Sesame Grilled (or Broiled) Quail with Shoestring Potatoes

Recipe: Sesame Grilled (or Broiled) Quail with Shoestring Potatoes
Page: 154
Date Cooked: March 27, 2013

This is the last of the poultry recipes for this project. I really wanted to invest and use quail for this recipe. But I just couldn't justify spending so much (grad school budget here), and decided to use fresh Cornish game hens instead. I believe this served as a good substitute. I also opted to go for the broiling method since there was still some snow outside.

Ingredients: Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, white wine, olive oil, garlic, shallot, Cornish game hen, russet potatoes, sesame seeds, Kosher salt, pepper, corn oil, basil, sage, and parsley

I combined the mustard, vinegar, sesame oil, white wine, and olive oil to create a marinade for the game hens. I added minced garlic and shallots to the marinade and let it sit at room temperature. In the meantime, I butterflied the game hens and patted them dry. I combined the marinade and hens in a shallow dish, covered, refrigerated, and let marinate for 1 hour on each side.

Game hens in the marinade

I peeled the potatoes and cut them into matchsticks. The potatoes were kept in a bowl of ice water. I also placed the sesame seeds in a skillet and toasted till the seeds were golden brown.

Toasting the sesame seeds

I transferred the game hens to a platter and reserved the marinade. I then proceeded with frying the potatoes. I heated the oil in a cast iron skillet, I patted the potatoes completely dry, and placed a few sticks in the oil. When just golden, I removed the potatoes onto a plate lined with paper towels and lightly salted them.

Frying the potatoes

I also patted the herbs (basil, sage, and parsley) dry and fried them in the oil. Disclaimer: It appears that no matter how dry the herbs are, there is a significant amount of splatter that occurs.

Fried herb leaves

I put the game hens under the broiler skin side up and broiled until the skin appeared crispy. I turned the game hens, basted them with the marinade, and broiled until just cooked through. When the hens were finished, I pressed the skin side into the toasted sesame seeds. I was then ready to plate. I arranged the hens on top a nest of potatoes and scattered the fried herbs over the plate.

Sesame Broiled Quail with Shoestring Potatoes

There is a definite sense of simplicity to this meal. There aren't many components and there isn't too much work either. I enjoyed the game hens. They were cooked perfectly and I could taste hints of the marinade throughout. And really, who doesn't love fried potatoes? But I did feel as if a component was missing. I'm not exactly sure what it is, yet the dish was missing a depth of flavor. All in all, a good dish.

Enjoy!

Squab and Corn Crepes

Recipe: Squab and Corn Crepes
Page: 157
Date Cooked: January 3, 2013

This poultry recipe had a number of components. There was the stock, the crepes, and then the squab itself. It initially looked tedious but actually turned out to be pretty manageable. Unfortunately, I couldn't find squab  and decided to substitute with Cornish game hens. Not quite as flavorful as squab, but I think it did the trick. I also used frozen corn in place of fresh.

Ingredients: Cornish game hen, red onion, garlic, white wine, bouquet garni, poblano chile, russet potato, corn, unsalted butter, salt, pepper, milk, eggs, all-purpose flour, olive oil, chives, and lime

I began by butterflying each of the game hens - removing the backbones and pressing the bird down firmly with my hands. I also sliced the onion. I put the backbones, sliced onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves in the oven to roast.

Roasting the backbones, onion, and garlic

Once roasted, I deglazed the pan with some wine and transferred everything into a saucepan. I covered the bones with water, added the bouquet garni, and let the stock simmer for almost 2 hours. I then strained the stock and set it aside.

Making the stock

Next, I proceeded to make the crepe batter. I minced the chile and diced the potatoes. I put the potatoes in saucepan with water and cooked until the potato was al dente.

Left: Minced chile
Right: Cooking the diced potato

I also sauteed half the corn with some butter in a skillet.

Sauteeing corn

I combined milk, corn, eggs, and flour in a bowl. I stirred in the the diced chile and potato. I also added a few tablespoons of melted butter to the crepe batter. I seasoned the batter with salt and pepper and set it aside.

Corn crepe batter

To cook the crepes, I melted butter in a skillet, added the batter, and cooked them till golden brown on each side. Jonathan Waxman makes a note here regarding the difficulty of flipping these crepes due to the chunky texture (i.e. the potatoes). This is definitely true, so the crepes were a bit tricky.

Cooking the crepes

With all the crepes done, I moved on to the game hens. I salt and peppered both sides and heated olive oil in a skillet. I cooked the hens skin side down at first and then flipped them. This step didn't require cooking the hens completely through, since they would be finished in the broiler. The hens were finished under the broiler till 165 degrees.

Finished Cornish game hens

While the hens cooked under the broiler. I added the remaining corn into the skillet along with some of the stock. I also stirred in some chopped chives into the sauce.

Corn sauce

I was then ready to plate. I placed the crepes down on the plate and put a game hen on top. I then spooned the sauce over the hen and served it all with wedges of lime.

Squab (Cornish Game Hen) and Corn Crepes

This dish looked so fantastic on the plate. The game hens were cooked perfectly and I really enjoyed the sauce that accompanied the dish. But I loved the crepes. It helped balance the dish and I really enjoyed the kick of the chiles with every bite. It was smart to serve this with lime wedges as well, they provided the acid the dish really needed. The recipe itself had a Southwest flair that just truly worked. It was great.

Enjoy!

Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles

Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles
Page: 142
Date Cooked: December 31, 2012

I was a bit skeptical of this recipe. I'm not much of a chicken breast fan. They tend to end up dry and I don't think it's an exciting cut of meat. Also this seemed to be a crazy long recipe. Jonathan Waxman calls for four different kinds of dried beans. Unfortunately, my grocer didn't have a large enough selection of dried beans, so I had to substitute with canned beans. I adjusted the cooking time accordingly.

Ingredients: Black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, garlic, ham hock, poblano chiles, goat cheese, unsalted butter, tarragon, chives, salt, pepper, chicken breasts (skin on, bone-in), olive oil, white wine vinegar, shallot, sherry vinegar, mixed lettuces, and lemon juice

The first component was getting the beans cooked. I separated all the cloves from a garlic head and peeled them. I put all four varieties of beans in a pot, along with the garlic, cilantro stems, the ham hock, bouquet garni, and water. I brought it all to a simmer and let it cook until the beans were tender. Once tender, I drained the beans and let them cool.

Cooking the beans 

In the meantime, I roasted the poblano chiles until they were blackened and blistered. I steamed the poblanos. Finally, I peeled the chiles with my fingers and diced them.

Getting the poblano chiles ready

I crumbled the goat cheese into a bowl and added butter and half the diced poblanos. I then added chopped tarragon leaves, chives, and cilantro leaves o the goat cheese mixture. Finally, I seasoned it with salt and pepper.

Goat cheese mixture

With the goat cheese mixture prepped, I was ready to stuff the chicken breasts. I lifted the skin of the breast and cut a slit in the middle. I salt and peppered the chicken. I then spooned the goat mixture into the slit and pulled the skin back over the stuffing.

Stuffed chicken breasts

I heated the broiler to low and put the chicken breasts skin side up on a broiler pan. I drizzled the chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I broiled the chicken until the skin was crisp and the chicken was cooked through (I made sure to check the temperature with a thermometer). Once the chicken was done, I transferred it to a platter and covered it to keep warm.

Cooking the chicken breasts

I tossed the beans with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. I then added minced shallots and the juices from the chicken to the beans. Finally, I tossed in the rest of the diced poblanos, olive oil, and sherry vinegar.

Tossing the beans with olive oil, vinegars, shallots, and poblano chiles

I added the beans to a bowl with the torn mixed lettuces.

Bean salad

I then melted some butter and stirred in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. I put the bean salad on a plate and topped it with a chicken breast. Finally, I drizzled the butter mixture over the chicken breast and served.

Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles

Hands down, this is one of the best chicken dishes I have ever had in my entire life. I have become a thermometer convert. By keeping an eye on the chicken temp, it ended up beautifully - juicy and perfect. The goat cheese mixture with the chicken was delicious and had tons of flavor. I enjoyed the bit of spice I got from the poblanos as well. And the bean salad was great. It had acid and texture and balanced out the whole dish. Overall it was amazing. I will definitely be making this again!

Enjoy!

Pheasant with Oyster Stuffing

Recipe: Pheasant with Oyster Stuffing
Page: 161
Date Cooked: December 1, 2012

Jonathan Waxman starts this recipe off stating how "pheasants are now plentiful in the markets." Unfortunately for me, my market didn't have any pheasants and was unable to order them in for me (which for other ingredients in the past they usually have done). Nonetheless, Thanksgiving inspiration struck and I decided to use a turkey instead. I made sure to scale up the ingredients accordingly. This recipe became Thanksgiving Part II for me. I also had to employ two substitutions: frozen corn in place of fresh corn and escarole instead of radicchio.

Ingredients: Baguette, garlic, unsalted butter, corn, salt, pepper, oysters with juices, prosciutto, oregano, sage, tarragon, escarole, turkey, onions, and Cabernet Sauvignon 

I cut the baguette into cubes and smashed 2 cloves of garlic. I melted butter in a skillet and added the garlic and baguette cubes. I sauteed the bread until golden brown. I also sauteed the corn with some butter, salt, and pepper.

Left: Sauteing baguette cubes
Right: Sauteing corn

I julienned the prosciutto; chopped the oysters; chopped the oregano, sage, and tarragon leaves; and julienned the escarole. I then combined all the ingredients together, along with some melted butter, to form the stuffing.

Oyster Stuffing

I placed the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey and sewed it up with butcher's twine. I also sewed up the neck cavity, making sure the turkey was watertight.

Stuffed turkey

The original recipe called for browning the pheasants in a Dutch oven. This wasn't feasible given the size of the turkey. So I diverted a bit on this step and browned the turkey in the oven for a bit. While the turkey browned, I cut the onion and put together a bouquet garni. I salt and peppered the turkey. I  poured the Cabernet in the roasting pan and added the onions, garlic, and bouquet garni.

Stuffed turkey with braising Cabernet

I covered the turkey with foil and roasted it in the oven, making sure to baste the turkey regularly with the braising liquid.

Finished turkey

I transferred the turkey to a platter and covered it to keep warm. I strained the cooking liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a saucepan. I reduced the cooking liquid and added in butter to finish the sauce.

Reducing the cooking liquid

While the sauce reduced, I cut away the twine and removed the stuffing from the turkey. I carved the turkey. And then it was time to plate. I placed turkey pieces alongside some stuffing and spooned the sauce over the turkey.

Turkey with Oyster Stuffing

This was the perfect recipe for my Thanksgiving Part II. It was delicious. The turkey was cooked just right (whew). So it was good knowing that this recipe translated well. The stuffing was perfect! I mean what's not to love? Prosciutto and oysters with great herbs and butter - it all works. The wine reduction sauce was also a great addition. It was flavorful and light, which was good considering there was so much fat in the stuffing. All in all, it was a great recipe and coincidentally Holiday appropriate!

Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken and Grilled Asparagus

Recipe: BBQ Chicken and Grilled Asparagus
Page: 150
Date Cooked: October 14, 2012

The ingredients for this recipe were quite simple. Also, it felt like a healthy meal. Or at least in Jonathan Waxman terms, fairly healthy. I enjoyed Jonathan Waxman's recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken so I was excited about bbq-ing a whole chicken as well.

Ingredients: Chicken, Kosher salt, pepper, green beans, olive oil, asparagus, new potatoes, red wine vinegar, frisee lettuce, and unsalted butter

First, I prepared my charcoal grill. I then proceeded to butterfly the chicken and rubbed it with salt and pepper. I snapped the tough parts of the asparagus stalks. I also cleaned the potatoes. I placed the chicken skin side down on the grill and arranged the potatoes and asparagus around it. I covered the grill and let it cook.

Prep for the grill

In the meantime, I brought a pot of salted water to a boil. I topped and tailed the green beans and then cooked them in the boiling water for a few minutes. Once cooked, I tossed the green beans with some olive oil.

Cooking the green beans

I removed the asparagus from the grill and turned the potatoes. I mixed together the red wine vinegar and oil. I seasoned the vinaigrette with salt and pepper. I tossed the beans and frisee with the vinaigrette. I also tossed the asparagus with some butter and seasoned them with salt and pepper.

Left: Grilled asparagus tossed in butter
Right: Green beans and frisee salad

I pulled the chicken and potatoes off the grill as well.

BBQ chicken and potatoes

I then got ready to plate. I cut the chicken into pieces. I placed the bean and frisee salad on a plate, topped it with a piece of chicken. Finally, I set some potatoes and asparagus on the plate as well.

BBQ Chicken and Grilled Asparagus

The chicken was delicious - cooked perfectly and had this great grill flavor. The vinaigrette in the frisee and green bean salad provided the acidity for the meal. And the buttered asparagus gave some fat to the dish. But really, I thought it felt balanced and very all-American. I definitely will be bbq-ing a whole chicken again! It was almost too easy - butterfly the chicken, place it on the grill - skin-side down, and let it cook. All in all, simple and yummy.

Enjoy!

Grilled (or Broiled) Chicken

Recipe: Grilled (or Broiled) Chicken
Page: 144
Date Cooked: November 12, 2011

This is now my third chicken recipe from this cookbook. Considering, the last two recipes (Perfect Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach and Brick Chicken with Rosé Wine, Peas, and Bacon) turned out really well, I was excited about this one.

Ingredients: Organic chicken, salt, pepper, olive oil, unsalted butter, and parsley

I soaked the chicken in a large bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Apparently you do this to relax the skin of the chicken and according to JW "free-range chickens have tougher, more resilient skin than supermarket chickens." After this step, I patted the chicken dry and proceeded to butterfly the chicken. I have butterflied a chicken once before during this project; so this time, I felt like I really had a handle on the process.

Left: Soaking chicken in warm water
Right: Butterflied chicken

Since, I don't have a grill I proceeded with the broil option. Accordingly, I heated the broiler and rubbed the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I placed the chicken skin side up in a roasting pan and broiled it till the skin was golden brown. Then, I flipped the chicken over and cooked it for a bit. After this short time, I flipped the chicken over again and cooked until the thickest part of the chicken read 165 degrees on the thermometer.

Process of broiling chicken

With the chicken done and out of the way, I melted butter in a small saucepan and added in the chopped parsley along with some salt and pepper.

Parsley-butter mixture

Finally, I quartered the chicken, placed it on a platter, and drizzled the parsley-butter over the chicken. And then it was time to eat.

Grilled (or Broiled) Chicken

Easiest chicken recipe ever. Also, Jonathan Waxman's cooking times for this recipe were right on the money! Moreover, it tasted delicious. I really don't know if I have much to say other than it was simple, satisfying, and tasty.

Enjoy!

Brick Chicken with Rosé Wine, Peas, and Bacon

Recipe: Brick Chicken with Rosé Wine, Peas, and Bacon
Page: 146
Date Cooked: October 23, 2011

I was incredibly intrigued by this recipe. I mean not only did I have to go to the grocery store for ingredients, I had to stop at Home Depot as well. So the idea behind brick chicken is to butterfly the chicken and use the brick to weigh it down while cooking in order to achieve incredibly crispy skin while retaining the moisture of the product.

Ingredients: Free-range chicken, olive oil, salt, pepper, bacon, rosé wine, peas, sage, and butter

The last time I worked with chicken for this project, I mentioned being somewhat intimidated by using a whole chicken. This time around I actually do more than just roast it, I had to butterfly the chicken. This step was so much simpler than I had anticipated. All I had to do was use a pair of sharp kitchen shears and remove the backbone. With the backbone removed, I opened the bird out and flattened it as much as possible using my hands...voilà...butterflied chicken. I patted the bird dry, rubbed it down with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and set it aside.

Butterflied chicken with removed backbone

I cooked the diced bacon with some olive oil in a Dutch oven until the bacon was golden. I then removed it with a slotted spoon and placed it on a paper-towel lined plate to drain.

Cooking bacon

I then put the butterflied chicken into the Dutch oven, skin side down. I also placed the foil-wrapped brick on the chicken to achieve that crispy skin.

Left: Brick
Right: Foil-wrapped brick on top of butterflied chicken

After some time, I took the brick off the chicken, added the rosé, brought the liquid to boil, and let the chicken cook all the way through. I then removed the fully cooked chicken from the pan, used kitchen shears to cut it into about six pieces, and then placed the chicken back into the pan.

Left: Chicken in rosé
Right: Fully cooked chicken in pieces 

I stirred in the bacon, peas, sage, and butter for a few minutes till all the ingredients blended. Finally, the dish was ready to eat.

Brick Chicken with Rosé Wine, Peas, and Bacon

This dish delivered everything it promised and more. I could not get over how amazing the chicken was. You got that perfect crisp skin along with beautifully succulent chicken. Pairing it with peas and bacon was brilliant. The bacon provided additional fat that the chicken didn't have. On the other hand, the peas provided a well-needed lightness and truly balanced the dish. I even want to go as far and say, the rosé added some sweetness while also cutting the fat of the bacon. I also enjoyed the addition of the sage. I believe sage is that perfect winter herb and on that cold night, it was just right. This recipe allowed each ingredient the opportunity to shine.

I truly enjoyed this meal. I am seriously wondering if there is a better way to cook chicken. All I know is, I'm glad I have a brick on hand from here on out.

Enjoy!