Christine’s Spatchcock Roasted Chicken for Paz

September 29, 2008 | Filed Under Guest Bloggers, Christine Cooks, Fellow Bloggers, Poultry | 23 Comments

Please help me welcome guest blogger, Christine of Christine Cooks. Thank you, Christine!

Paz

I am so thrilled that Paz has asked me to be a guest blogger while she recovers from surgery. What a kind and caring person my friend Paz is; she checks in from time to time just to see how I’m doing, and she never fails to leave a comment on my garden blog where I love surprising her with a flower, plant, or critter she hasn’t seen before.

When I posted my Sunday Night Whole Roasted Chicken recipe a while back, Paz fairly sang its praises from the rooftops of New York and re-posted it on her blog, creating quite a bit of traffic my way. That’s just the way she is, thoughtful and generous. And because Paz was so excited about my roasted chicken, I thought it would be fun to show her another method that I think she will find funny and entertaining: Spatchcocking.

Now before your minds head to the gutter, spatchcocking (and, please do visit that link for some very funny, veddy British definitions) is simply a method by which a chicken or other fowl is opened and spread flat, enabling it to cook faster and more evenly. To achieve this, you remove the backbone of the bird, lay it flat, breast side up, and crack the breast bone to flatten it out.

That’s it. Rub it all over with olive oil then sprinkle with your favorite herbs, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put it in a cast iron skillet with a glug or two of wine (red or white, it’s your choice) and roast it to perfection. Easy, simple and delicious! If you like giblets, tuck them in and around the bird so they roast together. Oh, and don’t forget to baste your bird with those tasty pan juices that will magically appear at the bottom of the skillet. Have fun with this one Paz!

To spatchcock a chicken:

Put a whole chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board.

Using poultry shears or other strong kitchen shears, begin cutting up one side of the backbone beginning at the tail end. You may have to use a bit of pressure to cut through some of the bones, especially when you get to the bones that connect the wings to the body.

When one side is fully cut, do the same thing on the other side of the backbone, starting again from the tail end.

When the backbone is completely severed from the chicken, set it aside and inspect the chicken where you made the cuts. Remove any small bones or shards laying about that could come loose in the cooking process and get stuck in a guest’s teeth or, worse, in his/her throat.

Small bone inspection done, turn your chicken over and spread it out on the cutting board as shown in the photo.

Using your hand or a meat mallet, push hard on the breast bone until it cracks or gives to the point that the chicken lies very flat on the board.

There. You’re done. You’ve just spatchcocked a chicken. Now, cook it…

Christine’s Spatchcock Roasted Chicken for Paz
Serves 4-6 chicken-loving people or 6-8 daintier eaters

Christine Cooks

Ingredients:
1 (4-5 pound) broiler or fryer chicken preferrably with giblets (free-range, veg fed is best)
Good olive oil
2 tablespoons (or more) dried herbs - I used Made in Napa Valley’s Meritage Rub, which I highly recommend
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray for the pan
1/4 cup (a few glugs) of your favorite red or white wine

Preparation:
Rub the bird all over with good olive oil. Do the same with the giblets and the backbone if you are using them (see Cook’s Notes.)

Sprinkle all over with the herb rub, salt and pepper, pressing into the skin to help them adhere.
Lightly spray a large cast iron skillet (I used a 12-inch one, an old Wagner Ware, without which I would be one unhappy cook) with the olive oil.

Place the chicken breast side up in the skillet, arranging the legs and wings so it all fits snugly. The underside (inside) of the chicken should be flat in the skillet.

Tuck the giblets around and under the wings and neck area and lay the backbone under the legs as shown in the photo.

Pour the wine over the bird, cover the skillet with foil and place in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes.

At the 45-minute mark, remove the foil from the skillet and baste your bird, giblets and all, with the pan juices.

Close the oven and roast for 15 more minutes, basting once again during that time.

Stick an instant-read temperature gauge in the meatiest part of the thigh; a nicely done chicken should register 160 degrees farenheit and the juices from the joints should run clear.

Remove the skillet from the oven and baste the chicken one more time before transferring it to a cutting board where you will let it rest for 10 minutes during which time the temperature will rise to 165 degrees. Remove the giblets to a plate.

Pour the pan drippings into a fat separator and decant into a warm serving bowl or pitcher.

To cut into serving pieces, using kitchen or poultry shears, divide the bird into two halves, each having a breast, wing and leg. Separate the entire leg-thigh piece and finally cut the breast into two equal halves, cross-wise, leaving the wing attached to one of the pieces. This will give you three pieces from each side, which will nicely feed six hungry people. For the more dainty eaters, separate the thigh from the leg, thus being able to share your dish with 8 guests.

Cook’s Notes:

> I love giblets and I love the tasty morsels of meat on the backbone of a chicken, especially the tiny tenderloins. If you can find them, see if you don’t agree with me.

> The corn photo? Sometimes a food photo is so delectable, it must be shared. Besides, I know Paz will like it.

New York Monday # 142: A Fine September Day

September 28, 2008 | Filed Under New York Monday | 5 Comments

Looking towards the West side of Manhattan from the Bronx.

Have a great week, all!

Paz

Alton Brown’s Homemade Soft Pretzels

September 22, 2008 | Filed Under Guest Bloggers, Pastries, From Argentina with Love, Bread, Fellow Bloggers, Baking | 22 Comments

Please help me introduce this week’s guest blogger, Rebecca of From Argentina with Love. Welcome, Rebecca! So happy you’re here!

Paz

One of the things I enjoy most about Paz’s blog is her New York Mondays. It shows me unique viewpoints of New York, and reminds me of my own New York. I was so honored when she invited me to guest blog, so that I could share a few of my own New York memories. experiences.

My family is a New York family. My paternal great-grandparents arrived from Ireland as teenagers to seek the American dream, working as a maid and NYC Firefighter. Later, their daughter, my grandmother, met her sweetheart while walking through the streets of New York City. The man who would be my grandfather was on leave during WWII–he saw her walking with some friends and invited her to the Marine Corps Ball. What an era!

On my mother’s side, my great-grandparents emigrated from Sicily. They opened a floral shop in Brooklyn called Vaccarino Florists, which my grandfather and his brothers ran after their father’s untimely death. My grandfather also met his true love in WWII– my grandmother was a US Army officer and nurse. To woo her, he brought her red roses from the flower shop. Only, he brought red roses to all the other nurses, too—she out-ranked him, and so their relationship was a war-time secret!

The two families moved to Long Island in the 1950s, and the kids grew up together. My mom and dad were childhood playmates! Many years later, they reunited. My mom, like her own, was a nurse, my dad, recently returned from a tour in Vietnam, a Marine like his own dad. They married and moved west, to 50 acres near Durango, Colorado, where they were hippie homesteaders, and where I was born.

Growing up in the west was a vastly different landscape than the bustle of New York City. When we would fly from the rural west to New York City to spend Christmas, my eyes were opened to a landscape of steel, asphalt, people, and cars. I loved the excitement of the city!

One of my very fondest memories of New York is the year we went for Christmas when I was 9 years old. We walked up 5^th Ave. and looked at all the holiday window displays. If you’ve ever been to New York in December, you know this is every child’s dream! Each and every window holds a fantasy behind glass–I was mesmerized.

We were going to see the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. It was bitter cold, winter air cutting through my coat and blowing up under my dress. But the smell in the air was warm and rich and delicious…soft pretzels and roasted chestnuts. My parents were struck with a homesickness for this long-forgotten comfort food. They bought some chestnuts, along with a couple of giant soft pretzels. My mother stuck them into her purse and brought them into the theater.

The show really was spectacular. And so are these soft pretzels. One taste, and I was 9 years old, sitting in the darkened theater at the Radio City Music Hall, wearing nubbly cable-knit tights and my fanciest dress and eating hot soft pretzels. Doughy and salty, I savored each bite as they defrosted my chill, my eyes feasting on the magnificent sight of the Rockettes, legs moving in cadence to the music, which was spectacular indeed.

Thanks, Paz, for letting me take a trip down memory lane—and eat some really good pretzels!!

Alton Brown’s Homemade Soft Pretzels

Food Network

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

New York Monday #141: Oh, the Colors!

September 21, 2008 | Filed Under New York Monday | 14 Comments

From the archives:

Have any of you seen such a colorful cement mixer before. I haven’t. This was my first time. It certainly stood out in traffic for me. Have a good week!

By the way, thanks to Mischief Mari, you can now subscribe to and keep up with comments here. Yay!

New York greetings,
Paz

Window Box Herb Gardening

September 15, 2008 | Filed Under The Perfect Pantry, Garden, Parsley, Guest Bloggers, Herbs, Fellow Bloggers | 13 Comments

Please help me welcome this week’s guest blogger, Lydia of The Perfect Pantry. Welcome Lydia and thanks so much for your help!

Paz

Orange Caper Gremolata

While Paz has been recovering from surgery, she’s been dreaming about a garden in her window.

In the city, it’s a challenge to maintain any type of garden. The wind, heat, car exhaust, and even the noise test the resilience of the most hardy plants – and often test the patience of the gardener, too. But if your apartment has a sunny window sill, you can grow some of the same herbs I plant in my garden, indoors in pots, or outside in a window box.

Chives

There are a few secrets to successful window sill gardening. Most important, choose herbs that don’t grow too wide or tall. Don’t overwater if your herbs are growing indoors; on the other hand, herbs growing in a box outside your window need frequent water, to compensate for evaporation from the wind. Most herbs benefit from frequent snipping, but never cut more than one-third of the foliage at a time.

Thyme

Chives, basil, parsley, rosemary and thyme are good choices. They’re easy to grow, and a small amount added to a recipe will have a big flavor impact. Paz can grow her favorite cilantro, too. Don’t forget about mint; invasive by nature, mint can only invade as far as the confines of your window box or flower pot, and no farther. You can try interesting varieties, like chocolate or pineapple mint. Nasturtiums, which you can start from seed, add color to your window garden, and to your salads.

Parsley

In my herb garden, flat-leaf parsley is definitely the star of the show this year. I started with nine plants, purchased from our local organic gardening center, and set in the ground in late May. After a slow first month, the parsley really took off. Now I’m harvesting every day, trying to keep up with the late-season growth spurt.

Paz, I know you’ll enjoy growing herbs (and maybe a few tomatoes and lettuce, too?) on your sunny window sill. Here are two of my favorite recipes for parsley, so be sure to plant some in your “herb garden”.

Orange-caper gremolata
A wonderful topping for salmon or halibut, and great on grilled steak, too. (Shown in the top photo.)

The Perfect Pantry

1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (start with a small bunch or handful)
1 clove garlic, minced
The zest of 1 small orange (grated on a fine grater or Microplane)
1/2 tsp capers, drained, roughly chopped
Coarse sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix to yield a rough paste. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in a container with an air-tight lid.

Parsley-walnut pesto
A zestier alternative to basil pesto, this sauce pairs especially well with buckwheat noodles. Makes enough for 6 servings of pasta.

The Perfect Pantry

1 large clove of garlic
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2 cups parsley leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor, chop garlic and walnuts to a fine grind. Add the parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and chop until the parsley is minced. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil, a bit at a time, until desired consistency is reached. (You might not end up using the whole 1/2 cup of oil; it’s up to you.) Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

New York Monday #140: A Harlem Brownstone

September 14, 2008 | Filed Under New York Monday | 8 Comments

Brownstone buildings are named so because they were made from sandstone, which ranged from a brown to brownish red color. Some sandstone colors are bright, so one might see a brownstone building, which isn’t necessarily ‘brown’ or redish brown. It was very popular to build these rowhouses in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Here is a brownstone found on a quiet street in Harlem.

If you’re interested in seeing more photos of brownstones, visit here.

Happy Monday, all! Have a great week.

Paz

Mango and Coconut Sago Pudding

September 8, 2008 | Filed Under Cereals/Grains, Pearl Sago/Pearl Tapioca/Tapioca Seed, Coconuts, Guest Bloggers, Mangoes, Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, Fruits, Fellow Bloggers | 22 Comments

Please help me welcome this week’s guest blogger, Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything at Least Once. Thanks for being here, Haalo!

Paz

Every Monday I have a date with New York - a slice of that lovely city photographed by Paz. So I thought to start this post I’d share a photo of my city, Melbourne at night, taken at the banks of the Yarra River.

When Paz asked if I would guest post while she recovers I immediately had to say yes. Paz is one of those truly lovely people, a friend to all, she’s always there with a cheery word and encouragement.

So for this post I thought I’d make something with her favourite fruit which has just come back into season here - Mango!

While it is perfectly acceptable to just indulge in the fruit in its unadulterated form I really needed to do something more. Various ideas were floated but ultimately I wanted something simple and uncomplicated that wouldn’t compete with the fruit but rather compliment it.

So I turned to a forgotten ingredient -

Pearl Sago or Pearl Tapioca or Tapioca Seed - it is known by various names but refers to virtually the same product. Sago comes from the Sago Palm while Tapioca is made from cassava.

Sago itself has a neutral flavour but does work as a carrier of flavour and as a textural element. To complete the dish, another friend of mango comes into play, coconut cream to bind it together.

The end product, a lusciously delightful Mango and Coconut Sago Pudding!

Mango and Coconut Sago

Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once

½ cup pearl sago

1 cup coconut cream

1½ - 2 cups water

½ cup sugar

1 mango

Prepare the mango:

Cut the cheeks from the mango - slicing close to the central seed.

Using a large metal spoon, drag it around the edge of each cheek to scoop the flesh out in one piece.

Cut each cheek into small dice.

Remove the skin from around the seed and then scrap off as much of the mango flesh as you can - collect this in a bowl and then mash to form a puree. This will be used as a topping.

Make the pudding:

Put the sugar, coconut cream and 1½ cups of water into a saucepan and place over a gentle heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and then add the sago.

It’s important that you don’t allow the mixture to boil as that will cause the coconut cream to split.

Keep stirring to ensure the sago doesn’t form clumps. The sago will swell and the mixture will become quite sticky as the starch is released - if it becomes too thick, just add a little more water.

The sago is cooked when it becomes translucent. When you see this happening, gently fold through the diced mango.

The pudding can be served from cold to hot - my preference is to serve it warm.

Pour the pudding into serving glasses and top with the reserved mango puree.

Thanks again to Paz and we all hope to see you back at the helm very soon!

New York Monday #139: Looking Up

September 7, 2008 | Filed Under New York Monday | 12 Comments

From the archives:

It’s nice to look up once in a while in the city. There are different things to see — different architecture… a beautiful sky… Oh, and some birds watching you. Ummm… Perhaps with the birds around, it may not be such a good idea to look up just yet. Watch where you’re standing when you look up. ;-) Have a good week.

New York greetings,

Paz

Spinach, Tuna, Tomato and Radish Salad for Paz

September 1, 2008 | Filed Under Radishes, Tomatoes, Spinach, Tuna, Guest Bloggers, Fruits, Seafood, Salad, Fellow Bloggers, Kalyn's Kitchen, Vegetables | 30 Comments

Please help me welcome this week’s guest blogger, Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Thanks, Kalyn!

Paz

When Paz first asked me to be a guest blogger for her while she was recovering from surgery, I planned a surprise and photographed a bunch of food bloggers at the BlogHer conference in San Francisco, all holding signs with get well wishes for Paz. Then I was impatient and shared a couple of photos in my post about the conference, and Paz refused to stay in bed like a good patient, so she saw the surprise!

I believe things happen the way they’re supposed to, so maybe the get-well wishes were better when Paz was first recovering anyway. Now I’m thinking she might be feeling quite a bit better and maybe now she’s well enough to make this simple salad. This recipe is loaded with nutritious ingredients to get Paz back in good shape in no time!

Spinach, Tuna, Tomato, and Radish Salad for Paz
(Makes one salad, can be doubled, Recipe created by Kalyn from Kalyn’s Kitchen.)

2 cups washed and dried baby spinach leaves (or arugula)
1/2 can tuna, drained (Italian tuna packed in olive oil is best for this.)
5-6 radishes, sliced
2-3 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut in quarters
extra virgin olive oil, about a tablespoon
juice of half a lemon (or more if you like a lot of lemon)

Arrange washed spinach or arugula on salad plate. Put tuna in the middle of the spinach, arrange tomatoes around the edge, and sprinkle radishes over. Drizzle salad with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, the squeeze lemon juice over. You can serve with extra lemon slices to squeeze on when you’re eating the salad if desired.

This is one of those salads where all the individual parts combine to make a lot of flavor. Bon Appetit Paz! Thanks for letting me be a guest blogger. I hope you are feeling a lot better by now and will soon be back to some serious cooking and taking photos around New York!