Chicken Marsala

4 skinless chicken breast fillets

3 T. Olive oil                          ½ cup flour

4 T. butter                       2 tsp. minced shallots

1 tsp. minced garlic             12 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 cup Marsala wine (red)    1 cup beef broth

1 tsp. cornstarch (more if needed)

½ cup heavy cream              Chopped parsley garnish 

Chicken Seasoning

1 ¼ tsp. salt                            1 tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. garlic powder           ¼ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. dried thyme               ½ tsp. dried parsley

¼ tsp. marjoram 

Mashed potatoes or noodles

Directions:  Place chicken breast flat on a cutting board, with your hand on top to guide, cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to get two pieces.  Slightly pound/ tenderize.  Sprinkle with chicken seasoning and wrap in plastic.  Let rest 10-15 minutes for spices to absorb.

Place flour on large plate and dredge chicken.  Heat the olive oil and 2 T. butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.  They should be well-browned and cooked.  Remove them to a plate, cover.

In same skillet, add mushrooms and shallots.  Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes.  Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute.  Pour in wine and beef broth.  Stir and scrape plan.  Cook for 203 minutes, reducing the liquid by half.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the cream.  When the sauce has reduced, add the cream mixture.  Let thicken for another 1-2 minutes.  Turn off heat.  Add remaining 2T butter and stir.

Serve chicken over mashed potatoes or noodles.  Add sauce.  Garnish with parsley.

Comment:  Usually make more chicken with same amount of sauce.  Can also grill the seasoned chicken separately and then serve with sauce.

Chicken Paprikash & Spaetzle

Paprikash                          

8-12 pieces thighs/legs                

2 tsp. Hungarian paprika     

2 red bell peppers, seeded          

2 tomatoes                      

1 tsp. chicken consommé power

6 cloves garlic

Olive oil

2 onions (peeled and sliced)

¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

Salt & Pepper

2 T. cornstarch

Spaetzle

2 large eggs

¾ cup tepid water

½ tsp. salt

2 cups flour (more or less)

Paprikash Directions:  Using mostly skinless thighs, sprinkle the chicken pieces generously with paprika, salt and pepper.  Let rest.

Place the bell peppers, tomatoes, chicken consommé powder and garlic into a food processor or blender.  Blend to form a sauce.  (To kick it up, add ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes or a little cayenne pepper.)

In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium.  Sauté the onion slices in olive oil until tender.  Once onions soften and start to caramelize, add the seasoned chicken to the pot.  Sauté for a few minutes.  

Pour the blended sauce over the chicken pieces.  Add water till the sauce just covers the chicken.  Sprinkle with 3 T. chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and a little sprinkle of Hungarian paprika, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low simmer.  Cover the pan, vented slightly.  Cook the chicken for 1 hour or to desired tenderness.  The longer it simmers the more tender it becomes.

When the chicken is finished, add salt and pepper to taste.  Mix together 2 T. cornstarch with 3 T. cold water.  Gently stir the corn starch mixture into the chicken sauce and simmer for a minute or two to thicken.

Serve chicken and sauce over warm spaetzle or the starch of your choice -- rice, egg noodles, mashed potatoes, gnocchi.   Garnish with remaining 1 T. chopped parsley.

Spaetzle Directions:  Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil.  Beat the eggs and tepid water together with the salt.  Slowly beat in the flour ¼ cup at a time to make a soft, sticky dough.  You may not need all the flour, or you may need more – stop adding flour when the texture of the batter is soft and pliable.  Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.  Beat the mixture again.

Push 1/3 of the batter through a spaetzle maker, cheese grater or pasta strainer over the pot of salted water to create small egg noodle bits that drop into the boiling water.  (I had trouble making this work and created a sticky mess.  Instead, on a floured surface, I rolled the dough between my hands to form long strands and then cut off tiny pieces to make a pile of small bits that I then added into the pot.)

Let the noodles cook for about 3 minutes until they float to the top of the pot and are cooked tender all the way through.  Remove from water with a slotted spoon and drain.  Toss with butter to avoid sticking together.  Repeat the process until all noodles are made.

Comment:  Can easily spice up.  If no fresh tomatoes, a large can of tomato pieces/crushed can be substituted for the sauce.  

Chicken & Biscuit Dumplings

Chicken

2 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces

Salt & Pepper

½ cup finely diced carrots

½ cup finely diced celery

1 large onion, finely diced

½ tsp. ground thyme

½ tsp. curry powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. turmeric

6 cups chicken broth

Dumplings

 1½ cups flour

½ cup yellow cornmeal

2 T. flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups half-and-half

1 heaping T. baking powder

2 T. minced fresh parsley

salt, as needed

Directions:  For the chicken:  Melt the butter in a large pot (Dutch oven) over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.  In two batches, brown the chicken on both sides and remove to a plate.

In the same pot, add diced carrots, celery and onions.  Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat.  Stir in spices, then pour in chicken broth.  Stir to combine, then add the browned chicken.  Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

For the dumplings:  While the chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings.  Sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl, then add 1 ½ cups of the half-and-half, stirring gently to combine.  Set aside.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.  Use two forks to remove the chicken from the bones.  Shred the chicken, and then add it back to the pot.  Mix together the remaining ½ cup half-and-half and flour, then add it to the pot and stir to combine.

Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot.  Add the minced parsley if using.  Cover the pot and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.  Check the seasoning; add salt if needed.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Comment:  Jacqui’s favorite version…feel free to amp the spices even more!

Roast Jerk Chicken

2 green onions                     1 jalapeno chili

1/8 cup canola oil                3 cloves garlic

2 T. lime juice                     2 T. soy sauce                     

1 T. brown sugar                 ¼ tsp. allspice                    

½ tsp. salt                           ¼ tsp. pepper

1 whole chicken

Directions:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line large, rimmed baking sheet with foil; place rack on foil. 

In a blender or food processor, blend green onions, garlic, chili, oil, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, allspice, salt and pepper until smooth.

Arrange chicken on rack.  With hands, gently loosen chicken skin from meat.  Spoon some green onion mixture into chicken cavity and under skin.  Rub remaining all over outside of chicken.  Tuck wings behind breast and tie drumsticks together with butcher’s twine.

Roast 1 hour.  Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Roast another 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked (165 degrees).

Comment:  Not spicy, just flavorful. 

Sweet and Smoky Mexican Chicken

2 medium red peppers
3 small cinnamon sticks, freshly ground (or, failing that, 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon)
4 chipotle chillies, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, drained, seeds and stalks removed
3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2½ tbsp white wine vinegar
2½ tsp soft brown sugar
75ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1.75kg whole chicken legs (ie with both drumsticks and thighs), skin-on
20g dark chocolate, finely grated
650g baby maris peer potatoes (or other roasting potato), peeled and halved
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 2cm x 6cm wedges
2 medium red onions, peeled and quartered
10g coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Directions: Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Put the peppers on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, until the skin has blackened. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with cling-film and set aside. Once cool enough to handle, peel the peppers, and discard the skins, seeds and stalks. Put the pepper flesh in the small bowl of a food processor, and add the cinnamon, chilli, garlic, vinegar, sugar, three tablespoons of the oil, a teaspoon and half of salt and three tablespoons of water. Blitz for a minute, until smooth, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken legs and chocolate, and mix to coat.

Put both types of potato in a separate large bowl with the onions, the remaining oil, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix well, combine with the chicken, then tip everything on to a large 30cm x 40cm baking tray. Arrange the chicken skin-side up and roast for about 50 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are cooked and nicely coloured. Serve at once, with coriander sprinkled on top.

Comment: A satisfying and delicious main dish from the chef, Ottolenghi (check him out!). For the weary ones, don't worry, you don't really taste the chocolate. I never roast the peppers out of laziness and it still tastes fantastic. -Elizabeth