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! 

November Daring Cooks Challenge: Rise and Shine! Cheddar, Bacon and Scallion Souffle

Dave and Linda from Monkeyshines in the Kitchen chose Soufflés as our November 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge! Dave and Linda provided two of their own delicious recipes plus a sinfully decadent chocolate soufflé recipe adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s recipe found at the BBC Good Food website.

Our hosts were generous enough to let us go rogue and pick our own recipes as well as long as we made a real souffle and not some cheap knockoff.  I knew I wanted to do a savory souffle first (although the chocolate souffle sounded to die for), so I hunted around.  I also knew that I had one big souffle dish and not quite as many ramekins as most of the recipes called for.  So I went to Epicurious and Gourmet Magazine and tried the Cheddar, Bacon and Scallion Souffle.  It was as good as it sounds. 

I understand completely why souffles are a natural choice for a Daring Cooks challenge.  There is a lot of mystery around souffles.  It's mostly nonsense.  I'm not saying that souffles are easy.  They are certainly not. But they only involve the mastery of some basic skills that you should have in the kitchen anyway.  

First, carefully read the recipe before you begin.  The timing of a souffle is somewhat delicate, since you're dealing with heat and eggs and cheese.  This recipe lent itself perfectly to pretending you are a TV chef and filling up your little bowls of ingredients and getting your mise en place together before you do anything.  Then, proceed to master skill number two.

Almost final souffle batter ready for egg whites. Second, at least the first time through, follow the recipe exactly.  I think you can get spontaneous with a souffle once you understand the way it works.  A good abstract thinker might even be able to look at ten recipes and come up with one independently.  I'd recommend, however, taking a good basic recipe and working it through before playing with it.  There are souffle-sasters and following a recipe to the letter will help the first one be a confidence booster instead of a story to tell at the dinner party where you end up ordering pizza.

Mysterious stiff egg white peaks.The third and final skill that I think you need for a souffle is a little bit subtle since most recipes seem to assume this knowledge.  You must know how to very carefully separate eggs.  For any dish where you need to get your egg whites into stiff peaks (and since much of the drama of a souffle comes from that airy light rise), it is crucial that there are no yolks in your egg whites.  The separated yolks can have a bit of white in them if things get messy, but no yolks in the eggs at all. The contamination can ruin the whole adventure.

Fold, baby, fold. (Note: don't fold with a whisk!)I'm happy to say that, having already gotten wind of the egg white secret, I worked my patience and skills and ended up with a delicious savory souffle! I felt very American using what also amount to fantastic cornbread ingredients in a souffle, but it fit the ingredients we had available and sounded like something I could my husband excited about.  Now that he's had one, I have all kinds of other ideas and will get cracking on a sweet version as well.  

Souffles are also a great way to feature local and organic dairy products! I used New York Cheddar, Ronnybrook Farms Creamline whole milk, Vermont farm fresh eggs and Amish butter.    I had hoped to use the last of our garden scallions, but I couldn't get as much as I needed from our remaining harvest.  The dairy products were great, though, and made the dish! 

Cheddar, Bacon and Scallion Souffle (from Epicurious)

1/2 cup finely chopped scallion

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 slices of lean bacon, cooked, drained, reserving 2 tablespoons of the fat, and crumbled

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups milk

cayenne to taste

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Cheddar (about 6 ounces)

4 large eggs, separated

1. In a small heavy saucepan cook the scallion in the butter and the reserved bacon fat over moderately low heat, stirring, until the scallion is softened, stir in the flour, and cook the roux stirring, for 3 minutes.
2. Add the milk in a stream, whisking, and boil the mixture, whisking, for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cayenne, the Cheddar, and salt and pepper to taste, whisking until the cheese is melted.
3. Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition, and whisk in the bacon.
4. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold stiff peaks, whisk about one fourth of them into the cheese mixture, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
5. Pour the mixture into a buttered 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish and bake the soufflé in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is puffed and golden. Serve the soufflé immediately.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cheddar-Bacon-and-Scallion-Souffle-12789#ixzz15Gdnh7pr

Spicy Thai Filet Mignon Salad with Ginger-Lime Dressing

Now that I am focusing on where my meat comes from, I have the pleasure of really great building blocks for meals.  Grass-fed beef is good. In the past, when I've been lucky enough to have a special piece of meat, I've done as little to it as possible to highlight and honor the amazing natural flavor.

With that philosophy, however, I start to miss out on all of the other flavors that have been used for centuries to make some of my favorite meat dishes.For this meal, I abandoned all reverence and marinated a beautiful piece of grass-fed filet mignon in lime juice, soy sauce and chili paste. Rather than mask the flavor, this marinade elevated the whole meal and made the experience better.

The main use for this meat was in a salad, a bit of a twist on a Thai beef salad with great mixed greens and tomatoes from Vermont and basil and chili peppers from our own garden. The meat also made delicious sandwiches over the rest of the week. This recipe will definitely go into the rotation as both a show-stopper on its own and a good staple for lunches.

Now that I am focusing on where my meat comes from, I have the pleasure of really great building blocks for meals.  Grass-fed beef is good. In the past, when I've been lucky enough to have a special piece of meat, I've done as little to it as possible to highlight and honor the amazing natural flavor.
With that philosophy, however, I start to miss out on all of the other flavors that have been used for centuries to make some of my favorite meat dishes.For this meal, I abandoned all reverence and marinated a beautiful piece of grass-fed filet mignon in lime juice, soy sauce and chili paste. Rather than mask the flavor, this marinade elevated the whole meal and made the experience better.

The main use for this meat was in a salad, a bit of a twist on a Thai beef salad with great mixed greens and tomatoes from Vermont and basil and chili peppers from our own garden. The meat also made delicious sandwiches over the rest of the week. This recipe will definitely go into the rotation as both a show-stopper on its own and a good staple for lunches.

Spicy Thai Filet Mignon Salad with Ginger-Lime Dressing (adapted from Bobby Flay)

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic (I used sambal olek)
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 (12-ounce) filet mignons, sliced thinly
• Freshly ground pepper

Ingredients for Salad

• 1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 3 cups mizuna leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup chiffonade Thai basil or regular basil, optional
• 1/2 English cucumber, halved and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 5 radishes, thinly sliced
• 8 each yellow and red cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt and ground black pepper

Ingredients for Dressing

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely diced shallot
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Whisk soy sauce, lime juice, chile paste, and peanut oil together in a small dish. Add the steaks, turn to coat, cover, and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. 
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Saute meat until desired temperature (about 3-5 minutes for medium rare). Remove from heat and let rest. 
3. Whisk ingredients from lime juice to salt & pepper together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit 10 minutes before using.
4. While steak is resting, combine all salad ingredients(lettuce through salt and pepper) in a large bowl. Toss with half of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter, top with the steak, and drizzle the remaining dressing over the top.

Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken

I have a rosemary addict in my house.  Just as I'm always asked to amp up the spice or add Asian flavors, if a dish calls for rosemary, I somehow can never add enough.  When I found this recipe for Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken, I figured that I couldn't go wrong.  

To top it all off, despite the rough-going in our little terrace garden, the rosemary is flourishing.  We planted rosemary and thyme in the same pot and they are both heartily reaching up and climbing over the pot to try and gain even more territory.  

I modified the original recipe because the mustard was a bit heavy when we first tried this and overwhelmed the other flavors.  I also upped the breadcrumbs because I used chicken tenders instead of full chicken cutlets and needed to cover more surface area.  The crust really is the star here, so it pays to throw in a little extra, but of course you can dial it back if that seems better for your dinner table. 

Another reason these shone - they are just about the right size for the old convection toaster oven and keep the kitchen cool.  Give it a shot if you have one at your disposal. 

Walnut and Rosemary Oven Fried Chicken (Adapted from Cooking Light)

• 1/4  cup  low-fat buttermilk
• 1  tbsp  Dijon mustard
• about 1 lb chicken tenders (local and organic if possible!)
• 2/3  cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/3  cup  finely chopped walnuts
• 2  tbsp  grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3/4  tsp minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4  tsp  kosher salt
• 1/4  tsp  freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Rosemary leaves (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.

3. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, nuts, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; discard buttermilk mixture. Dredge chicken in panko mixture.

4. Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on rack; coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired.

October Daring Cooks Challenge: Stuffed Grape Leaves

Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

The recipe generously let us switch wrapping leaves to those which we could get near or us or would sounded more tasty.  I can't cry difficulty since my section of Brooklyn has, among other great places, Sahadi's. I will admit, however, that I just don't know if I like grape leaves.  For some reason, the idea never appealed to me, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to go through a lot of effort for something I might be lukewarm on. 

Aside from getting me excited about a challenge, the switch option also gave me a chance to make these a local delicacy! I traded the grape leaves for the beautiful collard greens that I got at our farmers' market and used beef from Sweet Tree Farm in Dummerston, VT.  Most of the other ingredients were tough to source locally, but at least the two stars of the dish would be from relatively nearby. 

The next exciting thing about this challenge is how big the payoff is for the not-too-exhausting amount of work involved.  Blanching the fresh collard greens was a bit of a pain, but after figuring out the wrapping system, I got a whole Dutch oven full of stuffed collard greens in almost no time at all.  The predominant flavors were the tangy tamarind and lemon juice (I actually used lime, shh!) and the sweet dried apricots that dotted the pan.  

This recipe got rave reviews all around and was extremely portable for leftovers.  They also freeze very well, so I have a little stash of stuffed collard greens in the freezer waiting for me.  

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice with Apricot Tamarind Sauce/ Yebra

(Adapted from Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck and Michael J. Cohen. Published by Harper Collins, 2007)

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients for hashu/filling:

• 1 pound (455 gm) ground (minced) beef
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) (2 1/3 oz) (65 gm) short grain rice
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) all spice
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use ½ tsp.**
• ¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) white pepper
• 1 onion, chopped **optional**
• 1 cup (5½ oz) (150 gm) pine nuts **optional**

1. Soak rice in water, enough to cover, for 30 minutes. Combine meat, rice, allspice, vegetable oil, cinnamon, salt, white pepper, and if desired, onion and pine nuts, in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Ingredients for Apricot Tamarind Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 6 dried apricots – or more if you desire
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) tamarind concentrate
• ¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) (9 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use 1.5 tsp.**

Ingredients for assembly:

• 1 pound (455 gm) hashu/filling (see recipe above)
• 36 preserved grape leaves, stems trimmed, drained, rinsed and patted dry or 1/2 to 1 bunch of collard greens depending on the size of your greens ( I got four wrappers out of each leaf I used)

Note: If using fresh leaves, plunge a few at a time in boiling water for a few seconds only, until they become limp, and lift them out.

1. Place a blanched leaf on a clean flat surface. 
2. Spoon about 2 tsp meat mixture onto leaf. 
3. Fold sides in.  Fold one side over and roll tightly.   Repeat with remaining filling. (You can freeze the stuffed leaves at this point.  Place on flat pan in freezer and then put in ziploc bag or container when frozen.)
4. Place dried apricots throughout your pan (see pictures above). 
5. In a large Dutch oven or thick-bottomed pan, place oil in the bottom. Nestle stuffed leaves in pan. 
6. Place apricots in between the stuffed leaves. Cover and cook over low heat for 5- 8 minutes or until the grape leaves begin to sweat.
7. Using all three tablespoons, place a little of the tamarind concentrate, if using, over the rolls.
8.  Combine lemon juice, salt, and water then add to pan, filling it ¾ full.
9.  Weigh down the grape leaves with a heat proof plate or board to prevent them from unraveling. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes. Alternatively, place the saucepan in an oven preheated to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and cook for an hour.
10. Spoon cooking liquid over the grape leaves occasionally. You will know they are done, when the grape leaves are neither soupy nor dry.
11. Tilt pan sideways over serving platter, allowing the grape leaves to tumble out. Try not to handle them individually to reduce unraveling. Alternately you can try spooning them out very gently. (Spooning them out was fine in my experience).