Chicken Breasts with Creamy Sizzled Leak and Mushroom Sauce, featuring Broccoli

It’s Saturday again, which is arguably the best day of the week. It’s the only day of the week, in fact, that you go to sleep the night before knowing you won’t work the next day and go to sleep knowing you won’t work again the next. Every other day of the week you go to bed with work obligations looming overhead. Don’t get me wrong, I love my day job but it is still work after all.

As I’m writing this, I am doing so knowing well that I should instead be working on my research proposal for my masters program. I’m researching, or rather should be, about the effect of graduation rates of students of color who also have or have had a teacher of color. I hypothesize that indeed there is a correlation between higher graduation rates among black students who also have or have had a black teacher. It’s fascinating stuff but right now all I want to do is think about cooking, which is both a passion and now a perfectly suitable way to procrastinate.

My fridge is still full of produce from the Thanksgiving holiday and everything in it is teetering the fine line between fresh and beginning to wilt. I have some leeks that are slightly soft but still completely edible, potatoes that will certainly be too far gone by mid next week if I don’t use them immediately, goose fat, broccoli which I have no idea when I bought or if I even bought it but for now looks fresh, a package of dry porcini mushrooms that I forgot to use the other day, a few lemons, and an embarrassing amount of unused fresh herbs because I overestimated how many I would actually need for Thanksgiving. Oh, there is also the chicken I thawed out yesterday but didn’t end up making because I decided I was too tired and pizza sounded easier. This all to say it was the perfect hodgepodge of things to throw together today for a delicious late lunch.

Chicken Breasts with Creamy Leak and Mushroom Sauce, featuring Broccoli (serves 2 - 4)

Ingredients:
1 - 2 heads of broccoli, steamed
-you could easily use frozen broccoli or swap in asparagus or Brussel sprouts
2 chicken breasts, split and pounded flat
1/2 of a lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, the white parts chopped fine
0.5oz dry porcini mushrooms (or some other type of dry mushroom you might have)
-alternatively you could use up to 8oz of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped
5 small sage leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup white wine or dry vermouth
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions:
1. Steam the broccoli with your preferred method. Cook until the stems can be pierced with a fork and the crowns are soft but not mushy - you don’t want them falling apart later in the sauce. Set aside when finished.

2. Split the chicken breasts in half. Place your hand on top of it to apply pressure and use a sharp knife to cut through the breast, keeping as center a line as possible as you cut through. Between two sheets of waxed or parchment paper, pound the chicken breasts to 1/4 in thick. Squeeze the halved lemon on all over the chicken and sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. In a skillet, heat the 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted and foamed, add the leeks and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and then add the herbs and combine.

4. To the skillet add the chicken breasts over the leeks and mushrooms, cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. At first the chicken will sear and the leeks will begin to crisp and brown - that’s what you want. Flip the chicken, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes. At this point the chicken will begin releasing liquid into the pan. Check to see if chicken is done; when pierced the juice will run clear and when cut at the thickest part, it will be completely white. Cover and cook for an additional 2 minutes if it’s not quite done. When finished, remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

5. Add the chicken or vegetable stock to the skillet along with the wine or vermouth. Boil down over medium high heat for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol and reduce a bit, 3 - 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and boil for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened. Check sauce for season. Then, Gently fold in the broccoli florets. Return the chicken back to the skillet along with any of the accumulated juices. Bring to the simmer, cover, and cook an additional 2 minutes over low to moderate heat to heat everything through. Serve immediately.

Roasted Gold Potatoes with Parsley

Ingredients:
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of duck fat, goose fat, or olive oil
Small bunch of parsley, chopped fine
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 420 degrees F. In a baking dish large enough to hold all the potatoes, rub a garlic clove all over the bottom. Lightly grease the dish using goose/duck fat, olive oil, or butter. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the diced potatoes, fat or oil, and the chopped parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Transfer potatoes to the baking dish and roast on the middle rack of the oven for 40 minutes, giving them a stir twice during their cooking. Serve with the chicken.

Goose Getaway

This year we were lucky enough to have Veteran’s day fall on a Friday, which meant that many of us had a three day weekend. I had been looking forward to this weekend since August - I had originally suggested this trip to friends one evening after feeling overwhelmed with work and annoyed with the blazing, scorching heat of August, in anticipation of a long relaxing weekend with beautiful fall colors and colder temperatures. Coincidentally, I had came upon an article about “the best places to see autumn colors” and noticed one of those places was unexpectedly Arkansas, a state not entirely far from my own. I was reeled in, I wanted go and my friend Veronica very graciously organized a cabin trip in Royal, Arkansas not far from Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was picturesque and absolutely fulfilled my Autumn Getaway fantasy; a cozy cabin in the woods, fall colors and leaves abound, cold fresh air and most importantly good friends and food.

Of course no trip to a cabin would be complete without our favorite companion, Paxton. I think he had the best time of anyone, roaming around unleashed on a fenced property without the fear of getting out. It was the cutest thing watching him explore. He’s the best boy!

Now for the food. The last few years I have been eyeballing the goose that happens to appear every year during the holidays at the store. Prior to this trip I had never eaten goose, let alone cooked one. Needless to say I went into this cooking endeavor blind and unsure about how the goose would taste. I combed through a few cookbooks, namely the Art of French Cooking, but found those recipes a little tedious (iykyk) and not what I was looking for when it comes to cooking my first goose - I needed something.. gentler. I watched a few YouTube videos and came across a Gordon Ramsay video that stood out to me in both its presentation and feasibility, so I went with that. I served the goose with a deliciously sweet and velvety date sauce, and rounded off the meal with green beans sautéed in goose fat and cornbread dressing with chestnuts (yes, those chestnuts) and cranberries.

Roast Spiced Goose (serves a dinner party up to 10 people)

Ingredients:
(1) 11 pound young goose
2 lemons
1 orange
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons Chinese five spice
Honey

Instructions:
1. In a bowl, zest the skin of the lemons and the orange reserving them for later. In the same bowl add the salt and the Chinese five spice. Using a spoon, press and smoosh everything together until it becomes almost a paste of sorts. Set aside.

2. Pat the goose dry using paper towels. Score the goose beginning at the bottom of breast and across, over the back bone, to the other side, all the way until just before the opening at the end. Repeat this step on the opposite side. Be sure to score with enough pressure to just puncture the skin being careful not to expose any of the red flesh underneath. When finished, you should have a diamond designed pattern across the top of the goose. Alternatively, if you prefer something easier, simply pierce the goose skin all over the top with a fork, with enough pressure to just puncture the skin and again being careful not to expose any of the red flesh.

3. Throughly rub the goose all over with the zest and spice, being sure to get every crevice. The goose can marinate with the spices up to overnight. When ready to place in oven, quarter the lemons and orange and stuff inside the cavity of the goose.

4. Preheat oven to 465 degrees F. The goose will release a lot of fat in the cooking process and I recommend using a roasting pan with a rack. When ready, place goose in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 370 degrees F and cook for 70 minutes.

5. Remove goose from oven and very carefully drain the excess fat into a heat proof dish. Reserve for later recipes. Generously drizzle the honey over the goose. Using a knife, slice between the legs and the breasts (to ensure a more even cooking of the different meats for the last few minutes).

6. Place goose back in oven and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes. For me, this turned out to be medium rare/medium.

7. Remove goose from oven, cover with foil, and cook for 15-20 minutes. Carve goose similarly to what you would carve other poultry.

Date Goose Sauce

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
alternatively: 2 1/2 cups boiling water with 2 1/2 teaspoons Better than Bullion Chicken
1 cup red wine (something you like or would drink, not sweet)
3 tablespoons port wine
3 tablespoons balsamic
1/2 pound of Dates, chopped
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:
1. Combine chicken stock, wines, and balsamic in a saucepan. Over high heat, boil down by 2/3 which will leave you with 1 cup. Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water and then pour boiling water over the dates and let them soak for 5 minutes, drain. Add the dates to the reduced wine. Simmer slowly for 3-5 minutes, the sauce will thicken. Off heat, add two tablespoons of butter and swirl.

Roasted Green Beans in Goose Fat

Ingredients:
3 pounds whole fresh green beans, stems trimmed
1/2 of a lemon
salt, pepper
reserved goose fat

Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Carefully add in the green beans. Gently boil the green beans for 8 - 10 minutes, enough that they are soft but still have a slight crunch. When ready, strain and run cold water over them. Set aside until ready to move on to step 2.

2. On a sheet pan, spread out the green beans. Toss with a tablespoon or two of the goose fat. Squeeze the lemon over the green beans, and season the green beans with the salt and pepper to taste. Toss a final time.

3. Cook the green beans in a 370 degree F oven for 15 minutes, just enough to heat them through and bake them slightly.

Cornbread Chestnut and Cranberry Dressing

Ingredients for Cornbread
1 cup flour
1 cup corn meal
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup melter butter
1 large egg
1 cup milk
5 sage leaves, minced

Instructions for Cornbread
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9 in. round cake pan or cast iron skillet.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add to it the wet ingredients. Mix until the ingredients are just combined - it will still have some lumps. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish.

3. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean.

Ingredients for Dressing
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium yellow onion
3 celery stalks
1 clove of garlic
1 piece of thick cut bacon, cut into lardons (small strips)
Goose, or other poultry, giblets (optional), chopped
(1) 7oz bag chestnuts, chopped (something like this)
alternatively if you have fresh chestnuts, you can roast them yourself and use those
1/4 cup fresh sage, minced
1 teaspoon dry sage
6 oz. cranberries
1 cup chicken stock
1 9-inch pan of cornbread, cubed
Salt and Pepper

Instructions for Dressing
1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 in. baking dish or cast iron skillet large enough to hold all of the cornbread.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium low heat. When melted, add the onion, celery and garlic and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Add the bacon and giblets and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add the chestnuts, cranberries and sage, and cook another 3-5 minutes until warmed. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

3. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and combine with the chicken broth, add the additional dry sage. Gently fold in the cornbread cubes until everything is coated and combined. The mixture will be slightly moist and crumbly, with both small and big chunks.

4. Put the dressing mixture into the baking dish and dot with the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the edges are slightly crispy.

“Whatever Fish is Available” Meunière

When you think about Kansas, you might be overcome with images of vast beach front, torquis blue water, palm trees, coconuts and daily caught fresh sea food, am I right? Of course not, this is KANSAS. There are no oceans, it’s literally the most landlocked state in the country. Seafood is a delicacy here, and if you want fresh seafood it’s an expensive one. We have all the usual popular varieties of fish such as salmon and trout, but beyond that it’s hard to come by good seafood unless you want to pay a hefty amount for it. Under some circumstances it’s justifiable, but for a typical Tuesday night dinner it’s not entirely worth the cost. That’s why this is called “Whatever Fish is Available” Meunière and not Sole Meunière - it’s just not available for consumption here. That being said, a good fish meunière can be made with whatever you have available, in the end it’s really all about the butter anyway.

“Whatever Fish is Available” Meunière (serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 filets of flakey white fish (barramundi, trout, flounder, sole, whitefish, tilapia)
1/4 cup flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola, vegetable)
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
lemon wedges

Instructions:

1. Season the fish, about 1/4 teaspoon of salt for both filets front and back and pepper to taste. Dredge fish in the flour and shake off any excess.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and oil over medium high heat in a frying pan. When the butter foam has subsided, place the filets in the hot butter. Depending on the thickness and type of fish, cook anywhere from 2 minutes to 4 minutes per side. The fish should flake when pierced with a fork. When finished, remove to a plate.

3. Add remaining butter to the pan and heat until foamy and sizzling. Meanwhile, sprinkle the parsley on the fish filets. When the butter foam has begun to subside, pour over the fish. The parsley should sizzle as the butter hits it. Serve with lemon wedges.

Everyone’s Favorite Chicken Piccata

My oldest sister will probably hate me for saying this, but it’s only because it’s true! She’s one of those really picky eaters who hates everything. A perfectly cooked risotto? It’s too “oniony” she’ll say. A beautifully prepared Coq au Vin, a true masterpiece of French cooking? It was “okay”, she’ll retort. Any amount of pepper on food? Forget about it. Fish of any kind? She’d rather starve. There’s no pleasing her when it comes to food. The irony of it all is that when we were kids she loved saying “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit!”, even though the only one ever throwing a fit about food was her. Decades later and not much has changed.

But there is one dish that even she cannot deny is perfectly delicious and that is Chicken Piccata. It’s hard not to love a breaded chicken breast doused in a buttery lemon sauce - in fact, that’s my theory of why she likes it, it’s almost a chicken strip. Of course, she hates capers (I know, I know…) so she picks those out, but aside from that I think she’d agree that Chicken Picaata is everyone’s favorite.

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Chicken Piccata (serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, butterflied (split)
1 cup flour
1 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon water
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 large lemons), juiced and rinds reserved
1/2 cup dry white vermouth, or dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 to 2 tablespoons of capers, rinsed
Coarsely chopped parsley for serving

For the sauce thickener
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon corn starch

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Butterfly the chicken breasts by placing your hand on top of it to apply pressure and using a sharp knife cut through the breast, keeping as center a line as possible as you cut through. Place the breasts between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out (use a rolling pin or a skillet) until the breasts are about 1/4 in thick. Season with a few grinds of salt and pepper, set aside.

2. Mix the flour with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper on a plate. On another plate, beat the eggs with the water. On a third plate, measure out the Italian bread crumbs. Beginning with the flour, coat each chicken breast and shake off any excess. Dip in the egg mixture, and then dip in the Italian bread crumbs. Set aside on a plate, and repeat the process for each chicken breast.

3. In a large skillet big enough to hold at least two of the breasts, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the olive oil is hot and shimmering but not smoking, sear the chicken breast on each side for 4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a sheet pan or other type of baking dish. You might need to work in batches, doing two at a time. If the pan seems dry, add extra olive oil. When all the chicken breasts have had their turn cooking in the pan, bake in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

4. While the chicken is in the oven, make the sauce. Wipe out the pan (no need to rinse it). Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in the same pan over medium heat. When the foam from the butter begins to subside, add the shallot and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, vermouth or wine, chicken stock, and the lemon rinds. Boil down for about 4 - 5 minutes or long enough to boil off the alcohol. Remove from the heat and add the capers and stir in the sauce thickener. Place back on the stove and bring to a simmer, the sauce should immediately begin to thicken, about a minute or two. Remove again from heat and swirl in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.

5. Plate the chicken once it’s finished in the oven. Pour sauce of each breast and sprinkle on some of the chopped parsley. Garnish with extra lemon slices. This dish is served best with roasted or mashed potatoes, and a salad with vinaigrette dressing.

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter
White Pepper

Instructions:

1. Peel and cut potatoes into chunks. Put potatoes in a pot and add enough cold water to cover potatoes by an inch. Add salt (this may seem like a lot but trust me on this). Bring to the boil and cook for approximately 25 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Reserve 1 cup of the potato water and drain the rest. Add 1/2 cup of the water back into the potatoes along with the stick of butter. Using a potato masher, fork, or electric mixer, smash and stir potatoes adding more water as needed for desired consistency. I prefer to leave mine smooth but with small potato chunks.

Chicken with Apple Juice and Wine Sauce

Can I just say that I love wine. I really do. The smooth, bitter taste, the slight burn on your tongue on the first sip, the mingling of grapes and alcohol conspiring a potent aroma. I love wine from France, from Italy, from Argentina.. Dark, bold red wine on chilly Autumn and Winter nights; light, white wine in the spring and summer. Best of all, it tastes great not only with food but in food as well. Some of the most famous dishes ever concocted by man are bathed in the stuff. This is good news for me, because I recently gave up that “stuff” - that being wine (and all other alcohol). At least for now, while I reassess my love for wine because it may have crossed from an innocent crush to full on infatuation. Alas, I still enjoy it as a base for the sauces in my food. This brings me to this dish - chicken with apple juice and wine sauce. Is this dish an ode to wine, you ask? It just might be. It’s sweet, it’s delicious, it’s bold. It has onions and mushrooms, and just checkout that color. Beautiful.

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Chicken with wine and apple juice sauce, mushrooms, and onions (serves 2 - 4)

Ingredients:

For the chicken:
2 - 2.5 pounds chicken thighs, skin on
3 tablespoons flour (or more to lightly coat the chicken)
Kosher Salt
Cracked Pepper
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
3 yellow onions
1 large shallot (or two small shallots)
1 cup good quality apple juice (100% apple juice, no added sugar)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh sage
1 large apple, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup red wine (anything you would drink, I prefer using a decent quality pinot noir)
2 Tablespoons parsley, coarsely chopped (optional)

For the mushrooms:
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (something like Baby Bella mushrooms are fine)
2 tablespoons butter
Kosher Salt
Cracked Pepper

For the sauce thickener:
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions:

If you’re able to, let the chicken rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour to it bring closer to room temperature. This will ensure the juiciest chicken possible. If not, straight from the fridge will of course be just fine.

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Season the chicken with a couple grinds of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour to cover all sides, shake off any excess. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. When the butter foam has subsided, add the chicken thighs skin side down. Sear until nicely golden browned on the skin side, and remove to a plate. You may have to work in batches depending on the size of your skillet or Dutch Oven (don’t overcrowd the pan, that will cause your chicken to steam instead of sear).

2. Remove any burnt butter/oil, leaving the browned bits behind and turn stove down to medium. Return to heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the onions and shallots, scraping up any of the leftover chicken bits. Cook until soft and saucy, 8 minutes. Add a 1/2 cup of the apple juice and the apple cider vinegar, cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the bunch of thyme, the sprig of sage, and the garlic, and apple chunks. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up, along with any juices that have accumulated. Add the remaining juice and the red wine. Bring back to the simmer then immediately place uncovered in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms including the stems if you’d like. Heat the butter on the stove in a skillet and add the sliced mushrooms once the butter foam has subsided. Cook for around 5 - 7 minutes. Shake the pan to toss the mushrooms around as they cook, or use a spatula to stir them about. Once they have released their fat back into the pan and are soft and dark brown, lightly salt and pepper the mushrooms. Set aside.

4.To give the sauce an extra thickening, prepare a “roux” made from butter and cornstarch. Take one tablespoons of softened butter and one tablespoon of cornstarch and mix in a bowl with a fork until combined. Set aside.

5. When the chicken has finished, remove from the oven and place the pan back on the stove. Remove the chicken to either a serving platter or a plate. Discard the thyme stems and the spring of sage. Bring the sauce to the simmer and add the roux, stirring until the roux is incorporated and the sauce thickens. Stir in the mushrooms and any of its juices. Either return the chicken to the pan and serve it from there, or pour the sauce over the chicken and serve on a platter. Sprinkle the parsley on top.

6. Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes.