Get Comfortable

If ever you wanted to throw the trendy word "seasonal" around and seem like a hip "foodie" (have we reached over-saturation on those two terms, especially the second one? I've gotta think so. It's become kind of cringe-inducing. I'm in the wine business, and it's like when people say to me "Oh, you're in the wine business? You must be a connoisseur." And I'm like "No, I just like to drink."), then you should throw this oh-so-autumnal, super easy, and way too satisfying roast chicken thigh recipe together. This is like wrapping a happy blanket of succulent chicken thighs and steaming hot root vegetables around your body....hmm...maybe that doesn't sound so good...but you get where I'm going. Feel free to sub in any roastable vegetables that suit your fancy....I threw in some brussel sprouts when I made it. We loved it, and it is absolutely dinner party worthy!
For your drinking pleasure you might want to follow my lead and pour a glass or several of the newly released 2008 Cameron Winery "Dundee Hills" Chardonnay. John Paul who is the wine savant at Cameron makes one of the two or three best chards in Oregon, and for my money in the U.S. beautifully pure fruit, a very judicious touch of oak, perfect balance. This worked fantastically with the richness of the chicken anbd roasted vegetables.
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Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs w/ root vegetables
adapted from epicurious/Bon Appetit

yield: makes 4-6 servings

ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 large chicken thighs with skin and bones
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 Oriental sweet potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick spears
4 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick spears
8-10 whole peeled garlic cloves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (optional)

method:
1- Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat large roasting pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Place chicken in roasting. Turn to coat with oil and set skin side up. Mix salt, thyme, 1½ teaspoons pepper, and nutmeg in small bowl. Sprinkle half of mixture over chicken. Roast until chicken starts to brown and some fat has rendered, about 30 minutes.

2- Meanwhile, combine all vegetables and garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining salt-thyme mixture in large bowl. Transfer thighs to medium bowl; set aside. Transfer potato-carrot mixture to same roasting pan; turn to coat with drippings. Roast until vegetables soften, 20-30 minutes. Place thighs on vegetables; pour accumulated juices from chicken over. Return sheet to oven. Roast until chicken is cooked and vegetables brown, 15 minutes longer. Place vegetables and chicken on platter; top with chives if desired.

note: the vegetables when I made it got quite dark on one side. Not burned, just very dark and caramelized (which we liked). This was a good thing, but keep an eye on them toward the end of the vegetable cooking cycle.- bb

A side of comfort, please!

I've always felt that a roast chicken, one of the ultimate comfort foods, demands the same of its side dish. Comfort food is like that. Meatloaf, the beefy side of comfort food, has its perfect match in mashed potatoes. Now I love the potato in all of its glorious forms, but my roast chicken, which I not so humbly submit as the best ever, has its natural partner in the sensually steaming bowl of polenta with mascarpone pictured above. The herb infused chicken, slightly smoky from the grill, and the creamy, rich, buttery polenta....if ever there was a match made in culinary heaven, this is it.

Now, on to the practical stuff. Most polenta recipes I read call for polenta in a roughly one-to-four cornmeal-to-liquid ratio. Usually the liquid called for is water, and inevitably the resulting polenta lacks flavor and richness. Cornmeal (and I use the Golden Pheasant brand) in and of itself isn't a terribly intensely flavored grain. It can be if you get freshly ground meal at your farmers market, but that is a luxury that for most of us isn't readily available. Which is why with my polenta, even though they call for the 1-to-4 cornmeal-to-water, I improve it immeasurably by substituting chicken stock for half the water. Try it, you'll be amazed. Of course the mascarpone and butter are optional, but if you have that option, why not exercise it?
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Polenta with Mascarpone

ingredients:
2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
salt
1 cup polenta
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons mascarpone

method:
Bring water and stock to boil over high heat in a medium saucepan and add a large pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium and slowly add polenta in a steady stream, stirring in to liquid with a whisk. Keep whisking until polenta has absorbed the liquid and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter and two tablespoons mascarpone and stir to combine. Pour polenta into serving bowl. Dollop remaining tablespoon mascarpone on top and serve immediately.

The Comfort of Home

After almost two weeks in China the one thing I wanted eat more than anything when we got home was a nice, comforting roast chicken. Twelve days of eating things that while wildly satisfying. Except for the degradation and humiliation of the absolute garbage they call in-flight meal service on United Airlines. On our two long legs between SFO and China, the food was virtually inedible. By contrast, on a mere two hour hop from Shanghai to Hong Kong, we had an exceptionally satisfying Hindu meal on Cathay Pacific (pictured at right. It may not look like much in the photo, but it was delicious!). It seems domestic airlines are doing everything possible to make air travel an uncomfortable and trying experience.

In any event, due to various commitments and motivational impediments, I didn't get to my chicken until last night. now I think I make a pretty bad ass roast chicken on the grill. It really is as good as any chicken I've ever had out. But I was in the mood to try something different, so I checked on epicurious for some inspiration and came across this interesting sounding take that uses a mustard vinaigrette marinade. It was super easy to whip together, and I have to say the marinade that you stuffed under the skin and brushed on top really did keep the meat super moist, and imparted a very nice but not overpowering flavor, and the chopped fresh herbs that you sprinkle on top combined with the marinade to really intensify the flavor. Was it as good as my normal bird? Not quite, but for a change of pace and for a welcoming touch of soul satisfying comfort food, it worked pretty darn well!
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Roast Chicken with Mustard Vinaigrette
from epicurious
yield: Serves 4

ingredients:
For chicken:
1 6- to 7-pound roasting chicken
1 large shallot
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 fresh sage sprigs
1 cup Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe below)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

method:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Pat chicken dry. Season cavity with salt and pepper. Place shallot, 2 rosemary sprigs and 2 sage sprigs in cavity. Slide hand between chicken skin and meat over breast to form pockets. Spread 2 tablespoons vinaigrette under skin over breast meat. Tie legs together to hold shape; tuck wings under body. Place chicken in roasting pan. Brush 2 tablespoons vinaigrette over chicken. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary and sage. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast chicken 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Continue roasting until juices run clear when chicken is pierced in thickest part of thigh, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Serve with remaining vinaigrette.
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Mustard Vinaigrette
yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups

ingredients:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

method:
Mix mustard and vinegar in bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Mix in shallots and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover, chill. Bring to room temperature, mix before using.)
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One year ago today: An amazingly fabulous pumpkin cake!

My $22 Roast Chicken: a lesson in organic economics

I want to do the responsible thing when I buy my food, I really do. Even though I know it'll cost me a few more bucks I always try to buy the organic choice of produce, meat, etc. I've given up buying steaks at Costco even though they are pretty freaking good and about a third less than my organo-market beef. Wild salmon, not farmed, free range organic chicken, not caged. Farm fresh eggs, blah, blah, blah. But sometimes I've gotta admit it gets kind of painful, even when that pain is unintentionally inflicted.

Here's the deal.... I went to the Thursday farmer's market here in PDX looking for some spring asparagus for some risotto (I'll be doing it next week...I think you'll like it!). Remarkably no one had any, or I got there too late. So a quick regroup was in order. I noticed this nice couple selling their pasture raised chickens at one of the booths. Since my roast chicken is, and I say this only because it's true, the best fucking bird you'd ever hope to eat, I made what I thought was the smart decision that this was dinner. Here's how my conversation wet when I ordered it:

Me: "Hi! Do you have any whole chickens left?"
Farmer Dude: "We sure do."
Me: "What weight are the running?"
Farmer Dude: "I only have five pounders today."
Me: "Perfect. I'll take one!" (then I pull out a twenty to pay for it, knowing I need change to grab some other produce)
Farmer Dude's wife (to Farmer Dude): "Um, honey, did you give him the price?"
Farmer Dude (to me while handing the chicken over): "That'll be $22, please."
Me (while my brain is going "Twenty-two effing dollars for a chicken??? Are you effing kidding me?!): "............um, okay..........."

So I walk away thinking this had better be the best damn chicken I've ever eaten. I mean I buy some awesome cage-free product at my local New Season's for about $2.79 a pound and they rock. Again, all you read about is how we've got to eat more responsibly and quit buying large farm meat and produce. But at $4.40 a pound, I'm sorry, this was a one shot deal. And if I'm saying that, and I don't make boatloads of cash, this is something that is out of reach for 80% of every day consumers. That is the dilemma of this whole eating responsibly movement. And until this little economic equation changes, it's going to continue to be an uphill battle

The bronzed beauty, perfectly crisp skin, juicy meat within!







So how was it? Pretty good. Meatier, very juicy, chewier than my normal free-range chickens from NS. I have to say, maybe I'm spoiled or some sort of pasture-raised-chicken wimp, but I like my regular free-ranger chicken better. w actually preferred this bird, saying it reminded her of the chickens she had as a kid growing up in Hong Kong where you'd go to the street market and they'd kill the bird right there while you waited.

Oh, and as a final tip for your future eating happiness, here's my secret weapon to give you the tastiest chicken skin ever. Yes, I know it's not organic. Yes, it might have a smidge of msg in it. But man, when you lightly spread some olive oil all over the chicken, then liberally sprinkle kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and a little bit of this "Ancient Greek Formula" (I didn't know the ancient Greek's were down with msg...hm, live and learn), when that skin crisps up you've got some serious savory goodness!



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The Perfect Weber Roast Chicken

Prepare the grill by filling the starter chimney to almost overflowing with briquettes (I'm a Kingsford guy). Lots of heat is the key here. When the coals are glowing, bank evenly (it helps to have coal separators, available at most hardware stores, to hold the coals at bay) on either side of grill so you can position chicken in the middle, off direct heat. Also, make a catch pan out of foil so the juices don't run into the bottom of your grill.

Ingredients:
1 Free Range Chicken 5-6#
1 lemon
Sprigs of rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram, tarragon in any combination
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Cavender's Greek Seasoning

1-While coals heat up, rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry.
2-Mix together 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and rub inside of chicken.
3-Cut lemon in half. Push first half all the way inside chicken. Stuff fresh herbs inside of chicken, followed by other half of lemon, cut side facing in. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
4-Drizzle olive oil lightly over outside of chicken and liberally sprinkle salt and pepper all over (breast side and back side). Lightly sprinkle Cavender's on chicken.
5-After spreading coals on bottom rack and placing foil pan in the middle, replace top grill rack on Weber and place chicken on roasting rack in the middle of grill. Cover with lid. Check back in 30 minutes (chicken won't be done, but you can't help yourself). After about an hour or so, check bird. It is done when you wiggle the leg and it is very loose and moves easily and thigh juices should run clear when pierced with a knife. Skin should be very crisp and browned.
6-When done, bring chicken inside, let rest for 10 minutes, then carve away and prepare for much happiness!

A New "Spin" on Roast Chicken!

It's like this: No matter who is coming over, I know that my roast chicken is one that will always draw raves. A fall back recipe that kills. Is it the best roast chicken ever? Well, I have to say yes. I had this bird dialed. Not an everyday oven roast either. This is a smoky, Weber 'que-fired fowl. Always satisfied, couldn't be better. Until this little piece of joy came into my life.......
I was reading one of my favorite food books, Jeffrey Steingarten's brilliant "It Must Have Been Something I Ate", a hilarious and information filled collection of his essays from his days as Vogue Magazine's food columnist that if you haven't read, you must! In one essay he wrote about his obsessive search for the perfect roast chicken. He posited that nothing beats rotisserie roasted bird, and then mentioned that he had purchased the Weber rotisserie extension. Weber rotisserie extension?? I had no idea there was such a thing. I of course had to have one, and it was promptly delivered via my friendly UPS driver. Two nights ago I gave it a test spin, as it were, and....oh-my-fucking-god...it's like I had never roasted a chicken before! This wasn't my old standby bird. This was something different. Chicken from another planet where all is good and delicious. Insanely, perfectly crisp and browned skin. Juicy breast and thigh meat that was out of this world. Succulent doesn't begin to describe it. I can hardly wait to conduct further experiments on other pieces of animal to see what edible wonders can be coaxed from this new life enhancement tool. If you have a 22" Weber and you're not cooking with this, all I can say is you are living a life half lived. Take it from someone who's kicking himself for going so long without!

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Weber Rotisserie Chicken
Time- about 90 minutes

Prepare the grill by filling the starter chimney to almost overflowing with briquettes (I'm a Kingsford guy). Lots of heat is the key here.

Ingredients
1 Free Range Chicken 5-6#
1 lemon
Sprigs of rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram, tarragon in any combination
Olive Oil
Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

1-Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry.
2-Mix together 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and rub inside of chicken.
3-Stuff fresh herbs inside of chicken along with 1/2 lemon. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
4-Drizzle olive oil lightly over outside of chicken and salt and pepper all over (breast side and back side).
5-Bank coals to the sides of the charcoal rack on grill. Set a foil pan in between coals to catch chicken drippings.
6-Thread chicken onto rotisserie spit and connect to motor, turn on, cover, open top and bottom vents all the way and walk away. Check back in 30 minutes (chicken won't be done, but you can't help yourself). After about an hour or so, check bird. It is done when you wiggle the leg and it is very loose and moves easily. Skin should be very crisp and browned.
7-When done, bring chicken inside, let rest for 10 minutes, then carve away and prepare for lavish praise from your guests.

Mountain Escape

In case you've been checking and getting the same old posts here and are worried that maybe I'm fasting.....or even worse have decided I hate food and have become a vegan, don't fret. My plate has stayed quite full of all sorts of edible goodness, just not all of it worth sharing. A mediocre chicken enchilada recipe (btw- if any of you have a killer recipe for that dish, I would love to see it), plus an average pasta out of Food & Wine mag that while I was making I had misgivings about, but foolishly went ahead with it. Both w and I were most unimpressed with that pasta. It had a shallot/garlic sauce and was so bland you wonder if all the testers at F&W had colds and couldn't taste when this one came around. We had a fair amount of leftovers, so I sautéed up some pancetta to mix in with the leftovers to give it a little pork fat lift...should have dome that at the start...much better.

We also spent a couple days with friends at my favorite Mt. Hood retreat on the Zig Zag River. This is a great house, with a fabulously relaxing hot tub looking out over the river rushing by about 50 feet away. Much eating, drinking, and social intercourse were had. To pay our keep, w and I made dinner for everyone Saturday night. When cooking for a crowd, and in an unfamiliar kitchen, it's good to have a go to dish in the repertoire. Mine would be my Weber roasted chicken that always turns out perfectly and gets much praise from those who partake. I knew they had a Weber grill at the house, so we grabbed a couple of free range birds on the way out of town, some polenta, fingerling potatoes (because 2 dinner starches are better than one!), and some brussel sprouts and we were good to go. We arrived, and after unloading the car and a refreshing Negroni for cocktail hour, we started in. First up was shucking the 2 dozen fresh oysters (Kumamotos and Fanny Bay's) we brought....fantastic, especially with a perfect Tanqueray martini! Then as soon as we had the chickens doing their thing on the grill, we took a quick soak in the hot tub. What could be better than looking out on this view while dinner is roasting away....
While the chicken was finishing it's thing in the Weber, we threw the fingerlings in the oven after tossing them with olive oil and salt and pepper, whipped up the polenta and stirred some mascarpone into it to make sure it went over the top, and blanched the sprouts. Then we carved these two beauties and dug in.....
....mmm, so tender, the skin salty and perfectly crisp. Many bottles of wine were had, and after dinner there was a dessert-off that pitted Jill's Molten Chocolate Cake against Keith's Chocolate Soufflé. Talk about a can't lose bet. Awesome stuff and a decadent finish to a great night!

Weber Roasted Chicken
Time- about 90 minutes

Prepare the grill by filling the starter chimney to almost overflowing with briquettes (I'm a Kingsford guy). Lots of heat is the key here.

Ingredients
1 Free Range Chicken 5-6#
1 lemon
4 sprigs Rosemary
4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
4 sprigs Fresh Sage
Olive Oil
Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

1-Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry.
2-Mix together 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and rub inside of chicken.
3-Stuff fresh herbs inside of chicken along with 1/2 lemon.
4-Drizzle olive oil lightly over outside of chicken and salt and pepper all over (breast side and back side).
5-Bank coals to the sides of the charcoal rack on grill. Set a foil pan in between coals to catch chicken drippings.
6-Put chicken on roasting rack and set on top grill, cover, open top and bottom vents all the way and walk away. Check back in 30 minutes (chicken won't be done, but you can't help yourself). After about an hour or so, check bird. It is done when you wiggle the leg and it is very loose and moves easily. Skin should be very crisp and browned.
7-When done, bring chicken inside, let rest for 10 minutes, then carve away and prepare for lavish praise from your guests.
*Note-if doing more than one chicken, just double the amounts of S&P and fresh herbs.