chicken

Chicken Canzanese, Toasted Fennel/Shallot Brown Rice

/ Ren

Originally a peasant dish (perhaps of stewing hen or rooster) from the Abruzzo region in Italy, Americans were likely  first introduced to this classic in a 1969 article from the New York Times.

My riff on America’s Test Kitchen’s modern adaptation (see video below) uses locally pastured chicken thighs, prosciutto, garlic, fresh herbs, chicken stock and white wine, all served over fennel-scented brown rice with toasted shallots and flat-leaf parsley..

Pollo Canzanese (serves 2-4)

4 large skin-on, bone-in, pastured chicken breasts
2 ounces prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2-3 cloves garlic, slivered (not minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons sprouted wheat or spelt flour
1-1/4 cups dry white wine
3/4 cup homemade chicken stock
2 bay leaves (fresh preferred)
2 sprigs rosemary, stripped, leaves chopped (reserve the stems)
8 leaves fresh sage
3 whole cloves
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cultured butter, cold
freshly-cracked black pepper

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Refrigerate, uncovered 4 hours or overnight to help ensure a crispy skin when cooked.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add prosciutto and sauté until lightly brown, about 2 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the prosciutto and garlic to a side dish.

Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.  Once the oil is shimmering, season the chicken with pepper and place in the hot oil skin-side down.  Allow the chicken to cook without moving until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Turn the chicken over cook another 5 minutes, again without moving.  Transfer the chicken to a side dish.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of olive oil/fat, reserving the remainder for the rice.

Sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk continuously to form a light roux, about 1 minute.

De-glaze the pan with the wine, taking care to scrape up all the brown bits (the fond) from the bottom.

Add the cooked prosciutto and garlic back into the pan along with the bay leaves, sage, cloves, rosemary stems (without leaves) and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.

Add the chicken to the pan, making sure that the volume of liquid is sufficient to rise to a point just below the crisp chicken skin.  Pour a little liquid off if there’s too much, or add a little stock if there isn’t enough.

Place the uncovered pan into a 325 degree oven and cook until the chicken is fork tender, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice..

1 cup germinated brown rice, rinsed
2-1/4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon reserved oil/fat
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, cracked
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley

Toast the fennel in a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the reserved oil/fat and shallots and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Add the rice and stir to coat.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until done, about 45 minutes.

To Finish and Serve

Remove the pan with the chicken from the oven.  Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil.

Working quickly, put the chicken pan on the burner over medium-high heat. Pick out and discard the cloves, sage, bay and rosemary stems.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, chopped rosemary leaves, parsley and butter and whisk until smooth.

Line a platter with the rice and ladle the sauce over the rice.  Place the cooked chicken on top of the rice, drizzle with a little of the sauce and serve piping hot.

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Here’s that video..

Glazed Chicken Shichimi, Black Rice Noodles

/ Ren

Locally pastured chicken breasts are skinned and boned, then dusted in rice flour and quickly shallow-fried in peanut oil until golden in color.  The chicken is then placed in a hot oven for  about 15 minutes, basted twice with a mixture of wild honey, fermented tamari, Shichimi tōgarashi and a pinch of sea salt.  The finished chicken is served over organic black rice noodles and topped with chopped peanuts.  The whole dish is gluten-free..

“Dating at least to the 17th century, Shichimi tōgarashi (Japanese: 七味唐辛子, “seven flavor chili pepper”) is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients:

coarsely ground red chili pepper (the main ingredient)
ground sansho (Sichuan pepper)
roasted orange peel
black sesame seed
white sesame seed
hemp seed
ground ginger
nori or aonori

Some recipes may substitute or supplement these with poppy seed, yuzu peel, rape seed or shiso.

Shichimi should be distinguished from ichimi togarashi (一味唐辛子), which is simply ground red chili pepper, and means literally “one flavor chili pepper” (ichi meaning “one”).”  –Wikipedia

Orange and Fennel-Roasted Chicken

/ Ren

Orange and Fennel-Roasted Chicken, risotto with green beans, browned pearl onions and fried capicola..

Orange and Fennel-Roasted Chicken

Marinate locally-pastured chicken pieces (I’m using bone-in, skin-on thighs) in a mixture of raw olive oil, freshly-squeezed orange juice, garlic and cracked fennel seeds for 4-8 hours, turning once.

Remove chicken from refrigerator, wipe off excess marinade and season liberally with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper.  Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then roast in a 375 degree oven until crisp and the juices run clear, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute pearl onions and roughly-chopped dry coppa (capicola) in a bit of olive oil until nicely browned and slightly crisp.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions & coppa to a plate, then add bomba rice to the pan, stirring to coat each grain with the flavored oil that remains.

Add three times the amount of vegetable stock, chicken stock or water to the pan as you have rice, and allow it to come to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, add cut fresh green beans and allow to simmer, stirring continuously  until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.  Add the onions and coppa, stir to combine and remove from heat.  Allow to stand 3-5 minutes before spooning onto a serving dish.

Top cooked rice with the roasted chicken and pour the pan juices over the top.  Garnish with fennel fronds and serve immediately.

Speaking of leftovers..

/ Ren

Here’s last night’s chipotle-roasted chicken on a crisp cornmeal pizza crust with sliced red onions, fresh pineapple and some slightly burnt asadero.  Fresh cilantro from the patio..

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For the Crust  [makes 2 7-inch crusts] (adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/3 cups warm water
3/4 cups sprouted wheat flour, plus more for work surface
1/4 cup organic, stone-ground cornmeal, plus more for pizza stone
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water. Let stand until yeast is dissolved and mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.

Combine flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the yeast mixture and oil. Slowly stir ingredients with a wooden spoon just until dough starts to come together. Turn out dough on a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 7 to 10 minutes.

Divide dough into four 4-ounce balls. Place balls in a shallow oiled bowl, turning to coat with oil; cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone on lowest rack. Stretch dough into 7-inch rounds. Sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet.  Place dough rounds on top, and cooked until light golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Slide rounds onto pizza stone, and bake until crust is crisp and golden and toppings are bubbling, 5 to 7 minutes.

Chicken Adobado Pizza

/ Ren

Farm-fresh chicken pieces are marinated overnight in a mixture of ancho chiles, garlic, cumin, cloves and Mexican oregano, then slow-roasted, cooled and torn into chunks.  The pan juices are reduced with chopped fresh tomatoes until thick, then spread over a rustic cornmeal crust and topped with the chicken, yellow onions, fresh green chiles and queso anejo..

Chicken Adobado Pizza

For the Chicken and Sauce (adapted from a recipe by Rick Bayless)

2-3 joints of chicken
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cloves
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon piloncillo
3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn
2 tablespoons raw cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
sea salt

1 small yellow onion, chopped
1-2 fresh Anaheim chiles, sliced

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. When hot, toast the chiles for a few seconds per side, then transfer to a bowl.  Don’t let the chiles burn or they will be very bitter.  Add 1 cup hot water to the bowl, cover and let stand 20 minutes to rehydrate the chiles.

Place the garlic, oregano, pepper, cumin, cloves, paprika, piloncillo, salt and vinegar into a food processor along with the chiles and and its soaking water.  Process into a smooth, thin sauce.

Place the chicken in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the top.  Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning once.

Drain the chicken, reserving 1/4 cup of marinade.  Roast in a heavy skillet in a 300 degree oven until just done, then set aside to cool, taking care to collect the juices.

Pour the reserved marinade and collected juices into a clean pan set over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Add the tomatoes and cook until disintegrated, about 10 minutes.  Add onions and Anaheim chiles, reduce heat and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes.  Taste and adjust for seasoning and set aside to cool.

For the Crust  [makes 2 7-inch crusts] (adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/3 cups warm water
3/4 cups sprouted wheat flour, plus more for work surface
1/4 cup organic, stone-ground cornmeal, plus more for skillet
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water. Let stand until yeast is dissolved and mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.

Combine flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the yeast mixture and oil. Slowly stir ingredients with a wooden spoon just until dough starts to come together. Turn out dough on a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 7 to 10 minutes.

Divide dough into two balls. Place balls in a shallow oiled bowl, turning to coat with oil; cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Stretch dough into 7-inch rounds.  Sprinkle cornmeal on a skillet, pizza peel or inverted baking sheet.  Place dough rounds on top, and cook in a 400 degree oven until light golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

For the Pizza

1 cornmeal crust
1 cup roasted chicken, torn into chunks
1/2 cup thickened adobado with peppers and onions
1/4 cup Anejo cheese, shredded
chopped cilantro

Toss the chicken and adobado together, then spread over the top of the cornmeal crust.  Top with cheese and bake at 500 degrees until crisp and bubbly, about 8 minutes.  Garnish with fresh cilantro, cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Chicken Char Siu

/ Ren

Char siu translates literally as “fork burn/roast”, an ancient method of fire-roasting wild boar.  While most modern Chinese BBQ uses domestic pork (and lots of red food coloring), the flavors are  also well suited to chicken.  Here I have marinated chicken pieces in a mixture of fermented soy, sherry, hoisin, 5-spice, local raw honey, chili and red bean paste (with organic beet powder for color), then slow-roasted (3 hours at 15 degrees) them until fork-tender.  The sticky, hot, sweet and sour flavors play well with sesame-roasted asparagus on the side..

Chicken Char Siu

Sopes de Pollo Poblano

/ Ren

Yesterday’s leftover roasted chicken is slowly simmered in a deep red chili sauce with strips of fresh poblano, cumin and garlic, then spooned into a fried masa boat and topped with crisp white onions, fresh cilantro, avocado and bits of fresh cheese..

Sopes de Pollo Poblano

For the Sopes

8 oz fresh corn masa for tortillas
sea salt
1/4 cup asiento (dark lard)

Using a few drops of water if necessary, knead masa and salt together into a smooth dough.  Roll into a ball, wrap and let stand 1 hour. Divide dough into 2 large or 4 small balls then press into to ovals about 1/4 inch thick.    Flip the dough onto a hot dry comal and cook until slighty crisp and brown in spots, then use a spatula to transfer the tortilla to a clean surface.  Working quickly, use your fingers to pinch up a border about 1/2 high  around the edge, forming a boat.  Place the sopes into a well-greased skillet and brush liberally with melted lard. Shallow fry over medium heat until golden brown.

For the Pollo Poblano

2-3 pieces of roasted chicken, torn into long strips
2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 New Mexico chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 small poblano, stemmed, seeded and cut into strips
salt

Briefly toast the chiles and cumin in a dry skillet, then transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Add garlic and pulse to combine, then slowly add water and process into a smooth, thin paste.  Pour chile paste into a saucepan and add torn pieces of chicken and strips of poblano. Cover and simmer until heated through, about 20 minutes.

To serve, spoon chicken mixture into hot sopes and garnish with minced white onion, cilantro, fresh cheese and avocado slices.

The post is part of The Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Spanish Chicken and Rice with Roasted Vegetables, Butifarra, Morcilla and Chorizo

/ Ren

Pastured chicken pieces are roasted with winter vegetables then baked with stock-soaked bomba rice with saffron, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, piquillo peppers and butifarra, morcilla and chorizo sausages..

Spanish Chicken and Rice with Roasted Vegetables, Butifarra, Morcilla and Chorizo

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
1 large carrot, oblique-cut
1 leek, split, rinsed and sliced
1-2 bulb onions, sliced
6 cloves whole, unpeeled garlic
1 tablespoon pastured butter
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup filtered water
3/4 cup fire-roasted tomatoes
3-4 piquillo peppers, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup bomba rice, rinsed
1 quart homemade chicken stock, divided
saffron threads, crushed
1/3 pound morcilla (blood sausage), sliced
1/3 pound butifarra (white garlic sausage), sliced
1/3 pound Spanish cooking chorizo, cubed
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Stir in paprika, then add chicken and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper, add water then roast in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and add carrot, leek, onion and garlic and put back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin cooking rice in chicken stock with saffron threads.

Remove pan from the oven and transfer chicken and garlic to a cutting board and allow to cool enough to be handled.  Transfer the vegetables and cooking liquid to a Dutch oven. Add in rice and stir to combine.

Briefly sauté the sausage then add to the pot with vegetables and rice.  Stir in fire-roasted tomatoes.

Peel and chop the garlic.  Pull the chicken meat from the bones and tear into chunks. Add to the pot with the vegetables and pour in 1 cup of chicken stock.  Cook uncovered until most of the stock has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and parsley and piquillo peppers and allow to stand 10 minutes.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary and serve hot.

Chicken Neeka

/ Ren

Paprika-roasted chicken with Spanish onion, Roma tomatoes, sweet peppers, lemon, garlic and fresh herbs, served with pecorino-safflower orzo..

Chicken Neeka

Chicken Neeka

Serves 2-3

For the Orzo

1 cup orzo (semolina pasta)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups filtered water
2 tablespoons safflower threads (Carthamus tinctorius), crushed
1/4 cup aged pecorino, shredded
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Bring chicken stock and water to a boil.  Stir in orzo, reduce heat, cover and cook until barely tender (about 10 minutes).  Drain off all but a little water, then stir in the pecorino and parsley.

For the Chicken

2 pastured chicken breasts, cut in thirds
2 pastured chicken thighs, cut in half
melted butter
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon roasted paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
1 Spanish onion, chopped
4-6 sweet peppers, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
1 fresh lemon

Rinse the chicken and pat dry.  Place chicken in a heavy skillet, brush with melted butter and season with roasted paprika, sea salt and pepper.  Chop tomatoes, onions and peppers and scatter around the pan.  Place in a 400 degree oven until the chicken is crisp and juices run clear, about 20-25 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a side dish and put the skillet containing the vegetables on a burner over medium heat.

De-glaze the skillet with the juice of a lemon, then stir in garlic and sauté 30 seconds.  Stir in the chopped oregano, basil and parsley, then whisk in the butter, one piece at a time.

To serve

Spoon orzo into the center of a plate and place chicken pieces on top.  Spoon vegetables and sauce over the chicken, garnish with herbs and serve immediately.

Rustic Roast Chicken with Sweet Peppers and Sausage

/ Ren

Pastured chicken, sweet peppers, sausage, fresh herbs and garlicky croûtons. One of my personal favorites..

Rustic Roast Chicken

Rustic Roast Chicken with Sweet Peppers and Sausage

For the Bone Broth (adapted from a recipe by Thomas Keller)

5 pounds chicken parts such as necks, bones, backs, wings and feet
1 gallon cold, filtered water
1 3/4 cups carrots cut into 1-inch cubes
2 heaping cups leeks cut into 1-inch pieces (white and light green parts only)
1 1/2 cups Spanish onions cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bay leaf

Keller writes “As with all stocks, the goal is to remove impurities while extracting as much flavor and gelatin as possible from the bones, and the maximum flavor from the vegetables and aromatics.  You do this not only through gentle heat, but through gradual heat transitions as well; in other words, you don’t start with hot water, you begin with cold and bring it slowly up to heat”.

Rinse the chicken parts thoroughly under cold water to remove any remaining blood.  This helps to ensure that the resulting stock is clear, not cloudy.

Put all the bones into a large stock pot and add a gallon of cold water, just enough to cover the bones.  Slowly bring the liquid to a simmer and begin to skim as soon as the impurities rise to the top. Continue to simmer and skim until as much of the impurities have been removed as possible.

Add the vegetables and bay leaf and continue to simmer and skim for 45 minutes.  This recipes produces a lightly-flavored, gelatinous stock suitable for soups and braising.  For a stronger stock, simply continue to simmer and skim until the liquid has been reduced by 1/3 in volume.

Turn off the heat and let the stock rest 10 minutes to allow any particles left in the stock to settle to the bottom.

Ladle the finished stock through a strainer lined with a tea towel into a suitably large container, then transfer into quart jars set in a pan of ice water.  Allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator to keep for up to 3 days.

For the Vegetables

Split a number of sweet peppers, Spanish onion and plum tomatoes in half lengthwise and place cut side down in a skillet or on a parchment paper-lined tray.  Roast in a 375 degree oven until blistered but not blackened, about 30 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool enough to handle, then pull the skins off the peppers and tomatoes.

Coarsely chop the vegetables with fresh basil and oregano and set aside.

For the Chicken

Split large breasts and thighs into 2-3 pieces each and season lightly with sea salt and freshly-ground pepper.  Melt a couple of tablespoonfuls of chicken fat in a heavy skillet.  Add the chicken as soon as the fat is shimmering but not smoking, and brown well on all sides.  Transfer chicken to a plate.

Cut 1-2 pieces of Italian sausage on a deep bias so that there is a lot of exposed surface area.  Brown the sausage in the same pan that you used for the chicken.

Arrange chicken and sausage in a Dutch oven containing 1 cup of bone broth as shown below.  Scatter roasted vegetables over the top, and drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and place uncovered in a 375 oven until the chicken has finished cooking, about 15 minutes.

For the Croûtons

Steep a clove of garlic in pastured butter for a few minutes, then toss in roughly-torn pieces of bread and fry until golden brown.  Add chopped parsley and give the croûtons one more toss before setting aside.

To assemble, arrange alternating pieces of chicken and sausage on a plate and top with vegetables.  Tuck in some croûtons here and there, then drizzle all with some of the roasting juices.  Garnish with additional chopped herbs and serve immediately.

This post is part of The Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter Thursday

Kentucky Bourbon-Glazed Chicken

/ Ren

Local, pastured chicken brined overnight with garlic, peppercorns and lemon peel, then slow-roasted with homemade coarse mustard, wild honey, fresh tarragon and Kentucky bourbon..

Kentucky Bourbon-Glazed Chicken

Kentucky Bourbon-Glazed Chicken

For the Brine (adapted from a sub-recipe by Thomas Keller)

8 cups filtered water
1/3 cup kosher salt
2 oz raw honey
6 bay leaves
10 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a pot and boil for 1 minute to dissolve the salt.  Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.  Add chicken pieces to the brine and press to submerge.  Refrigerate overnight.

For the Glaze

1/4 cup homemade coarse mustard
2 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons pastured butter, melted
1 1/2 oz good Kentucky bourbon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white onion, minced
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, minced
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
sea salt and freshly-ground pepper

To prepare

Drain chicken and pat dry.  Lightly coat on all sides with glaze , then place in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Turn up the heat to 375 and cook another 10-15 minutes until the skin has crisped and the juices run clear.

Murgh Jalfrezi Pilau

/ Ren

A simple, inexpensive, healing curried chicken with rice..

Murgh Jalfrezi Pilau

Murgh Jalfrezi Pilau

Pastured chicken thighs, peppers, onions, tomatoes, ginger, cardamom, coriander, lemon juice, cilantro, cumin, chili pepper, turmeric, sea salt, black pepper and saffron.

Toast whole spices in a dry skillet over medium-low until fragrant, perhaps 5 minutes.

Add ghee, pastured butter or coconut oil to the pan and sauté chicken until brown on both sides.  Add vegetables and a little filtered water or chicken stock and remaining spices, cover and simmer until fork-tender (about 30 minutes).  Brighten with fresh cilantro and a little lemon juice just before serving.

Meanwhile, cook basmati rice in filtered water and/or coconut water and/or chicken stock with curry leaves (optional) until most of the liquid is absorbed, add saffron threads (optional) and seedless raisins, cover two minutes until raisins are plump.

Serve garnished with a dollop of yoghurt or Crème fraîche for a cooling contrast to the spicy curry.

This post is part of the Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet

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A Deadly Ingredient in a Chicken Dinner

/ Ren

By Douglas Gansler

Friday, June 26, 2009

“Most people don’t know that the chicken they eat is laced with arsenic. The ice water or coffee they enjoy with their chicken may also be infused with arsenic. If they live on or near a farm, the air they breathe may be infected with arsenic dust as well.

Why do our chicken, our water and our air contain arsenic? Because in the United States, most major poultry producers add an arsenic compound known as roxarsone to their chicken feed. Inorganic arsenic is a Class A carcinogen that has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and declines in brain function. Recent scientific findings show that most Americans are routinely exposed to between three and 11 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended safety limit.

The poultry industry has been using the feed additive roxarsone — purportedly to fight parasites and increase growth in chickens — since the Food and Drug Administration approved it in 1944. Turns out that the arsenic additive promotes the growth of blood vessels in chicken, which makes the meat appear pinker and more attractive in its plastic wrap at the grocery store, but does little else. The arsenic additive does the same in human cells, fueling a growth process known as angiogenesis, a critical first step in many human diseases such as cancer…”

Arsenic, Chinese Wheat Gluten, Antibiotics. What's in your chicken?

GM Corn, Arsenic, Contaminated Chinese Wheat Gluten, Antibiotics. What's in your chicken?

Coconut Chicken Curry

/ Ren

Moisten unsweetened organic coconut with maple syrup- just enough to give it a pale tan color, then place into a 250 degree oven until dry and deep golden brown in color, about 30 minutes.

Poach skinless bone-in chicken in stock with celery, onion, carrot and peppercorns until just cooked.  Transfer chicken to a cutting board to cool. Reserve the stock.

Gather cardamom, corriander, cloves, turmeric, cayenne and cumin. Toast the whole spices in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until they pop, then grind and combine with the other ground spices.

Saute onions and spices in ghee until onions are soft.

Add reserved poaching stock and the juice of 1 lemon to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Add torn, poached chicken, raisins and coconut milk and continue to simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Add garbanzo beans, stir and simmer another 5 minutes.  Adjust seasoning.

Serve with basmati rice and top with scallions, chopped peanuts and toasted coconut

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo

/ Ren

Cooked chicken, andouille sausage, onions, jalapeno, parsley, Cajun spices, scallions, celery, garlic, bell pepper, oil, flour, chicken stock, S&P, cayenne and bay.

Begin by browning sausage in a tablespoon of oil.  Remove sausage to drain, reserving rendered fat.

Brown chicken in reserved fat with dry herbs and spices.  Remove chicken to drain, reserving fat.

Add enough butter to approximately double the amount of fat in the ban and allow to brown slightly. Add flour in batches, cooking and stirring continuously until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Continue stirring and cooking until the roux has the color of chocolate, about 20 mintes.

Add the vegetables (except scallions and parsley) to the roux and cook 5 minutes.

Add chicken stock and the reserved chicken and sausage.  Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 1 1/2 hours.  Adjust seasoning.

Put a mound of cooked rice in a soup bowl and top with scallions and parsley.  Ladle hot gumbo over the top and serve with lots of hot sauce.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Chicken & Biscuits

/ Ren

A one-skillet dinner, adapted from a recipe at the always-tasty What Geeks Eat

Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme, celery, onion, potato, carrots, milk, baking powder, S&P, roasted chicken stock concentrate, all-purpose flour, white wine, butter and bone-in chicken thighs.

Prep the vegetables.  Cook the potatoes to about half done in a little olive oil and butter.  Add the rest of the vegetables and continue to cook until colored but slightly underdone (the flavor of root vegetables is enhanced by browning).  Set the vegetables aside.

Add a little more butter & olive oil to the pan and brown the chicken well on all sides.  Continue to cook the chicken until slightly underdone.  Set the chicken aside.

Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add herbs, liquid chicken stock and a spoonful of the concentrate to pan and reduce over high heat until reduced by half.  Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Add the chicken and vegetables back to the pan and simmer over low heat while preparing the biscuits.

Make a basic biscuit dough from flour, salt, baking powder, milk and cold butter.  Roll the dough into a cylinder then cut into 1 inch thick biscuits.  Place biscuits on top of chicken then put the skillet into a 400 degree oven until the chicken is cooked through and the biscuits are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve 2 thighs and biscuits per adult.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Roast Chicken and Potatoes with Red Pepper Rapini

/ Ren

The goal- a savory, moist and tender bird with really crispy skin. The key to success here is to brine the bird overnight, then dry-pack it the next morning.

For the brine, kosher salt (about 1 cup per gallon of water), herbs, peppercorns and garlic. Boil all ingredients together for 5 minutes to dissolve the salt and allow the herbs to release some oil.

Add enough ice water to cool the brine and increase the volume according to the amount of salt you used.  When cool, pour the brine over the chicken and add a little olive oil.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, discard the brine and thoroughly rinse the chicken inside and out. Pat it dry, then make a dozen or so slits into the legs, thighs, breast and back of the bird.

Combine 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper and fresh chopped herbs such as savory, sage rosemary and time.

Moisten the chicken with olive oil (a mister works great for this), then rub all of the salt mixture onto the bird, thinly covering as much surface area as you can. Refrigerate for the rest of the day.

Prepare the rapini by washing it and removing 3/4 of the stem end. Chop the rest into 2-inch pieces. Plunge into rapidly boiling water for 1 minute, drain and transfer to ice water to stop the cooking process.  Drain again and set aside.

Roast the chicken breast side down for 25 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Turn the chicken breast side up, add seasoned potato wedges and continue to roast until an instant thermometer reads 135 degrees in the deepest area of the breast, about 20 minutes.  Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, and continue to roast until skin is crisp and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 20 minutes.  Set aside to rest.

Meanwhile, make pan gravy by pouring off the grease from the roasting pan, leaving the fond behind.  Loosen the brown bits by adding a little white wine and scraping with a wooden spoon. Add this to a pot with chicken stock, and quickly reduce over high heat. Thicken with a little rice flour if necessary.

Saute scallions and garlic in olive oil.  Add the drained rapini and red pepper flakes.  Sautee all together until tender, about 5 minutes.

Carve, plate and serve.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Chipotle Black Bean Chicken Chili (favorite)

/ Ren

Crushed tomatoes, black beans, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, roasted peppers, chicken, corn, chipotle powder, smoked sweet paprika, sea salt and cheddar cheese.

Brine* the chicken for 1 hour before starting the recipe. Brining makes the chicken much more tender and juicy.

In a Dutch oven, saute the onions, jalapeno, garlic and chipotle until tender, about 7 minutes.

Add tomatoes and peppers, simmer 10 minutes.

Brown the corn with cilantro.  Browning releases the sugars and intensifies the corn flavor.

Add the corn, drained black beans and a large spoonful of nutritional yeast flakes.  Stir and simmer 10 minutes.

Cook the (rinsed and patted dry) chicken in hot oil with smoked paprika until almost done, about 5 minutes per side.

Cut the chicken into bite size cubes, add to the chili and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Serve topped with shredded cheese and slivered scallions.

* “The brining process forces water into the muscle tissues of the meat by a process known as diffusion and osmosis. This additional moisture causes the muscle tissues to swell and hold more water. The resulting water in the muscle tissues will make the meat more moist and tender. Any spices herbs or other flavorings you add to the brine solution will get taken deep into the meat with the water.”

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