Curry Roast Chicken with Tomato Leek Gravy: Fire Up Those Ovens!

In previous years, rainy days found me scrounging around the pantry for things to bake.  This year, however, it appears that I roast a chicken.  I go back and forth in my thoughts on a roast chicken.  To many cooks (and their eating public), a perfect roast chicken is the ultimate dish.  In its simplicity there is actually quite a lot if room for error and certainly there seem to be as many recipes for that perfect roast chicken as there are chickens.

Having tried a few standards (a few blog-worthy ones coming soon), I wanted to go in a new direction. As delicious as that perfect simple roast chicken is, I must admit that I can find roast chicken a little boring.  And so, I found a recipe for Curry Roast Chicken and then played around with it using the bounty of late summer local produce that I found myself with yesterday. 

Tomato Leek Gravy featuring Vermont and Brooklyn produceRather than your typical roast onions, I used leeks from Satur Farms.  The chicken, garlic and tomatoes were both from Vermont.  The winner for most local item, however, was my dried chili peppers from down the hall.  We didn't get our garden in gear this summer before the floods and the cool weather, but our neighbor graciously gifted us with dried habaneros from his crop. 

The result was a welcome change from otherwise delicious roast chicken. Please keep in mind that we love spice in this house.  The original recipe called for 1 tsp curry powder and left it at that.  I wanted to create something a little more complex.  The spices I used were not hot and gave the chicken a lovely full flavor.  Feel free to play with it as you wish.  Or, for that matter, to go complete rogue.  I'm tempted to try this again using chili powder and cumin or Chinese five spice powder.  The sky is the limit.  If you play around with this, let me know! 

Curry Roast Chicken Curry Roast Chicken with Tomato Leek Gravy

Adapted from Grace Parisi at Food & Wine Magazine

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 6 garlic cloves, 2 minced
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground ginger (try substituting fresh minced)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 whole 4 pound chicken
• 1 large leek, white parts only, quartered, well rinsed and chopped
• 2 cups diced seeded fresh tomatoes
• 1 1/2 dried habaneros (or 2 fresh), sliced (seeded if you want less heat)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt

A Chicken Before Roasting

1. Preheat oven to 425F with rack in bottom third of oven.
2. Mix minced garlic cloves and spices into softened butter.  Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Pat chicken dry. Rub half of butter mixture under the skin of the chicken.  Rub remainder around on top of the chicken skin. 
4. Spread leeks, tomatoes, chilis and remaining garlic cloves evenly in the bottom of a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Pour 1/2 cup water into the rack. Place chicken breast-side up in rack. 
5. Roast chicken for 30 minutes, until skin begins to turn golden brown.  Flip the chicken breast-side down and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
6. Flip the chicken over one more time.  Add another 1/2 cup water and cook for 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180F when stuck in the fleshy part near the thigh. 
7. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium. Add the chicken broth or wine and stir, scraping up all the browned bits. Add yogurt just before serving the gravy. 
8. Enjoy! 

Changing Seasons: Rainbow Chard and Bacon Risotto

There is a chill in the air as we move towards autumn.  Even though I will quickly remind you that summer is not yet over, I will also admit that the time is coming for cooler weather foods.  I'm still getting plenty of greens at the farmers' market and they lend themselves nicely to in-between weather comfort dishes.  

I also, as you may have noticed, have been spending some time hanging around the Amish farm stand at our greenmarket.  There are plenty of local dairy options at the bigger farmers' markets in the city (and of course Ronnybrook is readily available from Fresh Direct or Brooklyn Fare or any number of other conscientious markets), but, of course, my approach is that the local-est is best and I'm happy to support a community who brings us single ingredient items.  You want butter? It's made with cream.  Period.  Yum.  

Over time, we've expanded our take from the Amish stand to include eggs, a variety of cheeses and now, bacon.  And really, isn't that all we need in life? I recently bought a pound of sliced bacon and began dreaming up ways change our world.  Mix in those late summer greens and I had a plan.  My first adventure with this bacon was to make my collard greens, which, in retrospect, was a very good plan.  

By making something I could make in my sleep, I became quickly familiar with how the Amish bacon was different from others that I've used before.  Amish bacon (at least from this particular stand) was subtler, less salty and almost lighter, if bacon can be such a thing.  For collard greens, it was almost too subtle.  And so, rainbow chard and bacon risotto was born.  

To bring out the bacon's strengths, I crisped the bacon and rendered the fat in the pot I'd use for the rice.  Then, I cooked garlic and onions in the bacon fat and added the arborio rice to get it saturated in the bacon fat and other flavors.  The bacon was still subtle, but it was able to come through in a creamy, simple rice dish.  The rainbow chard added earthiness which complemented the bacon without overwhelming it.  Finally, against my husband's protests, I used a simple red wine to bring it all home.  

Now that I've learned about my product, I'm looking forward to new ways to make it work for us.  And, when I need that stronger bacon-y element, there's always Niman Ranch. 

Rainbow Chard and Bacon Risotto

• 5 cups organic chicken broth
• 4 slices bacon (nice and streaky, local if you can find it), cut into about 1 inch pieces 
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (LINK)
• 4 cups rainbow chard, trimmed and chopped (about 1 bunch)
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• freshly grated Pecorino Romano

1. Heat chicken broth in a pot over medium heat.  Lower if it starts to boil. 
2. In a separate pot, cook bacon pieces until fat is rendered and bacon reaches desired crispness.  (I like it nice and crispy to add texture later.)
3. Add onions and garlic to bacon fat and cook until translucent. Add rice and chard.  Cook about 3 minutes until rice is well coated and greens have wilted. 
4. Add wine to rice mixture, stirring constantly, and cook until dry. Add broth in 1/2 cup intervals, cooking until dry. 
5. Mix in grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add bacon and give it one last stir to combine.  Enjoy! 

Summer Weeknight Supper: Zucchini, Tomato and Ricotta Tart

Friends, Labor Day may have come and gone, but summer is still around for a couple more weeks! If that whole solstice thing doesn't convince you, there's always the continued presence of summer squash and fat red tomatoes in the farmers' market. Faced with an overflow of both and a shortage of time, I decided to throw these two together into a quick and easy tart that is suitable for brunch, lunch or a quick weeknight dinner. 

There are a number of zucchini tarts out there, not to mention tomato ones, but I found a limited number of recipes that combined them and none that wowed me.  I started with a smitten kitchen recipe, as I often do, and let creativity (and laziness) lead me from there. I'll have to admit that the main thing I did was include tomatoes in an otherwise perfect recipe, but I also took a shortcut and used pie crust.  On some other night I will whip up homemade dough and make the rustic galette as Deb describes. 

 I also changed this up a bit from my usual ricotta routine. When there is ricotta to be eaten, I almost always hit up my old favorite, the Valley Shepherd Creamery.  This time, I was planning to cook before I could get to the Valley Shepherd stand.  I took a leap and tried the Amish ricotta cheese available at a grocery and specialty foods store near my office.  There's no messing around with this ricotta.  It's not the part skim that you're used to.  It was rich and creamy and really made the tart.  If you have it in a store near you, I recommend giving it a try. I used more than the original recipe called for because, well, I'm an addict.  

Rainbow Chard with Anchovies, Pine Nuts and Cranberries on Polenta

On a cool rainy morning, it is hard to believe it is summer.  I'm sure many of you out there are grumbling and a bit blue, but, aside from the fact that I generally love cool rainy mornings most of all, I'm particularly satisfied because I'm stuck at home for a little while and I don't feel like I'm missing out on quite so much outdoor fun when it's gloomy. 

The other upside is that I have a chance to explore some summer comfort food.  Even on cool days like this, summer comfort food can't be too heavy or thick.  I crave warmth and a smooth texture, but still some lightness.  What could satisfy that call better than polenta? 

I used to buy the pre-prepared tube of polenta from Trader Joe's to keep on hand for these sorts of meals.  After buying a box of polenta, I realized how silly I was.  The biggest pain is that you have to keep stirring the polenta to discourage clumps, but otherwise there is no finesse and hardly any time involved in making a nice base for all manner of soothing meals. 

For this one, I took advantage of the beautiful rainbow swiss chard that we picked up from Phillips Farms at the farmers' market and turned to my friend Mark Bittman for inspiration.  I'd like to say that I tinkered and played with his recipe and improved on his perfection.  It's generally not possible since Bittman has a nice healthy simple (Minimalist, if you will) approach and his recipes generally do not go wrong.  I did use anchovy paste instead of anchovy fillets, cranberries instead of raisins and the polenta was all me.  His recipe was also for greens generally and I, of course, used the chard.  

I was drawn to this recipe because of the anchovies.  As gross as I always believed them to be, I can no longer deny that they are good for you.  Even my husband asked me to somehow slip more of them into our food after reading Real Food by Nina Planck (I haven't even read it yet and I'm eternally grateful for its effect on my household).  I use the anchovy paste to sneak some into pasta dishes and have come to like it.  This recipe was my attempt to go more full throttle into the world of anchovies.  Expect more to come.  

The most exciting addition was 1/2 of a Hot Portugal chili pepper straight from our garden.  I only used half because I had never worked with a Hot Portugal before, but they are on the light side, so I would use at least a whole one in the future.  If you don't have fresh chilis on hand, you can substitute about 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes or as much or as little as you prefer. 

Rainbow Chard with Anchovies, Pine Nuts and Cranberries on Polenta (adapted from Mark Bittman's The Minimalist Cooks Dinner)

• At least 2 servings prepared polenta (find your favorite slow version, it's worth it)
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp anchovy paste or up to 8 anchovy fillets to taste (or more if you're really a fan)
• 1/2 fresh small red chili pepper, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 4 cups trimmed rainbow swiss chard or other greens, washed, dried and chopped
• sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic, chili slices and anchovies.  When garlic is pungent and anchovies dissolve into oil, turn heat to low. 
2. Stir in cranberries and pine nuts.  Cook for one minute. 
3. Add greens and 1/2 cup water.  Cover and cook until chard is tender (about 10-12 minutes). 
4. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. 
5. Serve greens over polenta in a bowl with greater proportion of greens than in the picture above.  Pour broth generously over each bowl. Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Rosemary Vinaigrette

Earlier this year, we were gifted with beautiful Misty Knolls organic chickens from Vermont.  I believe I have expressed my general ennui when it comes to chicken in the past.  Friends, it is because I so often am thinking of boring old chickens.  These are not those sort of chickens. 

When presented with a beautiful chicken, too tasty to fail, I do get excited.  My plan has long been to attempt to feed us for a week on one such roast chicken and figure out all of the exciting things I can do with one bird.  That challenge will still come, but this time, I marinated the chicken in a lovely balsamic, rosemary (and ramp oil!) and garlic vinaigrette a la Giada DeLaurentiis. 

I abandoned the one chicken, many meals idea because I thought this marinade was too flavorful and distinct to lend itself to a number of different meals.  I was essentially proved wrong daily.  Below I've listed the variety of meals that I pulled together over the course of the week. 

Possibilities aside, as a stand-alone dish, this chicken does not disappoint.  I marinated a whole chicken, cut into pieces (thanks to my mother-in-law for her chicken selection as well as her chicken butchering skills), in a savory mix of ramp oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, dried rosemary, sea salt and pepper. The chicken marinated for about 15 hours, although you could get away with a couple of hours. 

The resultant chicken is juicy and flavorful.  Not boring at all.  As the rosemary was my own addition, feel free to omit or adjust as you see fit.  My hefty handful made rosemary the shining star of the marinade.  In my opinion, this makes the chicken slightly less versatile than a lemon, garlic chicken or something more simple, but no less delicious. 

Our uses for the roast chicken (and pl.ease leave notes in the comments if you come up with more uses): 

• Cold chicken breast with pan drippings, fresh rustic bread and green salad (with scallions! )
• Roast chicken quesadilla with  Vermont-grown baby spinach, smoked gouda and caramelized onions
• Pasta with shredded chicken, marinated mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and homegrown basil
• Chicken Sandwich with Vermont-grown baby spinach and homemade Spicy Stout Mustard 

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Rosemary Vinaigrette (adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis)

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• a good handful of fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or ramp-infused oil)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (giblets, neck and backbone reserved for another use)
• 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, olive or ramp oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. 
3. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.