Naked Grilled Chicken

I usually prefer to leave the skin on chicken because it adds a lot of flavor to what can be an otherwise bland piece of meat. But one man’s blandness is another man’s blank canvas, and Chris Kimball fulfilled his promise that I wouldn’t miss the skin. He cuts slits into the chicken to allow the flavors to penetrate, and cook more evenly. His reason for removing the skin is as follows: the fat rendering from the skin causes flare-up which cause the exterior of the chicken to become fully cooked while the interior is still raw. Without the fear of flare-ups, the chicken can be cooked directly over the hot coals. The result is an extremely flavorful Grilled Lemon Chicken with Rosemary; 4-stars.

Grilled without the skin.

Comments:

1. Chris Kimball’s original instructions were unclear that the butter mixture and past are two separate things. The paste gets applied just before you light the charcoals, and the butter gets applied during the final stages of grilling the chicken. I added some clarification in my descriptions below.
2. While his recipe calls for a 3 1/2-to-4-lb chicken, I had to feed a gaggle of kids. I used a 7-pound chicken. Of course, this meant a longer cooking time. So I created a cook zone on my grill, and moved the chicken there once the exterior was cooked. It cook an extra 15 minutes for the rest of my bigger chicken to reach an internal temperature of 165-degrees.

Rating: 4-stars.
Cost: $8
How much work? Low/Medium.
How big of a mess?  Low/Medium.
Start time: 4:00 PM. Dinner time: 6:30 PM.

Chris Kimball’s version of this recipe is here. The descriptions of how I prepared the recipe today are given below:

1 whole chicken
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Salt and pepper
2 lemons
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Use kitchen shears to open up your chicken by cutting out and discarding the backbone (I saved mine for making chicken stock). Open up the chicken and press down on the breasts until it flattens. Remove the skin from the chicken using paper towels to hold the slippery skin and kitchen shears to snip the parts that you can’t pull off, but leave the skin on the wings.
2. Fold the wings back and tuck them behind the back and turn drumsticks to face inwards. Cut 1/2″-deep slits every 1/2″ apart in both the legs and the breasts with a chef’s knife. Insert two 12″ skewers to hold the chicken together during cooking. Insert the first skewer into the thigh, the bottom of the breast and then through the opposite thigh. Second, insert the second skewer 1″ lower through the thigh/drumstick of both sides. I didn’t understand completely, but really all you are trying to do is hold the chicken together while cooking.
3. Brine the chicken in 3 quarts of water mixed with 3/4-cups of table salt and 3/4-cups granulated sugar. Refrigerate for up to an hour.
4. Meanwhile, add the paste ingredients to a small bowl. Zest your 2 lemons, and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1-1/2 teaspoons minced rosemary, 1 teaspoon Dijon, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. This paste is to be applied is step 5. In a small saucepan set over low burner, melt the 2 tablespoons butter, and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon, and another 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Once the butter has melted, remove from burner and juice one of the lemons into the pan. Stir to combine, and set aside until the final stages of grilling in step 8 (basting the chicken 3 times).
5. When the chicken is done brining, use paper towels to pat it dry. Rub 1/2-teaspoon of the past into the underside of the legs, then flip the chicken breast-side-up, and rub the remaining paste over the entire chicken, especially working some into the slits.
6. Completely open the upper and lower vents of your grill, and start a heaping chimney starter filled with charcoal. When the coals have ignited; about 20 minutes; empty the coals over half the grill leaving half the grill without any coals. Pre-heat the grill for 5 minutes and scrape the grill clean.
7. Put chicken on grill directly over coals with the breast-side down. Also place the lemon wedges directly over the coals. Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes until the chicken becomes lightly charred. Remove the lemon from the grill and put them on a small plate for serving.
8. Turn the chicken leaving directly over the coals, then brush with about 1/3 of the butter mixture (you will baste the chicken 3 times). Place a large sheet of aluminum foil directly on top of the chicken, which will make the chicken cook faster. If your butter mixture has become too thick, you can loosen it up by putting the saucepan over the cooler side of the grill. Continue to cook with the lid on for another 8 to 10 minutes to brown the second side. Move chicken to the cooler side of the grill, baste for a second time with half the remaining butter, and continue to cook, covered with foil and the grill cover on, until the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 160-degrees and the dark meat reaches 175 degrees. This will take about 10 minutes for a small chicken, but my larger chicken took another 20 minutes.
9. Remove chicken from grill and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes; tented with foil. Remove skewers and cut apart the breasts, thighs and drumsticks. Serve immediately with the grilled lemon wedges.

Resting just before carving.

“Best” Chicken Parmesan

Normally I don’t like Chicken Parmesan because the marinara sauce feels too heavy and overcooked. So I was excited to try this recipe after seeing the photo on Chris Kimball’s website; the tomatoes looked fresh and bright. However, the reality is that he uses the same can of crushed tomatoes that I’ve always used to make my red sauce. On the plus side, the generous amount of fresh Parmesan in the breading adds great flavor. So it’s better than average, but the not the “best”. The continued use of canned tomatoes leaves in place the exact thing that I dislike about Chicken Parmesan. My red-sauce loving son gave this 5-stars, but I can only give it 3-1/2.

Better than average, but not the “best”

Comments:

1. Just as every sauce recipe that I’ve ever made, this recipe uses a whole, 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes. I only used about 1/4 of the sauce; but the sauce was so inexpensive to make (about $1.25) that there is no reason to make less. My son, who hasn’t eaten jarred red sauce in 3 years, was happy with the leftovers.
2. I didn’t use the recommended Fontina, because I don’t generally use it and didn’t want to buy it for just 2 ounces. Instead I used 4 ounces of mozzarella.

Rating: 3-1/2 stars.
Cost: $7. ($3 of which was the basil)
How much work? Medium.
How big of a mess?  Medium.
Started: 4:30 pm. Dinner Time:  6:00.

Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here.  The descriptions of how I prepared it today are given below:

Sauce Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch red pepper flakes
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil

Chicken Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-lb total)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2-oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
2-oz ounces fontina cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
1  large egg
1 tablespoon flour
1-1/2-oz Parmesan cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup torn fresh basil

1. Lay chicken breasts flat on cutting board and freeze them for 15 minutes so that they become firm.
2. Trim away any excess fat and cut breasts in half horizontally to form two thin cutlets. Use a meat pounder to flatten only the fat ends; leaving a uniform 1/2″-thickness. Evenly sprinkle both sides of chicken with a total of 1 teaspoon Kosher salt. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Place a medium-size sauce pan over medium burner and pre-heat 1 tablespoon live oil until it begins to shimmer. Add pressed garlic cloves, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, and the pinch of red pepper flakes. Saute for 30 seconds, then add crushed tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Increase burner to high until it reaches a simmer, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat, add chopped basil and 1 more teaspoon of olive oil. Adjust season with salt and pepper according to your taste. Cover the pot to keep it warm while you finish cooking the chicken.
4. While the sauce is cooking prepare your remaining ingredients. Shred your mozzarella and fontina, combine in a small bowl, and set aside until step 7. In a pie plate, whisk 1 egg and 1 tablespoon flour together until it becomes smooth. Grate your Parmesan cheese directly into a second pie plate, then combine with panko, garlic powder, oregano, and ground black pepper. Set an oven rack about 4″ from the broiler element and begin pre-heating.
5. Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry. Coating on piece of chicken at a time, dredge through egg mixture and allow any excess egg to drip back into the pie plate. Put in bread crumb mixture and gently press so that the coating adheres to the chicken. Put coating chicken on a large plate, and continue coating the remaining chicken.
6. Place in a 10″-nonstick skillet over medium-high burner. Pre-heat 1/3 cup vegetable oil until it begins to shimmer. Add two pieces of chicken at a time into oil, and cook for 2 minutes per side without moving. Carefully flip the chicken using tongs and cook the second side for 2 more minutes. Remove cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towels. Cook the second batch of chicken.
7. Put the cooked chicken on a foil-lines baking sheet and spread cheese evenly trying to cover as much of the chicken as possible. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown. Put chicken on serving platter and top with 2 tablespoons of sauce per chicken. Sprinkle with minced basil and serve immediately. Pass additional sauce separately.

Red-Cooked Chicken

My oven stopped working a few weeks ago (I can only broil), so I’ve been limping along making stove-top dishes until I can get General Electric to come and fix the oven. I picked today’s dinner based solely on my ability to braise the chicken without my oven (the preferred braising method). In the end, the chicken was perfectly cooked. But the skin that I so carefully browned in step 3 turned out soggy by the end of cooking. I’m undecided if, next time, I will remove the skin prior to cooking. The recipe requires vastly different cooking times for white and dark meat, and because my white meat only needed 20-minutes, the sauce had not sufficiently reduced. I ended up with 2 cups of weak sauce. If you are only cooking white meat, then I’d recommend reducing the sauce after removing the chicken to concentrate the flavors.  Overall, 3-1/2 stars. Had the sauce been more concentrated, I would have rated it higher.

Red cooking is a form of Chinese braising, but mine is more brown than red

Issues

1. The recipe also called for a few specialty ingredients, which I did not use. Chris Kimball uses Dark Soy Sauce and Sichuan peppercorns; both of which require a trip to an Asian market. I used regular soy sauce and added 1 tablespoon of molasses. Chris Kimball says that you can just substitute regular Soy Sauce (he doesn’t mention the molasses) but warns that the flavors will be blander. Afterwards, I found this recipe or this recipe that may make for a better substitution.
2. As I mentioned above, there was way too much sauce, and it’s flavors were not sufficiently concentrated. It may also be that I used regular soy sauce. I modified step 9 with my suggestion about reducing the sauce (my not be necessary if you use Dark Soy Sauce).
3. This was my first meal that I’ve cooked using whole Star Anise. It was $4 in my spice aisle, but I found a $1 package in the Mexican aisle.

Rating: 3-1/2 stars
Cost: $6
How much work? Medium.
How big of a mess?  Medium.
Started: 4:30 PM.  Ready:  6:00 PM

Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here.  The descriptions of how I prepared it today are given below:

4 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 medium garlic cloves
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (about 2-1/2″ piece)
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
3 star anise
1/2-cup dark soy sauce
1/3-cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4-cup Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 hard-cooked eggs

1. Hard boil the four eggs by placing in a pan of cold water, slowing bringing it up to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, the remove from burner and allow to sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, trim your chicken pieces on any excess fat. If you are using chicken breasts, slice them in half crosswise. Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry.
3. Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high burner and pre-heat 2 tablespoons of oil until it just begins to smoke. Brown the chicken in two batches, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. I used a splatter-screen to reduce the mess. As the pot heats up, you may need to reduce the flame to prevent the pan from scorching. When the chicken is browned, put it on a clean plate while you brown the second batch of chicken.
4. Meanwhile, peel and press your 6 garlic cloves into a small cup or bowl along with peppercorns and star anise. Mince or grate your fresh ginger, which should give you 2 tablespoons, and add in with the garlic. Peel your hard-boiled eggs so that they are ready for step 7.
5. Pour off any excess oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in your Dutch oven. Add the garlic/ginger/peppercorn/anise to the pot and saute for 30 seconds.
6. Add 1/2-cup soy sauce, 1/3-cup chicken broth, 1/4-cup rice wine, toasted sesame oil, and brown sugar. Use the liquid to deglaze your pan.
7. If you are cooking a mixture of dark and white meat, add the thighs and drumsticks 40 minute prior to adding the white meat (and eggs). Set chicken in braising liquid, bring up to a simmer, cover, and reduce burner to medium-low. The dark meat will need a total of 60 minutes, and the white meat will need just 20 minutes. Add the hard-boiled eggs with the white meat. Flip the chicken and eggs half-way through cooking.
8. Once the chicken has reached the desired internal temperature (165-degrees for white and 175-degrees for dark meat), remove chicken and eggs to a serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
9. If you are cooked dark meat, then the hour of cooking time will have sufficiently reduced the sauce. However, if you only white meat, allow the chicken to rest in a 200-degree oven to cook it warm and turn up burner to medium-high and reduce for 8 to 10 minutes to concentrate the flavors of the sauce. Skim as much fat as possible from the sauce, and pour it over the chicken and eggs, serving any remaining sauce separately.

My first time cooking with whole star anise

Chicken Chimighangas

If you’ve ever made Chimichangas, you’ll know that the first 15 second of frying are incredibly tense. I used a combination of tongs and metal spatula to hold the burritos tightly in place until the tortilla becomes crispy enough to hold the seams together. Despite all my precautions, I’ve always had about 1/3 of my Chimichangas partially open up during frying; a splattering mess. Today’s recipe completely solves that problem, with an “old school” solution to my most vexing chimi-problem. Simply paste the seams closed with a mixture of water and flour. Viola! My blood pressure remains low with 0% chance of leakage. My greatest culinary discover in 2013 (so far). Particular surprising since I don’t generally trust Chris Kimball with Mexican food. Delicious. 4-stars, but can easily become 5-stars once a few minor issues (see below) are worked out.

Easy Chicken Chimichangas without the worry

Chimichangas are just deep-fried burritos, and deep-frying anything can often make them more delicious (of course also less healthy). They are a dietary splurge, and I’ve been making my own beef-recipe for a few years. Unfortunately, the 3-1/2 hours required means that I only make them a few times a year.  However, today’s Chicken Chimichangas can be made in just over an hour. They are delicious (though not as inherently flavorful as beef) and definitely worth the moderate effort.

Issues:

1. Chris Kimball says to cook the chicken breast to 160-degrees in just 15 minutes. I found that it wasn’t nearly enough and that I needed a full 25 minutes. I see that my chicken breasts were more than 6-ounces each, so be sure to work off temperature rather than time.
2. Issue #1 caused another problem. After 25 minutes on the stove-top my rice had turned to mush. So I suggest paying close attention to the size of your breasts; size does matter. If they are on the larger size reduce the par-cooking of the rice in step 2. I will try 2 minutes next time. If you successfully find the diminutive 6-ounce breasts called for in the recipe, then microwave the rice for the full 5 minutes.
3. I used a cast-iron dutch oven, which calls for 1-3/4 cups of chicken broth, but if you are using a non-cast-iron dutch oven then the recipe calls for using only 1-1/4 cups. I’m not sure why.
4. Chris Kimball calls for simply dividing the mixture in 4 equal parts; one part for each Chimichanga. But the variable size of the chicken breasts make this unworkable. I had enough mixture for 6 chimichangas; not just 4.
5. I found that there was not enough paste (it went on thickly), so I double the amount of paste in the recipe below to prevent myself from running out.
6. Of course, the Chimichangas could use a little more spiciness. Next time I’m going to double the chili powder and cumin, or maybe add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
7. Frying the Chimichangas in just 3 cups of oil meant that the tops became scorched. Next time I will try to fry them in 6 cups of oil for more even cooking. (see how even they look with 6 cups; photo here)

Rating: 4-stars.
Cost: $8.
How much work? Medium.
How big of a mess? Medium/High.
Started: 5:00 pm  Ready:  6:15 pm.

Chris Kimball’s original recipe from Season 5 of Cook’s Country is here. The descriptions of how I cooked them today are given below.

1-3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
Salt and pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-ounces each)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can pinto beans, (15-ounce)
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon water
4 ten-inch flour tortillas
3 cups peanut or vegetable oil
Serve with salsa, sour cream and/or diced avocado.

1. You’ll need two cutting boards, so designate one for vegetables from the start. Mince chipotle so that you have 1 tablespoon. Add 1-3/4 cups chicken broth to a 2-cup measuring cup together with 1 tablespoon of minced chipotle. Stir together using a fork.
2. In a medium bowl, add 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup of the broth/chipotle mixture and 1/4 teaspoon table salt. Stir to combine, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, use paper towels to pat the chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and ground pepper. Finely dice your onion and peel your garlic cloves. Also, rinse your pinto beans under cold running water.
4. Put a dutch oven over medium-high burner and heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until it just begins to smoke. Add minced onions and cook for 2 to 5 minutes (see Issue #2); until they becomes softened but not at all browned.
5. Add chili powder, cumin and press your peeled garlic cloves directly into pot. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the remaining 1-1/4 cups broth mixture (or 3/4 cup depending upon type of pot), the half-cooked rice, and the rinsed beans. Bring the mixture up to a boil.
6. Reduce your burner to medium-low. Lay chicken on-top of other ingredients in the pot, cook, and flip after 10 minutes.  Continue cooking on the second side for an additional 5 to 15 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160-degrees.
7. Remove chicken and place on a cutting board, allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, use paper towels to wipe out the bowl used to parcook the rice (you don’t want to mix in an half-cooked grains of rice), then empty the cooked rice mixture into the bowl. Wash your now-empty Dutch oven and dry thoroughly.  Also chop cilantro yield 1/3-cup, and shred your 4-ounces of cheddar cheese.
8. Dice the cooked chicken into 1/2″ pieces. Add chicken, cilantro and cheese to bowl and stir until everything is evenly combined.
9. Put 4 tortillas on a serving plate, and cover using another overturned serving plate. Microwave for 1 minutes to soften tortillas.
10. Add 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons to a small/tiny bowl; use a fork to combine into a paste-like consistency.
11. Make burritos one at a time. Lay out the warm tortilla on your work surface. Use a pastry brush to paint the entire edge of the tortilla with paste. Tightly wrap the top and bottom of the tortilla forming a stuffing-filled tube (i,e, leaving the ends open). Gently press down to seal the burrito and flatten the ends. Paint the end with a little more paste (see photo below) and fold over ends to seal both sides of the burrito. Repeat with remaining filling.
12. While you are making the burritos, pre-heat 3-cups oil in the clean Dutch over medium-high burner for 10 minutes; or until it reaches 325-degrees. Fry two burritos at a time, seam-side down, for 2 minutes per side. Adjust the temperature to ensure that the oil remains between 300-and-325-degrees at all times. Drain over a wire rack and use paper towels to blot away as much oil as you can. Once the oil has returned to 325-degrees repeat cooking process with the remaining burritos.

It seems like too much filling, but it works out in the end.

Plump burritos waiting for the oil to heat up tp 325-degrees.

Easy Chicken Chimichangas without the worry

Paste the ends for leak-proof seal.

Chicken Fingers with Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

I cook kid-friendly dinners five days per week, because my work provides me with a substantial free lunch. Today, I tested another kid-only recipe; chicken finger.  While this is the easiest nugget recipe yet, it lacks spices (I mean literally has no spices). The recipe calls for cooking in just 1 cup of oil. While it makes for easy cleanup, it is also not enough oil for them to cook evenly. I used dutch oven, which had higher sides than a regular skillet, and made for less of a mess on my stovetop (plus I used my splatter screen). 2-1/2 stars. Healthier than McDonalds, but no tastier.

Shallow fried chicken

I also made Chris Kimball’s sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce, but found that it was disproportionally sweet. The rice vinegar I don’t think made a big enough difference to justify it’s cost over plain white vinegar (or a combination of white and cider vinegar). Be sure to start the sauce before nuggets (or during brining). I didn’t start it in time and ended up putting the sauce in the freezer for a few minutes to obtain the proper serving temperature. I modified the recipe below to correct the problems and 2-1/2 stars for the sauce.

Comments:

1. Shallow frying means less even browning. but only 1 cup of oil is really nice. Lack of brining and spices made this only average. I guess if you
2. Optional, 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, 1 lemon, cut into wedges
3. Dipping sauces can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.
4. 12″ heavy-bottomed skillet but I’d recommend a Dutch oven
5. Each 12-oz chicken breasts made about 12 nuggets.

Rating: 3-stars.
Cost: $5 for 2-pounds.
How much work? Low.
How big of a mess? Medium.
Started: 4:45 pm  Ready:  6:00 pm.

Chris Kimball’s original chicken finger recipe is here, and his recipe for the Dipping Sauce is here.  The descriptions of how I cooked it today are given below.

Chicken Fingers Recipe:

1-lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 cups panko
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoon plus 1 cup vegetable oil
Salt and ground black pepper

1. Start making the sauce before you begin the chicken. Set an oven rack to the middle of your oven and preheat to 200-degrees.
2. Trim away the white and yellow fat from your chicken, and use paper towels to pat the chicken dry. Cut it crosswise into 1/2″ wide slices.
3. Set out three pie plates, adding flour to the first, and Panko to the second. In the third pie plate, add 1 egg, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon table salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
4. In batches of a few pieces at a time, dredge the chicken in flour, and shake off any excess. Use tongs to coat the chicken in egg mixture, allowing any extra mixture to drip back into the pie plate. Finally, put in panko and press the crumbs so that they adhere to the chicken. Put the breaded chicken on wire rack while you repeat with the rest of the chicken fingers.
5. Add 1 cup of vegetable oil to Dutch oven. Pre-heat over medium-high burner for about 7 minutes until it reaches 350 degrees. Fry the chicken in two batches for about 2 minutes per side, until the chicken is golden brown and crispy.
6. When move, move to a clean baking sheet lined with paper towels, and keep warm in oven while you fry the second batch.
7. Serve immediately with dipping sauce, or with lemon wedges.

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce:

Pinch red pepper flakes (1/16 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/2″ piece fresh ginger, cut in half (1/8 teaspoon ground ginger)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup apricot preserves or jam
Salt and ground black pepper

1. Add all ingredients in a medium saucepan and put over medium burner. Bring up to a boil , then reduce to medium-low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. It should have slightly thickened.
2. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into bowl. Press down on solids using a rubber spatula to yield as much sauce as possible. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper according to your taste.
3. Allow sauce to cool, maybe putting it in the refrigerator depending on how quickly you need it.
4. Makes about 12-oz, and any extra sauce can be kept refrigerated for about 1 week.

Batter-Fried Chicken Nuggets with Homemade BBQ Dipping Sauce

My homemade Chicken Nuggets originated from a copycat McDonald’s recipe, and slowly evolved over the years based upon my kids taste and suggestions. About a year ago, I adopted some brining improvements from these Cook’s Country’s chicken nuggets; which have reigned supreme. So you can imagine my surprise when a comment left by a fellow food blogger lead to the crowning of a new “best chicken nugget” (at least in my household). Using this batter intended for whole chicken pieces, applying it to nuggets. The results were amazing. The nuggets were lighter, but still crunchy. It was almost like biting into a cloud.

The best nuggets yet. Like biting into a cloud.

Some of the changes required to make this recipe work for nuggets.  (1) I reduced the brine ingredients by 50%. Because nuggets are more compact than bone-in chicken it doesn’t need as much brine. (2) The nuggets should only be brined for 30 minutes for they will be too salty. (3) I also reduced the batter ingredients by 50%, which was enough to 3 chicken breasts (about 30 large-sized nuggets).

Comments:

1. I am intending to put together another post that pulls together everything you need to know about chicken nuggets into a single place; 3 different nugget recipes, plus 4 to 5 dipping sauces. I’m tired of everybody saying “serve with your favorite dipping sauce.”

Rating: 5-stars.
Cost: $5 for 2-pounds.
How much work? Low.
How big of a mess? Medium/High.
Started: 4:45 pm  Ready:  6:00 pm.

Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here.  The descriptions of how I cooked it today are given below.

Brine:
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 boneless chicken breasts

Batter:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (2-5/8 oz)
3/4 cup cornstarch (3-1/2 oz)
2-1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups + 1 Tablespoon cold water (7 oz)
1-1/2 quarts (6 cups) vegetable oil

1. If you like your sauce cool or cold, make it before proceeding with your chicken, If you like it warm, you can make it while the chicken brines in step 2.
2. Cut chicken breasts into nuggets; about 7 to 10 nuggets per breast. Make the brine by whisking together 2 cups cold water, 2 tablespoons table salt and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in medium bowl. After the sugar and salt have dissolved, add chicken pieces, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in another large bowl add together the flour, cornstarch, pepper, paprika, cayenne, baking powder, salt, and water. Whisk until the batter is smooth and refrigerate until ready to use.
4. After brining, place a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1-1/2 quarts of vegetable oil and begin pre-heating for about 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, discard brine and pat chicken dry using paper towels.
6. Re-whisk the batter to ensure an even consistency. Add half your chicken pieces to the bowl with the batter.
7. When the oil reaches 350 degrees, remove chicken from batter one piece at a time and let the excess batter drip back into the bowl to avoid a doughy crust; add chicken piece to hot oil.
8. If you want to serve the both batches together, pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees to keep the first batch warm while the second batch cooks.
9. Fry nuggets in 2 batches for 8 minutes per batch. The crust will become deeply golden brown. After 3 minutes stir the chicken to ensure that it has not stuck to each other (or the bottom of the pan). You will probably have to break some of the nuggets apart.
10. Place the chicken on wire rack set over a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Allow it to drain then pat with paper towels. Place in 200-degree oven while you prepare the second batch.
11. Bring oil back up to 350 degrees and repeat from step 6 with remaining nuggets.

BBQ Dipping Sauce:

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1. Add apple cider vinegar into a small saucepan, heat and whisk together garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder. When it starts to steam, add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, molasses, and brown sugar. Reduce burner to medium/low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
2. Makes 9 ounces.

Stovetop Roast Chicken with Lemon-Herb Sauce

I made this skillet chicken for my kids and their friends, because I needed an easy weeknight meal that would be ready in under an hour. The chicken was moist and perfectly cooked, but I used the higher end of Chris Kimball’s time ranges (as usual). My youngest son (who turns 12-years-old today) loved the sauce, while the older son liked the plain chicken. The secret of this recipe that ensures crisp skin: brown the chicken skin-side down for a second time (in step 4), after a quick 15 minute, stove-top braise. It’s a little more juggling, but it does provide nice skin and flavorful sauce. I did end up with too much sauce, so should have reduced it further in Step 6 beyond 1/2 cup. Overall, a delicious weeknight meal at 3-1/2 stars.

Quick weeknight chicken ready in 40 minutes

 

Comments:

1. Chris Kimball does have three other sauces associated with this recipe: Grapefruit-Tarragon, Spicy Thai, and Sake Glaze.
2. I did accidentally add 2 tablespoon lemon juice instead of 2 teaspoons, but I liked it.
3. This recipe works with any combination of bone-in chicken parts. I used 100% chicken breast, because they were on sale for $1/lb. Alternatively, Chris Kimball also says that you can cut up a whole chicken, which might add 10 minutes to the preparation time.

Rating: 3-1/2 stars
Cost: $4.50
How much work? Low.
How big of a mess?  Low.
Started: 5:30 PM.  Ready:  6:15 PM

Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here.  The descriptions of how I prepared it today are given below:

3-1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (could be breasts, thighs, drumsticks, or any mix)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 to 1-1/4 cups chicken broth

Lemon-Herb Sauce:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 medium shallot
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoons minced parsley leaves
1-1/2 tablespoons minced chives
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Salt and pepper

1. Cut breasts in half and trim of any excess fat. Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to 12″ non-stick skillet. Heat over medium-high burner until the oil begins to shimmer. Place chicken with skin-side down into skillet and cook without moving for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown. Use a splatter screen it you have one to make clean up easier.
3. Flip chicken with tongs, and turn down burner to medium-low, then add 3/4-cup chicken broth. Cover skillet and cook for 12 to 16 minutes until white meat reaches 155-degrees and dark meat reaches 170-degrees. If they cook unevenly remove the pieces as they become ready and place on plate.
4. Pour liquid into a measuring cup and reserve. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels, and add another 1 teaspoon oil to skillet. Turn up burner to medium-high and pre-heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Cook chicken with skin-side down and cook without moving chicken for 5 to 7 minutes until chicken reaches its final temperature (160-degrees for white meat and 175-degrees for dark meat). Put on clean serving platter and tent loosely with foil while you finish the sauce. Meanwhile, mince your shallot.
5. Skim any fat from the reserved liquid and add broth so that you have 3/4 cup.
6. Reduce burner to low and heat another teaspoon vegetable oil. Saute shallot for 1 minute until it has softened. Add flour and cook for 30 seconds, constantly stirring. Increase your burner to medium-high, use your 3/4 cup cooking liquid to deglaze the pan, and bring up to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes until it has reduced to 1/2-cup. Add back any juices from the serving platter and finish cooking for 30 seconds before removing from heat.
7. Whisk together the lemon juice, parsley, chives and butter. Taste as adjust season with salt and pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and pour around chicken on each individual plate.

Chicken Noodle Soup

For over 20 years, every time I have gotten sick I have made myself a big pot of Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. While I doubt the soup is the cure, by the time the soup is gone I invariably feel much better. It’s perfect, because I can re-heat the soup, little by little, requiring only minimal effort for each meal. Perhaps the extra rest is more of a cure than the soup. Today my youngest son got a stomach flu, so I made him a big pot of chicken soup in the hopes that he would be able to eat (and keep down) a healthy meal on his upset stomach. I can’t believe I’ve never posted my recipe for Chicken Soup. Here is my recipe, plus a link to Chris Kimball’s recipe, which had some influence over the evolution of my own soup recipe. 4-stars.

Chicken Noodle Soup is the best medicine for winter flu

Comments:

1. Today I used chicken thighs, which are great for braising. Sometimes I use boneless breasts if I happen to already have them in my refrigerator, but bone-in chicken is always better for soup.
2. I used 4-cups of my homemade chicken stock, but you could also use broth from a can or carton. In fact, you could even use a total of 2-1/2 quarts of plain water in this recipe, though the flavor won’t be quite as good.
3. Chris Kimball recommends just 2 cups of wide egg noodles. I prefer my soup more fully-loaded so used a 9-oz package for fresh, refrigerated pasta.

Rating: 4 stars.
Cost: $9.50 for 3 quarts of soup.
How much work? Medium.
How big of a mess?  Medium.
Start time 10:00 AM. Finish time 12:00 PM.

Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here. The descriptions of how I prepared the recipe today are given below:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 whole chicken (or about 4 pounds of chicken pieces)
2 medium onions
4 large carrot
4 to 5 teaspoons table salt
1 quart chicken broth (4 cups)
1-1/2 quarts water (6 cups)
2 bay leaves
4 springs of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 rib celery
2 potatoes
1 package of fresh fettuccine or 3 cups wide egg noodles (5 ounces).
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1. If you are using a whole chicken, break it down into individual pieces (e.g. thighs, drumsticks, breasts, etc). Remove the skin from the chicken and trim away any visible fat. Pat the chicken pieces dry using paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large dutch oven set over medium-high burner until just smoking. Add half the chicken, meaty-side down, brown for 6 minutes per side. Use tongs to flip and brown the second side for 6 more minutes. Remove the chicken to a clean plate, and repeat the browning process with the remaining chicken (using the same oil).
3. While the chicken browns, cut your onion into a medium dice. Peel and cut your carrots into 1/4″-thick slices. Also peel your potatoes and cut into 1/2″ dice, and cut your 3 rib of celery into 1/4-” thick slices (but keep the potatoes/celery separate from onions/carrots). Use kitchen twine to tie together your thyme sprigs.
4. After you remove the second batch of chicken, use the same oil to saute your diced onions and carrots for 6 minutes, using the moisture of the onions to deglaze the pot.
5. Add the chicken broth and water to the Dutch oven, and arrange the chicken pieces bone-side down. Add 1 tablespoon table salt, 2 bay leaves, thyme bundle, ground black pepper, diced potatoes, and celery slices. Bring the soup up to a gentle boil, then reduce burner to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 50 to 60 minutes until the chicken and vegetables are very tender.
6. Use tongs to remove chicken from pot. Then use two forks to remove the meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces. Discard the bone. Add the shredded chicken back to soup, and adjust the salt and pepper according to your taste. Stir in minced parsley, and serve.
7. Allow to cool for 2 hours before refrigerating leftovers. Alternatively you can empty leftovers into two or three 4-cup containers and refrigerate the individual containers.

Thai Grilled Chicken with Spicy Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

When growing up, my meals were always very straight-forward. Often just some type of protein cooked in a skillet without any seasoning (except maybe salt); simple and bland. So nowadays I tend to over-compensate; I’m always looking for interesting recipes. And while the long title of this recipe gives the appearance of being exotic, it is still kid-friendly enough where my picky-eating son can just skip the dipping sauce. The herb-rub gives a nice depth of flavor to chicken breasts. As a bonus, I loved this recipe because it allowed me to take advantage of a mild evening for grilling. Anytime you can be outside on a December evening is always a treat. I wish the great flavor of the spice rub penetrated a little deeper, but at least the sauce was there to save the day. 4-stars

Flavorful chicken that’s definitely worth making

Chris Kimball offers the following advice if you want to prepare it in your oven. Pre-heat your oven to 450-degrees with an oven rack in the lower-middle of your oven. Put the chicken on a wire rack set over a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Cook the chicken for about 30 minutes, rotating half way through baking time. When the chicken reaches 160-degrees, broil the chicken about 6″ or 7″ from the broiler element for 3 minutes until the skin becomes crispy.

Comments:

1. The list of ingredients is somewhat long, but fish sauce is really the only thing you aren’t likely to have in your pantry. Well, of course you’ll have to make a separate trip to the supermarket for the ginger, garlic, limes and cilantro.
2. With split chicken breasts on sale for $1/lb, this recipe was exceptionally inexpensive. Usually this recipe will cost more than $10 to prepare.

Rating: 4 stars.
Cost: $7.
How much work? Medium.
How big of a mess?  Medium.
Start time: 4:00 PM. Dinner time: 6:30 PM.

Chris Kimball’s version of this recipe is here. The descriptions of how I prepared the recipe today are given below:

Chicken and Brine Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
4 split bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 small cloves garlic
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice from 2 to 3 limes
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Rub Ingredients:
12 medium cloves garlic
2″ piece fresh ginger
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup lime juice from 2 to 3 limes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl, add 2 quarts of water and stir in 1/3 cup sugar until dissolved. Cut chicken breasts in half crosswise. Allow to brine for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile prepare sauce by whisking together all ingredients in a small bowl. The pressed garlic should yield about 1-1/2 teaspoons. Allow the sauce to sit at room temperature until dinner (at least 1 hour).
3. Rinse chicken under running water and use paper towels to pat the chicken dry. Use your fingers to slide between the skin and the meat, being careful that the skin stays attached.
4. The pressed garlic should yield 1/4 cup, and the minced ginger should be about 2 tablespoons. Use your hands to thoroughly combine all the rub ingredients into another small/medium bowl. Rub about 2 tablespoons of mixture under the skin of each piece of chicken. Then rub a little more mixture over all sides of the chicken. Repeat with all chicken pieces, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing the grill.
5. Light a full chimney start of charcoal, and allow to ignite for about 20 minutes. Evenly empty the coals over half the grill, leaving the other half empty. Pre-heat the grill grate for 5 minutes to clean more effectively, and season the grill with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil.
6. Grill chicken with the skin-side down over the hot part of the grill for about 4 to 5 minutes until browned. Flip the chicken and brown the second side for another 4 to 5 minutes. After browned, move chicken to the cooler side of the grill and cover with a disposable aluminum tray. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes more until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160-degrees.
7. When cooked, loosely tent with aluminum foil and allow to rest on serving platter for 10 minutes.

Coq au Vin

Immediately after my first trip to France in 1992, I made 10 batches of Coq au Vin in the months subsequent to my trip trying to replicate my delicious Parisian meal. Unfortunately, my efforts came up short and I abandon my attempts. Over the years I would occasionally make a mediocre Coq au Vin. My only modest success was a “Modern Coq au Vin” that I cooked for my parents, brother and sister in 2007; which was this recipe from Chris Kimball (different version than I cooked today). Today, I finally discovered where I had gone wrong all these years. I hadn’t been reducing the sauce far enough, so the flavors were not sufficiently concentrated.  My 2007 attempt reduced a bottle of wine down to 3 cups. Today I reduced the sauce down further than I ever have (down to 2 cups), create an extremely rich and velvety consistency. The sauce was the best 5-star sauce imaginable. Unfortunately, I still believe that chicken does not have the inherent richness to match this amazing sauce; certainly not super-market chicken breasts. Next time I’ll try thighs which can be cooked longer and are more flavorful. Still, I give today’s recipe 4-1/2 stars; better than any restaurant chicken in Paris.

After 20 years of trying, a home-run Coq au Vin

Comments:

1. Coq au Vin is usually translated as chicken with wine, but I know enough French to know that chicken is Poulet. This translation is just being polite, because coq obviously translates into cock (or rooster). Most old-time recipes called for old barnyard fowl because they required a long braising to make them tender. Today’s supermarket chicken needs to be handled more gently, so do not cook past 160-degrees for white meat and 175-degrees for dark meat.
2. Chris Kimball says to use 24 frozen pearl onions, and to thaw, drained, and pat them dry with a paper towel. In the past I have been unable to find frozen pearl onion, except sold in a disgusting pre-made cream sauce. I did try the cream sauced variety (from Birds-Eye) once, but will never use them again. Today, I did see that Birds-Eye also sells a larger bag of un-sauced, frozen pearl onions. But I already had 8 ounces of boiler onions in my kitchen from another French stew I made last month. So I used my fresh boiler onions and saved the $4. I’m still not sure if there is difference between boiler onions and pearl onions.
3. I used 2 cups of small, fresh boiler onions, and tried a new technique which was a good alternative to the 40-minute braise that Julia Child recommends. First, roll the boiler onions between your two hands to remove as much of the papery exterior as possible. Next, slice of the stem and root end. It’s a lot of slicing because I had 30 small boiler onions. Boil them in water for 1 minute, drain them in a strainer and shock them in an ice water batch. That let me peel away any remaining exterior.
4. Chris Kimball says to chop the bacon medium in step 1, but I cooked the bacon whole and crumbled it into small pieces after cooking. There doesn’t seem to be any real difference between the two techniques.
5. While I do own a splatter screen, I didn’t use it today. After seeing the mess that the bacon and chicken made on my stove-top, I’d certainly remind you that this will be a good time to use it.
6. Finally, I’d also like to mention that Julia Child adds 1/4 cup cognac. She does that to a lot of her stews, but I don’t have cognac. I didn’t add it, but it sounds like it could add some great complexity. Chris Kimball recipe doesn’t call for any cognac either.

Rating: 4-1/2 stars.
Cost: $23.
How much work? Medium.
How big of a mess?  Medium.
Start time: 4:30 PM. Dinner time: 7:00 PM.

Chris Kimball’s version of this recipe was in his 10th Anniversary America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook. The descriptions of how I prepared the recipe today are given below:

6-oz Thick-cut bacon
4-lbs Bone-in chicken pieces
8-oz Pearl Onions (Labelled boiler onions in my supermarket)
10-oz white mushrooms
2 medium cloves of carlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 bottle medium-bodied red wine
2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaf
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons minced parsley
10-0z wide egg noodles or 2 pounds russet potatoes.

1. Cook the bacon in a dutch oven for 10 minutes over medium heat until crispy, using a spatter screen if you have one (which you will also use for the chicken). When crispy, remove bacon to paper towels and pat to remove any excess grease. Crumble bacon as set aside until ready to serve. Remove pot from heat.
2. Meanwhile while the bacon is cooking, prepare your chicken by trimming away any excess fat. If you are using chicken breasts, remove the ribs and cut each breast in half. Dry the chicken using paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
3. If you have less than 2 tablespoons of bacon fat, add vegetable oil.Put the Dutch oven with the bacon fat over medium-high heat until begins to shimmer. Cook the chicken in two batches, cooking for 8 minutes per side (a total of 32 minutes). After each batch is complete remove to a plate and set aside. Again, use a splatter screen if you have one.
4. While the chicken cooks prepare pearl onions and quarter mushrooms. If using fresh pearl onions, roll the onions between your hands to remove as much of the papery exterior as possible, then slice off stem and root ends. Add the onions to boiling water for 1 minute, empty to a strainer then shock in an ice water bath. This will help you remove any remaining outer skin.
5. Remove all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan, and cook the quartered mushrooms and pearl onions over medium burner for 10 minutes
6. Press garlic cloves directly into pot and add 1 tablespoon tomato paste. Cook for 30 seconds, then add flour and cook for 1 additional minute.
7. Add wine, chicken broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add thyme, bay leaves add 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
8. Return the chicken to the pot, nestling them so that they are all submerged. Cover pot and cook chicken over medium-low burner until chicken reaches correct internal temperature; 160 for white meat (20 minutes) and 175 for dark meat (40 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken when done, placing in a large bowl and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
9. While the chicken cooks, put a large pot of salted water on the stove-top and begin heating for your eggs noodles (or mashed potatoes).
10. Reduce sauce, uncovered, for 20 minutes until the sauce has reduce to about 2 cups and is thick. If you only cooked white meat then that may take 35 minutes. Replace the chicken in the pot for last 5 minutes to reheat.
11. Remove pot from heat and put chicken on serving platter. Fish out the 2 bay leaves, whisk in the butter and adjust salt and pepper according to your taste. Pour sauce over chicken and spring with bacon and parsley.