to their home for dinner. Cameron prepared a dish from his native Iran: Rosewater Marinated Grilled Lamb with Roasted Tomatoes and Rice. The floral aroma of the roses ranks up there with intoxicating scents, right behind Tahitian Vanilla and Truffles.

Now that the roses have begun to bloom, I want to recreate this dish with fresh roses (and chicken instead of lamb). Soft and velvety with a floral fragrance, rose petals taste just as they look. They are inherently edible, though you want them to be free of any chemicals, pesticides or sprays. The safest bet is to grow your own. And be sure to remove the bitter white portion of the petals

To bring the dish full circle, I garnished the last of my mesclun with a few more rose petals.

Rose marinated Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes
3 tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 cup plain yogurt
Rose petals and/or 1 tablespoon rose water
Pinch saffron
6 chicken thighs or 2 pounds boneless leg of lamb
Salt and pepper to taste
3 roma tomatoes, sliced in half

1. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the cumin and remove from heat. Let cool.

2. In a bowl toss the chicken with the onion/garlic mix, yogurt, roses and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Let marinate for at least 2 hours or as long as over night.3. Prepare a charcoal grill. When it’s hot, remove the chicken from the marinade. Grill skin side until crispy and slighty charred. The timing depends on the fire and the type of grill, but keep an eye on it since the fat in the skin can cause flare-ups. Flip the chicken over and move to the cooler side of the grill. Put the tomatoes on the grill. Cover the grill and let chicken roast for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

4. Serve with basmati rice pilaf.

May 22, 2009

Chicken Enchiladas

Rick Bayless’s recipe for mole (pronounced mo-LAY) cautions the reader that it will require 26 different ingredients. The first time I made this Mexican chili and chocolate sauce it took me three hours. The second time, only 1 ½. Now, I can make it in a half hour.

Of course, I take short-cuts. Mr. Bayless recommends giving each ingredient individual attention: dry roast, fry, and then soak 4 kinds of chilies. Toast each spice separately and then grind. Blacken the tomato. Fry onions, garlic, stale bread, tortillas, almonds and raisins. Did I forget anything? I had intended to take a photo of all the mise-en-place, but after the photo, I realized I forgot half the ingredients.

Mole originates from Oaxaca (pronounced wha-HA-ka) Mexico. What we know in the US is only one of the seven varieties available. Mole is the Mexican version of curry… “The original Nahuatl word molli means ‘mixture.’” And like curry (whether it’s Thai, Japanese or Indian), it’s a mix of spices and aromatics that blend together into an intoxicating sauce.

I made the “mole coloradito oaxaqueno” version – which is the variety most commonly seen in the US. There’s also green, yellow, black, red (and obviously a few others whose names I can’t find). It pairs perfectly with enchiladas, pupusas or other Mexican dishes with a masa harina base.

I use the mole for enchiladas. It freezes beautifully. So if you take the time to make it, make lots! Then you will more easily enjoy it on future occasions.

Chicken Enchiladas with Mole Sauce

Filling
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. cumin
3 scallions
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine chicken with remaining ingredients, except scallions. Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Cool. Shred meat and toss with scallions.

Mole
(the lazy approach — for a more authentic recipe, see Rick Bayless’s “Authentic Mexican”)
1/2 lb. dried chilies (pasilla, mulato, poblano or any other combination), seeded and soaked in boiling water for 1 hour.
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tsp. coriander
1 oz. chocolate
1/8 tsp. clove
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tomato
1/2 onion
1 garlic clove
1 corn tortilla
1 slice stale bread
1 qt. chicken stock.
1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup oil
salt, sugar and red wine vinegar to taste

1. Heat a large sauté pan. Add 1/2 of the oil, nuts, raisins and tortillas. Fry until they begin to turn golden. Toast the bread.

2. In a blender, puree everything together, except remaining oil. Thin with chicken stock or water as needed.

3. Heat a large sauce pot. Add oil. Fry the sauce and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with sugar, salt, and vinegar.

For assembly:
8 – 8” tortillas
1 cup plain oil
Shredded Monterey jack cheese
Sliced scallions
Sour cream

1. Dip each tortilla in mole sauce.
2. Heat oil over medium high flame. Fry mole-coated tortillas, one at a time, in oil until soft, about 1 minute
3. Lay the fried tortillas down on a board. Fill with ½ cup of shredded chicken and roll. Put in a baking sheet. Continue until all tortillas are filled and rolled.
4. Drizzle extra mole on top. Sprinkle cheese on top.
5. Bake at 400F until cheese is melted and sizzling.
6. Remove from oven and garnish with scallions.

I served the enchiladas with black beans and red cabbage slaw

April 22, 2009

The First Harvest: Scallions

It wasn't much, just a few scallion stems. But it was enough to inaugurate the growing season in my garden. And the perfect garnish for dinner tonight.

Claypot Chicken
4 chicken thighs
8 shiitake mushrooms
1 1/2 cup jasmine rice
3 cups water
2 chinese sausage, cut lengthwise

Marinade
2 tbs. oyster sauce
1 tbs. double dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon shiox xing wine
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1 teaspoon minced ginger

Scallions to garnish.

1. Combine ingredients for the marinade. Toss in chicken, mushrooms and chinese sausage.

2. In a claypot, combine water and rice. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Put chicken, mushrooms and sausage on top.

3. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until chicken is done.

4. Garnish with scallions

UPDATES:

Here's a photo of the Chinese Sausage Package.

Also, I'm submitting this to April's Grow Your Own Round-Up. Founded by Andrea's Recipes, this month's round-up is being hosted by Nate-n-Annie at House of Annie. The growing season in the US may be early, but there's still lots going on.