WELL FED

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON ONIONS, ISRAELI COUSCOUS & DATE RELISH

So my friends Jessica, Diana, and Jonathan regularly get together for what we call gay dates - just us gays and the girls who love us.  Usually we go out to fun and interesting restaurants, such as Tart, and Lou on Vine.  For our latest get together we were spitballing ideas for places to go when I half-seriously suggested that I have people over to my place for a home cooked dinner.  Since Diana and Jonathon had never really been on the receiving end of one of my culinary experiments, they were more than eager set a time and date.  The pressure was on.

What to make?  Of course they'd read about some of the stuff I've made for just Mark and myself, so I felt that it was only fair to do something equally adventureous, so to say.  I mean it didn't seem quite right to make things like scallops and chanterelles for just the two of us and then when people come over do something mundane like meatloaf (even though I adore meatloaf and saw an intriguing recipe for one in the lasted issue of Donna Hay Magazine - instead of breadcrumbs it uses couscous and then the whole thing is wrapped in prosciutto.  Don't you love that idea?)

So when looking for an interesting, unique and unexpected menu, there's only one place to look, really.  Sunday Suppers at Lucques.  This braised chicken dish was the other entree in the menu that also featured the harissa spiced snapper with roasted beet salsa and caramilized carrot puree.

Braising meats is always a great thing to serve when people are coming over.  Once it's in the oven, it's pretty hands off and you are free to do other things or mingle with guests or whatever.  The results are very reliable.  You needn't worry that the meat is going to be dry, rather it's always moist, succulent, fork tender and easy to eat, perfect for those of us who don't have dining rooms and have no other option but to force our guests to eat, balancing their plates on their knees whilst sitting on the sofa.

INGREDIENTS
(For the spice rub)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 chile de arbol, crumbled
2 teaspoons bittersweet paprika

(For the Chicken)
6 chicken legs with thighs attached, skin on (I used four legs and two breasts)
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup sliced fennel
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped San Marzano canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup sherry
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cuo chopped fresh cilantro

(For the Date Relish)
1/2 cup Deglet Noor Dates, pitted and coarsly chopped
2 tablespoons super-good extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(For the Saffron Onions)
1 teaspoon saffron threads
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups sliced onions (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 bay leaf
1 chile de arbol, crumbled
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(For the Couscous)
2 1/2 cups Israeli Couscous
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper

METHOD
Toast the cumin seeds and the corriander seeds in a small fry pan for a few minutes until the seeds release their aroma and are lightly browned.  Grind them coarsly in a spice mill or mortar and pestle.  In a small bowl, combine the ground spices with the garlic, thyme, parsley, crumbled chile, and paprika.

Place the chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle over the spice mixture and using your hands, toss the chicken and spices together, coating well. 

So when I made the spice rub, I forgot to include the parsley.  I later went back and added it to the  chicken, but did not take another picture.  Sorry for any confusion.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, to allow it to come to room temperature.  After 15 minutes, season the chicken on all sides with 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of salt and lots of pepper.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes.  Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minute.  Place the chicken legs, skin side down, in the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Every so often, swirl the oil and rendered fat around the pan.  Turn the legs over, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 more minutes on the second side.

It's likely you will need to brown the chicken in two batches.  Set the browned chicken aside.

Pour off some of the fat and return the saute pan to medium heat.  Add the onions, fennel and bay leaves. 

Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are lightly caramelized.  Add the tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes, stirring and scrapping with a wooden spoon.  Add the sherry vinegar, white wine, and sherry.  Turn the heat up to high and reduce by half.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add the cilantro, give it a stir and then spoon the vegetables into the bottom of a large casserole or braising dish.  Arrange the chicken in one layer in the dish, skin side up and then pour over the broth.  The liquid should not quite cover the chicken.

At this point Ms. Goin instucts us to cover the dish with plastic wrap, which she assures us can go into the oven and then cover the pastic wrap with a layer of aluminum foil.  Place the dish in the oven and braise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

While the chicken is braising, make all the accroutrements.

To make the date relish, toss the dates with the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and cilantro.  Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some pepper.

Next make the saffron onions.  Toss the saffron threads in a small pan over medium heat unutil they just dry and become brittle.  Be very careful not to burn the precious saffron.  Pound the saffron in a mortar to a fine powder. 

Dab a tablespoon of butter into the powder, using the butter to pick up the saffron.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add the olive oil, remaining butter and saffron butter.  When the butter foams, add the onions, bay leaf, crumbled chile, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and some pepper. 

Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, as the onions wilt.  Turn the heat down to low and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the onions are soft and sweet.  Taste for seasoning.

To make the couscous, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the couscous and cook 6 to ten minutes, until tender but still al dente.  Drain the couscous, return it to the pot and toss with the butter, parsley and a pinch of pepper.  Taste for seasoning.

By now, the chicken should be ready.  To check the chicken for doneness, remove the foil and plastic, being careful of the escaping steam.  Pierce a piece of chicken with a paring knife.  It should yeild easily and be tender but not quite falling off the bone.

Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F.  Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and return it to the oven to brown for about 10 minutes.  Pour half of the broth and vegetables into a saute pan and heat over high heat until it had reduced and become thickened.  Pour the thickened sauce into the bottom of a serving dish and pile the crisped chicken on top of it.

It shouldn't come to a surprise at this point that one of Ms. Goin's recipes it astonishingly delicious.  Once again all the different componants of the meal perfectly compliment one another.  The chicken is so moist and tender, the skin crispy, the dates chewy, and the onions...holy cow.  Those onions.  Flowery with a heat, velvety in texture, they would be fantastic added to just about anything you could think of with the exception of perhaps breakfast cereal.  If you haven't ever had the pleasure of trying israeli couscous, seek it out immediately.  It too has such a great texture, like savory tapioca, if you can imagine that.

As a prelude to this meal I served crostini, wedges of manchego and blue cheese, tapenade (which I cheated and bought at Bristol Farms), little spicy sweet peppadew peppers, which I stuffed with goat cheese, drizzled with olive oil and scattered with chopped parsley and fresh cracked pepper, and roasted figs stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped with thin slices of prosciutto, which you can read about in more detail in my post today on Apartment Therapy Kitchen (plug plug).

My dessert, however, was a bit of a disappointment.  I attempted an what I thought would be an interesting olive oil cake, also from Sunday Suppers.  Slathered with a thick layer of mascarpone whipped cream and segements of tangerine sweetened in vanilla sugar syrup, the cake was too dry (my fault) and alternately lacking in flavor/too sweet.  Oh well.  You win some, you lose some.  And this chicken is most definately a winner.

CHICKEN SOUP WITH WHITE BEANS, ELBOW PASTA & FRESH BASIL

The other day I was planning on tossing together another salad using the pesto vinaigrette that I made the other day, but this time it was going to be an entre salad rather than a side.  And for me, a meal isn't really complete unless it has some sort of meat to anchor it.  (Not that I'm a raging carnivore or anything.  In fact, dinner is the only time of the day that I ever eat animals of any kind.)  So I decided to poach some chicken to shred into the salad.  Now I don't know how many of you ever poach chicken, but it's really easy and the liquid in which you poach the chicken can range from nothing more than salted water with a few peppercorns added all the way to elaborate concotions using bouquet garnis tied in cheese cloth and an array of different chopped vegatables.

I found an interesting recipe for what promised to be a flavorful poaching liquid on Martha's website.  (Martha never lets me down).  I liked that it had tarragon in it and I loved that it called for a whole cup of sherry.  So I threw it together and poached two beautiful little organic free-range chicken breasts.  After it was done and I had shredded the meat what was left in the pot was a beautiful rich stock.  I tasted it and it was fantastic.  I decided that I had to use if for SOMEthing.  I just couldn't let it go to waste.  I sort of got the idea for this soup from Donna Hay's latest book.

INGREDIENTS
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 stems fresh tarragon (I confess that I used about a tablespoon of dried)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoons whole peppercorns
1 cup sherry
5 cups water
2 stalks celery, coursely chopped
1/2 white onion, coursely chopped
1 large carrot, coursely chopped
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cannellini beans
1 cup elbow pasta
6 fresh basil leaves cut into a chiffinade
parmesan cheese (optional)

METHOD
Place the tarragon, thyme, bay leaves, pepper corns, sherry, celery, carrots, onion, and water in a medium pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Add to the gently simmering liquid, and cook until firm 10 to 12 minutes. 

Meanwhile in another pot, prepare the pasta according to the package directions.  However, be sure to cook until it's NOT QUITE al dente.  Once the pasta is in the broth it will absorb some of the liquid. Cooking it until it's not quite done will prevent it from getting to soft in the soup.  When the pasta is done, drain and set aside.  Toss the pasta with a little tiny bit of olive oil so it doesn't stick together.

Turn off heat under the chicken, cover pot and let stand for 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove the poached chicken from the broth.  Cut two of the breasts into large bite-sized chunks and reserve the third for another use.  A salad perhaps.  (See, you want the flavor the chicken brings but you don't need all the meat.)  Add the chicken as well as the beans to the broth and bring it back to a gentle, low simmer in order to heat the beans through, 5 minutes or so.

Divide the pasta between two bowls then laddle chicken, vegetables, beans and stock into each bowl.  Top with some of the basil and, if you wish, a little grating of parmesan cheese.

Okay, I know this recipe might seem slightly fussy, especially compared to regular soup recipes where you just toss everything in a pot and let it simmer for an hour, but trust me, this method really results in an homey yet elegant meal.  First of all, it looks really pretty - monchromatic except for little hits of color from the carrots and the basil.  The broth is beautifully clear and extremely flavorful.  Homemade chicken stock really can't compare to store-bought.  The chicken is perfectly cooked, as are the vegetables, soft but still with a little body.  The beans add little bursts of creamy substance and by boiling the pasta separately and adding it to the soup as it's being served, the little elbows still maintain their al dente texture that's so pleasing to bite into.  And finally the basil gives the whole thing a beautiful, bright freshenss.

I would say that this soup, more than flavor (which is pretty great, believe me) is all about interesting and complemantary textures.  As such, I wouldn't recommend making a big batch and storing it away ing the fridge.  The pasta and the vegetables would get too mushy, the chicken would break down and you'd be left with an ugly mess. It's so surprising how a meal that seems like it took a great deal of effort can come together so fast and with minimal fuss.

Serves 2.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH HERBED BUTTER

I love roasting a chicken.  It gives me such a slightly deceptive sense of accomplishment.  I say deceptive because, really, other than seasoning it and then plopping it in a roasting pan scattered with vegetables, there's not a whole lot of talent or technique involved or required (carving the cooked bird, however, is a different matter, and one that I have not yet mastered).

Usually whenever I roast a chicken I just slice a lemon and a head of garlic in half and stuff them in the cavity, drizzle the skin with olive oil, and slide it in the oven for an hour or so.  And then I drink some wine while the chickeny aroma fills the kitchen. 

This recipe comes from the beautiful Balthazar cookbook and the method is a little different than the I am used to.  Instead of coating the chicken skin with olive oil, herbed butter is squidged around under the skin.  Then, rather than just putting the whole thing in the oven, the bird is first browned in a roasting pan on top of the stove.  I sort of questioned how necessary this step was, but according to the book, patrons of the restaurant loved the chicken so who was I to argue?

INGREDIENTS
3 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
6 sprigs of thyme, finely chopped
8 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) room temperature unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 3 1/2 pound chicken, rinsed and dried (I used 2 chickens slightly under 5 pounds because I wanted leftovers.  However, other than the garlic and the olive oil, I did not double the other quatities.)
1 head of garlic, sliced horizontally in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
1 pound bag of peeled baby carrots
1 medium celery root, peeled and diced into 1-inch chunks
8 ounces cremini (Baby Bella) or button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimed, and quartered
1/2 or so cup of white wine

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine half the rosemary, thyme and parsley with the softened butter, using a fork to blend.  Season with salt and pepper.

Gently loosen the skin from the breast meat.  Slide in a small dab of the herb butter.  Massage the skin a little to work the butter around.  Next do the same thing to the skin on the back.  Season the cavity with salt, pepper and stuff in the leftover chopped herbs and the garlic.  Smear the skin with any remaining herb butter and season with salt and pepper.  Tie the legs together with a small piece of butcher's twine and fold the wings under.  The

Over a high flame, heat the olive oil in a heavy, oven-proof saute pan or roasting pan until it smokes.  Place the bird on its side, searing the leg and breast.  Leave it untouched in the pan for about 4 minutes unbtil the skin has turned golden brown.  The cookbook used the word "burnished" which I sort of love.  Using a pair of tongs, turn to brown the other breast, and then the top and bottom of the bird, being carefull not to pierce the skin with said tongs.

At this point add the vegetables and toss to coat in the olive oil and rendered chicken fat.  Add the chicken stock and place the pan in the oven.  Roast the chicken for about 40 minutes (for 5 pound birds, I roasted them for 1 hour).  If the chicken starts to get too dark, cover with a loose foil tent.  To test for doneness, pierce the joint where the leg connects to the body - the juices should run clear (the internal temperature should be 155 degrees F). 

Remove the chicken and vegetables from the roasting pan and cover with foil.  Place the pan on the stove over a high heat.  If it seems to oily, remove some of the fat with a spoon.  Add the wine and deglaze the pan to make the pan sauce.  Continue to cook the sauce until it's reduced by half and thickened.  You probably won't need to add any flour or anything, although I did add about a teaspoon of butter right at the end.

I served the chicken with the roasted vegetables, buttered egg noodles, and some grilled zucchini, which in retrospect, Annie and I agreed were a little superfluous.  The noodles and the roasted vegetables were more than enough.

The herbed butter under the salty, crispy, bronzed skin soaks and flavors the meat, rendering it succulantly moist.  I was talking to a co-worked this afternoon who has used this same recipe and he remarked that the herbed butter technique also works especially well on turkey, since it has a tendency to dry out. 

The vegetables, glistening with chicken juices and melted butter and flecked with the chopped parsley, thyme and rosemary are soft but still have some body.  I have to say, I loved the celery root.  It's evocotive of a parsnip or a potato but has a kind of light, freshness.  It works well with the carrots and the mushrooms, of course you could do any combination of vegetables you like, but be sure to make a lot.  They shrink down during the roasting and because they are so flavorful, you'll wind up eating more than you expect to.  Especially when everything is drizzled with the winey gravy.

One thing I'd like to note, is the step in which the chicken is browned on the stove top, did in the end, seem unecessary.  It was a little cumbersome trying to ballance the bird on it's side in the roasting pan and then turn it with out ripping the skin, although it might be because I was attempting to brown two chickens simultaneously.  Next time I think I might skip it.

Depending on the size, one chicken should serve 4.  Also don't forget to keep the carcass to make stock.

SAUTEED CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC-DRIED PLUM SAUCE

First of all, let's just quit kidding ourselves.  "Dried Plums" are nothing more than PRUNES. And the word "prune" is not exactly...sexy, is it?  I mean, would you really want to make a dish called "Chicken with Prunes"?  I doubt it.  Prunes make me think of nursing homes.  Prunes make you regular.  When you sit in the bathtub too long you get pruney.  These are not exactly pleasant images.  And yet, I really like prunes.  Sorry.  Dried plums.  They're sweet, they're sort of sticky and I really love the texture - kind of like a really big, plump raisin.  If you haven't ever cooked with them, do give it a try.

This recipe is adapted from one I found on the website for a local healthfood market called Erewhon and despite the fact that one might consider it to be healthy, it's also extrordinarily delicious.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I used only two)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried plums
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh Thyme leaves, minced

METHOD
In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken in skillet; cook for 5 minutes minutes or until browned.  Place skillet in the oven and cook the chicken for 10 to 12 more minutes until no longer pink and the juices run clear when pricked with the tip of a knife.  Transfer to serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the skillet to the stove top and turn the heat on to medium.  Add shallots and garlic to same skillet; cook and stir 3-5 minutes or until softened. Stir in broth, dried plums, vinegar, Thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and any juices that have accumulated from the chicken; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat slightly; cook until sauce is reduced by half, about 1 cup. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce.

The balsamic vinegar, dried plums, and chicken stock cook down to create a fantasic syrupy sauce.  Tangy, garlicky, and sweet, yet at the same time woodsy thanks to the fresh thyme, it's almost like a thick, dark bar-b-que sauce.  It's great with the chicken but I'm sure it would be delicious with pork chops as well.  I'm sure you could also substitute rosemary for the thyme, with pleasing results.  It's a very easy, quick meal, perfect for a weeknight.  I threw it together in between gathering my clothes and going to the laundromat and as such I did not make any side dishes to go along with it.  Although I think that when I make it again I would serve it with something like mashed sweet potatoes or maybe a corn pudding and some steamed green beans or grilled asparagus.

Serves four

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Just the name "Chicken Cacciatore" conjures up so many images in my head.  Red checked tableclothes.  Candles flickering in those red glass candle holders with the plastic netting on the outside.  Wallpaper murals of Italian coastlines.  It's all very Italian-American family style restaurant.  It's one of those retro style dishes, like swiss steak or chicken divan, that seems like it would be fun and ironic to make but when you do it's bland and slightly disappointing.  I sort of feel like chicken cacciatore falls into this category.  It doesn't exactly feel like a classic Italian standard and it certainly doesn't feel fresh and modern.

Although it seems very 50's to me, chicken cacciatore is actually a very old dish.  According to What's Cooking America?  "The dish originated in the Renaissance period (1450-1600) when the only people who could afford to enjoy poultry and the sport of hunting were the well-to-do ... 'Cacciatore' means 'hunter’s style.' "  Isn't it fun to learn?

Recipes for chicken cacciatore have many variations, but basically it's chicken braised in a tomato sauce.  In addition to the very standard tomatoes (canned or fresh), onions, and garlic, many have peppers, either green (which I HATE), red or yellow or a combination.  Most use oregano and rosemary.  I've seen some that have carrots and celery.  Some recipes use white wine and some use red.  Any kind of chicken can be used - all thighs, bone in and skin on, a whole chicken, cut up, or just boneless skinless breasts and a lot of the recipes I've seen call for the chicken to be dredged in flour. 

This recipe, which comes from Sara Foster's cookbook Fresh Every Day, piqued my interest because it features roasted mushrooms (we all know how much a fan I am of anything roasted) and instead of oregano, it calls for oregano's neglected little sister, marjoram.  What a fun little twist.

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces cremini (Baby Bella) or button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimed, and quartered
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs, about 2 1/2 pounds (I used a combination of thighs and boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes (I used a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes which I diced)
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place mushrooms in a small baking dish.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and the vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. 

Roast mushrooms until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring several times during the cooking process so they cook evenly.  They should look like this:

Pat the chicken dry and season on both sides with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the marjoram.  Heat  the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Lay the chicken in the skillet, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until lightly browned on both sides.  Transfer the chicken to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and sautee, stirring constantly for 1 minute more.  Add the wine and bring to a boil, scrapping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Continue to boil for 2 to 3 minutes , until the wine has reduced by half.  Stir in the tomatoes and the chicken broth, bring to a low boil, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens.  Taste for salt and pepper and season if neccesary.

Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (the juices should run clear if pierced with the tip of a knife).  Stir in the mushrooms, parsley, and the remaining marjoram and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Place the chicken on individual plates and spoon the sauce over them.  Garnish with the chopped parsley and the grated Parmesan cheese if you wish.

Now I've made chicken cacciatore once before using a different recipe and thought it was kind of feh.  This one, however, was outstanding.  The sauce gets nice and thick and the roasted mushrooms make it hearty and woodsy but not heavy.  The marjoram gives the sauce a distinct freshness.  From simmering in the sauce, the chicken soaks up the flavor and becomes beautifully tender.  The dark meat really does have more flavor but the breasts taste great nontheless.  It's actually kind of nice to do a mixture of the light and the dark.  Although I did not use them, some capers would be a fantastic addition to the sauce.  The cookbook also suggested maybe adding some olives, an idea which I also love. I served the chicken with roasted butternut squash and some sauteed spinach with garlic, of course it would be great over pasta as well.

Serves 4 to 6

CHICKEN TIKKA

"Have you ever used your broiler?" I asked my co-worker Jessica yesterday afternoon.  "Sure," she replied.  "All the time."  I asked her what she broils.  "Chicken and stuff."  I asked her how long she cooks the chicken.  She couldn't remember.

I was asking because at home I had some chicken marinating in my refrigerator and the recipe, which comes from the Best-Ever Curry Cookbook by Mridula Baljekar, calls for the chicken to be broiled.  Now, the broiler drawer at the bottom of my stove was a complete mystery to me.  Never in my life have I used it, to cook anyway.  I use it to store my cast iron grill pan.  I'm not sure why, but broiling seems wierdly complicated.  How far from the heat do I put the meat?  Do I need to preheat it?  Questions swirled in my head.

Once I got home, I called my mom to see if she could be of any help or had any tips.  "Why are you calling?" she asked me.  "Can't I just call my mom and say hi?" I replied.  "You can, it's just that you never do."  I reminded her that we spoke the day before.  And the day before that.  "That's because I called you."  "Okay, fine," I admitted.  "I have a question."  I asked her about her broiling experience.  Alas, it turned out that she didn't use her broiler either.  Like mother, like son. 

Next I turned to Annie.  "Have you ever used your broiler?" I asked her.  She told me she does.  "What do you broil?"  She told me she uses it for tuna melts and something she calls "crabbies" which are english muffins topped with, I believe, some sort of crab salad.  Like my mother, she was of no help at all.  I decided I would just figure it out myself and hope for the best. 

While I was making my chicken skewers my mom called me back and told me that she had consulted an old cooking encyclopedia her mother had given her, probably in 1958.  She said the meat should be any closer than 4 inches from the heat source.  "So I'm supposed to get down there with a tape measure and measure it?" I asked.  "I don't think so."  She went on to say that this little cooking encyclopedia was full of helpful hints and good recipes.  "There's a recipe in here for home-made chicken stock made with chicken feet," she told me.  "Okay, I have to go," I told her, cutting her off before she could any further chicken foot related detail.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound skinless chicken breast fillets, cubed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plain yogurt
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges

METHOD
In a large bowl, mix the chicken, ginger, garlic, chilli powder, turmeric, salt, yogurt, lemon juice and cilantro.  Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.  Thread the chicken onto wooden skewers and place on a baking sheet covered in foil.

Place the chicken under a broiler and cook 8 to 10 minutes.  Turn each skewer, spoon a little more of the yogurt marinade over the chicken and cook for an additional 5 to 8 minutes.

How cool looking is that?  I love the reflection of the blue flames in the tin foil. 

Remove the chicken from the broiler and serve scattered with cilantro and accompanied with lime wedges.

So in the end I think I love the broiler.  I love that you can just stick food in a drawer, close it and a few minutes later it comes out cooked.  I should note, however, that since this was my first time using the broiler, I over-cooked the chicken by about 2 minutes.  I think I was preoccupied with trying to get those cool looking charred edges on the chicken and in the end some of the pieces wound up just slightly dry.  Just slightly.  Next time I'll know.  The cooking time I have noted in the recipe is how long I would broil them next time, although keep in mind that every stove is different, so you should just keep an eye on it.

As far as the chicken's flavor goes, it was really nice.  Spiced by not firey.  Unlike various kormas, vindaloos and what-have-yous, this is not a saucy Indian dish.  It is traditionally served with slices of onion and lime wedges.  I didn't bother with the onion, but the lime works well with the cilantro.  I served the chicken on a bed of basmati rice and accompanied by some Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Tomatoes. 

Serves 4 to 6

CRISPY PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH MARJORAM

Let me tell you about the new cookbook I just bought.

I was out this afternoon shopping for a birthday present for Annie and I found myself in the same neighborhood as my favorite cookbook shop, The Cook's Library.  I had been wanting to get a new cookbook.  I was sort of feeling that I rely on Epicurious and Food Network a little too much and so I kind of wanted to expand my cookbook collection to include more non celebrity chefs.  I asked the guy who worked there if he had any recommendations, explaining that I was interested in farmers' markets and seasonal cooking.  He handed me a book called Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster.  It seems Ms. Foster has a little prepared foods market in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and this is her second book.  She sort of seems like the South's answer to Ina Garten.  I plopped down on the store's overstuffed loveseat to look through the book.  Let me just say, it was everything I was looking for - beautiful pictures, menu recommendations, and suggestions for adapting recipes depending on the season.  I excitedly made my purchase and then spent the rest of the afternoon perusing the recipes trying to decide what to make for dinner.

This is the one I chose.  It's not the most daring recipe in the book but it did feature an ingredient that I've not used before - marjoram.  Naturally my idiot supermarket didn't have any, so I had to have Mark pick some up on his way home from work.  For those who don't know, marjoram is a member of the mint family and cousin to oregano but has a sweeter and more delicate flavor.

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram leaves
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup dry white wine

METHOD
RInse the chicken breasts and pat the skin dry with a paper towel.  Stuff 5 or 6 leaves under the skin of each breast and season with salt and pepper.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium high heat.  Place the chicken breasts skin side down, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the skin is crisp and golden and the edges are opaque, about 7 or 8 minutes.  Turn the chicken over, squeeze in the lemon juice and add the white wine.  Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 8 to 10 more minutes.

I should have browned that one on the left a little more, right?

Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.  Meanwhile turn the heat back up to high and simmer until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.  Serve the chicken warm with a little of the sauce spooned over.

I make chicken a lot using this same basic method.  It's kind of my go to meal - very reliably tasty and easy to cook.  So I sort of knew what to expect and I certainly wasn't disappointed.  The chicken was juicy and you can never go wrong with a lemon and white wine pan sauce.  The marjoram under the crispy skin was a very nice variation.  It's flavor echos the lemon in the sauce and it has a very distinct, pleasantly bitter taste.  The cookbook suggested serving the chicken with Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes and who was I to question this.

Serves 4.

APPLE, CURRANT, AND CARAWAY STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

This morning when Mark and I went to the Melrose Place farmers' market, I spotted the cutest little head of red cabbage.  I just so happened to have a big jug of apple cider in the refrigerator that I had used the other night for dinner when our friend Jack came over.  Red cabbage is kind of fantastic when it's sauteed in apple cider and spiced with caraway seeds.

Upon returning home, I perused Epicurious to get some ideas for what to serve along with the cabbage.  I mean, I can't just have cabbage for dinner.  Eventually I discovered this interesting recipe.  Although the currants seems sort of Christmasy, I decided to give it a try.  Plus I've always wanted to try stuffing a chicken breast with something.

INGREDIENTS
(For stuffing)
1 Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled and finely chopped (do this at the last minute, so the apple does not discolor)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 celery ribs, finelyt diced
1/2 cup coarse fresh rye bread crumbs (with or without seeds)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons dried currants
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(For chicken and pan sauce)
6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (2 lb)
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup unfiltered apple cider
1 cup chicken broth

METHOD
(For the stuffing)
Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté caraway seeds, stirring, 1 minute. Add onion and sauté, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add apple and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining stuffing ingredients. Cool stuffing completely.

Next you need to stuff the chicken breasts.  The recipe calls for 6 of them, but I only had three on hand and also it's not like I was hosting a dinner party or something.  Rather than cutting a slit into the side of the breast to form a little pocket, I decided to place the breasts between two sheets of cling flim and just pound them thin. 

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  Spoon some of the stuffing down the center of the breasts and fold over.  Use several toothpicks to fasten the breasts shut. 

I'm not sure what they are doing to chickens these days to give them such ample bosoms, but after I stuffed two, I decided to stop.  I'll probably use the rest of the stuffing and the other breast later in the week.

METHOD
(For the chicken)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy oven-safe skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, about 2 minutes on each side. 

Transfer the skillet to the oven.  Roast chicken in middle of oven until just cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes.

Remove chicken from the oven and set aside, covered with foil.  Return the skillet to stovetop to make the pan sauce.  Over moderately low heat stir flour into the fat remaining in skillet and cook roux, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in cider, broth and any juices that may have accumulated from the chicken.  Bring to a boil and cook until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, about 6 minutes.   Taste for seasonings.

Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch thick slices and serve drizzled with the pan sauce.

Along with the chicken and the sauteed cabbage, I roasted some sweet potatoes which I tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper and some dill.

The chicken was moist and perfectly cooked, the pan sauce was sweet but not terrbily so and the stuffing was excellent.  The currants were a little tart, the apples still had some body and caraway seed nicely tied the chicken to the cabbage in a way that didn't feel redundant.

In the end just one of these mega-breasts ended up being more than enough for Mark and myself.  Thank heavens for left overs.

SPICY MUNG BEAN SOUP

This recipe comes from the Whole Foods Cookbook, which I've had for 2 winters now.  Last year I made about 5 soup recipes from the book but for some reason I skipped over this one.  I think it was because I had no idea what mung beans were and just the name "mung beans" reminded me of "dung beetle" and as such, the whole thing seemed unappetizing.  But a couple days ago I was looking through the book again and came across the recipe and this time actually read it.  I was hooked the moment I saw that the soup was flavored with some of my favorite Indian spices - cumin and garam masala.  The recipe seemed easy and interesting so I decided to give it a try.  But first I had to track down these crazy mung beans.

Aren't they cute?  I decided to just head over to Whole Foods Market, even though parking there is a huge pain in the ass, because they are one of the only stores in my area that sells some of the more tricky to find and exotic ingredients.  I knew they would have them.  So the mung beans are about the size of a lentil and according to the cookbook they are commonly used in Indian cooking.  It describes the flavor as mellow and notes that the flesh is orange but with a skin that's either green, yellow or black. 

With the mung beans taken care of, I gathered the rest of my ingredients.

INGRENDIENTS
1 cup dried mung beans, washed and rinsed
5 cups cold water or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 or 3 large tomatoes, chopped
a 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 or 3 serrano peppers, very thinly sliced (do not remove the seeds)
1 cup coconut milk
2 medium or 1 large chicken breast (optional)
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
salt to taste
juice of 1 lemon

METHOD
Place the mung beans in a pot with the 5 cups of cold water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until beans are tender.  (Do not boil.  I cannot stress this enough.  Just a gentle simmer.  The recipe says to cook the beans for about 40 minutes, but mine were done in about 25.  But this is likely because I cooked them at too high a temperature, and as such my beans were not tender so much as they were mushy.  Not that it affects the flavor, but I would think the soup would have been better if the beans were a little firmer.)

Meanwhile, combine the turmeric, cumin, curry powder, and garam masala and set aside.

Then in a large soup pot, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the onions until soft.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, tomatoes, and the ginger.  Saute for a minute or so.

Add the combined spices and the sliced serrano pepper and saute for another minute.  Next add the beans and their cooking liquid to the pot with the vegetables and spices.  Add the coconut milk and the chicken breast, if using.  You might need to add another cup ot two of water, if the soup seems a little thick.  Simmer the soup uncovered for 15 minutes.  Remove the chicken breast from the soup and let cool for a little bit before shredding.  Add the chicken back to the soup.

Stir in the cilantro, season with salt and pepper and serve with a wedge of lemon.

The soup is a great way for the home cook to indulge in those fantastic Indian spices and flavors without having to commit to one of those very lengthy curries or what have you.  Also, since there is no ghee in it, it's actually very healthy as well.  I have to say, though, the soup was not what I would call spicy, but this may be cause I removed the seeds from the chilies, which I would not do next time.  And as for the mung beans - very similar to lentils.  If mung beans are difficult to find, lentils might be a suitable substitute.  The soup is hearty and the coconut milk adds a little bit of richness but without making the soup overbearingly creamy, while the cilantro and lemon juice add a nice, bright freshness.  It would be great with a little naan and some nice sweet chutney. 

Serves 6

CHICKEN EMPANADAS WITH CHORIZO, RAISINS AND OLIVES

Perhaps the most ambitious thing on Annie and my New Year's Eve tapas party menu were these empanadas.  I mean, the bacon wrapped dates and the portobello bruschettas were really quite simple.  We sort of HAD to do something that was a little challenging, maybe a little risky.  It's what people expect.  My mother once warned me not to make a recipe for a party that I've never attempted before, in case the whole thing doesn't work out.  But that's not how Annie and I do things.  We try new recipes with unfamiliar methods and we hope for the best.  Some times it doesn't work (our home made pasta was a little chewy and let's not even mention the tamale incident) but usually we totally pull it off. 

For this little adventure, I went over to Annie's house the day before New Year's and we made a little game plan.  We decided to make the filling the day before the party and then the day of the party we'd make the pastry crust and assemble the empanadas.  Then when we'd arrive at Annie's friend Jodi's house for the party, we'd bake them all off and serve hot.

After a trip to Trader Joe's and Pavilions, followed by dinner at Casa Escobar down in Marina del Rey with Annie's husband, her mother-in-law and her mother-in-law's new finace, we FINALLY got cooking.  I think it helped that we were a little drunk.

This recipe comes from the January 2005 issue of Gourmet, courtesy of Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
3 whole chicken legs, including thighs (2 to 2 1/4 lb total)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1/3 cup finely diced Spanish chorizo (cured spiced pork sausage; 1 1/2 oz; casings discarded if desired)
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (not hot)
1/4 cup chopped pitted green olives
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
empanada dough divided into four balls, wrapped in cling film and chilled in the refrigerator. (The recipe suggested using store bought pizza dough, but come on.  We're not making calzones here, people.  We used Martha's empanada dough recipe.)

Note:  Because of the number of people we were expecting at the party, we doubled the filling recipe.

METHOD
(To make the filling)
Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, turning over once, about 6 minutes total. Watch out, because the oil WILL splatter all over the place.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Next sauté onions, garlic, and bay leaves in fat remaining in skillet, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add chorizo and paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add olives, raisins, wine, and broth and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, if there are any. Return chicken to skillet along with any juices accumulated on plate, then reduce heat to moderately low and simmer chicken, covered, turning over once, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes total.

Transfer chicken to a clean plate. (Sauce in skillet should be the consistency of heavy cream; if it's not, briskly simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.) When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and coarsely chop meat. Stir chicken into sauce and discard bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, then cool filling, uncovered, about 30 minutes.

At this point you could stop - the chicken mixture would be great served over rice - but no.  We are making empanadas.  And this is how you do it.  It's surprisingly easy. 

Roll out one of the balls of dough on a lightly floured surface into a small circle about the size of a bread plate.  (Because Annie has tile counter tops and does not possess a large slab of marble that is typically used for pastry, she taped a large sheet of parchment paper to the counter.  It worked quite well.)

Next spoon some filling onto the half of the circle closest to you, leaving an edge. 

Dip a pastry brush in a little water and wet the edge.  Then fold the top down over the filling and seal it shut, gently squeezing out any air.  Brush the edge with a little more water and then fold the edge up forming a sort of lip.

Using a fork, crimp the lip.  Perhaps this is overkill, but it really seals the empanadas well so that they don't ooze while baking.

Place the finished empanada on a cookie sheet lined in parchment paper and then cover with cling film.  We did this several hours before the party and did not bother to refrigerate them. 

When you are ready to bake them, heat you oven to 425 degrees F.  Brush the tops, but not the crimped edges with olive oil, and then bake for 25 minutes, depending on how big the empanadas are, until golden brown.

Our friend Heather declared these to be the best empandas she's EVER EATEN.  And they are really good.  The filling is sweet from the raisins and a little spicy and the crust is really thin and flakey but not too buttery.

In the end, a significant number of the party's guest list did not make it due to a horrific flu that's been going around and those who did come had, for some reason, gone out to dinner before the party.  This left us with dozens of uneaten empanadas.  Annie and I split them up between us and the next night we reheated them for dinner.  Just so you know, they reheat very well.