Mar 23

One Dish Cooking (Sausage & Potatoes)

I love one dish cooking. I don’t mind messing up prep dishes but cleaning them: Ick. One of the most rustically delicious, one-dish meals I make is Sausage with Potatoes.  It’s so seriously easy & has a great combination of flavor that is perfect for a busy night.  I often mix it up in the morning & set the oven to turn on by itself.

One-Dish Sausage & Potatoes

1 pound of Sweet Sausage (or get crazy & go spicy!)

1 pound of small red potatoes

1 large onion, sliced.

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

5 cloves of garlic, whole

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

Olive oil

Collection of your favorite herbs.  I use a tablespoon each of: rosemary, thyme, parsley.

  •  Lightly grease baking dish with olive oil.  Place the sausage in the baking dish.
  • In another bowl, mix the potatoes, all chopped ingredients and herbs with a enough olive oil to coat all of it.
  • Dump the mixture over the sausage & spread around the pan making as flat a layer as possible.
  • Add chicken stock & wine.
  • Cover with foil & bake 30 minutes @ 350.
  • Uncover, stir & bake uncovered another 30 minutes or until potatoes are browned & sausage is fully cooked.

So easy & while I try not to serve a starch on starch, the remaining sauce is divine when mopped up with a fresh rustic bread.

 

Mar 22

Easy Baked Chicken Kiev

Though this dish sounds like it should come from the Ukraine, Kiev being the capital, it isn’t. It is most likely developed from a similar French dish called ‘Cotelettes de Volaille’, which literally translates as cutlets of poultry.  French cooking was very popular in Russia in the late 18th century and it was probably during this time that the dish ended up becoming popular there. However, the name Chicken Kiev was probably used by New York restaurants in the early 20th century, to encourage Russian immigrants to come and eat at their establishments.

One common problem with cooking Chicken Kievs, it that the butter can ooze out during cooking. To help prevent this from happening, I froze the butter / herb mixture beforehand and added some panko breadcrumbs to the inside to help soak up the butter.

Ingredients (Makes two portions)

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.5 stick of unsalted butter
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp dried tarragon
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 large whole egg
  • 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs), plus 2 tbsp
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Flattening the chicken breastMake sure the butter is at room temperature and mix it with the garlic, tarragon, parsley, 0.5tsp of salt and some black pepper. Use some parchment paper and mould the butter mixture into a tight roll about 1cm (~0.5″) thick, wrap tightly and then put it into the freezer for about 2 hours.

Take a sheet of cling film (plastic wrap), lay it onto the counter, and sprinkle on a little water. Put a chicken breast on top of the plastic sheet, sprinkle some more water onto the chicken and then lay another sheet of cling film on top of the chicken. Pound the chicken to about 0.5cm (1/8″) thick.

 

Chicken rolled tightly with the garlic butterLay the flattened chicken onto a new sheet of cling film and season with salt and pepper. Add half of the butter and 1 tbsp of panko to the middle of the chicken. Using the plastic sheet, roll the chicken into a tight log, folding in the ends to make a tight parcel. Make sure that you don’t wrap the cling film inside of the chicken. Repeat for each of the chicken breasts and then place the parcels into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Add the rest of the panko to a shallow dish and the beaten egg with 1tsp of water to another one. Dip the chicken into the egg and then dredge through the panko.

 

Breading the chickenStarting with the sealed side of the chicken, brown the outside in a medium skillet with some vegetable oil and then transfer to a 200C (400F) oven for 20mins until the inside of the Kiev reaches 165C (330F).

To serve, cut the chicken in half. Because panko is used inside the chicken to prevent the butter oozing out during cooking, the inside of the Kiev won’t be as liquid as it is with commercial Chicken Kievs, but you could always make a garlic butter sauce to go with them.

Baked Chicken Kiev

 

Mar 22

Corned Beef, Far More Then The Atlantic Ocean Separates The Difference

Bully Beef

Corned Beef (British Style)

Salt Beef

Corned Beef (American Style)

The first time I explained to my Scottish friend Stuart what was in a Reuben Sandwich, he looked at me with pity and basically asked how could anyone enjoy a sandwich or a meal with “corned beef”?. It was only after we further discussed what we both defined as “corned beef” did we realize that we were talking about two different products.

The use of the word “corned” refers to the coarse salt that was used in the preserving of the meat.

British Version:

Corned Beef, also known as Bully Beef from the French word “bouilli” (boiled) is finely minced / ground corned beef with gelatin added and packed in cans. The British version of corned beef was a main staple of the British military for the first half of the 20th Century. South America was and still is the leading processor of canned corned beef.

My personal experience with British Corned Beef was during my experience as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa. A part of the foreign aid to the country was in the form of canned corned beef that was supplied to the local elementary schools to supplement the nutritional requirements of the students. The cooks would slice and fry the canned corned beef, make a gravy from the drippings and then serve both over rice to the children and the teachers.

The best comparison for Americans of what is British Corned Beef would be to think of beef Spam. However, if you have ever eaten Corned Beef Hash from a can or at the diner, then you have had the equivalent of British Style Corned Beef that is crumbled and mixed with diced potatoes, chopped onions and seasoning.

American Version:

Corned Beef (Salt Beef to our British cousins) in the United States is more reminiscent of the beef preserved in brine (salt water) and was an important facet of trade with the American and Caribbean colonies, in addition to being a food staple of the English Navy. Whereas any cut of beef was preserved in brine and store in wooden casks, today’s corned beef is typically made from the brisket or round cuts of beef and is cured with seasoned (pickling spices) brine. Pickling / Curing tough cuts of meat and then slow cooking them allows the meat to become more tender and flavorful.

In the United States corned beef is an integral component of Irish-American (corned beef and cabbage) and Jewish Deli cuisine. Although the first peoples to brine beef has been lost to history, it is widely believed that Irish immigrants adopted corned beef from their immigrant Jewish neighbors. At the time in Ireland, beef was not a primary food source of the average Irishman, with most of the production of corned (salt) beef being exported by the British. However, in the United States, beef was more plentiful and considerably cheaper then in Ireland and was soon adopted by Irish-Americans.

It was good that Stuart and I had this conversation. I know for a fact that once the definition of “corned beef” was resolved, Stuart has shared more then a few Reuben Sandwiches with me in Houston, TX. If you are curious of other foods shared between American and the British and the words that are used, then check out Stuart’s post: English and American English Food Terms.

Mar 22

Chicken Scappy

One of our favorite dishes is chicken scarpiello from Carmines (NYC).  I love taking a really good restaurant dish & making it at home.  This is the recipe from carmines,  as provided by  Good Morning America.  I personally prefer my “Scappy” to have thyme instead of oregano.  This is also much less saltier than the Carmines version, which makes it better, in my opinion. 🙂

  • 1 whole chicken cut into pieces. (Cut the breast in halves: at least)
  • 3 large lemons
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
  • 6 large cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons fresh sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Splash white wine
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Chop half of herbs (rosemary, sage, oregano, garlic) and mix with olive oil.  Cut 2 lemons in half & squeeze juice into mixture then toss with chicken pieces.  Throw the spent lemon halves in there too!  Throw in remaining whole cloves of garlic. Cover tightly & refrigerate for at least 24 hours, occasionally stirring it up.

Marinating ChickenAfter 24-48 hours, heat vegetable oil in large sauté pan. Shake excess liquid & herbs off pieces & fry chicken until very brown & crispy (10 minutes or so) flip & repeat until all pieces are crispy & brown.  At the same time add the whole cloves of garlic & brown them as well.

Frying the ChickenTake out the garlic pieces and reserve. Remove the chicken pieces and place into a bake-proof dish. Keep warm on a low heat.

Empty the pan of the remaining oil. Toss in one tbsp butter and slowly cook the chopped shallots.

*Next, add the  browned whole garlic cloves and the remaining chopped herbs; lightly sauté for one minute over low heat. Add a splash of white wine and cook for 30 seconds over high heat. Add the chicken stock and reduce until the liquid becomes dark and the taste is strong.Garlic and chopped herbsOn low heat, add the remaining butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Add more lemon according your palate. Place the chicken onto a platter one piece at a time and then pour the sauce over the chicken.

Chicken Scappy*If you’re like me & like to serve it with a pasta, Gemelli is good here, but any pasta will do, double the recipe (except for the chicken).  Use up to half for marinating & the rest for making the sauce.  When sauce is done pour some over the chicken & toss remaining with cooked gemelli!

So good!

 

Mar 21

The Nutty, Yet Irritating Family (Cashews, Pistachios and Mangoes)

Cashews

Cashews

Pistachios

Pistachios

Mango

Mango

At a young age I discovered that I am allergic to Pistachios. As a young adult training to be a Peace Corps Volunteer, I discovered that I am very allergic to Mangoes. What is the connection?

They are both plants in the Plant Family: Anacardiaceae. Interestingly enough so is the Cashew, yet I very rarely exhibit any reaction when eating cashews. For medical and scientific reasons that are far beyond my comprehension, all possess the toxin known as urushiol. For those of you that clicked on the link, you will also note that urushiol is also present in Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac. All three of these plants are also a part of the Plant Family: Anacardiaceae.

When I think back on how I learned that I was sensitive to pistachios and mangoes, but rarely and only mildly with cashews a small amount of deduction reasoning helped create the complete picture. The oil urushiol is found in the skin of the mango and the shells of the pistachio and cashew. Given that it is near impossible that to slice a mango without exposing the fruit to the oils released from the skin, the urushoil makes contact with the fruit. Likewise, since most pistachios come in their shells, one cannot avoid touching the shell to remove the nut. The process used to remove the cashew from it’s shell is to roast the shell. Proper roasting of the shells destroys the toxin. One could surmise that pistachios are roasted differently and the presence of the shell with the nut makes for contact with the toxic oil more likely.

It was my father, with his passion for horticulture that uncovered this relationship (before the age of internet search engines) after the incident of with the mango.  The irony of this discovery and having been given nickname “Musa Dutoe” (Moses the Mango in Mandinka) from my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers is that Mangoes and Cashews grew with little effort in the Gambia in West Africa where I was stationed as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1993-1995. While my friends gorged on mangoes, enjoyed locally shelled cashews and the soft fruit of the cashew known as a cashew apple, I stayed far away from these foods.

Whereas my father was extremely allergic to Poison Ivy, I only exhibit the standard reaction to the plant. It is the eating some of the fruit and nuts of the family Anacardiaceae that causes me so many problems. What a shame.