I really loved everything about this feta roast chicken, as long as I was eating with my eyes closed, and that�s because despite the juicy texture, and wonderful flavor, I had trouble getting past the grainy-looking appearance of the cooked cheese mixture. The good news is, it was mostly an aesthetic issue, and the mouthfeel wasn�t nearly as dry and grainy as it looked. Having said that, the next time I make this I will probably go with a little higher-end sheep�s milk feta which is much softer, and creamier. Speaking of the feta, you may need to add some salt to the mixture, depending how salty the one you use is.
As usual, your roasting time will depend on the size of your chicken, and the feta under the skin will increase the time needed, so check with a thermometer, and shoot for 155-160 F. in the thickest part of the thigh. Surprisingly, even though the feta was only under the breast, the thighs did actually pick up some of the flavor, which is enhanced even further if you create a simple pan sauce from the drippings.
While your chicken is resting, pour off all, some, or none of the fat from the pan, and squeeze in your lemon. Set over medium heat, and use the juice to deglaze the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. You may need/want to add a splash of broth or water, but once hot, and adjusted for seasoning, it�s ready to spoon over your sliced chicken. For an experiment, I thought this was very successful, if not triumphantly so, and I do hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for one large whole chicken:
1 large whole chicken
kosher salt, as needed
a few fresh rosemary and oregano sprigs
2 teaspoons olive oil for coating chicken
cayenne to taste
For the feta cheese mixture:
4 ounces feta cheese
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
zest from one lemon (save juice for pan sauce)
2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil, or enough to make a smooth paste
I was watching golf the other day, and the announcer said that great golfers don�t need lessons, they only need reminders, and I immediately thought how well that saying applies to cooking. Well, this creamy chicken toast recipe is both a lesson (aka recipe) and a reminder, and a comforting one at that.
We�ll get to the recipe, but first, the reminder. Sometimes even I forget just how simple it is to make a cream sauce by reducing heavy cream. Almost every �cream sauce� you see is really milk thickened with some type of starch, usually a roux. These sauces are easy, and delicious, and we�ve made hundreds of them, but once in a while it�s nice to have the thing those concoctions are meant to mimic.
If you�re worried this might be too rich for you, keep in mind that by the time we add all the buttery roux to a milk-based sauce, we�re getting pretty close to the fat content of this. So, why not just do this with cream all the time? Cream is way more expensive than milk, and that�s before we reduce it. How much more? You know the old saying�if you have to ask, use milk.
As far as the recipe goes, I loved how this came out, but it begs for adaptation, especially when it comes to which diced veggies to toss in. Just be sure you cooked whatever you're using before you add the cream, since once that reduces, your dish is done, still crunchy vegetables, or not. Besides that, not much can go wrong, and a lot can go right, so I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Welcome to another episode of food you only see in restaurants, starring the always eye-catching �airline chicken� breast. Legend has it that the name comes from the fact this cut of chicken is shaped like an airplane wing, but that�s not actually the reason.
This beautiful breast is known as airline chicken because it was such a popular menu item back in the day, when airlines still gave their guests real food. Above and beyond the wing-like shape, this worked so well is because food for air travel needs to be cooked way ahead of time, which means it can dry out, especially something like a chicken breast, but by leaving the wing joint attached, that becomes a little less likely. Plus, once you finished your breast, you got to eat a chicken wing drumette. Now that�s value-added service.
As I mentioned in the video, please feel free to use whatever spices and seasoning you wish, since that will not affect the technique at all. I should have used fresh herbs inside for a little nicer appearance once sliced, but I think I more than made up for that with the sprig of rosemary. Regardless of how you flavor yours, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
There�s a restaurant up the street that serves a whole chicken wrapped in brioche, and ever since I saw it, I�ve wanted to do that video. I�ve never actually had it, since it�s $100, and you have to order it a day in advance. I love chicken, but I think I�ll save my hundred dollar bills for more sensible things, like lighting Cuban cigars.
Anyway, I was planning on doing a bread-wrapped bird, when I saw a photo for what looked like a pie crust wrapped chicken. Suddenly, I remembered doing something similar in culinary school, except they made us call the pie dough, �pate brisee,� for some reason, but same idea. That�s when plans changed, and the brioche went bye bye.
When bread�s used, you usually have to peel the soft, flabby skin off before enjoying the meat, but that�s not as big an issue here. Pie crust doesn�t insulate nearly as well, and so the skin gets cooked more thoroughly. This was very noticeable on the breasts, where the skin and crust fused together into some sort of marvelous hybrid. The thicker skin around the thighs didn�t render out quite as well, but even if you do pull off the skin, the meat is moist, tender, and very flavorful.
If you use a 3 1/2 pound chicken for this, then the roasting/resting time should work out, but if your bird is larger, you�ll have to add more time, and should probably use a thermometer to check your work. By the way, this is a technique video, and everything from the stuffing, to the pan sauce ingredients should be adapted to your tastes, but no matter what you use, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
It�s not hard to make a great marinade with just a few ingredients, as long as one of those ingredients is the magical miso. This super savory paste, made from fermented rice, barley, and soybeans, isn�t that hard to find, but what can be a challenge is understanding the different varieties available.
Miso is sold by �color,� and I�m recommending the white one here, except when you open the container, it�s not white, it�s sort of a golden yellow. They also sell a yellow miso, which is a slightly darker golden yellow, as well as a red miso, which is also a golden yellow. I�m just kidding�it�s actually dark brown.
The point is, the colors don�t refer to the actual color, but rather the processing method, and ratio of ingredients. And that�s basically the extent of my expertise. I choose the white, since it�s the most mild, but I encourage you to do some more research, as well as some experimentation.
After marinating overnight if possible, you�ll definitely want to cook your chicken with indirect heat. Otherwise, it will get too dark � as in black. Roasting in a 375 F. oven would be great, but if you use a charcoal grill, be sure to push your coals all the way over to one side of your grill, and place your chicken on the opposite site. Keep and eye on it, and turn/rotate the pieces as needed.
You can add many other things to this marinade, but maybe try the minimalist version first. I used to tell my students that the older you get, the fewer ingredients you use, so that�s my excuse, but I really want the clean flavors of the miso and honey coming through. Either way, I really hope you find some miso paste, and give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for enough marinade for one whole chicken:
3 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt (about 2 teaspoon fine salt)
lemon wedges and pepper flakes to garnish
- Let marinate overnight before roasting or grilling until the internal temp in the middle of the thigh is 165 F.
A big bowl of spaghetti and meat sauce is one of my all-time favorite meals, and like most cooks, I make it a little different every time. The veggies change seasonally, and as far as the meat goes, sometimes it�s beef, or pork, or a combination, but for whatever reason, chicken is rarely considered. It�s usually only when I�m using up leftovers that I think to toss it with noodles. So, I almost forget how great this is when you dedicate a whole bird, and a few hours to the effort.
Other than requiring a little time, this recipe is dead simple, with the only major decision being how thick to make your sauce. I like something fairly light, I guess because it�s chicken, but if you do want something thicker, simply change the ratio of sauce to water when you start the recipe. You can also reduce it longer, but you knew that.
Just be sure to undercook your pasta by at least a minute here, since as you saw we�re going to finish it in hot sauce for a couple minutes at the end. This is a critical step, and allows all those flavors to get sucked up by the still hydrating spaghetti. This is also a great make-ahead meal, as you can prep your sauce one day, and then assemble the finished dish at a later date. Either way, I really do hope you give this chicken spaghetti a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for enough Chicken Spaghetti Sauce for between 1 and 1.5 pounds of pasta, depending on how �saucy� you want it:
1 large whole chicken (4 1/2 to 5 pounds), with bag inside cavity removed
1 jar (24-oz) marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
6 cups water or chicken broth
2 anchovy fillets
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
red chili flakes to taste
To finish the dish, for each person:
4 ounces spaghetti, cooked, drained (not rinsed!)
enough chicken spaghetti sauce and to please you
more grated cheese
1 tablespoon cold butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
salt and hot pepper to taste
at least 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino cheese
