Chocolate-Mint Thumbprints December 15, 2009
Posted by elly in blogging events, sweets/desserts.7 comments
Alright, I’ll be honest. I am pretty lazy, especially when it comes to baking. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that even as a person who doesn’t bake a whole lot, I still do more from-scratch baking than the “average” person (whoever that may be), but I’m not one for several steps or for spending time decorating things. I appreciate (and am jealous of) beautifully decorated desserts that take a long time and a lot of skill to put together – but I’m probably not going to be the one spending the time (and I certainly lack the skill) to make them. The point of this rant is to tell you that, originally, when I wanted to make a chocolate-peppermint cookie, I was eyeing these from Martha Stewart. Gorgeous, right? But as I was putting into perspective all my other holiday baking and the fact that dipping things into chocolate (at least, uniformly) is not really my strong suit, I started straying from the recipe, pretty and festive as they may be.
I mentioned this to a friend, who told me she had made these chocolate-mint cookies last year and they were good. I’ve actually never made a thumbprint cookie before, so I thought it would be fun to try one out, and I liked the idea of some mint chocolate in the batter, too. Combined with the semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder, the mint flavor isn’t particularly prominent (it was, of course, moreso in the filling), but it was a nice added flavor. If you want an even mintier cookie, you’ll want to substitute a little more of the bittersweet chocolate for mint chocolate (or maybe add a bit of peppermint extract to the batter). I actually thought the cookies tasted better (and had a little more mint flavor) the next day and day after that. These are a great change of pace from your typical chocolate cookie (and if I’m being honest, chocolate cookies are not my favorite, anyway). These are not a very sweet cookie, which is nice if you want to highlight the bittersweet chocolate (and get a sweeter punch from the white chocolate-mint filling, which makes these both minty and festive). If you want to make them even more festive, you could always roll them in colored sugar instead of your standard turbinado.
The dough for these came together quickly. I actually doubled the recipe and froze a batch so I could bake more of these freshly next weekend. Rolling the balls can get a bit messy but it’s certainly not difficult. I did use my thumb (and index finger) for the first print, but for the second I used a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon I had, which worked out much better and I wish I would have used that originally for more uniform (and slightly deeper) thumbprints. The amount of filling is perfect, which surprised me (I feel like every time I make a recipe with a filling or a frosting, I have too much or too little).
I’m submitting these chocolate-mint thumbprint cookies to one of my favorite bloggers, Susan, who is hosting Eat Christmas Cookies Season 3! Be sure to check out the always-growing round up and participate by posting your own cookies!
Chocolate Mint Thumbprints
Makes about 45 cookies
From: Food & Wine
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. mint chocolate, chopped (I used Andes mints)
1.5 cups AP flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa
scant 3/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar (I used light since that’s what I had)
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup coarse sugar, such as turbinado, for rolling
3 oz. white chocolate, chopped
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. pure peppermint extract
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the bittersweet and mint chocolates in 30-second intervals until nearly melted. Whisk until smooth, then let cool.In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Add the chocolate into the mixer and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed, until combined (I usually do the last part of the mixing with a spatula since I am the queen of overmixing). Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and pat it into a 7-inch disk. Wrap and refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350° and position racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, and spread the coarse sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop tablespoons of the dough and roll them into balls, then roll in the coarse sugar and transfer to the baking sheets. Using your thumb or a melon baller (or a measuring spoon, if it’s the right shape), make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until slightly firm. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven. Using the melon baller/measuring spoon, press into the cookies again. Return the cookies to the oven, shifting the cookie sheets, and bake for 5 minutes longer, just until dry but not hard. Transfer the cookie sheets to racks to cool completely.
Put the white chocolate in a heatproof cup. Put the cream into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at high power until boiling, about 30 seconds. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and let stand until melted, then whisk until smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract. Fill the thumbprints with the white-chocolate ganache and refrigerate just until set, about 30 minutes.
Easy Pear Turnovers December 13, 2009
Posted by elly in breakfast/brunch, sweets/desserts.7 comments
We actually didn’t have many leftovers from Thanksgiving, which is why you didn’t see too many turkey soup and mashed potato cake recipes on here. One thing I did have leftover, though, was a sheet of puff pastry from making cheater spanakopitas, and an extra pear that ended up not being used in the salad. Both were calling my name. In unison. So, despite still being in sugar overload the day after Thanksgiving, I went ahead and whipped these turnovers up because the pastry needed to be used and Tom was going out of town that next morning. I did not need to be left alone with a sheet of puff pastry.
These are so simple and turned out delicious. I absolutely love fruit pastries with flaky crusts, and who doesn’t love cinnamon? I realized as I was making these that I had run out of vanilla extract, so I used a little almond instead, but I really loved the way it complemented the pear and would probably do the same next time. These are great for a more indulgent breakfast or for dessert with a scoop of ice cream.
Easy Pear Turnovers
Makes 4
Printer Friendly Recipe
1 bartlett pear, peeled and cored
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/16 tsp. nutmeg
1/16 tsp. cloves
1/4 cup raisins
splash of almond extract (or vanilla)
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
turbinado sugar
Preheat the oven to 400.
Cut the pear into small/relatively thin pieces or slices, and toss together with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, raisins and extract.
Roll out the puff pastry so it’s just a tad larger and forms a square. Cut it into four squares.
Spoon 1/4 of the pear mixture into each square. Fold each square corner-to-corner so it forms a triangle and with wet fingertips, pinch the dough together to seal (you can also press down with a fork). Place on a baking sheet.
Lightly beat the egg, and brush the tops of each triangle with it. Sprinkle each turnover with turbinado/coarse sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25, until golden.
Herb-Breaded Tilapia December 9, 2009
Posted by elly in healthy, shrimp/seafood.4 comments
Well, let’s see. It’s been over a year and a half since my last (and, um, only) fish post, so I guess it’s about time for a new one. And, like the last one, this is definitely a recipe for people who, like me, are not particularly crazy about fish, but like to switch up their dinners every once in a while, or just get more healthy protein in their diet. It’s not that I hate fish—not at all. It’s just that, give me an option between a fish dish and non-fish dish, I will probably choose the non-fish one any day of the week. Particularly if the non-fish dish has bacon. Or lamb.
That said, this recipe is so easy, versatile, and tasty, that I would even choose to eat it over something else. The key, of course, is breading the fish and then pan-frying it, so you get all the crispiness your little heart desires but without a ton of fat you’d encounter by frying it. This is one of those (few) times I use a nonstick skillet because you can get away with using less oil, and the fish slides right out perfectly golden. Of course, if you prefer to bake it, by all means bake it. It won’t get quite as golden and crispy but will still taste delicious. The herbs in this provide a great flavor, but the best part is the fresh lemon you squeeze over the top when you serve it. I don’t consider myself a fish connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination but I’m pretty sure that any fish benefits from a healthy dose of fresh lemon juice.
Tom, of course, lover of all things that dwell in water, was a big fan of this and was very happy to actually be eating fish at home for once, rather than out at a restaurant.
Herb-Breaded Tilapia
Serves 2
Printer Friendly Recipe
2 tilapia fillets
2 Tbsp. flour
1 egg
1 lemon, divided
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp, fresh chopped parsley
2 tsp. fresh chopped thyme
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Season the tilapia with salt and pepper and then dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Lightly beat an egg in a small baking dish or bowl and mix in the juice of half the lemon. In another dish, combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
Dip the floured tilapia first in the egg, and then into the breadcrumb mixture, coating evenly and pressing to adhere if necessary.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot (if you flick a little piece of the breadcrumb mixture in there and it bubbles/sizzles, you’re good to go), add the tilapia. Cook for approximately 3 minutes per side, or until fish is cooked through and flakes with a fork.
Cut the remaining half lemon into wedges and serve alongside the tilapia.
Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars December 7, 2009
Posted by elly in pumpkin, sweets/desserts.10 comments
This is one of my favorite fall recipes (a little late to come to the blog, unfortunately). To me, there’s really no dessert better than a cheesecake and combined with pumpkin, you really can’t go wrong. I’ve made this recipe (with modifications, of course, because I just have to modify everything) for the last few years and it’s always a hit. Often (and as I did here) I make this into bars because it’s easier for sharing/transporting and a little less fuss, in general. I leave the filling amount the same but increase the crust to fit a 9×13 pan. And the gingersnap-pecan crust? Well, that’s the best part (at least for me). I add a little more spice than the original recipe calls for, which I think makes the pumpkin stand out a bit more. This cheesecake is not overly sweet, which is also nice. So there you have it–a dessert that’s easy to make and goes over well every time.
Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Adapted from allrecipes.com
2.25 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 (heaping) tsp. ground cloves
Preheat the oven to 250 and lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan. In a large bowl or in your food processor (which is what I use, since I already used it to crush the gingersnaps), combine the gingersnaps, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl or in your stand mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in the eggs one at a time, blending after each addition. Set aside one cup of the mixture. To the remaining mixture, mix in the 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Spread the pumpkin batter into the crust. Drop the remaining plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until filling is just set (the middle will still jiggle a little bit). Cool the bars in the pan and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.
Cinnamon Ice Cream December 2, 2009
Posted by elly in sweets/desserts.12 comments
I decided to try this recipe out for a few reasons; the most important, of course, being that I love cinnamon ice cream. But, I also liked the idea of being able to make something for Thanksgiving dessert ahead of time, and of course, who doesn’t love cinnamon this time of year? The whole making-something-in-advanced-thing was easier said than done because my freezer was already packed, but thankfully, I was able to squeeze this ice cream in there, and somehow managed to avoid eating all of it myself prior to Thanksgiving.
This ice cream was so, so good. It had just the perfect amount of cinnamon – not overpowering, and is a great complement to so many things. Or, of course, on its own. I specifically enjoyed eating it straight from the dasher on my ice cream attachment…
This recipe will definitely be made again. And again.
Cinnamon Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart
The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
10 cinnamon sticks, broken up
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
In a saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks, and 1 cup of the heavy cream. Warm through, and then cover and let steep off the heat for one hour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Re-warm the cinnamon milk mixture, and remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon. Slowly add the milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Place the entire mixture back into the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula (and being sure to scrape the bottom). Heat until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spatula, but do not boil.
Place the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream in a bowl with a mesh strainer on top, and put that all on top of an ice bath. Pour the custard through the sieve, and then mix together with the cream until cool. Refrigerate until completely cold, and then run through your ice cream maker.
Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Tomato and Yogurt November 29, 2009
Posted by elly in greek, healthy, lamb, lebanese, rice and grains.20 comments
If you know me, you know that I love lamb. LOVE it. It’s pretty much the perfect meat to me. A flavor so much lovelier than beef, but definitely not overly gamey. Greeks tend to cook the crap out of their lamb and make it well done, and when I order it in a restaurant, I tend to order it closer to medium rare. But you know what? It’s good both ways. I think one is more comforting and rustic (the Sunday roast leg of lamb for Greeks, or the lamb on a spit at Easter) and one is a little more sophisticated and highlights the flavor of the lamb a little more. Basically, you can’t go wrong.
When I got an email from Annie at Lava Lake Lamb asking me if I wanted to sample some of their lamb, you know I was on board. But, this is not your ordinary lamb. Lava Lake Lamb is an artisanal producer of 100% grass-fed, certified organic lamb. The lamb are sustainably raised on a family-owned ranch in Idaho. They are free to graze (never on feed lots), drink their mothers’ milk, and eat a variety of fresh range grasses and herbs. And don’t think you can’t taste what the lambs are eating, because you can. This lamb tastes like LAMB. If you’ve ever had an organic chicken vs. one from the grocery store or eaten Iberian ham (where you can taste the acorns the pigs have eaten) then you know what I am talking about. Not only are you what you eat, but what you eat tastes like that that thing ate, too!
Lava Lake was kind enough to send me three different cuts of lamb, and the first I decided to use was ground lamb. Ground lamb is great in burgers, meatsauces, and moussaka, among other things. I decided to go with some spiced lamb meatballs, kind of a throwback to Greek, Middle Eastern, and Turkish cuisine. You know I am a sucker for Greek yogurt, so that had to go there somewhere, and I love tomato sauce with my rice (definitely a Greek thing), so I added that too. These meatballs were so delicious. Nice and spicy, perfectly textured, and of course…lamb-y.
If you can, I would highly suggest ordering some grass-fed, organic lamb from Lava Lake Lamb. I’ve actually been trying to think of a place where we could possibly keep a deep freeze (not easy in a third floor condo), just so I could buy a half lamb and keep it in there.
Check back here soon to see how I use the other lamb from Lava Lake!
Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Tomato and Yogurt over Basmati Rice
Serves 4
Printer Friendly Recipe
Meatballs
1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 small onion, grated or finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper
olive oil for pan frying
Tomato sauce
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
heaping 3/4 tsp. oregano
Yogurt sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
Rice
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
Mix all the ingredients together for the meatballs except the olive oil (being careful not to overmix, which could result in a tough meatball) and form into meatballs. At this point, I like to refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes or so (or longer, if you want) to marry the flavors and firm up the meatballs.
To make the rice, heat the butter in a medium saucepan with lid over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until tender. Stir in the rice and cook for a few minutes to toast up the grains and coat them with the butter. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 40 minutes. No peeking! Once done, take off the heat and let sit for a few minutes before fluffing with a fork and stirring in the toasted pine nuts.
To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and then add the onions, cooking until tender. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce to a simmer and allow the mixture to cook as you are making the rest of the meal.
Add olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat (I like using a nonstick skillet for this). In batches, fry the meatballs until cooked through. Place on a paper-towel lined plate and keep warm until all the meatballs are cooked.
Once all meatballs are cooked, drain or wipe out the pan slightly (leave a little fat in there, but not as much as the oil and lamb have made). Turn the heat off, and then add the garlic clove (the residual heat will be more than enough to make it fragrant). Stir in the yogurt until just warmed through and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To plate: Top the rice with the meatballs and a few spoonfuls each of the tomato and yogurt mixture.
Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce November 24, 2009
Posted by elly in misc..8 comments
I’ve never really been a cranberry sauce person. It wasn’t particularly common to have at our family Thanksgivings, and canned cranberry sauce is not my thing, anyway. On top of that, I’m not really a fruit-with-my-meat kinda gal, as you know. Still, there are plenty of people who love cranberry chutneys and sauces, and I wanted to give a homemade version a try. And, with hosting our first Thanksgiving, this is the perfect time. (Not to mention that, thankfully, cranberry sauces can be made ahead so I don’t have to think about it on the day-of.)
This sauce is really delicious. Would I personally eat it on my turkey? Eh, I don’t know. I’m still not a fruit/meat person. But I would gladly take a few spoonfuls on the side.
I love the combination of the fruits in this. It was just a tad too sweet for my tastes, although Tom thought it was perfect. I might cut down the sugar by a tablespoon or so next time. It does call for a little more sugar than other cranberry sauces, but it also has to compensate for a tart apple added to the mix. The amount of cinnamon and cloves was perfect. I’d definitely recommend this for your Thanksgiving table, if you haven’t found a sauce you like yet!
Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce
Williams-Sonoma
Makes about 3.5 cups
1/2 orange
1 tart apple (I used granny smith), peeled, cored & diced
3 cups (one 12-oz bag) fresh cranberries
1.25 cups (scant) sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
Squeeze the juice from the orange and set aside. Remove and discard the membrane from inside the orange rind and cut the rind into a small dice. Put in a saucepan with 2 cups of water and boil for 1o minutes. Drain.
Pick through the cranberries and discard any soft ones. Add the cranberries, apple, orange rind, sugar, cinnamon and cloves to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan partially. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, the apple is tender and the cranberries have burst, 10-15 minutes (mine took more like 15-20 before the cranberries burst and the sauce thickened).
Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and cool for an hour before serving, or cover and refrigerate, bringing to room temp before serving.
Ribollita (a really ugly picture of a really tasty soup) November 22, 2009
Posted by elly in beans and legumes, italian, soups and stews.12 comments
There are few things I like better to make on Sundays than soups and stews. OK, actually, there really isn’t anything I’d rather make, though roasts are right up there. I could easily eat soup every single day of my life and never get sick of it. The bonus is it’s usually not too terrible for you (assuming you aren’t making a very creamy soup) and is so incredibly easy to make. The dutch oven/stockpot does all the work for you. The combinations are endless, too.
I’d remembered a recipe for ribollita from Ina that I had wanted to make, but when I saw Giada’s version, I decided to go with it, instead. I was definitely not disappointed. This soup was so hearty and flavorful. And any soup that calls for putting half a roll of bread into your bowl is a hit in my book, especially because that means I can eat the other half of the roll, on the side. :)
I used bacon instead of pancetta in this recipe because I had half a package sitting in my fridge. To compensate for the fattier bacon (and because I think the amount of oil is a little excessive anyway), I reduced the amount of olive oil to a tablespoon. Combined with the fat the bacon had rendered, it was the perfect amount. I also increased the amount of broth in this and next time, I would definitely reduce the amount of spinach. I have that reflected in the recipe below. I love spinach but 1 lb. was just too much for this amount of broth and it definitely was not all necessary. It made the soup a little too thick and well, too spinach-y.
This was a really tasty, really comforting soup that I will absolutely make again. The leftovers were just as fabulous even without the bread.
Ribollita
Makes 4 large or 6 smaller servings
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 lb. bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, divided – 2 minced and 1 whole
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 parmesan rind
1 (heaping) Tbsp. herbs de Provence
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
salt and pepper
4-6 ciabatta (or other) rolls, halved lengthwise
olive oil, for drizzling onto bread
parmesan, for serving
Heat a stockpot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the oil and once hot, the bacon. Cook until the bacon has rendered most of its fat and become slightly crispy. Reduce the heat to medium, and then stir in the onion, carrot, 2 cloves of minced garlic & saute until tender.
Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook for about a minute before adding the diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Add the bay leaf, parmesan rind, herbs de Provence, cannellini beans, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the spinach and simmer for about 10 more minutes, reseasoning to taste if necessary.
Preheat the broiler, and drizzle a little olive oil over each halved roll. Stick under the broiler until toasted. Immediately rub each piece of bread with the whole garlic clove.
Place half a roll in the bottom of each bowl, and then ladle the soup over it. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve immediately.
Grilled (err…broiled) potato slices with salt and vinegar November 16, 2009
Posted by elly in healthy, potatoes.24 comments
I haven’t really had any of the pregnancy craving clichés. I don’t send Tom out at midnight for ice cream, I don’t make strawberry jelly and potato chip sandwiches, and I haven’t started inhaling things I typically find repulsive, like mayonnaise. I have been craving acid, though. But, this isn’t really out of the ordinary for me. I’ve always loved pickles, I like anything with citrus, and I eat my french fries with malt vinegar. And, that bag of salt and vinegar chips Tom came home with one day from the grocery store most certainly did not go to waste.
As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I would love it. Potatoes and vinegar are a match made in heaven. Add to that the fact that these take no time to prepare and helped me use up the ridiculous amount of potatoes in my kitchen, and we had a deal. I broiled these potatoes rather than grilling them because it was so much easier and had the same effect. I didn’t have fingerlings, so I used russets which worked perfectly fine. I did add a little more vinegar than the recipe called for in order to cover the potatoes so they would all cook evenly. These were so easy and tasted great - a healthier riff on salt and vinegar chips and a great side dish for a lot of meals!
Grilled/Broiled Potato Slices with Salt and Vinegar
Serves 4
Marth Stewart
1 lb. potatoes, cut into 1/4″ slices
2 cups white vinegar (or enough to cover potatoes)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt and pepper
Make sure vinegar covers potatoes in a medium saucepan, and then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until just fork tender, about 5 minutes. Let potatoes cool in the vinegar for 30 minutes. Drain well.
Preheat the broiler. Toss the potatoes with oil, salt and pepper. and place in one layer on a broiler-safe pan. Broil until crispy and browned on top, just a few minutes, rotating the pan if necessary. Sprinkle with additional coarse salt before serving.
A Year in the Kitchen with Nigel Slater: November’s Roast Chicken with Cheese Mashed Potatoes & Garlic Gravy November 12, 2009
Posted by elly in chicken, nigel slater, potatoes.12 comments
Or, a big ol’ plate of comfort food.
I was between so many recipes for this month’s In the Kitchen challenge. Apparently, Nigel eats some crazy delicious food in November. I narrowed down my choices and asked Tom for help, but…he was no help. So, I went with this recipe because I had many of the ingredients already on hand. Plus, mashed potatoes have become a new food group for me.
This chicken is actually very similar to chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, in that it roasts alongside copious amounts of garlic that get nice and sweet during the long cooking process. I really liked smashing the garlic into the pan sauce/gravy because it gave it such a great flavor. And who doesn’t like garlic and cheddar? No sane person, that’s for sure.
Nigel actually roasts potatoes alongside the chicken AND serves this with mashed potatoes. Even though I had like 8 lbs. of potatoes to use up, that still seemed a little unnecessary, so I just went with the side of mashed. I didn’t really make Nigel’s recipe for mashed potatoes, because I never use a recipe for mashed potatoes. Plus, I did have some buttermilk I wanted to use up and love it in mashed potatoes. So, I just added the cheddar to them to make them cheese mashed potatoes, like the recipe.
Because an opened bottle of wine doesn’t really get used up these days, I decided to just use some vermouth we had on hand instead. This lent even more sweetness to the gravy, which I really enjoyed.
This was such a delicious, comforting dish. There is something wonderful about a roast chicken on a Sunday night (well, any night, but they seem to fit better on Sundays, don’t they?) and you can never go wrong with mashed potatoes, cheese, or garlic. Never.
Roast Chicken with Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Garlic Gravy
Adapted from Nigel Slater
1 whole chicken (about 3.5 lbs.), giblets removed & saved
4-5 bushy sprigs of thyme
2 Tbsp. softened or melted butter
2 heads of garlic
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 onion, cut in half
2 bay leaves
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup vermouth or dry white wine
your favorite mashed potato recipe (that serves 4-5) OR 5 large potatoes, 4 Tbsp. butter and half a cup of milk (Nigel’s recipe)
3 oz. mature cheese such as Wensleydale, Lancashire, or cheddar, grated
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400.* Remove the giblets from the chicken and rub the bird all over with the butter, salt, pepper, and some minced thyme. Stuff the cavity with a few more sprigs of thyme. Place the bird upside down in a roasting pan (feel free to use a rack, I did). Cut the heads of garlic in half horizontally and nestle them next to the chicken. Place the chicken in the oven.
Once the chicken has been roasting for 45 minutes, flip it and roast for another 45 minutes or until cooked through (check the temperature at the thickest part of the thigh).
Meanwhile, start the gravy and your mashed potatoes. In a saucepan, combine the giblets, carrot, onion, bay leaves and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes (or longer). Make the mashed potatoes by peeling and cutting the potatoes and placing them in cold water. Bring the water to a boil and then cook until potatoes are just fork tender. Add warm milk and butter to your liking or to Nigel’s specifications. Stir in the cheese.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before slicing. As it’s resting, finish your gravy. Place the roasting pan on your stove over moderate heat. Add the vermouth or wine, and 2/3 cup of the giblet stock. Bring to a boil, pressing the garlic cloves with a wooden spoon to squash them. Season to taste. Serve the gravy over the chicken and potatoes.
*I actually cooked at 425, but had a 5 lb. chicken so the cooking time was about the same (a little less actually, at about an hour and 20 minutes).
