Cider Braised Chicken & Apples

October 19, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

In my mind apples and apple cider are practically synonymous with fall, an arrival to eagerly anticipate as the leaves turn and the autumn crop of MacIntoshes and Cortlands appear. After a childhood spend going to the annual apple festival it’s probably woven into my DNA.

We’d take the backroads, avoiding the line of cars snaking over the hill, to make sure Dad made his shift running the antique cider press on time, then scatter to meet our friends, snoop through the crafts (raffia terror-level: high), and see who was working which food tent. If you were lucky someone you knew would slip an extra fritter - generously sanded with cinnamon sugar, best eaten piping hot - in your paper bag. The two churches in town competed semi-seriously to see who would sell the most pies and the tally at the end of the weekend was a news item of note.

Pie is a classic, but savory dishes like this one that uses both the whole fruit and hard cider put a new spin on apples and take them into new territory. This recipe is simple and thanks to the low and slow method the chicken develops great flavor braising in mustard, thyme, with hard apple cider standing in for white wine.

Cider Braised Chicken & Apples (serves 4)

Ingredients:
4 (2 pounds) bone-in, skin-on medium chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium firm apples such as Rome, Spy, or Mutsu
2 cups (1 1/2 bottles) dry hard apple cider (I used Angry Orchard Stone Dry)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
5-6 fresh thyme sprigs, plus 2 teaspoons minced thyme leaves
1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until very hot in a straight-sided 10 or 11 inch oven-safe sauté pan with a lid.

Place the chicken pieces skin side down and cook until deeply browned, about 5 or 6 minutes. Resist the urge to move the pieces around. When the skin comes away easily from the pan, they’re ready to turn. Use tongs and cook on the other side for 3 to 5 minutes more until browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the pan. Set the pan aside to cool for a few minutes.

While the chicken is browning, peel, cored, and cut the apples into sixths. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the apple pieces, and cook, turning once, until both cut sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a different plate.

Carefully pour the hard cider into the pan and bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Whisk the Dijon mustard into the cider until well combined, then add the thyme sprigs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Return the chicken to the pan skin side up, along with any juices that have accumulated and cover. Transfer the pan to the oven and braise for 20 minutes. Nestle the apples in among the chicken pieces and continue to braise 25 to 30 minutes more or until the chicken reaches 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and apples to a large serving dish and cover loosely with foil. Discard the thyme sprigs and skim off as much fat as possible from the remaining sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and whisk in the cream. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the minced thyme leaves, and serve with butternut squash puree or mashed potatoes.

Re-written and lightly adapted from Fine Cooking’s Braised Chicken Legs with Cider, Apples & Mustard by Jennifer McLagan.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
100%. I used a large, deep stainless steel sauté pan with a lid, tongs, a slotted spoon, wooden spatula, a whisk, a liquid measuring cup. A small cutting board, chef’s knife, two plates, paper towels and aluminum foil will do it.

The Verdict:
Unlike other braised dishes, which can sometimes be heavy, this one balances comforting cold-weather food with tangy cider and mustard. I particularly liked the combination of the tart, sweet apples with butternut squash puree – all the flavors of harvest-time on one plate. This meal doesn’t take a lot of time or hands-on effort and still feels special enough for company. I can’t wait to make this again and again in the coming months!

Oven-Baked Barbecue Chicken

October 01, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Summer Beach BBQ”

The Set-up: Ina and friends are throwing a party on the beach!

The Menu: Barbecued Chicken, Broccoli with Garlic and Soy Sauce, Szechuan Noodles

0:51 – Ina says summer isn’t summer without grilling and I’d tend to agree!

1:13 – First up, Barbecued Chicken complete with a homemade sauce. The sauce actually started as three sauces (mustardy, Chinese-y, and tomato-y) none of them quite right until Ina mixed them all together and the rest is history.

2:20 – The list of ingredients in this sauce is incredibly long, and I assume worth it?

3:44 – Still going. I love how Ina is pretty much eye-balling the measurements, half a jar here, a quarter bottle there.

4:02 – While the sauce cooks and thickens, Ina talks about some of her ice cream-based dessert ideas. Rule #1: don’t bother making ice cream, just get some good quality vanilla and add toppings. (Haagen Dazs in case you were wondering.)

5:27 – Idea #1 is homemade raspberry sauce which consists of some cooked berries, jam, and framboise liqueur. Sigh, this looks incredible.

6:36 – Idea #2 is affogato and thankfully Ina has a fix for those of us with out an espresso maker: buy a shot or two at a shop in advance and just heat it up when you’re ready to serve.

7:40 – Apparently it’s too early in the day for ice cream, but just the right time to bring a cup of espresso to Jeffrey and rub it in that he’s missing the beach barbecue. Poor Jeffrey, sandy seconds for you old sport!

10:09 – We get a brief glimpse of Ina’s friends (Coronas in hand) arriving at the beach before switching back to the action in the kitchen.

11:15 – Pro Tip #1: “smush” the chicken around in the sauce to make sure it’s covered while it marinates. Overnight is best if you have the time.

12:33 – One of the sides is Szechuan Noodles which Ina admits is more in the Tex Mex-Asian fusion realm since she uses regular pasta.

13:20 – Interesting, this sauce has both sesame paste (aka tahini) and peanut butter mixed with the spicy fresh ginger, garlic, chili oil, cayenne and black pepper.

14:42 – Pro Tip #2: buy the darker, toasted sesame oil it has more flavor.

15:18 – I wonder if this is a hold over from her catering days, but Ina has the most enormous bowls and colander. I covet her extra mixing room….

16:54 – I rarely ever doubt Ina, but I’m not sure I’m 100% sold on this dish. Never a big fan of peanut sauce – they usually seem so gloppy and heavy – only she could convert me!

17:39 – Pro Tip #3: Cut the scallions on a diagonal to make a prettier shape for garnishing.

21:12 – A quick shot of someone’s yellow lab enjoying the beach before we finish up the final dish: Broccoli with Garlic and Soy Sauce.

22:07 – The broccoli has been blanched and shocked (hot water immediately followed by a cold water bath) before being dressed with garlic oil, red pepper flake, and soy sauce.

23:46 – Out to the beach where Ina has laid out a big straw mat surrounded by drifts of “inexpensive throw pillows I got on sale” because it’s nicer to have one big blanket for everyone. She thinks of everything, people. Seriously.

24:11 – Chicken is on the grill with the rack positioned far enough above the coals so the exterior doesn’t burn. Although, Ina’s philosophy of “it isn’t a barbecue until the fire department comes,” leaves room for a little singeing.

27:35 – It looks like a sunny, blustery day, but the guests seem game all wrapped up in sweatshirts. Who wouldn’t stick around when Ina is cooking?

28:03 – I didn’t see the broccoli salad served, but we’re off to do Smores over the coals of the grill and I’m guessing no one is going to remind Ina that there’s broccoli to be eaten.

29:50 – Lots of laughing and gooey smiles from this two-marmallows-per-stick crowd. They know what’s up!

Final Thoughts:
I like how Ina’s theme is pretty subtle – a little Hoisin here, some soy sauce and ginger there.

I had such grand plans for doing a Smores-based dessert this summer, but time got away from me…summer 2016 it is!

It would probably take gale force winds to blow me away from an Ina-hosted beach barbecue.

Lessons Learned:
This Barbecued Chicken was an experiment in a number of ways, not so much because the techniques of making the sauce were difficult, more that the combination of ingredients and my twist on cooking the chicken were a bit unusual.

Sauce – The recipe notes that these quantities produce 1 ½ quarts of sauce which is really quite a lot even given that a significant portion will be used to marinate the chicken before cooking. Unless you prefer to have extra for another purpose I’d recommend reducing the amounts by half and there will still be plenty of sauce to serve with the cooked chicken.

Oven Method – So, yes Barbecued Chicken should be cooked on a grill but in this case the lack of access to charcoal and a lack of confidence that a grill pan alone would suffice I decided to attempt the oven. Success! When cooked at 375 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Cooked this way, totally, no grill needed. I used a large sauce pan, a medium cutting board, chef’s knife, liquid measuring cup, and measuring spoons, along with a rimmed baking sheet and tongs. Aluminum foil, zip top bag(s), and clean jars or food storage containers round out the helpful items.

The Verdict:
I made Barbecued Chicken for friends coming to watch football and frankly it probably saved the evening since the performance of the guys' favorite team was a bit disjointed and lackluster. Sigh. But, thanks to a delicious dinner during halftime (additional menu installments here and here) the evening was salvaged and has lead to a resolution on my part that all future game-watching should have something delicious to either carry us through a loss, or help us celebrate a victory.

Honey Thyme Chicken & Apricot Kebabs

August 18, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Honey Thyme Chicken and Apricot Kebabs | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Honey Thyme Chicken and Apricot Kebabs** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Summer, especially days when it’s too hot to move are made for recipes like this one. The chicken is tender and flavorful, the apricots are fresh and the whole shebang is lightly lacquered with honey and bright herbs. Assembly takes just a few minutes, minimal effort and very little planning, but the results are phenomenal.

I realize that this is the second recipe I’ve posted from Food + Wine that features apricots – I might be just a little obsessed – but I think it has more to do with Justin Chapple’s inventive way of combining classic ingredient pairings. Apricots and honey given a modern twist with fresh thyme. Perfect.

Honey Thyme Chicken & Apricot Kebabs (serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
8 small apricots
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon water
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

Special Equipment:
Cast iron grill pan
8 long bamboo skewers

Instructions:
Put the bamboo skewers in water to soak for 30 minutes.

Mince the thyme leaves and whisk together with the honey and water. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Halve and pit the apricots length-wise, divide the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces. Thread the 3-4 pieces of chicken and apricot onto each skewer (I recommend keeping them separate for ease of cooking.) Brush the kebabs with olive oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until the chicken is just cooked through, about 10-12 minutes total, the apricots will need about 5 minutes total.

Brush the hot kebabs with the honey and thyme mixture and serve.

Lightly adapted from Food + Wine’s Honey Thyme Chicken and Apricot Kebabs by Justin Chapple.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes! I needed a medium cutting board, chef’s knife, liquid measuring cup, measuring spoons, a cast iron grill pan, tongs, and a pastry brush. You'll also need bamboo skewers, and a plastic wrap-lined sheet pan will also be helpful during assembly.

The Verdict:
Chicken thighs and kebabs are a match made in grill heaven only improved by the addition of the sweet herbal glaze of the honey and thyme. And, as we’ve established already, stone fruit is amazing when it has a hint of char and smoke from the grill. I served the kebabs for a dinner party over a bed of fluffy couscous with a little green salad on the side. Light, easy, perfect for a summer evening.

Roasted Chicken with Honey & Aleppo Pepper

August 10, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Barbecue chicken with its spicy-sticky coating caramelized just this side of charcoal black is a summer classic. But after all the promise of the bronzed color, the flavor can be a little underwhelming since the sauce never really makes contact with the meat.

As I was paging through Food + Wine’s most recent issue featuring their list of Best New Chefs I spotted this recipe for chicken that reminded me of the tang and sweet heat all the best barbecue sauce has to offer. The key difference: time and also thyme (rosemary too.) Chef Zoi Antonitsas of Westward in Seattle mixes together a gorgeous marinade of honey and spicy pepper for a hit of fresh herbs.

Personally, I love when a recipe combines a familiar technique – marinating, roasting – with a flavor combination that’s new to my palate. I’d never tasted Aleppo pepper before and I was intrigued by the fresh herb and honey combination. One taste and I can see why Chef Antonitsas is garnering so much great press.

Roasted Chicken with Honey and Aleppo (serves 4)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Aleppo pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

Instructions:
In a large liquid measuring cup whisk together the olive oil, honey and red wine vinegar with the Aleppo pepper, kosher salt, minced garlic, thyme and rosemary. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade in a small bowl and refrigerate.

Place the chicken breasts in a large zip-top bag and pour the remaining marinade in and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight turning periodically to ensure even contact with the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Arrange the chicken skin side up on the baking sheet. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the largest piece registers 160°.

Transfer to a platter. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved marinade, sprinkle with salt and serve.

Slightly adapted from Chicken Legs with Honey and Aleppo by Zoi Antonitsas in Food + Wine magazine July 2015.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, this is really simple. I used a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, measuring spoons, a whisk, medium cutting board, and chef’s knife. I also needed a gallon-sized zip top bag, small storage container, foil, and a rimmed baking sheet.

The Verdict:
We both loved this recipe, which has the extra bonus of being really, really easy to prepare. Just a little mincing, some patience, a hands-off cooking approach and dinner is on the table! But, the simplicity of the ingredients and preparation belies the superb balance and clear flavors in the sauce. Mike and I are already dreaming up new ways to incorporate the marinade - maybe with beef or salmon? Please try this, you won’t be sorry!