Rosted Duck Farfalle Sportello

During a recent visit to Boston, our son took us to Sportello on Congress street, in the rapidly changing seaport district. The kitchen is integrated into the dining area almost like an upscale diner as you watch the chefs prepare dishes from your counter seats.  They excel in pasta dishes - I had rigatoni with guanciale (a highly seasoned and delicious Italian cured meat) and our son had a pasta with braised rabbit and green olives.  Both dishes were constructed in skillets from previously prepared ingredients including rich stocks and fresh herbs.  Both and were inspirational enough for me to go home and reverse engineer the basic approach.

I decided to use duck, and combined with several different combos of veggies.  I prepared a rich duck stock which I used to prepare a sauce base for the dishes.
1 duck

4 oz small farfalle or other pasta
5 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained (not marinated)
2 Tbsp frozen peas
2 slices bacon, diced
1/3 lb roasted duck meat, sliced
1 cup duck or chicken stock
2 Tbsp butter at room temperature

palmful fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 lemon, sliced

Roast your duck. I rotisseried my duck for 1-1/2 hour in a George Foreman rotisserie after tying it up with butcher string.

Another time, I first boiled the duck for 20 minutes in a large pot of water, and then tied it up and rotisseried it for an hour. Both came out about the same and just delicious. I simply seasoned with coarse salt, black pepper and a dash or herbs de Provence. I let the duck cool for about 15 minutes, and then carved the duck.

I reserved the carcasses and made a fantastic duck stock which I used the second time I made this dish.

If you don’t have a rotisserie, just roast your duck in the oven at 375F in a baking pan for about 2 hours, or until nicely browned. Some people score the duck skin to allow fat to flow out, but I don’t find that necessary. Whatever you do, separate and reserve (freeze) the duck fat for flavoring other dishes. I freeze the carved duck pieces for use in dished later.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Season it well with salt. Cook the pasta for 7-9 minutes, just until al dente and drain. Toss with a dash of olive oil and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large non-stick skillet just until browned. Turn out to a paper towel and wipe the pan of any residual bacon fat. Heat a dash of duck fat in the non-stick skillet. Add the mushrooms, and cook on high until they release what water they will. Allow them to brown just a bit. Add the artichokes and peas and return the bacon to the pan.

Add the duck and just heat through.  Now add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the butter to thicken and then add the pasta. Heat through, stir and serve in bowls. Garnish with parsley and serve with lemons.

Serves 2.

Cook’s Note: Another time I used mushrooms, broccoli, capers and red pepper flakes. Choose your favorite veggies, and always have carved roasted duck pieces in your freezer at the ready!

And before you reserve your rotisseried duck for all these wonderful dishes, of course you have to taste it.  Exquisite.

Braised Hoisin Chicken

This is quick and flavorful -faster than take-out, I bet you.  Few ingredients, few pans - great for small apartments.
4 chicken thighs, trimmed

Sauce:
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Nam Pla, Thai fish sauce
2 Tbsp pale dry sherry
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili paste with garlic

Heat a dash of canola oil in a large non-stick skillet to shimmering. Place chicken thighs, skin-side down and brown for about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper generously. Shake pan often. Turn thighs over and brown second side about 2-3 minutes.

While the other side browns, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Carefully pour the sauce alongside the chicken thighs, but not on top. Allow the thighs to braise in the sauce for about 10-15 minutes, covered, until the thighs are cooked through and the juices run clear.

Serve chicken with rice and some vegetables, and perhaps some thin Chinese pancakes as in moo-shu dishes, if you have some.

Serves 4.

Orange Lemon Basil Turkey Paillards

I keep asking myself why we don't eat more turkey.  Actually many markets such as Trader Joe's have wonderful turkey tenderloins throughout the year which are gems to prepare in many different ways.

As basil becomes plentiful in the garden, try this quick stove-top pan preparation; no hot oven work in this summer heat.  Don't wait for Thanksgiving to ask yourself once again...
1-1/2 lb boneless turkey breast
Dash dried red pepper chili flakes
1 cup basil leaves, chopped
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1/2 lemon

Slice the turkey breasts about 1/4-inch thick, at a steep angle, to make 8-10 medallions (paillards). Heat a bit of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the turkey paillards and brown the first side over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and add half the basil.  Flip the turkey paillards to brown the second side, another 3 minutes or so. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with remaining basil and remove pail lards to a plate. Cover to keep warm.

Add the orange and lemon juices to the pan and boil down a minute or two to make a glaze. Plate the turkey and drizzle with the citrus glaze. Serve with your favorite sides.

Serves 4.

Provencal Herbed Chicken Wings with Gorgonzola and Celery

What's all this I hear about BBQ wings? I wish I had a good SNL Emily Litella comeback to this, because grilled wings are so often associated with sweet, red, goopy (perhaps) sauces.  And sometimes I feel they are getting too hyped up.

What happened to the simple herbed (and garliced!) chicken wing?

Enter Mark Bittman who proposes such a thing.  Here is my take on his simple approach to a most wonderful cut of the chicken - the wing.  Although I designed my own marinade here, and still go for an accompaniment of blue cheese dip with celery, I really want you to look at Mark's innovative grilling technique, which has transformed the way I grill chicken of any shape or size, these days.

Thanks, Mark.
1 dozen wings, separated
2 ribs celery, cut into dipping matchsticks

Wing Marinade:
2 Tbsp herbes de Provence
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, pushed through press
1 tsp Kosher coarse salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1/2 cup oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice or rice vinegar

Gorgonzola dip (see link)

Mix together the wing marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Toss marinade together with the chicken wings and allow to marinate at least an hour or even better, overnight.

Heat grill to high. Turn one side off and place wings on the side tuned off. Close the grill and allow to cook about 8-10 minutes. Reduce the middle and/or other side to medium and flip the wings to grill their other side on the other (hot) side of the grill. Cook for about another 10 minutes, turning once or twice, until the wings are cooked through and browning up nicely.

Serve with celery sticks and Gorgonzola dip.

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer or 3-4 as a meal.

Turkey Thighs Roasted with Chorizo

During the holidays I always ask myself why we don't eat more turkey - so flavorful and rich.  Of course we don't regularly have the holiday hoards a large turkey will feed.  So I turn to turkey pieces such as thighs.

A bit of salt and pepper is pretty much all you need, as turkey is so flavorful.  But jazzing it up with some rosemary and chorizo is so worth the extra minute or two.  Happy un-holidays!
2 Large turkey thighs
2 large links fresh chorizo, or favorite sausage
1 Tbsp rosemary
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 375F. Bone the turkey thighs carefully with a sharp boning knife, leaving each thigh one whole piece. Reserve bones for soup, if desired.

Lay thighs skin-side down on a flat surface and lay one sausage in the crevice where the bone used to be. Pull both sides of the thigh over the sausage and flip over. Lay thighs in a large greased roasting pan. Sprinkle thighs with rosemary and red pepper flakes. Salt and pepper generously, to taste. Spray thighs with a bit of canola oil and place in oven.

Roast thighs for about 20 minutes. Add the wine and baste the thighs. Return to oven and roast another 20-30 minutes, until just cooked through and the juices run clear. I use a digital thermometer which I insert into the center of the thigh before roasting. I monitor the temperature during roasting, and when it hits 155F, I remove the thighs.

When the thighs are cooked, remove from oven and place thighs on a cutting board. Cover thighs with aluminum foil. This lets the juices redistribute. It also allows the thighs to raise to final temperature - you can expect about a 10 degree rise on sitting 15 minutes. When I remove at 155F, I typically see 165F when ready to eat.

While allowing thighs to rest, heat juices in pan and add a bit of water if necessary. Pour juices into a bowl for serving.

Slice each thigh lengthwise into 2-3 1-inch wedges each, and lay flat on a plate to uncover sausage center. Serve with pan juices.

Serves 4.

Chicken and Chorizo with Spinach Peppers and Leek

Simple comfort food.
6 chicken thighs
1 red pepper, sliced
1 leek, cleaned and diced
dash red pepper flakes
1/2 lb (2-3 links) chorizo sausage, sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped

Heat a bit of olive oil in anon-stick skillet, and brown the chicken, skin-side down for 3-5 minutes. Turn chicken over when nicely browned and brown the other side another 3-5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a bowl.

Add the red peppers, leek, red pepper flakes (to taste) and chorizo to the skillet. Cook until the chorizo is beginning to brown, and the veggies are softening, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the wine and broth, and the spinach. Cover and allow the spinach to cook down and soften. Stir well and then nestle the chicken into the spinach sauce. Cover and cook about 15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through.

Serves 4.

Roasted Chicken with Spring Vegetables and Andouille

It's spring somewhere on the planet.
1 4-ish lb roaster chicken
1 bunch (6-8) fresh varietal carrots, peeled
2 large fresh spring onions, coarsely chopped
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and cut into coarse matchsticks
2 links Andouille sausage, cut into 4-6 pieces

palmful fresh lemon balm, minced
1/2 palmful fresh oregano, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
palmful fresh lemon thyme sprigs
2 dozen fresh sage leaves

Preheat the oven to 425F. Mix together the lemon balm, oregano and garlic with the olive oil in a small bowl.

Cut the carrots in half.  Lay the chopped vegetables in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper generously. Stir the mixture together. Roast veggies for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile spatchcock the chicken by cutting the back portion out with strong poultry shears. You can reserve the back for stock. Spreading the chicken out on a clean surface, press the breast with your palms to flatten the bird.

When the veggies have roasted, remove the pan from the oven and lay the chicken onto the veggies. Scatter the andouille sausage around the chicken. Paste the herb mixture onto the chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Finally, scatter the thyme and sage leaves about the dish.

Reduce the oven to 375F and roast the chicken for about an hour, until the juices run clear.

Serves 4-6.

Mint and Lemon Balm Chicken Kebabs on Naan

Here's more on the pomegranate theme.  Mint and lemon balm come together with aromatic pomegranate vinegar for a flavorful marinade.  Perfect for keeping the grill stoked this summer.
Marinade:
1/2 cup pomegranate wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup mint leaves, packed, finely chopped
1 cup lemon balm leaves, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp powdered coriander
1/2 tsp powdered cumin
1 tsp salt
Freshly found black pepper

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
4 naan Indian flatbreads

Mix together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. One by one, lay each thigh on the cutting board, lengthwise aligned horizontally. Cut into 3-4 slices vertically. You should have approximately 1x2-inch pieces. Place chicken in marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, but all day is even better.

Soak eight 6-inch wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes. Fold each piece of chicken in half and thread onto skewers, about six to a skewer.

Heat grill to high. Lay skewers onto grill and cook for about 10-12 minutes, turning every 2-4 minutes. Grill until chicken is just cooked through.

Meanwhile, toast the naan bread on the grill. When piping hot, lay each toasted naan on a plate and top with a skewer of grilled chicken. Serve immediately with sliced lemons.

Serves 4-6.

Cook's Note:  Lemon balm is a nice, light herb, imparting a lemony note when sprinkled on meat or fish, or used in a marinade.

Great paired with fresh mint on fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream, or lemon sorbet!

If you only have pomegranate molasses, mix 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses with 1/3 cup red wine vinegar and use for this recipe.

Chicken Tarragon Dijon Roasted with Olives Garlic and Potatoes

Here is yet another variation of Chicken Dijon, here paired with tarragon.  In this preparation, olives and potatoes baked with the chicken make an instant side - fast and easy for a weeknight dinner.
5 chicken legs & thighs
4-5 large Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup pitted Calamata olives
1/4 cup pitted Calvestrano olives
1/3 cup tarragon Dijon mustard (or regular)
1 Tbsp dried tarragon leaves
1 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375F. Toss together the potatoes and garlic with the olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Layer the potatoes in a large oiled roasting pan. Place chicken legs and thighs on top of potatoes. Brush the chicken with the mustard and sprinkle with the tarragon. Salt and pepper to taste. Scatter th olives about the chicken, and pour the broth onto the potatoes in between the chicken.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4-6.

Chicken Dijon with Leek Capers and Sun-dried Tomatoes

I love Chicken Dijon; can't count the ways.  Here's yet another way with the tang of capers balancing the sweet tartness of sundried tomatoes.
4 large or 6 medium chicken thighs, skin trimmed
1/8 lb apple smoked bacon diced, about 2-3 slices
2 Tbsp butter
1 leek, cleaned and diced
1/4 cup oil-cured sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup sherry
3 Tbsp good French Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp capers, drained
1/2 cup sour cream

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet and add the back on. Cook until the bacon begins to crisp up and then remove to a plate with a slotted spoon. There should be enough fat in the pan to brown the chicken thighs; the combination of butter and bacon will give a rich flavor to the chicken and the sauce, and because so little bacon is used, there should be no need to spoon out any excess bacon drippings.

Place the thighs skin-side down in the skillet and brown over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes, until the skin is beginning to brown nicely.

Flip the thighs and brown the other side another 3-5 minutes. Remove the thighs to a plate.

Add the leek and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes to soften and color a bit.

Now add the sherry and mustard and stir to mix well. Return the bacon to the pan and stir. Nestle the chicken thighs into the simmering sauce, skin-side up. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the capers. Cover, and cook about 10 minutes, until the thighs are cooked through.

Remove the thighs to a plate and keep warm. Add the sour cream to the pan and stir well. Adjust the consistency with a bit of water or milk if necessary. Swirl a quarter of the sauce on each of four plates. Place a thigh on top of sauce. Serve with a French accent.

Serves quatre.

Roasted Chicken Dijon

I love chicken Dijon.  Or any mustard with chicken.  Here we brown the dark meat pieces and roast them first.  Then the breast meat is added under a blanket of dijon mustard sauce.  This method keeps the white meat moist and not overcooked, while still getting that deep flavor developed from dark meat roasted on the bone.
3 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3cup sour cream
1 roaster chicken, cut into 8-10 pieces
1 large onion, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence

Preheat oven to 375F. Heat a large oven-going pan, large enough to hold all the chicken pieces. Add a bit of olive oil and gently brown the chicken pieces with bone - leave the boneless breast pieces aside. After pieces are browned a bit, set aside and add the onion and carrot into pan. Raise heat and sweat the veggies. Allow to cook for about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Return the browned chicken to the pan, nestling into the veggies. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and add the chicken breast pieces to the pan. Whisk together the mustard, sour cream and wine in a small bowl. Pour over chicken and sprinkle with the herbs.

Return to oven and bake another 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken to serving platter and stir sauce and vegetables together to mix well. Pour a bit of saucy vegetables on top of chicken and serve remaining sauce on the side.

Serves 4-6.

Roasted Garlic Chicken with Chickpeas

Chicken and chick peas is a timeless combination into which I infuse the Mediterranean flavors of cumin, pimenton, cinnamon and rosemary.  I take a cue from Gordon Ramsey who had the great idea of roasting a chicken on a bed of garlic heads  But I prefer not to mash the chick peas when serving.
1 roasting chicken, washed and dried

1 can chick peas, drained
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp Pimenton, smoked Spanish paprika
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red Bermuda onion quartered
3 heads garlic, sliced in half at the waist
1 Tbsp fresh (2 tsp dried) rosemary
1/2 cup sherry
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1/2 lemon, remaining lemon half cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 425F. Toss together the chickpeas, spices and olive oil in a small bowl. Salt and pepper generously. Stuff the chicken with the chick peas. Place the garlic heads, cut-side down, in a roasting pan. Place chicken on garlic and then surround the chicken with the onion. Spray the chicken with oil and then sprinkle on the rosemary. Salt and pepper generously.

Roast the chicken for 20-30 minutes to brown up a bit. Reduce heat to 375F and continue cooking another 20-30 minutes. Add the sherry and water to the roasting pan and continue cooking another 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through - internal temperature is 165F.  Add a bit more water if the pan dries up too much.

Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the chick peas from the cavity and toss in a serving bowl with the lemon juice. Add a few of the roasted garlic cloves - just pop them out of their casings.  Remove chicken to a carving board and stir the juices in the roasting pan together - add a bit of water if necessary.  Pour the 'jus' into a serving bowl.  Carve the chicken and serve with the chick peas, remaining roasted garlic, roasting jus and lemon wedges.

Serves 6.

Chicken Sriracha Ras

Tenderized with a yogurt marinade, infused with Moroccan Ras el Hanout and jacked up with Sriracha - what more can you ask of a humble roasted chicken?

1 roasting chicken, cut into 6 serving pieces

Marinade:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
2 green onions
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp Ras el Hanout, Moroccan spice powder
2 tsp salt

The day before you want to eat, whip together the marinade ingredients in a blender until very smooth.  Place chicken pieces in a large bowl and toss well with the marinade.  Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator.

The next day, preheat oven to 450F.  Remove chicken from refrigerator, and ideally allow to come to room temperature.  Oil 1-2 large rimmed baking sheets, enough to hold the chicken in a single layer.  Lightly squeegee the chicken pieces of the marinade with your fingers and place on the baking sheets with as much space as possible between the pieces.  Sprinkle with salt and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.  Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is well browned and cooked through, where juices run clear when pierced.

Remove from oven and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4-6.

Turkey Shiitake Asian Fusion Risotto

By this time, you've carved up the leftover turkey and made some stock.  You might have even gotten sick of traditional comfort food, no matter how many group walks you take.  So use your leftovers in a completely different way.

Time for variety - we took the crew out for awesome Fusion Asian, Friday night after Thanksgiving, at Yama Zakura, just outside of Boston.  Besides their creative sushi [try the Lobster Bomb] they make a delicious Pad Thai with subtle sweet and sour notes, which I pull together in a risotto here.

Alessandro, my dear Italian friend, I hope I'm not going to hell for this!

1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 leek, cleaned and diced
1-1/2 cups short grain white rice
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 quart turkey stock (low salt)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Nam Pla, Thai fish sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup frozen peas
12 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup dried kizami nori, shredded roasted seaweed

Heat a slug of canola oil in a pot or small wok.  Toss in the carrot and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the leek and the rice and continue cooking, stirring often.  Add the garlic and ginger after about 5 minutes. Cook until the rice turns from translucent to white and the veggies begin to brown, about 8-10 minutes in total. Be careful not to let the rice burn.

Meanwhile, heat the stock to boiling.  Turn heat down to a low simmer.  Spoon a ladle of stock into a small bowl and add the dried mushrooms.  Stir them up to mix with the hot stock.  Set aside.

Add the wine and a ladle of stock to the rice and stir well.  Continue cooking, over a heat just high enough so the risotto gently bubbles.  Stir fairly often. Streak a wooden spoon across the rice, scraping the bottom of the pan.  When you can see the bottom of the pan, without rice and liquid re-filling the trough, you know you are ready for another ladle of stock.  Add another ladle of stock and continue cooking in the same way, until all the stock is used up.

While the rice cooks, check the mushrooms.  After about 10-15 minutes, they will be softened.  Pick them out of the stock and slice.  Return the stock to the pot with the remaining stock. 

Continue cooking the rice until you have only about 2 ladles of stock left.  Check the rice for doneness; it should begin to be al dente.  Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil, along with the mushrooms, peas and chicken to the rice.  Add the last ladles of stock.  Cook through until risotto is creamy and just al dente.  If necessary heat another cup or two of water in the microwave and add to rice as needed, until just cooked.

At the last moment, stir in the seaweed and serve in bowls, topped with a bit more seaweed.

Serves 4.

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Delicata Salad

Delicata squash has an appropriate name.  It's light and tender and you can definitely eat the skin. Forget the deep fried onion rings - roast up some delicata rings; serve 'em as an appetizers, on sandwiches, or adorn a fresh salad.

2 boneless chicken breasts
2 delicata squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 fresh ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 cups lettuce greens
1 cup radiccio leaves, broken up
6-8 radishes (red or white), sliced
4 Tbsp crumbled bue cheese
4 Tbsp sunflower seeds
crushed red pepper flakes

Dressing
juice of 1 lime
1/4 olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
dash salt and pepper

Heat grill, and heat oven to 425F.  Cut squash in half at the waist (not lengthwise) and scoop out seeds with a soupspoon.  Now slice squash into rings, about 1/4-inch thick.  Toss rings in a bowl with the oil and brown sugar.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Tip squash onto a rimmed jellyroll pan and roast for about 20-30 minutes, turning once.  The rings should brown well and be soft to the tip of a knife.

 

Meanwhile, salt and pepper chicken breasts, and grill over medium heat, about 5-8 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through.  Remove to a platter.

Whisk together the dressing.  Then assemble the salad by distributing the greens and radiccio evenly about 4 plates.  Slice the chicken thinly on a bias, and lay in a pinwheel pattern, alternating with the tomatoes, on top of greens.  Top with even portions of the squash and radishes.  Then scatter the blue cheese and sunflower seeds on top of salad.  Dress with dressing and the red pepper flakes.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  Delicata squash is usually about 6 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter.  On the East Coast US it can be hard to find, but seems to show up at the grocery stores in early fall.  Buy up a bunch when you see them!

Chicken Goddess Melissa

I call out a nod to Melissa Clark in this recipe.  Not so much because I consider her an unsung Goddess of cuisine; so much as this is basically her recipe for tenderizing and flavoring chicken.  As she says, using yogurt to tenderize chicken is common in Indian cuisine - as for example in Tandoori chicken.

Here, I come close to Melissa's New York Times recipe, but did not use basil or buttermilk.  First, all my basil at this point is preserved as pesto.  But, I didn't want to overpower the subtle flavor of the dressing with pesto.  Secondly, I rarely have buttermilk on hand but always have plain Greek yogurt. Melissa does say you can use yogurt, and you need good salt.  All other herbs are negotiable.
2 green onions, coarsely sliced
large palmful cilantro leaves
large palmful parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lime
1-1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt

1 roasting chicken, cut in half

Place first group of ingredients into a blender and process until you have a smooth, pourable Green Goddess dressing.  You may have to scrape down the sides to get everything to mix in well.  Pour about a cup of sauce in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Place chicken in a very large bowl or casserole and pour remaining dressing over chicken.  Rub the dressing in well, and turn chicken pieces over, bone-side up, so meat is well immersed in sauce.  Wrap with plastic and allow to marinate 24 hours.

The next day, preheat the oven to 500F.  Oil a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan.  Remove the chicken from the marinade, wiping marinade away from the meat.  Place in pan, bone-side down.  Pat the skin a bit with a paper towel to remove most of the marinade - this will allow the best browning and crisping of the skin.

Bake 30-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is nicely browned.  Remove chicken to serving platter and top with some of the reserved dressing.  Pass remaining dressing at table.


Serves 4.  Thank you Melissa.

Cacciatore Chicken with Mushrooms

A chicken in every pot is a gift. This is a way of roasting the chicken, to get that beautiful golden skin, while at the same time forming a delicious tomato sauce incorporating the juices from the chicken pieces.
1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces (or 8-10 pieces chicken)
1 lb fresh baby Portabello mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried Italian herbs, separated
1 Tbsp fresh chives, minced

Heat oven to 375F.  Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions for about 8-10 minutes, until softened and beginning to color.  Add garlic and one teaspoon of the herbs and cook another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.  Add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste and cook for about 10-15 minutes to thicken and reduce in volume a bit.  Stir in the Balsamic vinegar and pour sauce into a large oiled roasting pan. 

Nestle chicken pieces in the sauce, spray with oil, salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle on the remaining teaspoon of herbs.  Bake for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile sauté the mushrooms in a large skillet with just about a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil.  Allow the mushrooms to loose their water and brown up a bit.  Distribute the mushrooms onto the chicken and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Sprinkle the chives over the chicken and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Arroz con Pollo y Chorizo

Rice with chicken and chorizo - paired with artichokes and black beans.  For me a go-to single-skillet meal, rich and fulfilling after any hard day's work.
1 large boneless chicken breast or 2-3 boneless chicken thighs, cubed
6-inches chorizo sausage, sliced
1 cup rice (I used short grain brown)
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
1 tsp cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp cumin powder)
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 cups water or broth
1 cab black beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz (1/2 bag) frozen artichoke hearts

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet and brown the chicken and chorizo for about 5-8 minutes.  Set aside.  Toss in the onions and peppers along with the cumin seeds and rosemary in the same skillet, and cook about 5 minutes, until beginning to soften and color a bit.  Set aside with the meat.

Ad about a tablespoon of canola oil to the pan and pour in the rice.  Cook gently, stirring often until the rice changes to a whiter color, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the water to the pan and then nestle in all the veggies and meat.  Bring to a boil, stir, and reduce heat to a gentle low simmer.  Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. 

Finally, top the rice with beans and artichokes and continue cooking another 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.

Serves 4.

Cook's note: This is a classic, and most flexible dish.  You will often see it prepared with chicken on the bone - thighs and drumsticks, for example.  Meat on the bone can add more flavor, but may take just a bit longer to cook.

Peach Chicken Charlotte

Summer; and fruit trees leaning heavily with sweet peaches.

Virginia; and purple mountain majesty above the fruited plains.

Just west of Charlottesville, Virginia, in Crozet, you will see what Katherine Lee Bates meant penning America the Beautiful. Inspired originally by Colorado's Pikes Peak, the wonder she describes is equally revealed by the Great Smokey Mountains bounding Charlottesville.

Now to put those peaches to good use.

Our dear Aunt Charlotte, used to bake a wonderfully simple chicken dish with salsa and white wine.  Here is a version of her dish using Peach Salsa from nearby Charlottesville.

12-16 oz peach salsa, or other hot and sweet salsa
1/3 cup white wine
6 chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
4 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced, or 8 oz frozen sliced peaches
2 tsp herbes de Provence, or Italian herbs

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Mix the salsa and the wine together and pour into an oiled 13x9 casserole.  Nestle the chicken thighs into the salsa, distribute the peach slices about the chicken and into the salsa.  Spray the thighs lightly with oil.  Salt and pepper generously and sprinkle with the herbs.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4.