WELL FED

COQ AU VIN

Every year for my and Annie's birthday, we challenge one another with a dessert and over the years, they've gotten more and more difficult and time consuming.  One year I made her a flourless chocolate cake.  Then she made me a carrot cake.  The next year I made her a peanut butter bread pudding which I served with a chocolate sauce and banana ice cream.  She in turn made me individual pavlovas with coconut custard.  Never having made meringues before, the first several attempts were less than satisfactory and they had to be remade.  This past year, I requested a chocolate and coconut charlotte that required Annie to make her one chocolate lady fingers.  As revenge I'm sure, for her birthday this year she more or less demanded a pineapple dacquoise.  

Ok here's the thing.  I totally would have attempted it except for one thing - I was also already making dinner.  Annie's parents, Greg and Bev had flown to town for the weekend and wanted to see the new house, so we were going to host a little, intimate birthday dinner party.  The centerpiece of the menu was a coq au vin, the homey French dish of chicken braised with wine.  This version comes from the Balthazar cookbook.  To go with it, I planned a simple starter salad of mixed greens, sliced pear, a classic French viniagrette with tarragon and shavings of pecorino.  To soak up with coq au vin's rich gravy, I was going to make a decadent parsnip puree.  

With all this going on in addition to dessert, the dacquoise seemed a little too ambitious.  The meal itself was already ambitious.  In the end, I wound up making a simple but delicious peanut butter pie with a chocolate cookie crust.  It seems like with this intro, this post ought to be about the the afore mentioned pie.  But here's the thing.  I didn't take pictures of the pie.  I took pictures of the coq au vin.  So that's the recipe we have.  (Note that I sort of doubled part of the recipe so the amounts in the photographs don't reflect the ingredients list.)

INGREDIENTS

6 large chicken legs with thighs

1 large yellow onion, cut into a 1/2-inch dice

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into a 1/2 inch dice

2 celery stalks, cut into a medium dice

1 head garlic, sliced in half horizontally

1 750 ml bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Savignon

1 bouquet garni (5 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme 1 bay leaf wrapped in a square of cheesecloth and tied into a bundle)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups veal stock (you can use chicken if you prefer)

3 tablespoons cognac (optional)

1 pound pearl onions

1/2 pound smoked bacon, sliced into lardons

1 pound crimini mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp paper towel and quartered

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

3 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley

sprigs of thyme to garnish

METHOD

In a large bowl or dutch oven, combine the chicken legs, diced onions, carrots and celery, garlic and bouquet garni.  

Pour in the wine.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

Using a pair of tongs, remove the legs from the marinade and place on a platter.  Place a colander or sieve over a large bowl and strain the vegetables from the wine, reserving the wine.  Discard the bouquet garni.

Heat a 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat until smoking.  Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper and place 3 of the legs in the dutch oven, skin side down and cook until the skin has a deep brown color.  Flip the legs over and continue to cook until the other side is brown as well.  Remove the legs from the pot and place on a plater.  Wipe out the dutch oven and add 2 more tablespoons of oil and repeat with the remaining 3 chicken legs.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the reserved vegetables.  Cook until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.  Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.  

Pour in the reserved marinade, bring to a boil and then cook until it has reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Return the browned chicken to the pot, add the stock, cognac if using, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.  Cook, uncovered, until the legs are tender, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.  Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add the pearl onions and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Strain and set aside to cool.  When the onions are cool enough to handle, slice off the root end and gently squeeze the tip and the onion should pop right out of the skin.

Next cook the bacon over medium heat in a dry skillet until brown and crispy.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels.  Pour half the rendered bacon fat into a small bowl and set aside.

Add the pear onions to the pan and cook over medium heat until browned all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the onions to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining reserved bacon fat to the pan and toss in the mushrooms and thyme, and cook over medium heat until golden brown.  About 5 minutes.  

Turn off the heat, and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Remove the chicken legs from the braising liquid and set aside.  Strain the liquid, discarding the solids and return to the Dutch oven.  If the sauce seems too thin, bring to a simmer and reduce by half.  Return the legs to the sauce and add the reserved browned onions, mushrooms and bacon.  

Stir to combine, reduce heat to low and simmer until everything is heated through, about 15 minutes more.  Just before serving, stir in the parsley.

It's no secret that I love braising.  It's so unlikely that the results won't be fantastically tender and flavorful.  Such is the case with this coq au vin and I think the reason is because the chicken and vegetables are marinated in the red wine.  That's a key difference from many of the coq au vin recipes I looked up when I was trying to decide which one to use.

With the weather in Los Angeles cold and rainy, this hearty dish was perfect for our little dinner party.  The mushrooms are earthy, the pearl onions sweet and the bacon lends a smoky and salty flavor that works well with both.  The sauce is luxurious and velvety which I think comes from the veal stock and the reducing of the wine.  It perfectly coats the chicken and vegetables and lazily pools in and around what ever starchy mound everything is piled up on.

Annie and her parents loved it.  I think it more than made up for the fact that I didn't make the more complicated dessert.  Maybe next year I'll challenge her with a dinner.  Something like cassoulet.  (It takes like a week to prepare)

Serves 6

ROAST CHICKEN WITH MEYER LEMON & ROASTED SHALLOT GRAVY

Mark was gone.  Visiting his mother.  I opted not to go.  Since we moved in together, sometimes I like to take opportunities to be by myself since those opportunities tend to be rare.  I mean, I am an only child.  Although soon after he left, I felt aimless and bored and couldn't wait for him to get back.  When mealtimes came, the idea of cooking for one person felt like an ordeal.  The first night I just grazed in the refrigerator on a hodgepodge of foods and flavors that didn't really go together.  It somehow seemed sadder than making a meal for one.  The next day I decided that even though it was just me, I was going to make a proper dinner.

Sunday morning I went to the Melrose Place Farmers' Market, and perused the stands.  I picked up a bundle of fresh thyme, a pound of fat little shallots, a bag of pink potatoes and a handful of Meyer lemons.  I must confess that I wasn't exactly just spotting beautiful, seasonal ingredients and suddenly making up a recipe in my head of how they'd deliciously fit together.  I actually had a dish in mind, one that I'd seen in an issue of Sunset magazine a year ago while sitting in the waiting room of my dermatologist, Dr. Van Dyke.  I'm not quite at that level yet.  Hopefully one day.

Later that afternoon, I got busy prepping my roast chicken for one.  Just because one is dining alone, doesn't mean one can't be civilized.  No more refrigerator grazing.

INGREDIENTS

1 4-to-5 pound organic chicken

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

zest of 2 Meyer lemons

juice of 1/2 of one of the lemons

the remaining 1 1/2 lemons quartered

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped plus 4 whole sprigs

extra virgin olive oil

1 pound shallots, unpeeled

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock

1/3 cup dry white wine

METHOD

Rinse the chicken inside and out and then pat dry with paper towels.  Gently loosen the skin of the breast and the thighs and work some of the salt under the skin.  Rub the remaining salt all over the chicken and in the cavity.  Chill uncovered at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Remove chicken from refrigerator and let come to room temperature.

Pat the chicken dry inside and out.  Work half the zest under the skin covering the breast and thighs and then rub the rest all over the outside.  Then rub the skin with the chopped thyme and season with pepper.  Place the quartered lemons in the cavity along with the thyme sprigs.  Drizzle the chicken with olive oil, gently rub to completely coat.

Toss the unpeeled shallots in a heavy roasting pan and drizzle with a little more olive oil, tossing to coat.  Set a V-shaped baking rack in the pan and then place the chicken in the rack, breast side up.  If you'd like, you can truss the chicken, but I opted not to.  Slide the chicken in the oven and roast for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, basting with chicken stock, every 30 minutes (you should use about half the stock).

When the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature reads between 160 and 170 degrees F, remove from the oven.  Using a pair of tongs, tip the chicken to let the juices run out into the roasting pan.  Remove the chicken from the pan, set on a plate, and cover loosely with a square of tin foil.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the roasted shallots and reserve in a bowl to let cool slightly.

Meanwhile pour the pan drippings into a measuring cup or fat separator.  Either spoon off or pour off all about about a tablespoon of fat.  Pour the drippings into a food processor or blender.

When the shallots are cool enough to handle, slice off the top and root end and then squeeze out the soft insides into the food processor or blender.  

Add the white wine, the remaining 1/2 cup of broth, and pulse until smooth.

Return the sauce to the roasting pan and cook, scrapping any brown bits, over medium-high heat until the sauce turns a nutty brown, about 10 minutes.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of the reserved Meyer lemon juice, or more to taste.  Taste and season with salt and pepper is need be.

If you like, you can pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer to make the sauce silky smooth.

Finally, carve the chicken, discarding the lemon wedges and thyme, and serve with a bowl of the sauce.  Don't forget to save and freeze the carcass to make chicken stock.  If you feel the skin on the wings and thighs are kind of pale and flabby from being roasted on the underside, just toss them onto a pan and stuck them under the broiler for about 2 minutes to crisp them up.  That's what I did.

 

My first observation about this recipe is that it dirties up kind of a lot of dishes, pots, pans and utensils.  Or maybe I'm just a messy cook.  Regardless, finally having a dishwasher and counter space makes me not care.  Plus the resulting chicken is that good, it'll make you not care about dirty dishes and I think this might be due to the salting.  I can't be positive, but I think it made the chicken really really juicy.  I've never made a chicken with such juicy white meat, and I've made a lot of really great chickens.  I think form now on, if I have the time, I'll be salting my chicken.  

Next observation - nestling the flavoring (in this case the Meyer lemon zest) under the skin, is a much more effective use of said flavoring.  I have done this before and really like the results.  It comes in direct contact with the meat and really has a chance to impart flavor.  You don't have to do it, but it's better if you do.  The zest really gives the meat a bright, fresh taste.  Very clean and slightly sweet and perfumey.

And then there's the roasted shallot gravy.  Roasting the shallots intensifies their flavor and brings out the sweetness, which is mirrored by the sweetness of the Meyer lemon juice.  Unlike some flour and butter based gravies that have a rich, heavy consistency, this one is nicely thick but still feels light and fresh.  As I mentioned before, you don't have to strain the sauce.  I did and it just made more things to clean, however, straining it makes the sauce more elegant, so if that's the tone you are going for then do it.  I almost think the next Thanksgiving turkey I make, I'm going to include a bunch of shallots in the roasting pan and use that as the basis for the gravy.

To go along with the chicken, I made another recipe from the Sunset magazine article about Meyer lemons - crispy olive oil slicked roasted potatoes that get tossed with parsley and more of the sweet Meyer lemon zest.  But really you could serve anything.  That's the great thing about roast chicken.  Versatility.

Serves 4 to 6

POULET NICOISE

This past Sunday I was in quite the quandary.  You see, I had no idea what I wanted to make for dinner.  NO idea.  I hate when that happens.  I wanted to cook but nothing in particular sounded very good.  That kind of aimlessness is so frustrating.  Often at work my morning will get unexpectedly busy and then all of a sudden it's 1:30 and I have no idea what to do about lunch.  There are too many dining options in relatively close proximity to my office and when I'm that hungry I just can't chose.  I end up grazing in the kitchen and making a meal out of Powerbars and Baked Doritos.

What I'm getting at is, I find I really need parameters.  You know how when you're watching something like Top Chef or Project Runway and Padma or Heidi will be laying out today's challenge and then they'll get a twinkle in their eye and then wickedly announce "BUT there's a twist!!!"  Then all of a sudden the designers are only allowed to use Hefty bags out of which they are expected to create a red carpet gown or the cheftestants can only spend like $5 on ingredients to make a meal for a family of four and everyone's face drops and they whine and complain.  Screw them, I love that kind of thing.  It fuels the creativity.  Back when I was in architecture school our projects always had parameters of some sort and did WE complain???  Well actually yeah, I guess we did.

Anyway.  If you notice, many of the posts here on Well Fed are working up against some sort of obstacle or challenge (some of my guests are vegetarian, the meal's theme is Moroccan, I need to make something that doesn't require the use of a knife to cut, etc...)  Sunday, I had no obstacle.  The closest thing was Mark had been up visiting his mother and had been eating a lot of red meat, and as such, was not into eating MORE red meat.  After looking at cookbooks and websites a decision could not be made.  We ended up going to the Abbey for cocktails and then, whilst buzzed, meandered across the street for hamburgers and chili fries.

Monday when I noticed it was Bastille Day I realized I finally had my long awaited for parameter:  In honor of Bastille Day I should make something FRENCH!  Yeah, I know.  It's a little bit weak.  But it really helped.  I thought to this recipe I came across in a recent Williams Sonoma catalogue that had caught my eye.  It was not red meat AND it was French.  Perfect!

INGREDIENTS
1 chicken, about 3 to 4 pounds, cut into 8 serving pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 yellow squash, quartered and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
5 plum tomatoes, seeded and quartered
1/4 cup dry-cured black olives, pitted
1 1/4 cups chicken stock

METHOD
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chicken and brown about 5 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate while you continue to brown the rest of the chicken.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the squash, wine, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and 2 teaspoons of the tarragon. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes, olives and stock. 

Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and 1 teaspoon tarragon. Serve immediately.

Despite the fact that this is a braised chicken dish, the sort of thing that would typically bring to mind, cool fall nights, this is actually very summery.  I mean, what vegetables perfectly exemplify warm weather, more than yellow squash and tomatoes?  Since tomatoes and squash always desperately need salt to make their flavors really pop, the olives serve that function, as well as adding depth of flavor.  Braising the chicken results in very moist meat and the resulting broth is nice and light.  After dinner I couldn't stop standing at the stove slurping spoonful after spoonful of it.  The parsley and tarragon pair well with the wine and chicken, although I wonder if basil might be used as well, perhaps in place of the tarragon.  It's an idea I might explore at some point.  Although I didn't, I highly recommend serving this dish with some ragged hunks of warm, crusty baguette.  The contrast in textures would be brilliant.  Add a butter lettuce salad to start, a couple bottles of wine and some sort of fruit dessert and you've got yourself a gorgeous little dinner party for a balmy summer night.

Serves 4 to 6

GARLIC-HERB ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS

This past weekend Mark and I traded the sunshine and warm weather for the cold and snow of Missouri.  We headed to the middle for a long overdue visit with my parents as well as with some old friends who made the trek from Virginia.  I meant to cook a lovely meal for my parents, but instead, Mark and I ended up just revisiting restaurants that I loved growing up and miss oh so much out in California.  Upon our arrival in Saint Louis, we stopped at White Castle, for a sack packed with belly-bombers (which for some reason they are now called "slyders."  I'm having no part of it).  I had wanted to give a restaurant called Niche a try, as it recently got nominated for a James Beard award.  It serves one of my favorite types of food - organic, local, seasonal.  But alas, the timing didn't exactly work out.  Oh well, next visit.  That night down in Cape my father, Mark and myself headed to a little hole in the wall downtown called Broussard's where we feasted on steamed crawfish, Mark had gumbo and a fried oyster po boy and I had a plate of jambalya, washed down with a couple bottles of beer.  The next day, I dragged Mark to Steak n' Shake for their famous steak burgers, very thin with crisp edges piled onto a toasted bun.  For dinner that night, we braved the snow and slowly and cautiously made our way to my favorite pizza place, Pagliai's which apparently recently underwent a renovation, part of which included getting rid of their juke box.  So sad.  But at least they still had their vintage two player Miss Pac Man.  Dinner the next night was with our friends from Virginia, Steve and Tod, at the N'Orleans, a old, southern-style steak house, where I happened to work while in college.  Mark and I shared oysters casino (with "Ricardo sauce"!  Isn't that so 50's?), and a Caesar salad heavily slicked with eggy Caesar dressing.  I had the chateaubriand, one of their specialties, flamed and carved right at the table.  The next morning, breakfast was at Cracker Barrel, one of only a few sit-down chain restaurants that I have an inexplicable fondness for.  The weather was perfect for a plate of fried eggs, biscuits with sawmill gravy and sausage patties, and golden, crisp hash-browns.  It was a weekend packed with heavy food.

Once we returned to Los Angeles, I was in the need for something a bit lighter.  I was sort of craving chicken.  This recipe is one of my fav ways of making chicken.  It's totally simple but not boring, good for a weeknight meal.  Sometimes I make a couple extra to have a snacks, cold from the refrigerator, slathered with dijon mustard or maybe some mayonnaise. 

INGREDIENTS
2 organic chicken breasts, bone in and skin on, each weighing about 1 pound
2 fat cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (any fresh herb would work, really)
1 lemon, thinly sliced
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil to drizzle

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the paste, combine the minced garlic, salt and chopped thyme in a small mound on your cutting board.

With the side of a knife, smash everything together until a wet paste is formed.  The salt will help pulverize the garlic and thyme.

Next, loosen the skin from the chicken breasts.  Divide the paste between the two breasts, slathering it around under the skin, slip in two slices of lemon, then pull the skin back over.

Place the breasts on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and then season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Roast the chicken for about 25 minutes.  Turn the oven off and let chicken rest inside for another 5 minutes.

 

Remove the chicken from oven and either serve or remove the skin and take off the bone and shred or slice into bite sized chunks to be used in a salad, sandwich or whatever.  I like the toss the shredded pieces with any juices left over on the baking sheet, to sop up every last bit of flavor.  I just hate to waste it.

Even if you don't eat the skin, roasting the chicken breasts on the bone and with the skin on results in the most juicy, succulent flesh you can imagine.  By slathering the garlic-herb paste under the skin, it allows the flavors to really permeate the chicken, rather than just season the skin.  The lemon slices imbue it with a fresh brightness that contrasts well with the piquancy of the garlic.  Thyme is probably my favorite herb.  It's so distinct, but not soooo specific that it can't be used prefectly in a variety of dishes or cuisines.  Of course you could, if you chose, switch the thyme out with any fresh herb that you fancy or happen to have on hand.

This is a great way to make chicken to use in salads (both mayonnaise based chicken salad or leafy green salad), to slice and pile on sandwiches or to tuck into a quesadilla, pita or flatbread, even just snacking.    I realize that this isn't really a sexy or indulgent recipe, but it's a great basic thing to know and it's incredibly versatile. 

Serves 2 to 4, depending on how the chicken is used

DEVIL'S CHICKEN THIGHS WITH DIJON MUSTARD, THYME BROWN BUTTER BREADCRUMBS & BRAISED LEEKS

This past week I had a few days off between projects (such is the life of a free lancer) and I took the opportunity to visit a lovely little Monday mornings only farmers market held each week in Plummer Park in West Hollywood.  Although the market certainly cannot compare to the one in Santa Monica on Wednesdays and Saturdays, or the one in Hollywood on Sundays, this one has quite a lot to offer.  In addition to the numerous produce stands, there is a stand that sells freshly baked breads, there is a fishmonger cart, there is a truck that sells fantastic rotisserie chickens, their juices dripping down and seasoning a bed of roasted potatoes, and even a cheese cart. 

As I perused the veggies, I saw at one stand a pile a the cutest little baby leeks.  Judging from the clumps of dirt that still clung to the tangle of roots, they must have been picked only a day or so ago.  Each rubber banded bundle consisted of three leeks and at $1 each, it seemed like quite a bargain.  I couldn't pass it up.

I'm trying to be that kind of cook who lets the ingredients steer where the meal is going to go.  But I have to admit, it tends to cause a bit of undue stress.  You go to the farmers market and say, the fennel looks nice.  You pick up a couple bulbs and then suddenly you're all "I have two bulbs of fennel.  WHAT DO I DO WITH THEM?"  Then it turns into a race against time as you're plowing through cookbooks and recipe websites trying to find a recipe for fennel, something you can cook before the fennel goes off.  Too many times have I gotten overly ambitious in picking up bags full of vegetables that I have no idea how and when I'll use them, only to have them end up rotting in the bottom of my refrigerator.  I apologize to the bunch of golden beets that I meant to do something really interesting with but didn't.  Forgive me fennel.  You deserved better.

Such was almost the case with these leeks.  I bought them on Monday and then come Thursday, they were still sitting on my counter, covered with dirt, the outer leaves turning a depressing gray green.  After I peeled off the outer layer and discovered that they were indeed still okay I was determined to put these leeks to good use rather than letting them die in vain.  This cannot happen again.

SO WHAT DO I DO WITH TWO BUNDLES OF LEEKS?  Using them in a soup seemed like the most obvious option, however, it's kind of a thankless dish for them.  They're really just a supporting player for whatever is the main star.  An extra if you will.  Sure they provide color and flavor, but it's not really about the leeks.  Even in something like a potato leek soup, they just get pureed beyond recognition.  I wanted something that didn't relegate the poor leek to the background.  I turned to the ever trustful Sunday Suppers at Lucques.  It's been a while since I've tackled one of Ms. Goin's time consuming, yet always reliable recipes, and this sounded like the perfect showcase for my leeks.  This is her version of an old Julia Child recipe.  Even though I might seem like the chicken is the star, this dish would be nearly as interesting without the leeks.

If you're wondering why this dish is called "Devil's Chicken Thighs..." from the scant amount of research I've done, when a dish is "deviled" basically it means any dish in which a hot spice is used, typically Dijon mustard.  The most common are deviled eggs and deviled ham although in my copy of the 1950 edition of the Gourmet cookbook, there are recipes for deviled butter, deviled crab, deviled kidneys and liver, deviled mutton chops, deviled shrimp (in a chafing dish), deviled broiled tomatoes, deviled turkey, and last but not least, jellied deviled tongue in port wine (shudder).  It seems you can pretty much devil anything you want.

INGREDIENTS
(for the braised leeks)
6 large leeks
about 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 to 1/2 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(for the chicken marinade)
6 to 8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 chiles de arbol, crumbled
2 dried bay leaves, crumbled
3/4 cup dry vermouth

(for the breadcrumb mixture)
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

(for the mustard mixture)
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 extra-large egg
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped

(For the browning of the chicken)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
First the chicken needs to be marinated.  In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, sliced onion, thyme, chiles, bay leaves and vermouth.  Using your hands, toss to coat the chicken well.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

The next step is to braise the leeks.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  To clean the leeks, remove any bruised outter layers.  Trim off the roots, leaving the root intact.  Trim the top of the leeks on a diagonal, leaving 2 inches of the green part attached.  Cut the leek in half lengthwise and submerge in a bowl or sink filled with cold water.  Shake the leeks well to dislodge any dirt stuck inside.  Let them sit for a few minutes, to allow any grit inside the layers to fall to the bottom of the bowl or sink.  If the leeks are very dirty, repeat the process.  Place the leeks, cut side down on a towel and pat dry completely. 

Turn the leeks cut side up and season with some salt and pepper.  Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and when it shimmers, place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, being careful not to over crowd the pan.  (You will probably need to saute the leeks in batches).  Sear the leeks until the are golden brown, 2 or 3 minutes. 

While they are searing, season the back of the leeks with some salt and pepper, and then turn them over and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.  Transfer the leeks to a large baking dish, one that will be able to hold the leeks as well as the chicken thighs.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and then pour in 1/4 cup olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add the shallots, thyme 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of black pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until the shallots have a little color.  Add the white wine and then reduce by half.  Add the 1 to 1/2 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.  Pour the liquid over the leeks.  The stock mixture should not quite cover the leeks. 

Braise in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the leeks are tender when pierced with a fork.

While the leeks braise, it's the perfect time to deal with the chicken.  To make the breadcrumb coating place the breadcrumbs in a medium bowl.  Heat a large saute pan over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add 3 tablespoons of butter and cook until it's brown and smells nutty. 

Using a spatula, scrape the brown butter over the breadcrumbs.  Wait 1 minute and the add the parsley and thyme and toss well to combine.

Next we move on to the mustard mixture.  Wipe out the saute pan the butter was browned in and heat over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add 2 tablespoons of butter and once it's melted and is foamy, add the shallots and 1 teaspoon of thyme.  Saute for 2 minutes, until the shallots are translucent.  Add 1/2 cup vermouth and cook until it's reduced by half.  Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes.  Whisk in the Dijon mustard, egg, chopped tarragon, and a grinding of black pepper.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking so it comes to room temperature.  Discard all the seasonings and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  (To get a really nice sear on meat, with good color, the meat always needs to be completely dry) After 15 minutes, season the thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.

Now the chicken needs to be browned.  Wipe out the saute pan and heat over high heat for 2 minutes.  Swirl in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and wait 1 minute.  Place half the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the skin turns a deep golden brown. 

Turn the chicken over and cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes.  Place the chicken on the braised leeks while you brown the remaining chicken thighs.  (This is just so that any juices that run out do so into the leeks, which is where they need to go anyway, plus this prevents us from having to dirty a plate while we continue browning) When all the chicken has been browned pour out the remaining fat.  Return the pan to the stove over high heat and add the chicken stock, scraping up the brown bits left in the pan.  Pour the chicken stock over the braised leeks.

Transfer the browned chicken thighs, one at a time, to the bowl containing the mustard mixture, slathering them completely.  Return the mustard coated chicken thighs to the baking dish containing the braised leeks. 

Spoon any of the remaining mustard mixture over the chicken.  Then top each thigh with a handful of breadcrumbs, patting each one down with your hand so they get nicely coated.  You want lots of mustard and lots of breadcrumbs.

Bake the chicken in the oven for 40 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through.  To check for doneness, pierce the meat near the bone with a paring knife.  The juices should run clear.

After 40 minutes turn the oven up to 475 degrees F and continue to cook the chicken thighs for 5 to 8 more minutes or so, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.  Serve in the baking dish or transfer to a platter accompanied by something to soak up the flavorful juices, such as pureed potatoes or steamed white rice.

The braised leeks wind up soft and sweet with a subtle oniony flavor.  You could totally just do the leeks portion of this recipe and have a fantastic side dish to accompany roasted or grilled meats.  A roasted turkey perhaps.  Thanksgiving IS coming up soon.  I mean, Thanksgiving sides always consist of potatoes and stuffing/dressing.  Braised leeks are elegant and unexpected.  It's also pretty hands off, great for entertaining.

The chicken thighs are moist and succulent, slathered with the sharp, tarragon tinged dijon mustard and topped with the nutty and crisp, golden brown butter breadcrumbs.  The contrast in textures is delectable.  Seriously, something as simple as toasted breadcrumbs is such a great way to add a delicate crunch to a dish that is normally doesn't have a crisp texture, such as chicken, fish or vegetables like asparagus or the afore mentioned braised leeks.

Even though this dish has kind of a lot of steps, most all of them can be done ahead of time.  The leeks can be braised a day ahead.  The crumb topping and mustard mixture can be done ahead of time, and you can even brown the chicken earlier and then as dinner time approaches, the dish can quickly assembled and baked off.  Very easy.

Serves 6

CHICKEN MARSALA WITH CRIMINI MUSHROOMS, PANCETTA & SAGE

So I have a confession.  Although I spend a significant portion of my day browsing other food blogs, I almost never make anything from them.  I'm sorry.  I'm not really sure why.  There are so many beautiful blogs with tempting recipes and yet for whatever reason I'm just not compelled to add the dish to my to do list.  I would guess it's because if so and so is blogging about say, lentils, then I feel like what more can I add to the discussion about lentils, unless of course my take is very different.  Does that make sense?

Anyway, Monday in lieu of actually working, I was killing time on Tastespotting, one of my favorite places to go to see what other people are writing about and to discover blogs that I've never known before.  Just such a thing happened.  I came across a gorgeous picture of a carrot cupcake, it's wrapper seductively half peeled off.  It was topped with a creamy swirl of MAPLE cream cheese frosting, which was sprinkled with chopped pecans.  MAPLE cream cheese frosting, people.  I was sucked in.  I clicked over to the blog that the photo was from, called Nook and Pantry, and began browsing.  Under the poultry category I found this recipe, which the writer adapted from Cooks Illustrated.  I was in a chickeny mood and liked the idea of a simple wine based pan sauce, so I decided I had to make it that evening despite the fact that Chicken Marsala always makes me think of frozen dinners.  What I liked about this recipe in particular was the inclusion of pancetta and crimini mushrooms.  You're not going to find those in a frozen dinner.  And let's be honest, anything with pancetta is going to taste great.

Not really knowing very much about Chicken Marsala, I began to do a little research.  It's name, obviously comes from the main ingredient, Marsala wine, which is a fortified wine from Sicily.  Comparing recipes I found that they all start with a chicken breast that has been pounded to an even thickness, then dredged in flour and then sauteed.  The sauce at it's most basic is Marsala wine, cooked down over high heat until it thickens.  Most by not all recipes include mushrooms in the sauce.  Some also use onions, shallots and/or garlic.  Often butter is swirled into the sauce to give it some richness.  Occasionally cream is used as well.  Typically the herb used in the sauce is Italian parsley, as described on Nook and Pantry, although I came across recipes that used fresh oregano instead, as well as sage.  Crimini mushrooms, pancetta, and sage.  I think my take on Chicken Marsala was going to be different enough that I felt justified in writing about it.

INGREDIENTS
4 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
2 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Juice of half a lemon

METHOD
Place the chicken breast on a square of cling film and sprinkle with a little water.  The water helps prevent the chicken from shredding or tearing while pounding.  Fold the cling film over and then using the flat side of a meat tenderizer or something equally heavy, pound the chicken until it's an even thickness.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt.

Meanwhile, add the flour to a wide, shallow bowl and season with black pepper and dried oregano.  Dredge the chicken in the flour, patting off any excess.

Place a skillet over medium high heat and add the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Once the butter has melted and is foamy (it should not be brown), place the flour coated chicken into the pan and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes for the first side, until golden brown. 

Turn the chicken over and continue to cook for 4 minutes or so.  Remove the chicken from the pan, place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil.

Add the chopped pancetta to the pan and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally.  Remove and place on a plate covered with several layers of paper towels, to soak up the grease.  Next add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, making sure to scrape up any bits left in the bottom of the pan from the chicken and pancetta.  You may have to add a little more olive oil if the pan seems too dry.

Next add the shallots, garlic, sage, and tomato paste and stir to combine.  Cook until the shallots have softened, which should take 2 or 3 minutes, and then add the Marsala. 

Turn the heat to high and bring the sauce to a vigorous simmer.  Continue cooking until the sauce has reduced and thickened a little.  Add the chicken breasts and any juices that have collected on the plate to the pan, as well as the lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of butter.  Stir to combine, turning the chicken to coat in the sauce.

To serve, place the chicken on a plate and spoon over some of the sauce and mushrooms.  Sprinkle with some of the cooked pancetta and a little of the remaining chopped sage.

The sauce, silky and sweet from the marsala, is balanced by the smoky, peppery pancetta, earthy mushrooms and woodsy sage.  The tablespoon of butter at the end gives the sauce a richness and a nice glossy sheen while the spritz of lemon juice cuts that richness a little and adds a pleasing hit of acid.  The crimini mushrooms become tender, saturated with the sauce which is nicely contrasted by the crisp pancetta.  It all goes great with the sauteed chicken breasts as well as the garlic, rosemary and garlic creamy polenta that I served with it.  Perfect fall flavors.

Serves 4

SPICY, GARLICKY CASHEW CHICKEN

Several weeks ago I got a phone call from my friend, Heather.  She asked if Annie and I would mind catering her big 30th birthday party that she was planning on hosting at her condo.  It was very flattering, however I told her I'd have to think about it.  It's kind of a big step.  I mean it's one thing to just do the food for a holiday or a small gathering.  But actually catering food for a party adds a whole level of expectations and stress.  I called Annie to ask what she thought.  As we talked it out we decided that the duties and amount of food we'd need to make was no different really than some of the parties we thrown in the past.  It was something we could most likely handle easily.  And if something went wrong (not that it would) our defense would be that we've never done this before.  We decided to do it.

Annie and I made an appointment with Heather to come by and talk about her ideas, our ideas, what she liked and didn't like and how much food we should prepare and what the signature cocktail might be.  We decided to have our meeting over a little casual dinner.  This recipe comes from the July 11, 2007 issue of the New York Times.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup roasted, salted cashews
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus 4 tablespoons for garnish
1/4 cup canola or safflower oil4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (I used two, seeding one and leaving the seeds in the other)
Zest and juice of 1 lime, plus additional lime wedges to serve
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds of chicken (I used a combination of boneless, skinless breasts and thighs)

METHOD
In a food processor, combine the nuts, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, oil, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno, and lime juice.  Blend until smooth scraping down the sides as necessary.  If the mixture seems too think, you can thin it out with a tablespoon or two of water.  Keep in mind it is more of a paste, rather than a loose, liquidy marinade.  Season with salt and pepper.

Season the chicken pieces on both sides with salt and pepper.  Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and spoon in 2/3 of the cashew mixture, saving the rest to serve with the chicken once it's cooked.  Seal the bag and massage the mixture into the chicken.  Place the bag in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 12 hours.

Pour a little oil onto a paper towel that has been folded into a small, thick square.  Wipe the grate of your grill with the oil and then preheat over medium heat.  Place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes on the first side, depending on how thick your chicken pieces are.  With a pair of tongs, flip the chicken and continue to cook for about another 10 minutes on the second side. 

Alternately place the chicken on a rack set on a baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness.  Note that simply baking it in the oven doesn't result in as flavorful chicken.  It's best with the golden color and crispy bits that grilling or broiling can provide.

When the chicken is done cooking, remove to a platter.  Cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes, so the juices can reabsorb into the meat.  After the chicken has rested, sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over and a small dish of the reserved marinade.

The paste is really nice on the breasts, but it's fantastic on the thighs.  Thighs really do have SO much more flavor.  If you think you don't like dark meat just get over it.  Also if you are someone who is not a fan of cilantro, don't be scared off.  All the flavors combine in such an interesting way that none of them really take center stage.  Rather they come together in a complex way so that the outcome is sweet and spicy, nutty and fragrant.  It's a very versatile marinade.  It could be paired with more Asian flavors (I could see it topping a mound of udon noodles) or Latin (black beans, some herbaceous green rice would, and warm corn tortillas would be great).  We served it with quinoa that I tossed with grilled corn, crumbles of salty cotija cheese and squash that I sauteed with red onion and fresh thyme (the second step of this succotash salad). 

At the end of dinner we decided to serve this chicken in the form of skewers. We also came up with a handful of ideas and parameters.  The next step was fine-tuning and editing the list and coming up with the recipes.  It's seems we are now caterers.  Sort of.

Serves 8 or so

AFRICAN-SPICED CHICKEN WITH GREEN OLIVE SAUCE & APRICOT COUSCOUS

"Oh I make a mean roasted chicken," my co-worker Robin boasted Monday as we walked to lunch.  She had asked me what I did this past weekend and I was telling her about this fantastic chicken I roasted Sunday night.  A conversation ensued about how roasting chickens was the easiest thing ever a cook could do.  I explained to her that normally, my go to-for roasting chicken is to simply stuff the cavity with a halved lemon, a head of garlic, sliced in half, and a handful of fresh thyme, but this time I tried something a little different. 

Mark had gone up to Santa Maria to visit his mother for Mother's Day weekend and I was unable to go, so I wanted to prepare a nice Sunday dinner for us for when he got back.  It was one of those days where I wanted to make SOMEthing but had no idea what.  I'd even gone to the farmers' market that morning and nothing specific struck my fancy, even though they had a bunch of nice asparagus and fava beans.  I had half a head of cabbage in my refrigerator that I pondered doing something with.  A slaw maybe?  In my stack of recipes to try I had one for a slaw with a spicy peanut dressing.  What to make to go with slaw?  I narrowed it to pork or chicken.  Perhaps with an interesting barbeque sauce.  I started flipping through cookbooks.  Nothing I found struck a chord.  I tells you, it's so frustrating when you really WANT to make something but NOTHING seems very compelling.  Then I turned the page and saw this recipe in Tyler Florence's second cookbook, Eat This Book.  I remembered that every time I browse through this book and encounter this recipe I think to myself, "Oh that sounds good.  I'll have to make that sometime."  Well it turned out the time was now.  Sorry, cabbage.  I'll have to get to you later.

INGREDIENTS
(For the spice mix)
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in small pieces
16 whole cloves
4 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt

(For the chicken)
1 free-range chicken, about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
1 lemon, halved
1/4 bunch of cilantro
1 head of garlic, halved horizontally
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

(For the Apricot Couscous)
1 cup couscous
1 1/2 cups cold water
10 dried apricots
1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted at 365 degrees F for about 10 mintues
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 handfuls fresh mint, chopped
2 handfuls fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(For the Green Olive Sauce)
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, sliced
1 fresh red chile, split lengthwise
1/2 pound large green Spanish olives, pitted
1/4 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, stemmed
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon

(To serve)
Lavash bread or pitas

METHOD
First, make the Spice Mix.  In a dry skillet, combine the cinnamon, cloves, cumin, corinander, fennel, peppercorns, and sweet paprika and toast for about 1 minute, or until you can smell the spices, making sure to shake the pan back and forth a little so the spices don't scorch.

Transfer to a spice mill, add the salt and grind to a powder.  (The mixture can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 months)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken inside and out with cool water, then pat dry with paper towels.  Generously sprinkle over the spice mixture and rub into the skin, all over, making sure not to miss any spots.  Stuff the lemon halves, the garlic and the cilantro into the cavity of the chicken. 

Fold the wing tips under the bird, drizzle with olive oil and grind over some black pepper.  If you have time, let the chicken marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. When you are ready to roast, remove the chicken from the fridge, and place on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up.  Slid it into the oven and roast for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer, stuck into the thickest part of the thigh, reads 160 degrees F.  When the chicken is done, remove from the oven and let rest for about 20 minutes, so the juices can redistribute into the meat.

While the chicken is baking, make the couscous.  Pour the water in a small pot, cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a large bowl.  Once the water boils, pour it over the couscous, cover, and let sit until all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes or so.  Uncover and using a fork, fluff the couscous, then stir in the apricots, almonds, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Wait until the couscous has cooled and then stir in the green onions, mint and cilantro.  If you add them herbs while the couscous is still warm, they could turn an sad, depressing green-brown.  We don't want that.  Season with salt and pepper.

Finally make the green olive sauce.  Heat a skillet over low heat and add about a tablespoon or so of olive oil.  When the oil is glistening, add the shallots and chile and cook, stirring, until caramelized.

Scrape the chile and shallots into the bowl of a food processor and add the olives, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of olive oil.  Puree for 3 minutes, until nice and smooth.

When the chicken has cooled a little, carve it into 8 pieces - 2 breasts, 2 wings, 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs.  To serve, brush a pita with a little olive oil and grill in a grill pan, until warm and marked with grill lines from the pan.  Place the pita on a plate, mound with a couple spoonfuls of couscous and then top with a piece of chicken.  Serve a small dish of olive sauce on the side. 

To eat, you can create a sort of gyro style sandwich, by pulling the chicken meat from the bones and rolling it in the pita along with the couscous, and then topped with some of the olive sauce.   However I enjoy going all bite size, tearing off pieces of pita, slathering them with the olive sauce, spooning over a little couscous and then a couple small shreds of the juicy chicken.

Like some of my favorite dishes on this site, many of which come from the brilliant mistress of layering, Suzanne Goin, this one is a pastiche of flavors and textures, each tasty and interesting on it's own, however when combined, the elements become a whole that is really unique and exciting.  There's a lot going on, but not so much that it becomes a hodgepodge.  The chicken is warmly spiced with the cloves, cinnamon, corinader, fennel and cumin but also has a brightness from the lemon and a pungency from the garlic and cilantro.  The pungency is echoed in the green olive sauce, which to be honest, isn't exactly "saucy."  It's kind of like a smooth, garlicky, vinegary tapenade.  In fact, I should think it would be delicious slathered on a crostini that has been smeared with a mild goat cheese.  The couscous contrasts the sauce and chicken with a toast crunch of the almonds and a chewy bit of sweetness from the apricots, while the trio of herbs adds a welcome lightness.  I always love how couscous clings to the outside of and nestles into the crevices of whatever it's served with.  The toasted warm pita gives the whole thing a sort of base.

Even though it may seem like there are a lot of components to this dish, the nice thing about it is, much of it can be done ahead of time and a lot of the ingredients are pantry staples.  Plus it's one of those meals that can be made and then served at room temperature or even cold from the fridge.  Tyler writes in the book that it's good for a picnic and I'm inclined to agree.  I may be making this again for one of those screenings at Hollywood Forever Cemetery or for a warm night the Hollywood Bowl this summer. 

Serves 6

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON, PANCETTA & CREMINI MUSHROOMS

Formerly known as "Chicken Stew with Pancetta and Mushrooms" this is one of the oldest recipe on this blog.  I posted it long before I started taking pictures.  Well this past weekend, the weather was sort of funky.  Bright, moderately warm sunshine during day quickly gave way to gray clouds and with it, thick drops of rain.  It got me thinking about cozy food, this stew in particular.  I realized with regret a few weeks ago that I'd gone all winter long and made hardly any braises.  There was plenty of soup but practically no braises.  I had long been wanting to try my hand at making osso buco.  That didn't happen.  I wanted to make a classic boeuf bergeron.  That didn't happen either.  Nor did chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, coq au vin, or pot roast.  I took the rain as a sign.  It might be my last chance to do a braise before the weather warmed up and the thought of heating up the kitchen became completely foolish.  I thought back to this chicken dish, which comes from Donna Hay.  It's kind of the perfect transitional braise.  It's rich and homey and yet the tarragon makes it utterly spring.

INGREDIENTS
about 3 1/4 pounds of chicken (you can used boneless skinless breasts, thighs or just a whole chicken that's been cut up into 8 pieces - whatever floats your boat)
Plain all-purpose flour (for coating)
Extra virgin olive oil
2 thick slices pancetta (about 5 ounces)
2 leeks, sliced and cleaned
4 cloves garlic, minced
7 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced or quartered
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken pieces and then dredge the in flour and shake off any excess.  Coat the bottom of a large, deep sauté pan in oil and heat over medium heat.  Add the chicken breasts and cook until browned on each side. 

Such a nice golden color.  Unless you have a giant sauté pan, this will likely have to be done in two batches.  Remove the browned chicken and set aside.

Add more oil if necessary and cook the pancetta until crisp.  Remove and set aside.  Add the garlic, leeks, and mushrooms; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until leeks are soft and mushrooms are golden.  Remove and set aside.

Combine the chicken stock and wine in the pan.  Bring to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits from the base of the pan if there are any.  Turn down the heat a little, return the chicken to the pan and cook, covered, for 25 minutes.

Add the pancetta and the leek, garlic and mushroom mixture as well as the cream, tarragon and parsley.  Simmer, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes or until reduced and thickened.

Sprinkle the chicken with the chopped parsley and serve in a wide, shallow bowl with something to soak up the creamy sauce, like couscous, potatoes or steamed basmati rice.  I did the latter which I simmered in vegetable stock.

I've made this dish a number of times and it's very reliable.  It's nice to have go-to recipe that you know will work out well and this would bring an earthy elegance to a casual dinner party.  (Note to self - have a casual dinner party soon)  Braising is such a great way to cook meat.  The chicken winds up succulent, juicy and tender.  The velvety sauce is imbued with the flavors of delicate tarragon, woodsy mushrooms and smoky pancetta.  The next time I make this I may add some peas right at the last minute, either frozen or fresh that have been blanched.  I think they'd work really nicely with the tarragon and pancetta and would add a fresh green pop.

Serves 4 to 6

CHICKEN IN ESCABECHE OF CARAMELIZED ONIONS, CARROTS & JALAPENOS

So I've been obsessed with Mexican food for the past several weeks.  Living in Southern California you can't help but develop a taste for it but I've sort of gone beyond that.  I've been working downtown and everyday on my commute I must pass dozens of Mexican grocery stores, carnicerias, and taco carts and at least once a week my lunch has consisted of burritos or tacos accompanied by chips and salsa.  Ah glorious chips and salsa.  It might be my biggest weakness.

Meanwhile Annie's birthday was slowly creeping up and since it was a bit of a landmark she hinted none to subtly that it should be a destination birthday somewhere in Mexico.  The logistics of planning a weekend trip south of the border for more that 35 people quickly became next to impossible.  However to make up for it, Annie's husband Pierson, and our friend Jodie decided to move the destination slightly north, to Culver City, and serve a sort of high-end Mexican street food fiesta.  Yay, more Mexican food.  The centerpiece of the menu was a DIY taco bar and three different fillings - sauteed mahi mahi, slow roasted lamb crusted with a fennel spice rub, and shredded chicken in a Oaxacan yellow mole.

At this point you might be wondering what any of this has to do with Chicken in Escabeche.  Well I'm getting there.  It was whilst doing research for the menu that I encountered this interesting recipe.  I'd gone to the library to load up on Mexican cookbooks and one of the books in particular really piqued my interest.  The latest by Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday, was the most appealing in the stack. While his earlier books seem very well researched and enthusiastic, there is also something slightly offputting about them.  Some of the ingredients are sort of hard to find and the preparation can be pretty lengthy.  Plus the graphic design of them is just cluttered and busy.  This book, however celebrates the best of Mexican cooking in an clean, contemporary yet very authentic way.  The recipes are healthy, easy and relatively quick.  I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge of the specifics and subtleties of all the different flavors and regions is VERY limited.  This fantastic book seems to be a great gateway to a world beyond burritos, tacos, and enchiladas.  This dish was so unlike any other Mexican food that I'd ever had, that I just had to give it a try.

INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
Kosher salt
4 chicken breasts, bone in and skin on (about 2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch think on the diagonal
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 to 4 canned pickled jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth

METHOD
In a small bowl, combine the black pepper, allspice, oregano and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Sprinkle half of the mixture over the chicken breasts.

Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat.  Lay in the chicken, skin side down and cook until richly browned, turning once, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. 

Remove the chicken to a plate leaving behind as much oil as possible.

Add the sliced onion and carrots to the skillet and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is browned, about 7 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute, then add the remaining seasoning mixture, the vinegar, jalapenos and broth. 

Nestle the chicken pieces skin side up in the onion mixture, cover the skillet and simmer gently over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Taste the broth and season with additional salt if need be.  To serve, place the chicken on a mound of rice or couscous (I used the latter), and spoon a generous portion of the onion, carrot and jalapeno mixture over the top.

It's no surprise that the chicken turned out well, flavorful, skin burnished to a gorgeous crispy brown and the flesh juicy and perfectly cooked.  I've used this method of cooking fowl many times before and it's pretty much foolproof.  The real surprise here is the sauce, the escabeche.  It's really light but has a nice body to it, I'm sure because of using chicken with the skin on it.  The flavor is tangy but with just a little heat from the pickled jalepenos.  You could totally make it as spicy or mild as you prefer.  Obviously the Israeli couscous is not exactly traditional, but it's really tasty (I boiled mine in vegetable stock, rather than water) and works really well in the dish, soaking up the flavorful brothy sauce. 

You could easily use a combination of chicken breasts as well as thighs, but the important thing to remember is to make sure they have the skin and bones.  They really add a lot of flavor.  The book cleverly offers a few variations on the dish, such as replacing some of the chicken stock with white wine and using sliced fennel along with the onion, two ideas I think I'll try next time I make this. This is one of those really great weeknight recipes, as almost all of the ingredients you could pretty much have on hand at all times and it doesn't take terribly long to cook, and yet the flavor is special enough to serve for a casual dinner party.  The chicken, piled on a bed of couscous would look beautiful on platter and would impress any guest.

Serves 4