Poultry | onedadskitchen

Is This the Best Chicken Parmesan Recipe Ever?

I admit I am no real expert when it comes to any type of Italian cooking. Since I don’t eat cheese or pasta myself I am hard one to ask to judge whether the dish is good or not so I have to rely on my pasta and cheese eaters Sean and Michelle to let me know whether the dish is worth making again or not. I had seen this recipe for chicken Parmesan on the Internet from Serious Eats that says it is the best chicken Parmesan recipe out there and was curious about it. What makes this recipe better than any other. in my opinion, chicken Parmesan is a pretty basic dish on its own that anyone can make pretty successfully, so what made this one stand out? The difference with this seems to lay in the use of a buttermilk brine for the chicken and a whole lot of Parmesan cheese in the breading, along with some buttermilk in the breading to change things up. The results were pretty impressive.

The Best Chicken Parmesan

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 3/4 cups buttermilk, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 loaf crusty Italian bread, crust removed, sliced into 1/2 inch slices

5 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 quart tomato sauce, homemade or your favorite store-bought brand

10 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, basil or a mix of herbs

With a sharp knife, split the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Working with one piece at a time, place the chicken inside a plastic zipper-lock bag and pound the chicken with a meat pounder or the bottom of a heavy skillet until the chicken is an even thickness of about 1/4-inch. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl and repeat the process until all of the chicken pieces have been pounded.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the buttermilk and the minced garlic to the bowl with the chicken. Season with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Turn the chicken with your hands until the salt, pepper and garlic are evenly incorporated and all of the chicken is coated in the buttermilk mixture. Transfer the contents of the bowl to a large zipper-lock bag, press the air out of the bag and seal the bag. Refrigerate the chicken for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Meanwhile, place the Italian bread slices on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Leave out the bread on a counter for at least 4 hours and up to overnight until it is mostly dried. The next day, break the bread into rough pieces and combine the bread with 4 ounces of Parmesan cheese in a food processor. Season the mixture with black pepper. Process the bread until it is finely ground, about 20 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a large shallow bowl or pie plate.

Place the flour in a second shallow bowl or pie plate. Whisk the eggs, 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of the flour in a third pie plate. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk over the breadcrumb/Parmesan cheese mixture and incorporate it with your fingertips. The mixture should be mealy, but hold together in clumps if you squeeze it together with your hands.

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, remove a piece of chicken from the bag and add it to the flour. Turn the chicken to coat it, shaking off any excess, and then add it to the egg mixture. Turn the chicken to coat it, letting the excess egg mixture drip off, and then add it to the breadcrumb mixture. Turn the chicken to coat it, piling crumbs on top of the piece and pressing down firmly so a thick layer of breadcrumbs adheres to the chicken piece. Transfer the coated chicken to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and repeat the process with the remaining chicken breast pieces.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the sauce in a medium saucepan and heat it over low heat, stirring occasionally until it is barely simmering. Remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside.

Heat the vegetable or canola oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat until the oil registers 375 to 400 degrees on an instant-read or deep-frying thermometer. Working in batches so you do not crowd the skillet, carefully add the chicken pieces by lowering the cutlets away from you into the oil. Add as many cutlets as will fit in one layer (depending on the size of your skillet, this can be anywhere from 2 to 4 pieces). Cook, swirling the pan gently and using a thin flexible spatula to loosen the chicken if it sticks, until the chicken is golden brown and crisp on the bottom side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a thin metal spatula and a fork, carefully flip the chicken and cook until it is golden brown on the second side, about another 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and repeat the process with the remaining chicken pieces.

Spoon 1/3 of the tomato sauce onto the bottom of a casserole or oven-safe serving dish. Shingle the chicken pieces on top of the sauce. Top the chicken with more sauce, forming a line down the center. Combine the mozzarella cheese and the remaining 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese in a large bowl and toss to coat. Lay the cheese mixture over the chicken in a straight line down the center. Transfer the dish to the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and immediately grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top. Allow the dish to rest for about 3 minutes, top with the chopped herbs and serve immediately.

I did try a little bit of the chicken and I have to immediate using the buttermilk brine does improve the overall flavor and the tenderness of the chicken. Sean and Michelle both really enjoyed the breading on the chicken and the cheese combination of the mozzarella and the Parmesan was just right for the meal. As I said, I am not an eater of dishes like this, so I did have a piece of chicken I kept separate with just the breading and I thought it was great. They both enjoyed the meal over pasta and I served it alongside of the onion focaccia bread I had made. I would certainly do this recipe again, though you do need to plan this one ahead to do the brining if you want the taste difference.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on December 20, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Pasta, Poultry

Tags: best chicken Parmesan recipe, chicken parmesan, chicken parmesan recipe, Serious Eats, the best chicken Parmesan

Christmas Dinner Recipes | SAVEUR

18 Dec

Christmas Dinner Recipes | SAVEUR.

When we think of Christmas dinners, many of us immediately think of having a nice roast for the family and guests. There are all kinds of great roasts you can make (I’ll be making a prime rib roast this year) and Saveur has put together 28 Christmas dinner recipes using various roasts of pork, lamb, beef, turkey and chicken. You can find something to fit every type of meal you are looking to make. Check it out!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on December 18, 2014 in Beef, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Holidays, Lamb, Pork, Poultry, Turkey

Tags: 28 Christmas roast recipes, 28 holiday roasts, Christmas dinner recipes, Christmas roast recipes, holiday roast recipes, holiday roasts, Saveur

Bacon 25 Ways – NYTimes.com

17 Dec

Bacon 25 Ways – NYTimes.com.

It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like bacon, and it can be a very versatile ingredient, fitting into every course of a meal and breakfast, lunch and dinner to boot. You can also cook it in a variety of ways – in the microwave, on the stovetop, on the grill or in the oven. In the New York Times, Mark Bittman has put together 25 easy and fantastic ways that you can use bacon in various dishes and ways. Check it out!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on December 17, 2014 in Appetizers, Beans, Beef, Breakfast, Brunch, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Grilling, Lunch, Picnic Fare, Pork, Potatoes, Poultry, Rice, Salad, Sandwiches, Seafood, Side Dishes

Tags: 25 bacon recipes, 25 recipes using bacon, bacon 25 ways, mark bittman, new york times, NYT Cooking bacon 25 ways, NYT Cooking bacon recipes

A Super Holiday Appetizer – Scallion Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze

16 Dec

Finding just the right appetizers when you are hosting a holiday party or having everyone over for a holiday meal can always seem like a challenge. You want to go beyond just having cheese and crackers or chips and dip and want to put out something memorable that makes a great snack before the main entrée or a fantastic addition to a buffet table. One of my favorites is to always do something different with meatballs. You can do so many different things with meatballs and a great sauce and then all you need is a platter and some toothpicks and you have the perfect finger food. I came across this recipe recently from the New York Times and decided to try out the recipe for scallion meatballs with a soy-ginger glaze. I initially made a batch and we had some for dinner that night and I froze the rest to have on hand for appetizers at a later date. They are easy to make, make great use of turkey and the glaze is out of this world.

Scallion Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze

For the Sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup mirin sweet rice wine, or 1/2 cup sake with 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup chopped peeled ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander

4 whole black peppercorns

For the Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey

4 large or 6 small scallions, finely chopped

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil

To make the sauce, bring the brown sugar and 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a saucepan set over medium-high heat, stirring the mixture until the sugar melts completely. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the soy sauce, mirin, chopped ginger, coriander and the peppercorns. Simmer, stirring the sauce occasionally, until the sauce has been reduced by about half, about 30 minutes. Strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the solids and discard the solids.

To make the meatballs, mix the ground turkey, scallions, cilantro, beaten egg, sesame oil and the soy sauce and several grinds of black pepper in a bowl. Roll tablespoons of the mixture together into balls. in a skillet set over medium-high heat, generously coat the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, place the meatballs in the pan and cook, turning, until the meatballs are browned all over and cooked through inside, about 8 minutes per batch. Arrange the meatballs on a heated platter and spoon a little sauce over each meatball and serve the meatballs with toothpicks. If desired, keep the meatballs in the sauce warm in a 200 degree oven until you are ready to serve.

The meatballs themselves are very tasty with the scallions adding a nice layer of flavor to them, but the sauce is the real winner in this dish. The ginger, soy sauce and mirin really stand out to make the sauce sweet and a little sticky and packed with flavor. I could see using this sauce over a variety of other items, such as a pork tenderloin or pork chops or even chicken pieces or boneless chicken breasts. The meatballs are a perfect appetizer for any type of party and you can make them and keep them warm until you are ready for the party.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on December 16, 2014 in Appetizers, Cooking, Dinner, Gravy, Holidays, Poultry, Sauce, Turkey

Tags: meatballs, new york times, NYT Cooking, scallion meatballs, scallion meatballs with soy-ginger glaze, soy-ginger glaze, turkey meatballs, turkey meatballs with soy-ginger glaze

The 20 Most Popular Recipes of 2014 – NYT Cooking

14 Dec

Here are the 20 most popular recipes for 2014 in the New York Times Cooking site. I have tried a bunch of recipes from NYT Cooking this year and they have all been fantastic, so you are likely to find some great ideas for something new or a way to change up a classic recipe you have been using for years. Check it out!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on December 14, 2014 in Beef, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dessert, Dinner, Holidays, Pasta, Pie, Pork, Poultry, Sauce, Soups & Stews, Turkey

Tags: 20 most popular recipes of 2014, 20 popular recipes on NYT Cooking, new york times, NYT Cooking, popular recipes for 2014

A Week of Hectic Action Finally Calms for Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce

12 Dec

Hectic week seem to drive me crazy when they come along. This week it is seemed like it has been one thing after another every time I turn around. I finally got settled with my new computer and had a lot of work to catch up on. Throw on top of that that we had Sean’s birthday, my birthday, lots of work to do, Christmas cards, shopping for Christmas presents, and all of the other daily chores and assignments that come up around here and I just have not seem to have time to do much of anything lately. Add to that that Michelle will be traveling again shortly so I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to do much cooking lately either. One thing that I have been able to put together though, was an easy recipe for another one of Sean’s favorites, chicken tenders. Chicken tenders are always a great option for younger kids but they can be a crowd pleaser for just about anybody and make a great easy dinner when you need something to fall back on. This particular recipe that I am using today comes from Food Network and is from Patrick and Gina Neely. It’s a pretty simple recipe for chicken tenders with a simple honey mustard sauce to go along with it.

Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce

Peanut oil or vegetable oil, for frying

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups Panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Honey Mustard Sauce, recipe follows

For the Honey Mustard Sauce:

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the vegetable oil or peanut oil in a Dutch oven or large cast-iron skillet to 350°. Cut the chicken breasts into long strips and set them aside. Beat the 3 eggs in a separate bowl and measure the flour into another separate dish. Measure the breadcrumbs into a pie plate or shallow bowl and season them with the garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken strips into the flour, then the beaten eggs and allow any excess to drip off. Then dredge the chicken strips in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Fry the chicken in the hot oil for 6 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown on all sides, and remove the pieces to a paper towel lined sheet tray. Fry the chicken in batches so as not to crowd the pan while cooking. Serve the chicken tenders with the honey mustard sauce.

For the honey mustard sauce, mix the Dijon mustard, honey, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. This sauce can be made ahead of time and held in the refrigerator for up to one week.

These chicken tenders come out nice and moist on the inside with very crispy skin, which is perfect for what you want. These are great for all kinds of occasions beyond just weeknight dinner. You could use them to make a batch for a party or for when you’re watching the game or as an appetizer. The mustard sauce has good flavor to it and you could certainly use that for anything else besides the chicken if you have other appetizers that you like to dip in a honey mustard blend. This is certainly a better alternative than anything that you could buy frozen in a bag at the supermarket and these easy enough to make where you probably have all the ingredients on hand at home most of the time.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on December 12, 2014 in Appetizers, Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: chicken tenders, chicken tenders recipe, chicken tenders with honey mustard sauce, food network, honey mustard sauce

For Holidays or Any Time, Try Bobby Flay’s Roast Turkey with Mustard Maple Glaze

08 Dec

Just before Thanksgiving came around I had a turkey that I had purchased at the supermarket. Even though we weren’t going to be home for Thanksgiving, it’s hard to pass up a bargain when they’re selling fresh turkeys for $.79 a pound so I picked up one and decided I would make it after Thanksgiving and try a different approach with a new recipe. I had seen before Thanksgiving recipe from Food Network that was made by Bobby Flay for a roast turkey with mustard maple glaze that sounded delicious and looked relatively easy to make. It incorporated some different ingredients to make the glaze, such as maple syrup, horseradish, Dijon mustard, and chili powder. There was also a nice gravy that went along with it, so I decided this was going to be the one to give a try to, and I’m glad I did.

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 heaping tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the turkey:
1 17 -pound fresh turkey, patted dry (neck and giblets removed)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
10 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
12 cups homemade chicken stock
3 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 large stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 large onions, quartered

For the gravy:
1 stick unsalted butter
7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Splash of dry white wine (optional)
1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as sage, parsley and tarragon)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

To make the glaze: Whisk the maple syrup, mustard, horseradish and chile powder in a bowl and season the mix with salt and pepper. Cover the mixture and let it sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. The glaze can be made up to 2 days in advance; store the glaze, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before using.

Prepare the turkey: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Rub the outside of the turkey with the butter and season it liberally with salt and pepper. Put 4 cups of chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep it warm over low heat.

Place the carrots, celery and onions in a large roasting pan and place a roasting rack on top. Put the turkey on the rack, place the roasting pan in the oven and roast the turkey until it is a light golden brown, about 45 minutes.Tent the turkey loosely with foil if it is browning too quickly. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, baste the turkey with 2 cups of the warm stock and continue roasting, basting with 2 more cups of warm stock halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 155 degrees, about 1 hour. After the turkey reaches 155 degrees, begin basting the turkey with the maple glaze; continue roasting, basting with the glaze every 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees, about 20 more minutes.

Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer it to a large cutting board. Tent the turkey loosely with foil and let it rest at least 45 minutes before slicing. Strain the drippings into a bowl and discard the solids. Add enough of the remaining chicken stock to make 6 cups of liquid.

To make the gravy: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until the flour is light golden brown, about 8 minutes. Slowly whisk in the stock-drippings mixture, then bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the gravy begins thickening and the flour taste has been cooked out, about 10 minutes. Add more stock until you reach the desired consistency. If desired, add a splash of white wine and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in the herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, reheat the remaining stock in a saucepan over low heat. Remove the legs and wings, then remove the dark meat and shred. Remove the breasts and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Place the meat on a platter and ladle some of the warm stock on top.

I think this recipe was fantastic. The glaze that was on the turkey made the skin perfectly brown and gave it a nice taste. The combination of the mustard and the maple syrup along with the horseradish, really did it for me. The original recipe uses 17 pound turkey so quantities are quite high. The turkey I bought was only 11 pounds so I cut the recipe by about one-third when I was making it. I think if you have a large bird, even bigger than 17 pounds, this recipe would work out pretty well. The meat was perfectly cooked and everything came out nice and juicy. Everyone seemed to really like the gravy as well. This is definitely a recipe that I will use again.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on December 8, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Gravy, Holidays, Poultry, Sauce, Turkey

Tags: Bobby Flat roast turkey with mustard maple glaze, food network, mustard maple glaze, roast turkey for the holidays, roast turkey recipe, roasted turkey with mustard maple glaze, turkey

Crazy Days of Inconvenient Crashes and Cashew Chicken

05 Dec

It has been a crazy day, or actually a crazy week around here as my computer keeps going up and down. My laptop kept crashing several times a day until we finally decided to do something about it and ended up replacing it with a new desktop instead. In the meantime I kind of put everything else on hold so I haven’t been able to do much as far as work, blogging, or just about anything else as we tried to get everything set up. Along the way, I haven’t had much time to do any cooking either. I did manage to do a couple of meals so I do have a few new recipes to share, and I did a couple of recipes without an any pictures being involved, so I do have some things to post. One that we tried recently was for a takeout favorite of cashew chicken. Just like any other stir fry recipe, it is pretty easy to put together and doesn’t take a lot of effort on your part so you can make this just about any night of the week when you feel like having something a little bit different. Most of the ingredients are things you may have around most of the time anyway, other than perhaps the water chestnuts where the cashews themselves.

Cashew Chicken

For the Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons dry sherry

1 teaspoon ground ginger or 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

3 cloves garlic, sliced

4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

5 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil

1 cup cashews, chopped or cashew pieces

2 scallions thinly sliced

1/2 can water chestnuts

1 green, yellow, orange, or red bell pepper, roughly chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

For the chicken, in a medium bowl, combine the chicken, dry sherry, ginger, garlic and 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch. Cover the bowl and chill the mixture for 30 minutes. In a separate small bowl, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes, if using, and 2 1/2 teaspoons of the cornstarch; whisk until the ingredients are well blended. Set the bowl aside.

Sauté 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil and half of the chicken mixture in a large skillet set over high heat for 2 minutes, then turn the chicken pieces over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and add the remaining chicken to the skillet. Cook the chicken pieces in the same manner, turning after 2 minutes and cooking until they are heated through. Add a little more vegetable oil to the pan if it is needed. Add the peppers to the pan, sautéing the peppers for about 2 minutes until they are tender. Return the 1st batch of cooked chicken to the skillet. Stir in the chicken broth mixture and add the water chestnuts then bring the mixture to a low boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 1 to 3 minutes. Add the cashews to the skillet and mix to incorporate them into the dish. Top with the scallions, if desired, and serve.

This is the ideal dish to serve with fried rice if you feel like making it for the dinner, though I just served mine with white rice. This tastes just like the cashew chicken you would get from any takeout Chinese restaurant and you have better control over the ingredients yourself. You could easily use boneless thighs if you prefer dark meat for your chicken and add any vegetables that you like to the dish if you want. The sauce is the real winner here as it is great with the combination of sticky sweet with a bit of heat from the red pepper flakes. it is a very easy dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on December 5, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Poultry, Stir Fry

Tags: cashew chicken, cashew chicken recipe, stir fry cashew chicken, stir fry recipes

Back Home for Pan-Roasted Chicken with Vegetables and Dijon Jus

01 Dec

After spending last week visiting my family in North Carolina it’s back to the real world of work, school and cooking here in New York. We had a great visit with everyone and had a fun time over the Thanksgiving holiday, enjoying a great meal and good times with the family. It was good to get home after a long drive back so we took it easy Saturday and had a nice one dish meal on Sunday, making use of a whole chicken, some fresh veggies and this recipe from Serious Eats for a pan-roasted chicken with vegetables in a Dijon jus for some added zest and flavor. it’s another great one dish meal that you can put together pretty easily and is packed with great flavors.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Vegetables and Dijon Jus

16 fingerling or yellow new potatoes, scrubbed

3 carrots, 2 peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks, 1 roughly chopped

Kosher salt

16 Brussels sprouts, halved

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 serving pieces, backbone reserved

1 cup dry white wine

1 onion, split in half

1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

3 to 4 sprigs fresh sage

2 bay leaves

2 cups chicken stock

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon

2 teaspoons fish sauce

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the potatoes and the carrots cut into 1-inch chunks in a medium saucepan, cover the vegetables with cold salted water and bring them to a boil, then simmer the vegetables until they are just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the vegetables and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the Brussels sprouts, season the vegetables with salt and pepper, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and set the vegetables aside.

Transfer the chicken backbone to the now-empty saucepan. Add the roughly chopped carrot, onion,celery, sage, and bay leaves. Set the saucepan aside. Season the chicken pieces thoroughly with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet set over high heat until the oil is lightly smoking. Add the chicken pieces skin side down and cook, moving the chicken pieces as little as possible, until the chicken skin is rendered and a deep golden brown, about 10 to 14 minutes. Flip the pieces as they finish and lightly brown the second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set them aside.

When all the chicken is browned, add the white wine to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Transfer the white wine to a medium saucepan and put in the reserved chicken backbone. Pour in any juices that have accumulated on the chicken resting plate and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.

Add the chicken stock to the saucepan with the chicken backbone. Bring the stock to a simmer over high heat, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover and let the stock gently bubble while the chicken roasts. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and heat the skillet over high heat until the oil is lightly smoking. Add the vegetable mixture and top the vegetables with the chicken pieces, skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the chicken breasts register 150 degrees and the chicken legs register at least 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer, removing the chicken pieces and transferring them to a clean plate as they finish roasting, about 45 minutes total.

When all of the chicken pieces have finished roasting, add the shallots to the skillet with the vegetables and toss them to combine. Return the skillet to the oven and continue roasting, flipping the vegetables occasionally, until the vegetables and shallots are browned all over, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, add the parsley, toss to coat and then place the chicken pieces directly on top of the vegetables.

Strain the simmering chicken broth mixture into a small saucepan or bowl. Whisk in the butter, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and fish sauce. Season the jus to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken and vegetables, serving the jus at the table.

This meal is packed with ingredients and lots of great flavor. You get a really nice browning on the chicken pieces and I liked everything set over the vegetables to get even more flavor onto the veggies. I actually added the shallot in from the start and roasted the vegetables just with the chicken, tossing them lightly when I took the chicken out and then put the chicken right back in the skillet. The Dijon jus was a nice touch with the chicken and vegetables, with a good mix of the mustard, lemon juice and fish sauce. It all came together very nicely and mostly in one dish (outside of the prep work) so it was easy clean-up as well.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on December 1, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Gravy, One Pot Meals, Potatoes, Poultry, Sauce, Vegetables

Tags: Dijon jus, one pot meals, pan roasted chicken, pan-roasted chicken with vegetables and Dijon jus, roasted chicken recipes, Serious Eats

How to Fix the Biggest Thanksgiving Fails – Bon Appétit

27 Nov

How to Fix the Biggest Thanksgiving Fails – Bon Appétit.

Bon Appetit has put together some helpful hints for some of the typical problems and issues that may come up in your Thanksgiving meal. Now you can save your stuffing, turkey and pumpkin pie with just a bit of help and information and without the worry. Check it out!