Castles in the Sky Sampler

Here it is, completed through part 8. One third down, two thirds to go!

Chicken, Broccoli, and an Easy, Delicious, Elegant, French Dessert

I'm sure, like me, you all eat quite a bit of chicken, but are always looking for new ways to make it so it doesn't become tiresome. Here are my recipes from last night's dinner, for a new way to serve roast chicken, a new take on broccoli, and then the best part - an uber-simple, ultra-delicious, traditional French country dessert: Pear Clafouti.

The best part is that all of these ingredients are seasonal ingredients so they are fresh. You will see that you can easily adapt the Clafouti recipe for whatever fruit is in season. It's so delicious.

 

Chicken with Croutons

What you want to start with is pre-heating your oven to 425. I actually used a half sheet (aka Jelly Roll pan) to roast my chicken because it gives you a more even browning, and more uniformly crisp skin.

Slice one onion and place it in the pan where the chicken will be roasting.

Pat your 4-5 lb chicken dry (otherwise it won't brown), and then truss it up like a cheap date by tucking the wing tips under it's back, and tying the legs together at the ankle, then set it on top of the sliced onions (the onions will burn but the will lend an amazing taste). Sprinkle salt and pepper in the cavity, and then quarter two lemons and stuff them in the cavity. Melt (or use room temperature) 2 tbs of butter (NOT MARGARINE!!) and massage it into the skin. The milk fats in the butter burn, helping to give the skin that nice golden brown crisp skin. Continue by sprinkling additional salt and pepper on the skin. Once your oven has reached temperature, put the bird in for 1 hour and 15 to 1 hour and 30, or until the juices run clear when you prick the space between the drum stick and the body. (I checked mine at 1 hour 15 and it was great, but I think it was not quite 4 lbs).

When the chicken is ready for removal, take it out, and then set it on the counter, and tent it with tin foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. If you carve it right away, the juices will run out and you will have a dry chicken. If you let it rest for 15 minutes, it allows the juices to settle back into the meat so it is juicy. 

While the chicken is resting, you will want to take your cubed baguette (cut your baguette into 3/4" or so cubes), and then saute them in olive oil until golden brown, adding salt and pepper to taste. Once they are done, set them on the platter that you will serve your chicken from. 

Now that your chicken is rested, carve it, setting the pieces on top of the croutons. Make sure that any juices that run out during carving be drizzled on top of the chicken and croutons. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Roasted Broccoli

I'm not sure that this could be any easier. Pre-heat your oven to 375. I took one head of broccoli, cut it down as in the picture, and spread it on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over broccoli, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste, and thinly slice two cloves of garlic. Toss with your hands to mix all ingredients together. Shave fresh Parmeggiano on top of the broccoli. DON'T USE THAT CRAP IN THE GREEN CONTAINER!!! If you won't go buy a fresh wedge of real Parmeggiano, then just leave out this ingredient altogether because it makes a huge difference. Anyway, roast your veggies for oh, about 10+ minutes. You will know when they are done. Really, you could do this with whatever veggies are in season.

 

Pear Clafouti

(Recipe Courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa) 

This traditional French country dessert is usually made with cherries, but in the spirit of seasonal living I decided to try the pear version as made by Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa). Really, this was so easy to make, and the results were outstanding, easy, delicious, and elegant!

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons pear brandy (recommended: Poire William) (I didn't have any, and couldn't obtain it at the local DABC store, so I substituted Amaretto liquor in its place which is the closest thing I could think of, and which added a nice taste to)
• 2 to 3 firm but ripe Bartlett pears
• Confectioners' sugar
• Creme fraiche

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar and cinnamon. (I didn't have this exact size so I used a cake pan).

Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and pear brandy (or amaretto). Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes (I did 40 minutes since I used a cake pan which was deeper than the dish she recommended). Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and creme fraiche.

Chocolate Chip Scones

 

I have a great picture to show you how lovely the scones came out, but for some reason my computer won't recognize the picture on my camera. Le Sigh.

In any event, I was reminiscing about these great Chocolate Chip Scones that I used to get from Yura's, right next door to my ballet studio (many moons ago). And by the way the scones are not the only thing that they make so fabulously - it's a great little gourmet cafe with lots of delicious foods.

ANYWAY.

I was craving some scones and so whipped up a bunch. Here's the recipe. I've adapted it from a recipe in the Bon Appetit Cookbook.

2 cups of unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/3 cup PLUS 3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) of chilled, unsalted butter, cubed
8 oz of chocolate chips (or so)
2/3 cup of chilled Buttermilk (I actually used 2/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt instead of the Buttermilk)
1  large egg yolk
1 tsp of Vanilla extract

Combine all dry ingredients, less chocolate chips, into a large mixing bowl. Mix in butter until the butter is the size of small peas, and your dough looks like coarse meal. Mix in chocolate chips. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolk, and extract and then add it to your dry ingredients, mixing until the ingredients are in moist clumps.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, Fahrenheit.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather all dough into a ball, kneading out until it is combined. Flatten to a 3/4 inch thickness. Cut dough using a 2 inch cookie cutter and line on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about an inch apart. Gather scraps and roll out again until you have used all dough.

Sprinkle tops of scones with sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine were done in 15).

Enjoy!!

The Reed Shirtdress

Not too many months ago Anthropologie carried this fabulous shirt dress. It reeks of "Donna Reed", and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, insomuch as that is universally flattering.  Hmm... Ironically (or not so?) it is called the Reed Shirtdress.

I popped over to their site this morning to see their new wares for spring, and what to my wondering eyes should appear but this very same dress - this time in a range of colors to purchase! I wish I had the money to buy another one - it's just such an amazing dress and so comfortable. I've truly enjoyed wearing it.

Dear reader, whoever you are, please go buy one. You won't regret it.

A Martha Stewart Recipe - No Go

As I was recently at my mother in law's house I noticed a few recipes in Martha Stewart Living that I thought I would give a try. The first one, Chicken Paillards with Lemon-Butter Sauce was quite delicious. I could eat this all day long.

Inspired by my first experience, I decided to try the second, Pork Paillards with Sour Cream-Paprika Sauce. The picture looked great (which I suppose is the point of food porn right?) and it looked promising as I cooked it up, but the result was surprisingly disappointing.

I think the first few bites were ok, but after that both husband and I lost interest. Not that great, and I probably won't make this one ever again.

On the up-side, the dogs seemed to enjoy it, but they aren't that discriminating!! :-)

Terry Border

                                                                   (Caribbean Jerk)

I just got an e-mail from Huffington Post this morning highlighting the Bent Art of Terry Border. It's pretty amusing stuff, and I would totally consider buying his book based on what I saw in the slideshow. Take a look!

Unique Items

Does everyone love Anthropologie as much as I do? If I could, I would buy the entire contents of their website (at least all of the home goods) at once! Maybe their items are all made in China (God I hope not!) but they all have such an artisanal, and at times antique-ish quality that I just love. Something that I might find in one of the antique mills in upstate NY. I would love to have these coordinating serve-ware sets off their website: Salad servers and Serving Ladles.

Speaking of artisanal items, I love Beekman 1802. Not only do these gentlemen live organically and seasonally at their home/farm in Sharon Springs, NY, but they have involved the local craftsmen to create a line of fabulous house and bath wares (and yummy Goats Milk cheese!). I really would love to have their Fruit Spoon and their Iron Blocks. 

Things I Love in the Kitchen

As anyone who knows me can attest, I love kitchen things. I love to cook well, and I like to have tools that help my cook. A few Christmases ago, my husband was lovely enough to get me a three-piece Global knife set. They are super sharp and I very much enjoy using them. I would love to expand my knife set at some point, and I would love to do so with some of these lovely Shun knives from Sur La Table. I just adore the wooden handles!

Pork Spare Ribs - Venetian Style

The other day I happened to catch a show on PBS called "Gourmet's Adventures with Ruth", wherein Ruth Riechl of Gourmet Mag fame visited Venice with Dianne Wiest to take some cooking classes with Enrica Rocca. Apparently I am late to the game since this was an episode from Season 1, and I think they are now in Season 3...

BUT ANYWAY!

Being a glutton for Venice since our trip there, I decided to give a try to the spare ribs they made. Here is my adventure, with a few pictures. The link to the actual recipe, HERE.

You need:

2lbs of pork spare ribs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
2 tbs of fresh rosemary (I used dried, and only had 1 tbs, so I added one tbs of dried Herbes de Provence, which was equally delicious)
3/4 cup of dry white wine (I never use anything I won't drink so I actually used a great Idaho Riesling)
3/4 cup of water

Normally, you are supposed to hack the ribs in half crosswise, but I don't have cleaver so I made them whole.

First you want to heat a large skillet (I used my 12" Le Creuset pot) on medium-high, adding in 1-2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil until the oil shimmers. Brown your ribs as follows in batches (so you don't cool your pan too much, and get an even cooking). After each batch cooks, set it aside on a plate.
After you are done cooking all of your ribs, add them all back to the pot, along with your Rosemary and Garlic.Add your wine and water, and then stir to coat.

Put the lid on your pot/skillet, reduce your heat to medium low and cook for 1-1.25 hours. Mine did well in just over an hour. When it is done you will have a nice flavorful sauce to serve over the ribs.

I made a batch of gluten-free cornbread from Bob's Red Mill when I made chicken soup the other night which, served with the ribs, made this a very simple but exceptionally delicious meal.

Poultry Soup Recipe

I only say "Poultry" soup because typically I make this with whatever bird carcasses (Carcii?) that I have laying around.

Yes, I have bird carcasses stashed in my freezer. Every time I make a chicken, or duck, combined with the turkey carcasses I abscond from my in-laws after Thanksgiving (or Christmas) I wrap them in foil and shove them in the freezer for *just* the right moment. Everyone thinks I am a little strange, but I am the one who winds up with a delicious pot of soup at the end. :-D It's a great way to get even more out of that holiday bird.

Now, I will mention that you can always purchase a few whole chickens at the store to make this if you don't have any frozen birds. Sometimes if I don't have enough carcasses I will get a split chicken or chicken parts at the store to add to the pot. Heresy I know! Also? Don't clean the bird if there are any herbs and spices/onions/etc in the bird since it just adds to the flavor.

Anyway, it's so easy, and the results are so delicious. If you are going to use a turkey carcass, you will either need a pot large enough to accommodate the leftover bird, or you will need to use a cleaver to cut it into pieces large enough to fit into your pot. I use a 16 Qt stock pot that I got cheap at Bed Bath and Beyond. It's sole uses are for making soup of this nature OR for making end-of-summer tomato sauce to put up.

Put your bird in the pot, and then cover the carcass as much as possible with tap water (obviously if your bird exceeds the pot size you will not be able to cover it all the way). And by this I mean if your whole bird fits in the pot, then just cover the bird with water. If your bird sticks out of the pot, just add water up to about an inch and a half from the top of the pot. This makes the soup so flexible. You can do it in a small pot or a large pot. As much or as little as you want.

I usually start this the night before because I make such a large pot of it, and because my birds are generally frozen. I find that the longer I cook this, the more likely it is that the bones will begin to disintegrate, letting the marrow into the broth, and thus adding WAY more flavor.

Bring your pot to a boil, and then as soon as it boils, bring it to a low simmer. Put your lid on as soon as it simmers, and then leave it to simmer. Like I said, because I make such a big pot, and because I like the bones to disintegrate, I will let it simmer overnight, but you do not necessarily need to do so - it just depends on how much you are making. Check on it every so often to make sure that your water is not evaporating or boiling too hard (add more water or chicken broth if you want/need to).

There is no specific time frame for letting it cook. If you are doing a big pot like me, I will generally let it go for almost 24 hours. Depending on how much bird you are using will determine how long it will take you to strain the bird. That is the no fun part. I generally use a spider to just pull out the bones and the meat. You can discard what is left of the bones, making sure to remove all of the useful meat into a separate bowl. After you have strained out your bones and meat, add into the pot as much celery, carrots and chopped onion as you want. This adds more flavor to the pot. They will need to cook through, so make sure you give it enough time.

At this time you will also want to make a pot of pasta (if you want to add any kind of noodles with your soup), but do NOT add it to your soup. Make it on the side, otherwise if you are storing any, the pasta gets nasty and mushy.

Once you have separated out your meat, add it back to the pot, and then as soon as the veggies are cooked to your desired tenderness AND your pasta is done, you are ready to eat!

This freezes well, and is great for all winter long!