chicken rice soup, crispy skin

ingredients:

one whole chicken
onion
shallots
celery
carrots
thyme
sage
parsley
chicken broth
white wine
cooked rice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper


directions:


1.  remove the skin from a whole chicken. set aside.  season chicken.  

2.  chop up the mirepoix. 

3.  boil chicken in half parts broth and water with some white wine.  add in a sage leaf and a bouquet garnet of thyme.  when brought to a boil, throw in the carrots, celery and onion.  

4.  when the chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken.   set aside some of the cooking liquid in a small sauce pot.  shred the meat and put into sauce pot adding some more white wine and let simmer.  season to taste.

5.  add some cooked rice into the broth and using a immersion blender, blend to desired consistency. 

6.  in a nonstick pan over medium high heat, place chicken skins fat side down and slowly render out the fat. when the chicken fat has rendered and browned, flip them over to brown the other side, and season with salt.  you can press the skins down with a spatula to get even browning. when the skins are crispy and nicely golden, remove and let drain on paper towels.  

7.  brunoise more celery, carrot, and shallot.  set aside.  reserve some of the celery leaves.

8.  using the fat rendered from the chicken skin, begin to saute carrots.  season as you go.  when carrots saute for a min or two, add in the shallot, and then lastly add the celery.  remove from heat.  you still want a bit of a crunch from the celery.

to plate:  mound some of the chicken meat in the center or a bowl.  top with the sauteed vegetables.  spoon the hot chicken rice soup around it.  top with celery leaves and garnish with the crispy chicken skin and a sprinkle of parsley.  

below is a shot of the vegetables and chicken meat before the soup was spooned around it.

roast chicken, baby carrots, lemon, thyme

ingredients:

whole chicken (preferably organic)
baby carrots
garlic
parsley
lemon
thyme
chicken stock
white wine
extra virgin olive oil
butter
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

directions:

1.  preheat oven to 475 degrees.  season chicken cavity with salt and cracked black pepper.  stuff with some lemon wedges, thyme, and garlic cloves.

2.  season the chicken with salt and cracked black pepper on the outside and top with a few dabs of butter.  place in ovenproof dish and set aside.

3.  toss the baby carrots in another ovenproof dish with some extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and cracked black pepper.  add in some chicken stock and a splash of white wine.  sprinkle with thyme leaves and top with a few dabs of butter.

4.  roast chicken and carrots at 475 degrees for 20 minutes then continue roasting at 400 degrees for another 40-50 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.

5.  when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 170 degrees, it's done.  let it rest for 15 minutes under some tinfoil before serving.

to serve:  carve the chicken into 8 serving pieces and drizzle meat with juices from the ovenproof dish.  you can always finish it off with a smidge more of maldon sea salt if desired.  serve the roasted carrots on the side.  garnish with lemon slices and parsley.

giblet ravioli with tomato sauce, arugula, and white truffle oil

yes, yes, i know the word "giblet" sounds funny.  giblet ravioli.  it's good!  this is a great recipe to use up any leftovers from the previous recipe and change it into something different.

ingredients:

liver sauce, reduced so there's no more liquid (see previous recipe)
green pasta sheets (see previous recipe)
egg
garlic
arugula
canned roma tomatoes
1 can marinara sauce
white wine
red chili flakes
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
sugar

1.  roll out a green pasta sheet and brush egg wash over the sheet.  make raviolis by spooning a bit of the liver mixture about an inch and a half apart and top the liver filling with another pasta sheet.  press firmly around the edges and cut raviolis out.  i just used a glass tumbler upside down like a cookie cutter to cut the ravioli.  you're welcome to use a ravioli cutter, pizza cutter, whatever works.  set aside.

2.  in a large pan, heat up the extra virgin olive oil and saute garlic with some red chili flakes.  then add in the remaining chicken liver mixture and saute over high heat for 3 minutes or so.

3.  deglaze the pan with white wine.  stir sauce.

4.  add the marinara to the sauce and then using your hands, crush the roma tomatoes and add to the sauce.  let the sauce simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.  season to taste with salt, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of sugar.

5.  cook raviolis in a large pot of salted boiling water.  meanwhile, fold the arugula into the tomato sauce.

to plate:  carefully place some ravioli in the center of a white plate.  top raviolis with some of the tomato sauce and drizzle with white truffle oil.  top with some parmesan cheese if desired.  serve immediately.

the picture above shows the ravioli cut so you can see the filling.

green lagane in chicken liver sauce

ingredients:

for green lagane (wide noodles):

3 1/2 cups flour
5 eggs
3/4 - 1 cup blanched spinach

for sauce:

chicken giblets (livers, hearts, gizzards - use more liver)
pancetta
dried porcini mushrooms
white chantrelle mushrooms
carrot
onion
garlic
parsley
bay leaf
tomato paste
white wine
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

directions:

1.  pulse the blanched spinach in a food processor until super fine.

2.  add the spinach into five beaten eggs.  mix well.

3.  mound the flour with a well in the middle on a clean, flat surface. slowly begin to incorporate the spinach/egg mixture into the well and then knead for 10-15 minutes.  wrap the dough in saran wrap and rest for half an hour or so.

4.  slice the chantrelles and soak the porcini mushrooms in some hot water.  when porcini mushrooms have reconstituted, finely chop them up and set aside.  save the porcini liquid.

5.  chop the chicken giblets.  dice the pancetta.

6.  in a large dutch oven, heat up some extra virgin olive oil over medium low heat.  cook the pancetta slowly to render its fat.  meanwhile, finely chop up the carrot, onion, and garlic.

7.  after the pancetta has rendered its fat, throw in the chopped carrots, porcini mushrooms, onions, garlic, and bay leaf.  season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.  saute for 3 minutes.

8.  stir in some tomato paste, the porcini mushroom liquid, and white wine.  bring to a boil then turn heat to medium low and simmer for 40 minutes.  season to taste.

9.  while chicken liver sauce is simmering, heat up some extra virgin olive oil over high heat to sear the chantrelle mushrooms.  season with salt and cracked pepper to taste and then set aside for garnish.

10.  using a pasta machine, roll out green pasta dough to thin sheets.  fold the sheets as you would a cinnamon roll and then slice into flat, wide noodles.  lightly toss with flour to prevent sticking.  cook the lagane in salted boiling water.

11.  after a minute or two, transfer al-dente lagane into the liver sauce to finish cooking.

to plate:  pile some lagane onto a plate.  top with additional chicken liver sauce and garnish with the caramelized chantrelles and parsley.  serve immediately.

optional: you can top the pasta with shaved parmesan or pecorino romano.  both work.

chicken katsu udon

ingredients:

chicken katsu (see recipe in previous post)
dried wakame
thick seaweed
bonito flakes
shiitake mushroom
carrots
spinach
corn
scallions
soy sauce (or udon soup base)
hon dashi
mirin
canola oil

directions:

1.  prepare the udon broth by boiling thick seaweed chunks and bontio flakes with water.  add some soy sauce, mirin, and hon dashi.  throw in some carrots and shiitake mushrooms and keep warm.

2.  prepare your mise en place. blanch the spinach and set aside.  cut the corn from the cob and lightly saute in some canola oil. set aside.  (you can throw the corn cobs into the udon broth to give it more flavor if you like)  slice the scallions and reconstitute the dried wakame in water.

3.  in a separate pot, cook udon noodles and place into bowls.  do not wash the cooked udon in cold water.  top the hot udon with some spinach, corn, and wakame.  ladle piping hot udon broth into bowl.  be sure to get some carrots on shiitakes in the bowl as well.  top with chicken katsu, garnish with scallions, and serve immediately.

garlic chicken katsu, grilled spring onions

ingredients:

chicken thigh meat
spring onions
chives
lemon
egg
flour
panko
kosher salt
maldon sea salt (the flaky kind)
freshly cracked black pepper
garlic powder
canola oil
tonkatsu sauce (optional)

directions:

1.  prepare three trays.  one with egg wash (by beating an egg with some water), one with flour, and one with panko.  season panko with salt and cracked black pepper.

2.  de-bone the chicken thigh meat and remove the skin.  lay flat and season both sides with salt, garlic powder, and cracked black pepper.  dredge chicken in a light coating of flour, then give it a bath in the egg wash, and lastly coat with panko.

3.  add enough canola oil to a heated flat pan so that bottom is completely covered.  pan-fry chicken pieces until both sides are golden and crispy.  set on a rack (as shown) to drain excess oil.  finish with sprinkle of maldon sea salt.  note: I don't recommend draining the chicken on a paper towel, as bottom gets soggy.

4.  slice the spring onions into quarters.  heat up a grill pan and grill spring onions over medium heat until nicely caramelized and slightly charred.

to plate:

1.  garnish chicken katsu with chives and plate grilled spring onions next to it. serve with a lemon wedge on the side and tonkatsu sauce.