Tag: marinated

Posted on » by Dino » Theme:

Tandoori-Style Chicken

Recipe from J. Kenji Lopéz-Alt at Serious Eats – The Food Lab

Notes

The moment that Red theme was drawn my gut instinct was to make Tandoori Chicken. When it was determined that Red theme night would be held at our place, I went straight to the Serious Eats site figuring that they may have a recommendation as to how to make the dish without owning a Tandoor oven.

Serious Eats noted that the special feature of the oven is that it can get to 900°F which you can achieve at home using a conventional charcoal grill. I used these Weber Char Baskets to bundle the coals just an inch or so under my grill to get it the hottest possible temperature. I was very happy with the results, and the marinate seemed to be spot-on to replicate this dish.

The spice blend calls for toasted ground cumin, toasted paprika, and toasted ground coriander seed. We toasted these ourselves in a shallow frying pan until the oils were released and then allowed them to cool.

Ingredients

    • 4 Cornish game hens, about 1½-pounds each
    • 2 tablespoons toasted ground cumin
    • 2 tablespoons toasted paprika
    • 1 tablespoon toasted ground coriander seed
    • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 tablespoon achiote or a few drops red food coloring (optional)
    • 8 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater
    • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated on a microplane grater
    • 2 cups yogurt
    • ½ cup lemon juice
    • ¼ cup kosher salt
    • Thinly sliced raw onion
    • ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
    • 2 lemons or limes, cut into wedges

Directions

  1. Toast the ground cumin, paprika, and ground coriander seeds in a shallow frying pan until the oils are released. Move to a bowl and allow to cool.
  2. Using sharp kitchen shears, remove the backs from the Cornish hens. Press down firmly on center of breasts until wishbone cracks and they lie flat.
  3. Peel skin off of hens, then using a sharp knife– Tandoori chicken is traditionally cooked with the skin off. While for most methods of cooking chicken this would be a bad idea (skin is an insulator that prevents dry breast meat from becoming tough or stringy), with tandoori chicken, the thick yogurt-based marinade helps to prevent the meat from drying out.
  4. Make deep incisions at 1-inch intervals all over the flesh. By slashing it with a sharp knife at regular intervals along its surface (make sure to slash against the grain), you greatly increase the area in which the marinade can flavor it.
  5. Arrange legs so that they are pointing up towards the top of the breast. Use two long metal or wooden skewers (don’t expect them not to burn in the high heat needed for this type of cooking) to secure legs and breasts in place. Place in a large rimmed baking dish.
  6. Combine cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, achiote or red food coloring, garlic, ginger, yogurt, lemon juice, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Pour marinade all over Cornish hens, using hands to coat every surface. cover loosely and refrigerate. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 8, turning occasionally.
  7. Ignite a large chimney starter full of charcoal and allow to burn until all coals are ignited. Spread coals evenly under one side of grill (or use char baskets) and set grill grate in place. Cover and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Brush grill grates clean.
  8. Wipe excess marinade off of hens then place meaty-side down directly over the coals. Cover partially and allow to cook until deeply charred on first side, 7 to 10 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until hens register 145°F in the thickest part of the breast and 165 to 170°F in the legs, about 5 minutes longer (for larger chickens, transfer to cooler side of grill, cover, and continue cooking until desired temperature is reached). I use a wireless dual-probe thermometer for cooking on the grill– I put one probe in the largest breast, one in the largest thigh, and set my receiver to the appropriate temperatures.
  9. Remove hens to a large cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and allow to rest for five minutes. Remove skewers and using a heavy knife or cleaver, chop each hen into 8 serving-sized pieces. Serve immediately with onions, cilantro, and lemon wedges.

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Julia Child’s Baked Cucumbers

I had a bunch of cucumbers from my garden and a Julia Child recipe for baked cucumbers so I cooked up a batch. Not my favorite but it was interesting.

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This recipe comes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, 1961. ‘If the natural moisture content is now withdrawn beforehand, cucumbers exude so much water as they are heated that you usually end up with a tasteless mush and swear never to cook cucumbers again. Blanching for 5 minutes before cooking will remove unwanted water, but also most of the cucumber flavor. A preliminary sojourn in salt draws out the water and also the bitterness, if they are the bitter European type, yet leaves the flavor, which a little vinegar and salt accentuates. We have found the following method delicious, and suggest it for all cooked cucumber recipes. Baked cucumbers go with roast, broiled, or sauteed chicken or veal.

Ingredients Nutrition

6 US

Directions

  1. Peel the cucumbers.
  2. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
  3. Cut into lengthwise strips about 3/8 inch wide.
  4. Cut strips into 2 inch pieces.
  5. Toss the cucumber in a bow with the vinegar, salt and sugar.
  6. Let stand for 30 minutes to several hours.
  7. Drain and pat dry in a towel.
  8. Preheat oven to 375.
  9. Toss the cucumbers in a baking dish with the butter, herbs, scallions and pepper.
  10. Set uncovered in the middle level of the preheated oven for about an hour, tossing 2-3 times, until cucumbers are tender, but still have a suggestion of crispiness and texture. They will barely color during cooking.
  11. Variation One: Parslied Cucumbers.
  12. In a warm vegetable dish toss with 2 Tbsp minced parsley.
  13. Variation Two: Creamed Cucumbers. – This is the version I made
  14. Boil 1 cup whipping cream until it has reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper, fold into the hot baked cucumbers, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Posted on » by Dino » Theme: ;

Halal Chicken on a Pita

Based on: Chicken and Rice NYC Street Meat Style by Eric Rhee and Michelle Won

Notes

Rafiqi’s Delicious Food carts are numerous and abundant in NYC. The delicious odor of garlic and middle-eastern herbs permeated my afternoon commute one day back in 2004 and I’ve been a Rafiqi’s addict ever since.

Rafiqi’s chicken is spicy, it’s tender, it’s packed with flavor, and best of all- it tastes exactly like that amazing smell which drew me in- enticing me to wait on a very long line on a scorching, muggy day back in 2004.

I had a rather successful attempt at recreating the chicken on a pita back in 2006, however the times I’ve tried since then didn’t work out so well. While the chicken was yummy, it didn’t have the depth of flavor you get at Rafiqi’s. I nailed the white sauce though, and that is the cornerstone of the meal!

*updates in red

Chicken Halal

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs, fat trimmed, cubed (you can use bone-in, but boneless will be easier to work with)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp Oregano
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp dried minced onion
  • 1 tsp fenugreek
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ¾ cup greek yogurt
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tomato, cubed
  • ½ head iceberg lettuce, chopped
  • Pita bread

Instructions

  1. Combine all the spices, garlic, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive.
  2. Generously salt and pepper.
  3. Work in the Greek yogurt.
  4. Add the cubed chicken thighs and onions and let it marinate overnight.
  5. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a hot skillet.
  6. Add the chicken.
  7. When the chicken has browned, stir and place pitas on top.
  8. Once the pitas are warm, place a pita in a large square of tin foil and add the chicken.
  9. Top with lettuce and tomato.

White Sauce

  • 1 Cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 Cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 4 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 1.5 Tbsp. lemon juice (½ lemon)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp dill (dry or fresh)

Red Sauce

  • 4 parts Harissa
  • 1 part Sriracha