If I had to sum up Fall in one dish it would have to be roasted chicken. On a chilly, autumn day, it’s the culinary equivalent of your favorite comfy, cashmere cardigan that provides warmth as well as a little bit of nostalgia.
I positively adore this classic dish and consider roasted chicken research a passionate personal pursuit. Over the years I’ve tried a variety of incarnations and while it’s always fun to try new things, the best versions of this dish are often the most simple: succulent chicken with crispy skin seasoned generously with salt, pepper, butter, and a selection of seasonal herbs…it just doesn’t get much better!
One of my most memorable poultry experiences was during a trip to France’s Burgundy wine region at Bistro de l’Hotel in L’Hotel de Beaune. It was a roasted Bresse chicken, a breed prized for its tender flesh and sublime depth of flavor named for its area of origin, near France’s Rhône region. Bresse chickens were the first livestock to be granted AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée) status in 1957 and, much like France’s AOC wines, are subjected to very exacting standards in order to preserve the qualities which make them so unique. The Bresse chicken at Bistro de l’Hotel was simply roasted with butter, white wine, and seasoned with salt and pepper which allowed the flavor of the meat to really shine through. The bird was then carved tableside, its salty, golden juices beckoning from the cutting board. The skin was deliciously crisp and flavorful while the breast meat was as tender and toothsome as the dense, meaty leg and thigh. Paired with a 2010 Alex Gambal Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes I experienced true poultry nirvana that night and the perfectly executed crème brûlée which followed certainly didn’t hurt!
Inspired by my experience in Burgundy, as well as many other delicious poultry encounters, I came up with this recipe for a delicious basic bird. Once you have that recipe under your belt, you can accessorize according to the season or mood. In the Fall, rosemary, mushrooms and onions are great choices, while in the Spring, lemon and thyme would be ideal. To prepare the chicken I always use an organic bird which I butterfly by removing the backbone. Now don’t panic! Butterflying a bird is easy to do and allows the chicken to cook faster and more evenly. Using your poultry shears, cut a line parallel to the bird’s spine from the tail to neck. Remove the spine and discard or reserve for chicken stock. If you’re squeamish you can absolutely ask your butcher to do this for you – there’s no shame in that!
When roasting a chicken or other meat it’s important to use a roasting pan or baking sheet that’s not too big. The ingredients should fit with a minimal amount of room to spare, otherwise if the pan is too large, any drippings will evaporate and possibly burn, leaving you high and dry with no hopes for gravy or jus to serve the meat with – a culinary travesty! With the spine removed, the butterflied chicken is placed on an appropriate sized baking sheet, rubbed with olive oil, and seasoned generously with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fragrant, fresh rosemary sprigs are tucked between the bird’s thigh and breast while sliced onions, mushrooms, and more fresh rosemary are scattered messily around the chicken. For a little added nostalgia, sprinkle the entire tray with poultry seasoning (such as Bell’s - hello childhood!) and the minute you put the tray in your pre-heated oven your kitchen will smell heavenly!
I like to serve the roasted chicken plated atop a delicious White Bean & Garlic Mash (see recipe below) which catches all of the delicious juices, however, traditional mashed potatoes will also work perfectly well. Top the chicken with roasted mushrooms and caramelized onions and drizzle with the remaining juice and a generous sprinkle of Maldon sea salt which adds delcious texture and crunch. In keeping with the season, an earthy, cherry and spice-tinged red Burgundy or New World Pinot Noir will enhance the flavors of the dish beautifully. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Cheers,
Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Mushrooms & Caramelized Onions
Serves 2-4
1 – 3 1/2 – 4 lb organic chicken
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 small yellow onions
Good olive oil
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Tablespoon poultry seasoning such as Bell’s
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Maldon Sea Salt for garnish
Line a medium sized baking sheet with foil and pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove giblets from cavity of chicken (if necessary), rinse bird & pat dry. Place chicken breast side down on a cutting board and using your kitchen shears, make a parallel cut up each side of the spine from tail to neck until the spine is free. Remove and discard or reserve for stock.
Place the butterflied chicken, breast side up onto the lined baking sheet. Tuck the wing tips behind the neck and fold two of the rosemary sprigs in half and tuck them between the thigh and breast on each side of the bird. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and massage onto skin so it is evenly distributed. Season chicken generously with Kosher salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.
Quarter each onion, and then quarter them again so you are left with 8 onion wedges per onion. Scatter onion pieces, sliced mushrooms and leaves only from the remaining 2 sprigs of rosemary around the chicken. Drizzle the mushrooms, onions & rosemary with approximately 3-4 Tablespoons of olive oil (or to taste), season again with Kosher salt & pepper, and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle the Bell’s seasoning over everything if desired and slice butter into pats and place on top of the chicken, onions, mushrooms and rosemary.
Slide tray into oven and bake for 1 hour, checking occasionally to rearrange mushrooms & onions. After an hour, drop the oven temperature down to 300 degrees and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, just enough time to allow the onions to caramelize and the skin to get a golden brown.
Plate chicken atop a mound of White Bean & Garlic Mash (see recipe below) and top with roasted mushrooms & caramelized onions. Drizzle with juice and sprinkle with Maldon sea salt to taste.
White Bean & Garlic Mash
Serves 2-4
2 – 15 oz. cans white beans (I prefer Great Northern), drained & rinsed
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed, flat leaf Italian parsley leaves
1/3 cup good olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 turns freshly ground black pepper
Add beans, garlic, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, Kosher salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture is well combined but still retains a chunky texture. Adjust seasonings and add additional olive oil or lemon juice to achieve desired texture and flavor.
The post Perfect for Fall: Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Mushrooms & Caramelized Onions! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
While delivering wine to my good friend Julia Johnston (kitchen designer extraordinaire) the other day, she was kind enough to bestow upon me the gift of...squash blossoms!Of course I'm talking about the delicate, golden blooms produced by summer squash, most commonly zucchini. While I have enjoyed these beautiful, edible flowers prepared in restaurants before, I've never made them myself. Since Julia was generous enough to share them with me I knew I couldn't just banish them to produce drawer purgatory where they would die a slow death along with the two remaining scallions and half a Vidalia onion leftover from last week's cooking adventures - no, they were way too special for that! So I did some research on these beauties to learn a little bit more about them as well as the various methods of preparation.
Although most squash has its ancestry rooted in the Americas (pun intended), the one we know today as "zucchini" actually originated in Italy. When it comes to the zucchini flowers, there are both male and female varieties. The female flower is attached to the actual zucchini fruit (yes, this vegetable we've been enjoying in savory dishes all these years is technically a fruit) while the male flower grows directly on the stem of the plant - both are necessary for pollination to occur. While they look slightly different, the female flower has a flat bottom where it was attached to the zucchini while the male flower is slightly smaller and has a stem (pictured above), both are deliciously edible and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Popular preparation methods include stuffing and frying them in a light tempura batter, incorporating them in soups, and, since zucchini and its blossoms are very popular in Mexico, as a filling for quesadillas. After researching a few different preparations I decided to take the classic route and prepare them stuffed with creamy ricotta cheese, lightly battered and fried until golden and served with a marinara sauce. What's not to love about that?
I'm happy to report the preparation of this dish was actually quite painless and the result was beautiful, golden floral nuggets that were positively delightful! The crispy outer shell studded with Maldon salt gave way to an oozy, cheesy center accentuated by the delicate flavor and texture of the flower itself. The key is to serve the blossoms warm so the cheese is perfectly melty and the marinara sauce made a wonderful accompaniment. As with just about any fried dish, Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms pair deliciously well with sparkling wine such as Prosecco or Franciacorta. If you choose to serve them with a marinara sauce as I ultimately did, a fruity Italian red like a Barbera is perfect! I hope you enjoy this dish and I'd love to hear what you think or if you have any other delicious ways of preparing this very special ingredient. Thanks again to Julia for expanding my culinary horizons!Cheers,
"Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Marinara Sauce" Makes 6 blossoms6 squash blossoms, stems trimmed to 1"1 cup ricotta cheese1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped1 - 12 ounce bottle lager or light lager beerVegetable oil for frying (approximately 2 quarts if using a standard Dutch oven)Container of your favorite store bought or homemade marinara sauceKosher salt and freshly ground black pepperMaldon sea salt for garnish1.) Carefully pry the leaves open towards the base of each flower, opening just enough to remove the stamen inside with your thumb and forefinger. Rinse each flower gently with cool water and pat dry.2.) Fill a piping bag (or plastic bag with a corner snipped off) with ricotta cheese and pipe 2-3 tablespoons into each flower being careful not to overfill. If the flower is filled with too much cheese it can burst during frying. Gently twist the petals closed at the top and set aside.3.) In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together flour, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pour the beer into the mixture slowly, whisking to remove any lumps.4.) Add enough vegetable oil to a pot or heavy skillet so it comes up the side 2 inches, yet is not more than halfway up the sides. Heat oil to 360 degrees and then dip the flowers into the batter (use the stem to roll it when possible) and carefully add the battered blossoms to the hot oil. Fry until blossoms are golden and crisp, using a spider or spatula to make sure each side is golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes. Depending on the size of your pot, you may want to cook the blossoms in batches to avoid them sticking together.Once done, remove blossoms to a paper towel-lined plate and season with Maldon sea salt while hot. Plate golden brown blossoms and serve with your favorite store bought or homemade marinara sauce.
While delivering wine to my good friend Julia Johnston (kitchen designer extraordinaire) the other day, she was kind enough to bestow upon me the gift of…squash blossoms! Of course I’m talking about the delicate, golden blooms produced by summer squash, most commonly zucchini. While I have enjoyed these beautiful, edible flowers prepared in restaurants before, I’ve never made them myself.... Read More
The post Farm to Table: Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Marinara Sauce appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
While delivering wine to my good friend Julia Johnston (kitchen designer extraordinaire) the other day, she was kind enough to bestow upon me the gift of…squash blossoms!
Of course I’m talking about the delicate, golden blooms produced by summer squash, most commonly zucchini. While I have enjoyed these beautiful, edible flowers prepared in restaurants before, I’ve never made them myself. Since Julia was generous enough to share them with me I knew I couldn’t just banish them to produce drawer purgatory where they would die a slow death along with the two remaining scallions and half a Vidalia onion leftover from last week’s cooking adventures – no, they were way too special for that! So I did some research on these beauties to learn a little bit more about them as well as the various methods of preparation.
Although most squash has its ancestry rooted in the Americas (pun intended), the one we know today as “zucchini” actually originated in Italy. When it comes to the zucchini flowers, there are both male and female varieties. The female flower is attached to the actual zucchini fruit (yes, this vegetable we’ve been enjoying in savory dishes all these years is technically a fruit) while the male flower grows directly on the stem of the plant – both are necessary for pollination to occur. While they look slightly different, the female flower has a flat bottom where it was attached to the zucchini while the male flower is slightly smaller and has a stem (pictured above), both are deliciously edible and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Popular preparation methods include stuffing and frying them in a light tempura batter, incorporating them in soups, and, since zucchini and its blossoms are very popular in Mexico, as a filling for quesadillas. After researching a few different preparations I decided to take the classic route and prepare them stuffed with creamy ricotta cheese, lightly battered and fried until golden and served with a marinara sauce. What’s not to love about that?
I’m happy to report the preparation of this dish was actually quite painless and the result was beautiful, golden floral nuggets that were positively delightful! The crispy outer shell studded with Maldon salt gave way to an oozy, cheesy center accentuated by the delicate flavor and texture of the flower itself. The key is to serve the blossoms warm so the cheese is perfectly melty and the marinara sauce made a wonderful accompaniment. As with just about any fried dish, Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms pair deliciously well with sparkling wine such as Prosecco or Franciacorta. If you choose to serve them with a marinara sauce as I ultimately did, a fruity Italian red like a Barbera is perfect! I hope you enjoy this dish and I’d love to hear what you think or if you have any other delicious ways of preparing this very special ingredient. Thanks again to Julia for expanding my culinary horizons!
Cheers,
Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Makes 6 blossoms
6 squash blossoms, stems trimmed to 1″
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 – 12 ounce bottle lager or light lager beer
Vegetable oil for frying (approximately 2 quarts if using a standard Dutch oven)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Maldon sea salt for garnish
Carefully pry the leaves open towards the base of each flower, opening just enough to remove the stamen inside with your thumb and forefinger. Rinse each flower gently with cool water and pat dry.
Fill a piping bag (or plastic bag with a corner snipped out) with ricotta cheese and pipe 2-3 tablespoons into each flower being careful not to overfill. If the flower is filled with too much cheese it can burst during frying. Gently twist the petals closed at the top and set aside.
In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together flour, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pour the beer into the mixture slowly, whisking to remove any lumps.
Add enough vegetable oil to a pot or heavy skillet so it comes up the side 2 inches, yet is not more than halfway up the sides. Heat oil to 360 degrees and then dip the flowers into the batter (use the stem to roll it when possible) and carefully add the battered blossoms to the hot oil. Fry until blossoms are golden and crisp, using a spider or spatula to make sure each side is golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes. Depending on the size of your pot, you may want to cook the blossoms in batches to avoid them sticking together.
Once done, remove blossoms to a paper towel-lined plate and season with Maldon sea salt while hot. Plate golden brown blossoms and serve with your favorite store bought or homemade marinara sauce.
The post Farm to Table: Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
Although 10:29pm today officially marks the start of Fall, for some reason I’ve been craving it for the past month. From drinking (way too many) Pumpkin Spice Lattes to coming up with a list of 5 Fabulous Things to Do this Fall – for some reason I can’t get this season off my mind. I recently came across a cocktail... Read More
The post Cocktail Couture: the Smoked Sazerac! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
Although 10:29pm today officially marks the start of Fall, for some reason I’ve been craving it for the past month. From drinking (way too many) Pumpkin Spice Lattes to coming up with a list of 5 Fabulous Things to Do this Fall – for some reason I can’t get this season off my mind. I recently came across a cocktail that’s further perpetuating my fascination with Fall, the Smoked Sazerac is a riff on the traditional Sazerac, largely considered America’s oldest cocktail, which originated in New Orleans in the 19th century. We discovered this delicious drink during a recent visit to The Cloister at Sea Island in Southeast Georgia, one of our favorite vacation spots.
Every time we visit, we have dinner at the River Bar the night we arrive. Inspired by a French brasserie, the River Bar overlooks the Black Banks River on the west side of Sea Island and makes a wonderful spot for watching the sunset…generally with cocktail in hand. This time the Smoked Sazerac caught Steve’s eye and underneath the list of ingredients was an asterisk followed by the caveat, “This cocktail requires extended time for production”…and for good reason!
Our bartender Kelly kindly took us through each step of making this fabulous drink which was worth every minute of preparation time. The traditional Sazerac ingredients of rye, absinthe, and Peychaud’s bitters are enhanced by the Fall-inspired flavors of ginger cinnamon syrup and smoke from cherry wood chips. The wood chips are ignited at the bar by flaming absinthe and the resulting smoke is captured in a chilled old-fashioned glass the drink is served from.
If you’re entertaining this season or just feel like indulging, this drink is well worth the effort and will surely put you and/or your guests in the Fall spirit(s)! I sincerely hope you enjoy our latest edition of Cocktail Couture, to see past installments of this segment, please click here.
So what’s your favorite cocktail to enjoy in the Fall? Do tell!
Cheers,
Smoked Sazerac
Makes one drink
3 ounces Bulleit Rye
1 ounce ginger syrup*
1/2 ounce of Vieux Carré Absinthe
A couple dashes of Peychaud’s bitter or to taste
Orange peel for garnish
Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling it with ice and setting is aside while you prepare the rest of the drink. In another glass add the ginger syrup and a few dashes of the Peychaud’s bitters and stir to combine. Then add the rye and a few ice cubes to the glass with the bitters and ginger syrup, stir to combine.
Place the cherrywood chips in a firesafe bowl. Fill a jigger with approximately 1/2 ounce of absinthe and using a match or kitchen torch, ignite the absinthe. Pour the flaming absinthe over the cherry wood chips to ignite. Empty the ice from the first glass and invert it over the burning wood chips, filling the glass with smoke. Once it’s filled with smoke, carefully turn it right side up and very slowly strain the rye, ginger syrup and bitters mixture into it. Place the orange peel on the burning cherry wood chips for a few seconds until the edges are lightly charred, garnish the drink with it and serve.
*Ginger Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 – 2″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 cinnamon stick
Heat sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the chopped ginger and cinnamon stick to the sugar mixture and bring to a boil then remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve into an airtight container and discard ginger and cinnamon. Syrup will keep for up to one month.
The post Cocktail Couture: the Smoked Sazerac! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
Labor Day has come and gone and those lazy Summer days have magically transformed into the countdown to Christmas! In many parts of the country the arrival of Fall is heralded by the changing of the leaves and a refreshing dip in the temperature. Here in sunny South Florida, however, the change of season is not as discernible. For all... Read More
The post 5 Fabulous Things To Do This Fall! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
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