What's Cooking? Garlic Chicken and CousCous

In anticipation of the much acclaimed (and sad to say somewhat anticlimactic) rising of the Supermoon... and mostly because we don't get enough chances to visit..I invited my BFF's Jann, Melissa and Sue for dinner last night. We ended up with three teens in and out all evening too...the more the merrier...but good thing the recipe made a lot. Oh yes...the recipe! Adapted from Anne Burrell. It's time consuming...but not hard and the result? Your house smells like heaven and yes...it tastes scrumptious! Even the teens were loving it! Comfort food that is ready ahead of time so you can just be with your guests and have fun. I served it with a salad.

Garlic Chicken and Couscous


It takes some time to put this together, but if you do it ahead you can let it rest in the refrigerator and bake it an hour or so before dinner.

Ingredients: Chicken

•                2 whole garlic bulbs, which you will roast whole.

•                1 lemon, zested and juiced

•                1 large bunch thyme, leaves only, or about two teaspoons dried if fresh isn't handy...

•                1 teaspoon ground cumin

•                Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

•                Kosher salt

•                Extra-virgin olive oil

•                1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 8 to 10 parts

Couscous:

•                Kosher salt 

•              1 package Couscous

•                Extra-virgin olive oil

•                1 large onion, sliced

•                3 ribs celery, sliced thin on the bias

•                Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

•                1 1/2 cups dry white wine

•                3 tablespoons tomato paste

•                Large pinch saffron

•                2 zucchini, green part only, cut into 1/2-inch dice

•                2 to 3 cups chicken stock, plus one more cup reserved.

Optional pine nuts for garnish

Directions

Chicken:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the garlic bulbs in a small tin and roast them until they are soft when squeezed, about 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool.

When the garlic bulbs are cool, slice the tops off and squeeze out the roasted garlic. Add the garlic to a food processor or a bowl, along with the lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, cumin, crushed red pepper and salt, to taste. Add a little olive oil and puree or mash into a loose paste. Massage the mixture all over the chicken pieces and let sit for at least 1 hour. This is important don't cut corners here. The flavor you will get is really outstanding!

Couscous: This is where I took the most liberty with my recipe...her version had you partially cooking the couscous in water and letting it finish in the oven...I cut corners and it was delicious...

Follow the package directions using chicken stock instead of water and prepare the couscous. over medium heat. After the couscous is done fluff it with a fork and set it aside.

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and brown it on all sides. Remove it to a plate.

 Drain away most of the fat in the saute pan and saute the onions and celery. Season with salt, to taste, and the crushed red pepper. Deglaze with white wine, scraping up all the sticky bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook the onions and celery for 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the saffron, zucchini, cooked couscous, and a little of the chicken stock. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Transfer the mix to an ovenproof dish. I used my Cazuela for this..arrange the chicken, skin side up, in the couscous and add some more chicken stock to keep everything nice and moist. Sprinkle with pine nuts, if you like them and cover with foil. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, covered, then remove the foil and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and serve.

Oh yes...you can have a Cazuela of your very own...order it from Amazon! They come in lots of different sizes..I used the big one....

http://www.amazon.com/15-Inch-Cazuela-Terra-Cotta-Tienda/dp/B0030F24SS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1300625064&sr=8-6

What's cooking?

Jambalaya!
I've been in a "heartsick for the south" kind of mood the last few days...probably because I am headed home at the end of the week to watch my nephew Coy marry his best friend Shena (yay!) so when this morning on Food Network I saw Pat and Gina Neely make this rice dish...I knew what was on the menu tonight! Here it is...I followed their recipe exactly...but next time I think I might add shrimp...I have to say...it was so easy and it really is delicious...do try it!

Smoked Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into circles
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
2 cups long grain white rice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Browning the chicken...

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the Dutch oven and brown on each side, about 8 minutes total. Remove to a plate and reserve.

Add sausage, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and thyme and saute until translucent and sausage is browned, about 8 minutes. Don't worry about the little browned bits that stick to the bottom of the pot after this step...the vegetables will give off some steam and the broth will allow you to scrape them up into the dish..those little brown bits are loaded with flavor...

Stir in rice, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, and reserved chicken, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook on low, covered, for 20 minutes.

Let's eat!

Turn off heat and let rice stand, covered, 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Fluff rice with fork and stir in green onions and parsley.

More Preserved Lemons...and some thoughts on Ina Garten's Garden

I am so intrigued with the idea of preserving lemons. As I said I'm doing some today... It's a Moroccan thing, lemons in brine that keep for months in the refrigerator and can be the spark of life for so many different recipes.

I saw them first in Ina Garten's kitchen..(no I wasn't really there) I was watching Barefoot Contessa on Food Network. She is living a fine life that woman...that barn..that garden? I have serious envy of her garden in summer. I'm hoping for a fine temperate climate one day so that I can garden for more than 12 weeks. She has huge organized sections of herbs for cooking and flowers for cutting including an incredible row of Hydrangeas...but I digress...

Ina and a friend were making a Moroccan Chicken dish in a Tangine Baker and the dish called for preserved lemons WOW I perked right up...I grabbed the iPad and started taking notes and resolved that I must keep preserved lemons on hand henceforth. That was about eight weeks ago...sigh....ok I do live a busy life...so here is the relatively quick Barefoot Contessa method..from my notes:

(You're putting everything in a glass baking dish)
3 lemons, sliced into sixths lengthwise, sprinkled with 2-3 tablespoons kosher salt
(don't you HATE recipes that are not specific? I know...here's why this one isn't..she didn't measure, she grabbed what appeared to be a healthy handful of salt and tossed it over the lemons...)
Cover the lemons and salt with water, bake for three hours at 250F allow to cool and then store in a jar in the refrigerator...for up to six months!

And if it all just sounds like too too much..you can buy them from Williams Sonoma, $10
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/les-moulins-mahjoub-preserved-lemons/?pkey=e|les%2Bmoulins%2Bmahjoub%2Bpreserved%2Blemons|1|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

Here is the ingredient list for the chicken dish they made...the link to the recipe is below if it sounds yummy to you...oh..and here is a Tangine, quite a lovely one from Emile Henry (Oh God Emile Henry ceramics..don't get me started..) which you can get via Amazon, but any good heavy baking dish will do quite nicely...

Moroccan Chicken Tangine 

Ingredients

• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large Spanish onion, grated (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons canola, grapeseed or olive oil (not a heavy olive oil)
• 1 to 2 preserved lemons, depending on size
• 8 chicken thighs, with bone and skin
• Stems from the parsley and cilantro, tied with twine
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron or 1/4 teaspoon powdered turmeric and 4 strands saffron
• 1 cup pitted green Moroccan or Greek olives
• 1/2 bunch Italian parsley, about 1/4 cup chopped
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, about 1/4 cup chopped

the rest of the recipe is here...to give credit where credit is due...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/moroccan-chicken-tajine-recipe/index.html

And one more recipe that promises even more flavor...yes I'm making them all....

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

                   What you'll need

•             6 lemons, preferably organic, washed and scrubbed
•             ¼ cup kosher or sea salt, more as needed
•             1 bay leaf
•             3-4 whole cloves, 
•             3-4 black peppercorns 
•             3-4 whole coriander seeds
•             1 cinnamon stick
•             Freshly squeezed lemon juice..maybe 4 more lemons

                        A clean jar big enough to hold all of the lemons

                     Here's how to make them.....

         Start by almost quartering the lemons. To do this, slice off the very end of your lemon so that you have a flat surface to work with. Stand the lemon on its now flat bottom and cut vertically about three quarters of the way down. Don't cut all the way through!

            Now cut vertically again, quartering the lemon, only three quarters of the way down so the lemon is held together by its end.

           Stuff the center of each lemon full as you can with salt and then squeeze it back together. Put a tablespoon of salt in the bottom of the jar along with the rest of the ingredients except the lemon juice and start packing your salty lemons in.

           Press down on the lemons as you go so their juice comes out, making it easier to pack every last one in. If the juice from the lemons doesn't completely cover them, top the jar up with your extra lemon juice. The lemons have to be completely covered, but you'll have to leave a bit of air space between the surface of the juice and the lid. Put the lid on and shake. Put them in the refrigerator and shake them once a day or so...they'll be ready in a month...

Aaron's Savory Chicken Hash

You've got to make this gorgeous dish! The spices and peppers really deliver big flavor..and just think about those antioxidants...on second thought...don't think overmuch about the healthy elements here...they're here...know that and then just enjoy! This is hands down the best thing I've found to do with a rotisserie chicken. Delicious!

Adapted from a recipe courtesy of Food Network's Big Daddy...Aaron McCargo

Prep Time:

10-15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

45 min

Level:

Easy..oh so easy anyone can make this....

Serves:

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

•   4 Yukon potatoes, peeled and diced

•   2 tablespoons butter

•   1 medium onion, finely chopped

•   1 red bell pepper, diced

•   1 yellow bell pepper, diced

•   1 tablespoon minced garlic

•   1/2 teaspoon cayenne

•   1 tablespoon salt

•   1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

•   1 tablespoon smoked or regular paprika

•   1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves

•   1 (3-pound) store-bought rotisserie chicken, meat removed and diced

•   1/4 cup chicken stock

•   2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus 2 more for garnish

•   1 lemon, juiced

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Bring a large pot or water to a boil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 12 to 14 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add the cayenne, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and oregano. Stir in the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until chicken is warmed through. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in the chicken stock to add moisture, along with the parsley and lemon juice. Allow to simmer and let flavors develop for a few minutes. Add the cooked potatoes and put into the oven until the potatoes are no longer mushy...wait is mushy a word ??? Oven time is likely to be about 30 minutes. ( Great time to open a nice bottle of wine and make a fresh green salad....Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Squeeze more lemon juice to taste, grate some lemon zest over it too if you're feeling sexy... and top with fresh chopped parsley.
This is definitely not your mothers chicken hash.....