The Thighs Have It

Ahhh….the unassuming chicken thigh.  Like a wallflower at a high school dance or the last one picked in gym class for a game of dodgeball.  The chicken thigh always seems to be the last piece left on the platter after everyone has taken all the glamorous chicken breasts or the fun-loving wings & drumsticks.  I admit, in the past I’ve always overlooked chicken thighs.  I just never really gave them much thought & didn’t bother to cook them figuring nobody would like them.  Over the years though, I’ve come across some very tasty recipes using the ever flavorful chicken thigh.  To me, they’re probably the “chickeniest” tasting part of the bird.  Braising is my favorite way to cook them and I like to purchase them boneless/skin-on especially if I want a nice crispy skin.  In this recipe I’ve created, I crisp the skin twice – once before braising and then under the broiler after they’ve cooked.  And yes, I know the skin is not a healthy thing to eat, but the crispiness of the skin in this recipe will keep me sated until my “Thankgiving turkey crispy skin roll-up”.   This recipe is cooked completely on the stovetop and I like to use my lovely, oval Chantal enamel Dutch oven w. the glass lid so I can see what’s going on inside.  I’m proud of this piece of cookware because I bought it on sale 12 years ago for only $35!!  For some of the slow-cooking recipes I have created over the years, I’ve enjoyed adding various Campbell’s© soups as an easy and efficient way to add concentrated flavor.  Their Golden Mushroom Soup flavor is quite versatile and I love it in this recipe.  I like to serve this chicken over a plate of creamy, Parmesan cauliflower puree with some of the sauce spooned atop.  Maybe the cauliflower makes me feel a little less indulgent after eating the crispy chicken skin J.

Here's how to make this dish:

Braised Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

5          boneless/skin-on chicken thighs
1tsp      garlic powder
1tsp      Kosher salt
1tsp      fresh cracked black pepper
½         large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1Tb      butter
1Tb      olive oil
½ cup   dry Marsala wine
1can     Campbell’s© Golden Mushroom Soup
½ cup   chicken broth (salt free)

nstructions:
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Season the chicken thighs with the garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Heat the butter & olive oil*  in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat.  Sear the chicken thighs skin side down first until well browned then turn over to brown the other side.  Remove the chicken to a plate.  Drain all but 1Tb of the fat.  Add the onion and cook until well browned on a medium heat.  Once cooked, return to a medium-high heat and add the Marsala wine to the onions being sure to scrape up all the bits that adhered to the pot.  Allow this mixture to reduce for approximately 3 minutes.  Place chicken atop the onion mixture skin side up.  Then take the soup and place it around the chicken thighs.  Don’t cover the thighs completely with the soup.  Add the chicken stock.  Partially cover & cook the chicken over medium-low heat for approximately 40 minutes.  When ready to serve, place the chicken thighs separately on a sheet pan and place under the broiler until skin is nice and crispy.  Reserve the gravy for spooning over the cauliflower puree and then top off with a chicken thigh.

*Adding olive oil while heating butter helps to lower the burning point of the butter. 

Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower Puree

Ingredients:

1          large head of cauliflower cut into medium sized florets
½ cup   milk
½ cup   heavy cream
¾ cup   grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt to taste

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add cauliflower and cook until just tender when pierced with a fork.  Don’t overcook.  Drain cauliflower and place in a blender or food processor.  Begin to puree and add milk & heavy cream slowly.  If you prefer a thicker puree, cut back on the amount of milk and heavy cream.  Once pureed, fold in the parmesan cheese and then add salt to taste. 

Let Me Eat Cake!

Well, Valentine’s Day came & went almost a month ago and while I’m a bit delayed in writing a Valentine themed post; nonetheless, I thought I would share: How I Celebrated Valentine’s Day or as it’s known to those of us without a Valentine: Single’s Awareness Day.  Being single for many years now, I have almost come to loathe the day that celebrates “love".  But this year, I decided to embrace it.  I even bought a heart shaped wreath & hung it on my front door; which, if you live in South Philly, is somewhat expected in the ritual of holiday window decorating.    At some point, I even flirted with the idea of actually going out to dinner on Valentine’s -- ALONE.  I decided I’m brave but not that brave.  Instead I enjoyed an evening at home with me, myself & I.  Armed with Adele’s “21” cd, Veuve Clicquot champagne (my fave) & a large fork, I cheerfully celebrated (with forkfuls of decadent chocolate cake) what I now affectionately refer to as “Singles Appreciation Day”.  ❤

Now, I don’t profess to be a great baker & I have to tell you, I don’t always make everything from scratch, but the cake I made for my Valentine’s Day, truly was made with love along with a lot of patience.   The cake is a multi-tier cake w. layers of chocolate mousse & whipped cream.  The icing is a chocolate German buttercream.  The actual cake mix is store bought but the mousse filling & icing are all homemade.  When I was a child, my mother used to always make homemade  birthday tortes.  Her German buttercream icing still lingers in my mind & tastebuds.  To me, there is none better.  It’s a combination of pastry cream & butter and is incredibly light.  The chocolate mousse is a classic preparation using bittersweet chocolate and while it is rich it is not overly sweet & is perfect as a filling for a cake or served on its own.  There are several steps to this recipe and it’s somewhat challenging but the end result is worth it!  It’s a definite crowd pleaser and packs a lot of “Wow”!

HOW TO MAKE THIS CAKE:

Equipment:  2 small heart-shaped cake pans or 2 regular 8-inch cake pans

Cake Mix:

1 store bought package of Devil’s Food cake mix prepared according to the instructions

Chocolate Mousse:

Ingredients:

7.5oz    chopped bittersweet chocolate

4.5oz    unsalted butter

3           egg yolks

6           egg whites

1.25oz  granulated sugar

4oz       heavy cream

Instructions:

Melt the chocolate & butter in a double-boiler over low heat.  Stir until smooth.  Take off stove & allow to cool slightly then whisk in egg yolks one at a time. Set aside.  In a mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form then slowly add the sugar and beat until egg whites form stiff peaks.  Fold the egg whites by thirds into the chocolate mixture.  Be sure egg whites are fully incorporated into mixture.  In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.  By now chocolate mixture should be cool.  Fold the whipped cream into the mixture, again making sure no streaks of white remain. Chill mousse if not using immediately.

Chocolate Pastry Cream:

Ingredients:

2 cups   milk

¾ cups  sugar

6           egg yolks

2Tb      flour

3Tb      cornstarch

Pinch of salt

4oz      chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Instructions:

Scald the milk with half of the sugar.  In a stainless steel bowl, ribbon the egg yolks with the remaining sugar.  Sift together the flour, cornstarch & salt and then whisk into the egg yolk mixture. Slowly pour a small portion of the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly so as not to curdle the egg yolks.  Then in a slow steady stream add the remaining milk mixture while continuing to whisk.  Now pour the pastry cream into a heavy saucepan and on medium heat slowly bring the pastry cream just to the boiling point all the while stirring.  As soon as the cream comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a minute or two.  It’s very important to stir the cream & not allow it to get too hot; otherwise, it will curdle.  If it turns out you have a few lumps, you can always strain it through a fine metal sieve. Remove the pastry cream from the stove and add the chocolate.  Stir until completely melted.  You can cool the pastry cream in a separate bowl placed in a shallow ice bath.  Place plastic wrap directly onto the pastry cream to avoid a skin forming.  By now you have probably realized that you just made homemade pudding. J

German Buttercream Icing:

Ingredients:

8oz      unsalted butter @ room temperature

8oz      chocolate pastry cream @ room temperature (recipe above)

Instructions:

Cream the butter in a mixer then add the pastry cream and continue to blend on a medium speed until both the butter & pastry cream are incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy.  Slightly chill the icing until ready to use.

Stabilized Whipped Cream:

Ingredients:

1 cup   heavy whipping cream(chilled)

1pkg    whipped cream stabilizer such as Dr. Oetker© brand

Instructions:

Add the stabilizer to the whipping cream and beat until medium peaks form.

To assemble cake:

Slice each cake in half horizontally so as to have 4 pieces.  Lay down the first piece then top with the chocolate mousse.  Add second piece and top with the stabilized whipped cream.  Add the third piece and top with the chocolate mousse.  Add the final piece and frost the cake with the buttercream icing.

A Tasty Comforting Cure for What Ails You

Greetings from the Kitchen on Carlisle!  So this is my first entry in my first ever experience of blogging.  I know there are tons of blogs out there that revolve around food, along with lots of foodies, experienced culinary professionals and very good home cooks.  I’m hoping to bring a little bit of light-heartedness along with some useful information and recipes that address my passion of all things food & wine-related.  It’s going to be a bit of a work in progress while I tweak some design and format issues so thanks in advance for suffering through with me J.

I hope everyone has had a good start to the New Year.  I enjoyed ringing in 2012 with good friends, good food & of course good wine! For the past 2 weeks I’ve had a nasty cold and to me and a lot of other people -  nothing makes you feel better than chicken soup.  In light of the Chinese New Year I thought I would make an Asian-inspired soup to cure what ails me.  I conjured up this recipe while I was watching the Giants play their way to victory in the Superbowl  (sorry all you Patriots fans).  The mellowness of the ginger, the meatiness of oyster mushrooms, a bit of heat from the dried red peppers & the tasty chicken-cilantro wontons REALLY hits the spot.

Thanks for reading and I’m hoping 2012 brings good health, happiness & prosperity to you all!

Ingredients:

3Tb butter

1Tb olive oil

1 cup medium diced onion

1 cup medium diced carrot

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp ground ginger

4 Tb flour

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

5 small dried red chilies

1 cup oyster mushrooms, cleaned & torn by hand

1 bag chicken-cilantro wontons (preferably TraderJoe’s© brand)

Kosher salt to taste

Fennel fronds or Italian parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Melt butter and olive oil in a large soup pot.  Add onion, carrot & ginger and allow to soften/sweat for 10 minutes on medium high heat.  Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes making sure not to burn. Add flour and stir for 5-6 minutes until flour turns a blonde color.  Add the chicken broth and continue to stir until flour is incorporated into the liquid (essentially you are making a veloute).  Add the dried peppers & simmer on medium low for 60 minutes to allow liquid to thicken and reduce. Add mushrooms and simmer for another 20 minutes.  Add the wontons and allow to warm through approx. 8-10 minutes.  Prior to serving, remove the chilies (can use as a garnish but don't eat them)  and garnish with either the fennel fronds or parsley.