Tarragon Chicken Trieste

Another generation...
My niece (Rich's sister's daughter), Holly Marie Woodburn, soon to be Bair, is getting married. I have been invited to a shower where I was picked to bring a gift for the kitchen. I couldn't think of anything more appropriate than a recipe from her roots. This chicken dish is Holly's mother's favorite home-cooked meal. Passed from Holly's great-grandmother to grandmother over 40 years ago. I had the pleasure of watching and learning how to prepare this dish while with the whole family last year. Too good not to share and it's all about family with me. -2013

Update 2016: This should have been posted quite a while ago. Holly is now married and has a beautiful boy Noah Michael Bair that I get to meet in July. That makes 5 generations to enjoy this chicken favorite. Amazing.

Tarragon Chicken Trieste
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup butter
6 large chicken breasts
2 teaspoons Beau Monde Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1 cup dry white dinner wine
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Slice mushrooms; saute in 2T butter until golden. Remove mushrooms and reserve. Add remaining butter to pan; brown chicken well. Sprinkle with Beau Monde during browning. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with tarragon and pour wine over chicken. Cover and simmer 45 minutes until tender. Spoon sour cream into pan juices. Sprinkle with green onions just before serving. August 1971 - Mother

Chicken Thighs

Photo from @Witty in the City Blog

These chicken thighs that I completely robbed from Witty in the City on Pinterest really are ALL THAT. This will be in heavy rotation at the Playford home from here on out. I'm looking to cut cost any way I can and one is grocery shopping...chicken thighs are WAY cheaper than the breast...and honestly taste better. So I bought the thighs then searched for a dish. The same recipe kept popping up and the reviews were pretty convincing so I thought I would give it a shot....winner, winner, chicken dinner...in 35 minutes!

Dijon/Maple Chicken Thighs

1 pkg boneless chicken thighs (1-1/2 - 2 lbs)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
rosemary

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Put chicken in foil lined baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Mix syrup, mustard and vinegar in a bowl and pour over chicken coating generously. Bake for 30 minutes and baste 1/2 way through cooking. Turn on the broiler for 3-5 minutes to get the tops of the chicken brown. Serve with chopped rosemary and devour.

Thank you Pinterest...my new best friend.

Penny's Chicken Chili

This is one you have to try. It's just good...and perfect for the fall weather we are having. My sister-in-law Penny served this one weekend and I couldn't stop thinking about how good it was so I had to steal her recipe! Thanks Penny...even Rich eats it!

Penny's Chicken Chili

Penny's Chicken Chili

2 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can kidney beans
1 can white northern beans
1 can black eyed peas
8 oz Velveeta
Spices to taste: cumin, red pepper flakes, chipotle chile pepper, salt and pepper

I use a big skillet/pot to make this, so choose a good one dish pot to start. Cook chicken breasts in oil until cooked through. I like to get the chicken really brown to add extra flavor. Remove chicken and add onions and garlic to saute. Scrape the brown bits from the skillet. Just before the garlic starts to burn, add a cup of water and boil to make sure the onions cook through. (THE RICH NOTE: Since Rich doesn't eat onions...ever...until now...I make sure that onions are completely cooked and I use my emulsifier to liquify them). Dump three cans of beans in now onion broth, chunk chicken, add spices and simmer on low. Once you think it's done and ready to serve, stir in velveeta until completely melted. It's ready and delicious.

I've used all kinds of beans, so pick what you like. Any combo will work. I've used Hot Chili beans, Ranch Style Beans, Kidney, Northern, Black and Black eyed peas. It's the velveeta and chipotle seasoning that make this amazing to me.

Celene's Skinny Chicken Q

Three Ingredient Heaven

Chicken, onions and barbecue sauce...THAT'S IT!

 

Chicken before it hits the oven.

It was a normal day in cube land...where the topics are either food or tools...and in that priority. My cubemate Celene and I work at a tool company but dream of our next meal and wonder why we don't have jobs involving food! Celene has given me so many recipes...all delicious, but this one...WOW!
I was looking for something easy to make when I get home from work so that I can play with Webb (and not be preoccupied with dinner). As usual, Celene blurts out an amazing recipe... "Uh, how about barbecue chicken?" It's chicken, onions and barbecue sauce. That's it!

So here's to Celene! Thanks for the quick tip, it's in heavy rotation at the Playford home. Had it last night and it was wonderful...so good I forgot to take photos of the after.

 

 

 

Celene Clark, My Cubemate.

Celene's Skinny Chicken Q

Chicken Breasts
1 onion, sliced
Barbecue sauce, your favorite

Place chicken breasts in a covered dish, layer onions on top, pour barbecue sauce, cover. Bake at 325º until bubbly...usually 1 1/2 hours, can leave in for 2. Remove from oven, take two forks and shred away. It is so incredibly moist, tender and just damn good! Celene serves it on a bun with slaw, I just pile it on my plate and grab a fork...either way, it's a winner. Mmmm.

Daniel Brown's Hot Wings

Daniel's Wings, Memphis in May 2011.

It's football season...one of the best served foods for game time is hot wings...Daniel's Hot Wings. 
I cover the table with butcher paper, throw a platter of D's wings and a roll of paper towels in the middle then back up. These wings are gone in minutes. Crispy chicken wrapped in a bold, spicy-sweet sauce that leaves just a hint of heat on your lips when you're done. Mmmm.

The Memphis in May Barbecue Contest isn't all about barbecue...there is an Ancillary Food Contest with a category of Hot Wings...and Daniel's team Slab Yo' Mama took 2nd Place in 2003 for their incredible wings. So, I'm not the only one who thinks D's wings are the bomb. I've been eating them for years now and finally got him to give me the recipe.  I was lucky enough to watch him make the sauce at the Playford Memorial Day Party ’07.

Thanks for the recipe Daniel...and good luck in May 2012, I'll be there to taste test myself.

Daniel Brown's Hot Wings
2 12-packs of chicken wings
The Sauce
1 stick butter
1 cup Frank's RedHot sauce
1/2 cup wooster (worcestershire)
1/2 tablespoon cayenne
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Brer Rabbit molasses
Tony’s Cachere or Emeril’s Essence

Massage the wings with oil and Tony’s or Emeril’s Essence. Fry or grill chicken wings until crisp. Heat all ingredients in a sauce pan. Toss all and serve immediately.

Frying Wings

Naked Wings

Note from Daniel: If the sauce is too hot, either add more butter or more sweet (a little Aunt Jamima will work too).

Slab Yo' Mama: Donny Kwon, Courtney Leavitt and Daniel Brown

FRIED CHICKEN!

Fried Chicken

I can't believe it! I MADE FRIED CHICKEN! Of all food this is the one I was most afraid of making. Growing up my mother tried to fry chicken...tried being the key word. I do remember once that we (Daddy, Webster and I) were very excited and impressed when we sat down at the table and beautifully fried chicken sat before us...the perfect golden brown. YES, she did it! After much excitement and congratulations we dug in...to raw chicken! And this is why I have such a fear of this Southern fried treat. If my mother couldn't do it...how on earth could I? Every Southerner has their own version...ours was Church's...and it was GOOD!

Rich asked if I would make him fried chicken...total panic came over me and he knew it...weakness! NOTE: Never, ever let 'em see you sweat! At that point Rich made a comment that I took as: You can't fry chicken? You're from Mississippi and you have a blog about food and you can't fry chicken? (I'm sure Rich didn't say this, but it sure is how I was hearing it.) So...challenge accepted! I spent a whole week researching.

There was only one logical place to start...Di's Fried Chicken. Diana is a damn-good cook, especially when you want something Southern. I called to get her recipe as a base. "Now you know I don't have it written down." The recipe goes like this...

Diana Dubard Cooper's Recipe
It's a three drink meal. You put the eye on 8 and get the oil hot. Coat chicken with seasoned flour (salt and pepper) and put in the oil. Cover and go have a bourbon and water on the porch and leave the chicken about 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over when you make your second drink. Go sit back on the porch. Take off top and turn down to 6 or 7. Fix another drink. When just about through with bourbon, check on chicken and turn over. Should be done at end of 3rd drink...takes about 40 minutes.

See why I went to Di FIRST! All of her recipes are in off-the-wall measurements...there's one that says...take receiver off hook (meaning you don't have time to talk on the phone during this process!) Anyway...

I went to the K-Roger next to my house and bought chicken parts...skin on, bone-in. I then scoured the internet and read about brining or soaking chicken in buttermilk. This method would ensure tender chicken...I chose to soak over night in buttermilk, Louisiana Hot Sauce, salt and pepper. Who doesn't want juicy, tender chicken...right? Plus, putting the fry off for a day to build my confidence was okay too. Next step...breading... seasoned flour or flour and cornmeal or crackers and panko.That would have to be decided at the time of the fry!

Timing and temperature were my biggest concern. I have learned that the art of frying chicken boils down to two things. TIMING and TEMPERATURE. Most "modern" recipes say it takes 30 minutes to fry chicken, but EVERY person I talked to that has actually fried chicken says it takes 40 minutes. DELIMMA. Armed with all I had learned...it was time to get in the kitchen.

I Southerned up. I threw my hair in pigtails. I had a little Taj Mahal playing on the iPod and got to work...lots of decisions to be made. And since my fear had grown even more after reading all the different ways you can prepare this dish I had to have Rich by my side for support. He happily agreed and was standing by with a (now I know) NON functioning fire extinguisher. We did go over the rules of grease fire beforehand...DO NOT throw water on the fire, smother it. With that....a quart of peanut oil went into my 13" cast iron skillet...I turned the eye on 8 to see where that would take us.

While oil was getting hot I finally decided on the breading. No panko, no crackers and no cornmeal in the pantry...looks like we stick with flour....I'm feeling better at this point. This is how I cook. I can't follow a recipe to save my life. I read as much as I can read about a particular dish, then I "wing it" once it's time to start cooking I have to rely on the inner cook.

Flour, salt, pepper, cayanne, garlic powder and poultry seasoning are dumped into a grocery bag...the old school kind...brown paper! Then I made an egg bath...3 eggs, hot sauce, buttermilk, salt and pepper. I dipped each piece of chicken in the egg mixture and tossed in the grocery bag...Rich took over and did the shake, shake, shake dance to evenly coat.

Oil was at 375º...ready! Chicken went in for 10 minutes. Temp went down, but back up to 375º. Turned the chicken and cooked for another 10 minutes. Side two looked a bit burned and I got concerned...Rich gave me an internal temperature read of 159º at 23 minutes into frying! I wanted to take the chicken out at 160º. This was NOT what I had hoped.

We pulled the chicken for fear of over cooking. Taste...INCREDIBLE! Crispy outside with a hint of heat and perfectly salted. Meat was tender and juicy..thank you buttermilk! Outside tasted great but was a little too dark. I hope to fry again soon to try and correct my mistakes. Temperature was too high. I'd like to drop the temperature to 350º and cook for 35 to 40 minutes.

I'm calling this a success, now that my fear is gone about frying chicken I can tweak and perfect. I will repost once I have a true recipe...and hopefully that will be the base of a fried chicken nights to come.

Ham and Cheese with Chicken

The Question If there is anything in the world that you want me to cook, what would it be?  The Answer Chicken Cordon Bleu. And the obvious follow up question. Why? "Skeet's Mama made it one night, I was afraid I wouldn't like it...it sounds like a fancy meal. You know, it's really a ham and cheese sandwich but you use chicken instead of bread."

My husband has a knack for putting things into a harsh reality. He's right...it's just a ham and cheese sandwich with chicken instead of bread. I can no longer call this dish by it's French name. Chicken Cordon Bleu in my house is now the plain old American translation: Blue Ribbon Chicken. Taste great either way though.

Blue Ribbon Chicken with Wild Rice.

Blue Ribbon Chicken

4 chicken breast, butterflied and pounded
8 slices of proscuitto or ham
8 slices of Swiss cheese
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup herb bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon butter

Prep and Roll
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Take the chicken breast and butterfly it so that your chicken is longer and thinner. Lay the chicken between 2 pieces of wax paper. Using the flat side of a meat mallet (or a wine bottle will do just don't whack it too hard), gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Season with salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Lay 2 slices of prosciutto or ham on each breast then 2 slices of swiss cheese; leaving a 1/2-inch on all sides to help seal the roll. Using plastic wrap, tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll. Squeeze the log gently to seal. Put immediately in the freezer. (If creating these rolls for dinner the next night, put in ice box over night. The goal is to get the chicken in it's shape so that it doesn't fall apart or come unrolled during cooking.)

Dredge and Dunk  
Bowl 1: season flour with salt and pepper.  
Bowl 2: Beat 2 eggs, with salt and pepper.  
Bowl 3: Mix together breadcrumbs, panko, thyme leaves, salt, pepper and melted butter.  The butter will help the outside turn brown. Take chicken out of icebox and dredge in flour, then dunk in the egg mixture and coat in the bread crumb mixture.

Cook and Serve
In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken seam side down. Sear each side for 45 seconds, this step is for creating a golden crust only. Transfer to a baking sheet and stick in oven for 25 minutes. Test one roll to make sure it is cooked through. Cut into pinwheels before serving.

NOTE: Several times I have made this and after I slice it, the inside is not completely cooked! Don't Panic Instead of putting it back in the oven making the outside dry, go ahead and cut into pinwheels then give each piece a quick sear on both sides in a hot pan.

Six Cloves of Garlic Never Tasted so Subtle

Pasta, Chicken and Garlic.

Tired from 4 days at the beach and a lot of seafood, I've decided to get back to our routine
and do a little feel good, stay-at-home cooking.
It's raining out and there's nothing  better than making my house smell good with food...easiest way...garlic!

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Garlic Chicken and Pasta

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2 chicken breasts
6 cloves garlic
olive oil
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 cup water
2 cups Campanelle pasta
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Season and Sear In a a small bowl, marinate oil with 2 cloves grated garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, tablespoons lemon juice and parsley. Set aside. Cut the chicken breasts into 6 to 8 pieces, I try to make them the same thickness so that they will cook evenly. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and sear chicken on one side for 3 to 4 minutes. I'm amazed at how this works, but if you REALLY leave the chicken ALONE for 3 to 4 minutes and not move it, it will get an amazing brown, true sear on the chicken. Flip chicken and sear the other side for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat to a plate then cover with another plate (my version of tenting) and set skillet aside to cool for a minute or so.

Concentrate and Cook I'm not saying you have to pay extra attention now, I'm just expressing the fact that this is where a lot of the flavor comes into this dish. Once pan has cooled a bit add 3 tablespoons of oil and heat on medium-high heat, 5 cloves garlic and pepper flakes for about 3 minutes until garlic turns a tan color. Add wine and scrape up the brown parts left by cooked chicken with a wooden spoon and reduce liquid until almost gone. This is where the concentration part happens...make sure you cook the garlic and pepper flakes in the wine until the liquid is almost gone, the flavor in the end is amazing because of this step. Add water, chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pasta. Pasta should simmer for about 15 minutes until liquid reduces and gets thick. 

Flavor and Flaunt Place chicken in pasta mixture and warm, about 1 to 2 minutes. Take off heat and add olive oil mixture marinating from step one. Flaunt your flavorful dish with a garnish of chopped parsley. 

The texture and flavor of the sauce will impress your taste buds. It actually looks like something from a restaurant. Six cloves of garlic never tasted so subtle.  

Recipe Ups and Downs

Okay, I have to admit, I have made this meal 4 times and finally I can write about it. The original recipe is from ATK Cooking for Two 2010 Skillet Shrimp Scampi with Campanelle Pasta. I made the ATK recipe to a tee the first round and it was delicious. I don't always have shrimp but I do have chicken, so round 2 I used chicken but realized I didn't cook the chicken at the right temperature or the pasta long enough...it was the right done-ness, but the sauce wasn't the correct thickness. Round three, also with chicken, I used WAY too many red pepper flakes and the whole dish ended up burning my mouth. The 4th round was a true success. I altered the original recipe by adding more wine, more chicken stock, less water and eliminating extra ingredient bowls. (there are only two bowls that are needed for the current recipe. Small bowl for marinating garlic in olive oil and a skillet for the pasta.) VERY little to clean up in the kitchen afterward.

Variations Since this is a one skillet dish, I was thinking about adding a 1/2 cup green peas at the end and possible a nut...maybe walnut? Just a thought.

Jump in the Mouth

Chicken Saltimbocca. I still haven't figured out how to pronounce this.. Salt em boo ka? Salt en bo ka? However, I do know what it means..."jump in the mouth" (it's Italian...and the only phrase I know besides Ciao!). Jump in the Mouth is the perfect description for this dish...truly amazing and easy to make with the right ingredients. Traditionally Saltimbocca is made with veal, this version is chicken.
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My Version of America's Test Kitchen Chicken Saltimbocca
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From the pages of Cooking for Two 2010

1/4 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour

4 (3-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, 1/4 to 1/2" thick (cut a chicken breast in half and pound it flat or do like I did and buy chicken tenders and pound, much easier to manage)

Pepper

2 teaspoons minced fresh sage, plus 4 Large whole leaves 

4 thin slices prosciutto (about 3 ounces)

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra as needed

1 small shallot, minced

1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup dry vermouth or white wine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt

Dredge and Assemble. Spread 1/4 cup of the flour in a shallow dish. pat the cutlets dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Dredge cutlets in the flour, shaking off the excess. Sprinkle the minced sage evenly over the top of the cutlets, top with a piece of the prosciutto, and press lightly on the prosciutto to help it adhere.

Prepare the Garnish. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the whole sage leaves and cook until the leaves begin to change color and are fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Remove leaves and rest on a paper towel.

Cook the Chicken. Carefully lay the chicken cutlets in skillet, prosciutto-side down, and cook until lightly browned on th first side, about 2 minutes. Flip the cutlets and continue to cook about 1 minutes longer. Transfer cutlets to a plate and tent with foil until ready to serve.

Make the Sauce. Pour off any excess oil, leaving just a table spoon, or add more to equal a tablespoon if necessary. Add teh shallot and cook over medium high heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of flour. Whisk in the broth and vermouth, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce is  slightly thickened and has reduced to 1/3 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.

Heat to Serve. Return the chicken to the skillet, prosciutto side up, alon with any accumulated juice and simmer until heated through, about 30 seconds. Plate chicken.

Finish the Sauce. Off the heat, whisk the butter, parsley and lemon juice into the sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the cutlets, garnish with whole sage leaves and serve.

Ginger Chicken with Garlic Wild Rice

Ginger-Soy Chicken with Garlic Wild Rich

I had Chinese take out the other night and it got me thinking...why can't I do this at home? I know, the point of take out is so you don't have to cook, but I'm strange in the way that I truly enjoy cooking.

I mistakenly bought chicken tenders (in bulk) instead of chicken breasts and wasn't sure what I was going to do with my mis-chosen meat. I also had a piece of ginger that was soon to be a shriveled root. I needed to use both, so here's what I did.

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Ginger Chicken with Garlic Wild Rice
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1 Package of Chicken Tenders (equal to two chicken breasts)
Soy Sauce
2 Clove Garlic
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon

1 Teaspoon Ginger Root, grated
Red Pepper Flakes
1 4oz. Package Wild Rice
3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter2 Cups Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup White Wine
8 Asparagus Spears, cut in 4 pieces

Marinate chicken tenders and asparagus in a zip lock bag with soy sauce, 1 grated garlic clove, lemon juice, grated ginger and red pepper flakes (up to you on how hot you like it).

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter with remaining grated garlic clove. Once the garlic starts to sizzle add rice and stir for a minute or two. Add chicken stock and wine, bring to a boil. Cut heat to a simmer for 1 hour or until there is no more liquid (check after 40 minutes to be sure, every stove is different when simmering).

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in skillet. Once hot, add chicken and asparagus mixture. Cook on medium-high for 4 minutes (let the chicken stay in place so that you get good brown marks). Turn chicken, roll asparagus and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Plate food and add a few dashes of soy sauce on top of all. It's not exactly take out, but it doesn't taste all that bad either.

The Onion Addition: If you continue to read my blog, you will learn that my husband LOATHES onions, therefore, I am unable to cook with onions. IF you do not have an onion allergy or aversion, add onions, I'm sure it would be a great addition.

Possible Variation: Besides adding onions, I'd also like to try adding carrots, celery and peanuts in the marinated items.