Adam D. Roberts's Blog, page 3

Crispy Parmesan Chicken

When Craig told me our friend Lucci was coming for dinner on Monday night, I said “great!” I figured I could throw something together, it being a Monday and all. But when Monday rolled around I was at a loss. Do I make something complex, like a stew? Do I make a simple and satisfying soup, like a ribollita? And then it came to me in a flash: Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Escarole Salad. Aka: the fanciest-looking, easiest dinner in the world.

It’s All About That Breast

I’m normally not a fan of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but as my sister-in-law once taught me they have their moments! Especially when you want a neutral protein to take on the impact of other flavors, like a sauce or, in this case, some zesty Parmesan bread crumbs.

Your first step is to take out your aggression and to pound the boneless, skinless breast between two layers of plastic. There’s really no right or wrong way to do this: I used a rolling pin, but you can use a skillet, a meat tenderizer, what have you. As long as the chicken’s about 1/4-inch thick when you’re done.

To Your Crispy Parmesan Chicken Stations!

Once you’ve flattened your breast (well, your chicken breast, not yours), you’ll want to season it well with salt and pepper. Then you get out three pie plates or cake pans or even just ordinary plates. Put all-purpose flour on one, three eggs in another, and finally some Panko breadcrumbs in the third. I used Italian-seasoned Panko, but that’s up to you. The main thing is that you season each component with more salt and pepper.

Then you dredge: first in the flour, then the egg, and finally the bread crumbs which you want to pat on extra aggressively. Considering the fact that I was making crispy parmesan chicken, I did forget one crucial ingredient: the Parmesan! I whisked that in at the end and patted some extra on.

Pretty Fly for a Fry Guy

The final beat is to fry your chicken. This isn’t frying chicken the way you’d fry traditional Southern fried chicken; this is a shallow fry. So get out your biggest cast iron skillet, pour in a layer of vegetable oil, and heat it until breadcrumbs instantly sizzle when you flick some in. Lay in your breaded breast away from you and fry until deeply golden brown on one side, then flip.

If that’s not getting you hungry, I really can’t help you.

You’ll Want a Salad with Your Crispy Parmesan Chicken

As you can see, Lucci was one happy Monday night dinner guest. What rounded out the dinner was a salad made with escarole, radicchio, and frisée. I whipped up a dressing with garlic, Dijon, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. The fresh, acidic, slightly bitter crunch of the salad was the perfect foil for the rich, salty, umami-packed crispy parmesan chicken.

And that’s how you do a Monday night dinner.

PrintCrispy Parmesan ChickenAn impressive-looking, easy to make fried chicken cutlet with a zippy, lemony salad.Course Main CourseCuisine ItalianKeyword chicken, fried, parmesan, saladPrep Time 30 minutesCook Time 12 minutesServings 4 peopleIngredientsFor the chicken:4 boneless, skinless chicken breastsKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper2 cups all-purpose flour3 large eggs1 tablespoon water1 package Panko breadcrumbs (8 ounces) You can get the Italian-seasoned variety, if you want extra flavor.1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese1/2 cup vegetable oilFor the salad dressing:3 tablespoons Dijon mustard1 clove garlic, grated on a microplaneJuice of one lemon1 tablespoon red wine vinegarKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper1/2 cup – 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oilAn assortment of salad greens, preferably bitter and crunchy ones like escarole, radicchio, and frisée InstructionsStart by laying a piece of plastic wrap on your cutting board: you'll probably want to pound two breasts at a time, so make it large enough for that. Lay in the two breasts, put a piece of plastic wrap on top, and whack away with a rolling pin until the breasts are 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Season them with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.Place the flour in one pie plate, the eggs and the water in a second pie plate (whisking them together), the breadcrumbs and Parmesan in the third pie plate (mixing them together too). Season each component with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken first through the flour, then the eggs, then the Panko/Parmesan mixture and set aside. You can actually coat all of the chicken ahead and refrigerate until you're ready to fry.In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil on high heat until bubbles form around a few Panko breadcrumb testers. Lay in two pieces of chicken at a time and fry until golden brown on one side. Carefully flip and cook on the other side until equally brown. To check for doneness, use a thermometer and shoot for 155. You can keep them warm in a 250 degree oven while you fry the rest.Meanwhile, make your salad dressing by whisking together the Dijon, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Slowly stream in your olive oil as you whisk, trying to get the mixture to emulsify. Stop after adding 1/2 a cup of oil and taste. If it's too acidic, keep adding oil until it's well-balanced. Toss half of the dressing with your lettuce leaves and taste. If it needs more dressing, add the rest.To serve, place the four pieces of chicken on four plates and pile up the salad on the side. Grind some pepper on top and sprinkle with any extra Parmesan. Serve right away.

Related Posts:

Fancy Weeknight Chicken and Cauliflower

Chicken Milanese

The Best Fried Chicken of Your Life

Parmesan Chicken (Ina Garten)

Chicken Milanese with Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Salad (Melissa Clark, NYT)

The post Crispy Parmesan Chicken appeared first on The Amateur Gourmet.

Salted Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

When the Oscars rolled around this year, I went through all of my dessert cookbooks looking for the most elegant dessert. And then I remembered: people like to drink wine during the Oscars. And when they’re done with their pizza, and eating dessert, what dessert still goes well with wine? Something salty. Which is why I had the idea to make these Salted Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies.

The Less Natural the PB, the Better

Normally, when you cook (or bake) you want to use all natural ingredients. Not so when you make peanut butter cookies! The more commercial the peanut butter, the better. You’re going to ask me why and all I can say is: it just is. Maybe the stabilizers keep the peanut butter moist? Maybe the chemicals shine the most when they’re combined with butter and sugar? All I know is I’ve baked with all natural peanut butter before and the results were blech.

But if you’re bemoaning the lack of naturally occurring peanuts in this recipe, have no fear…

From Nuts to Scoop

…because you grind up some fresh ones to fold into the batter.

The rest is like any other cookie recipe: sift together your dry ingredients, beat together your sugar and butter (including the peanut butter) and add your eggs and vanilla. Then you fold in your dry ingredients — including the ground-up peanuts — and it’s time to scoop and shape.

Fork Your Peanut Butter Cookies

The funnest part of this recipe for peanut butter cookies is what you do after you scoop them (I used a 1/4 cup scoop). You fork them! As in: you dip your fork in cold water, then create a cross hatch pattern in each cookie. It’s fun for the whole forking family.

My addition to the recipe was to add Maldon sea salt at the end because that just seems right.

Get Baked

These cookies spread a bit when you bake them, so beware!

My other tip is to really listen to the recipe when it says “they’ll look underdone” when you take them out. My first sheet looked so underdone, I kept them going, and that batch was dryer than the one I took out sooner.

Still, the dry ones went better with wine… which was the whole point! And the chewy ones were wildly good: soft, buttery, and just salty enough to make you sit up in your seat. Which is a good thing to do when you’re watching the Oscars.

PrintSalted Chewy Peanut Butter CookiesMy spin on an America's Test Kitchen recipe featuring more salt, both in and on the cookie.Course DessertCuisine AmericanKeyword cookies, peanut butter, saltPrep Time 30 minutesCook Time 13 minutesServings 24 cookiesIngredients2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon baking powder3/4 teaspoon kosher salt1 cup roasted salted peanuts2 sticks salted butter (1/2 pound), room temperature1 cup packed dark brown sugar1 cup granulated sugar1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter (I like Jif or Skippy)2 large eggs, room temperature2 teaspoons vanilla extractMaldon sea salt (optional)InstructionsHeat your oven to 350 degrees. Sift together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse the peanuts in a food processor until they're the texture of breadcrumbs.In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and the sugars until well-integrated, about three minutes. Add the peanut butter and beat until that's nicely worked in, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and finally beat in the vanilla.With a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients: starting with the flour mixture and finishing with the ground-up peanuts. Don't overwork the dough.Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1/4-cup scoop, scoop the cookies on to the cookie sheets, spacing them two inches apart (they'll spread). Wet a fork with cold water and create a cross-hatch pattern in each cookie. If you like 'em salty, sprinkle each cookie with a little Maldon sea salt.Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for about fifteen minutes — just until the cookies are slightly brown on the outside. They won't look completely done in the middle, but that's okay. Remove the cookie sheet to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Related Posts:

Miso Peanut Butter Cookies

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

The Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie of Your Dreams

BA’s Best Peanut Butter Cookies (Bon Appetit)

Peanut Butter Paprika Cookies (David Lebovitz)

The post Salted Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies appeared first on The Amateur Gourmet.

Citrus Upside-Down Cake

Some desserts just elicit an “ooh” or an “ahh” when you bring them to the table. This citrus upside-down cake is one of them!

I’ve made this cake (which comes to us from Melissa Clark) several times for dinner parties over the past few years. Every time I bring it out people stop their conversation to marvel at the grid of reds and oranges and yellows from the variety of citrus that I use. To put it in layman’s terms, it’s a showstopper! (Do laymen use the word “showstopper”?) And it’s actually a cinch to make.

It’s All About the Citrus

As you might guess with a citrus upside-down cake, it’s all about the fruit that you layer into the bottom. You could use everyday navel oranges or tangerines, but here in California we also get Cara Cara oranges (which are pinkish on the inside), blood oranges (which are red), and all different sorts of orange oranges. I like to buy one of each and then stagger the colors.

The only challenging part to this recipe is cutting off the skin. It’s definitely a skill you should practice. Not only is this great to do for an upside-down cake, but it’s also great for a salad. You just slice the tops and bottoms off your fruit with a very sharp knife. Then, with the knife, follow the white from the top to the bottom until all you’re left with is fruit. It’s way pretty.

A Piece of CakeThe batter for this cake has two key ingredients: cornmeal, which gives it a rough texture (almost like polenta), and sour cream, which makes it tender. The only planning you have to do is to bring the butter and eggs to room temperature before you use them, or they won’t incorporate.

You let it cool for ten minutes and then put the upside-down in the citrus upside-down cake: you flip it out on to a cake stand. If you’re wearing oven mitts, and you’re confident, it’ll go like gangbusters. Next: you let it cool. When it’s time to serve, whip up some whipped cream and work a little Cointreau in there to exaggerate the orange.

As winter winds down, this cake’s a big blast of California sunshine to remind you of the sunny days to come.

PrintCitrus Upside-Down CakeA complicated looking, easy-to-make cake adapted from Melissa Clark.Course DessertCuisine AmericanKeyword cake, citrus, cornmeal, orangesPrep Time 30 minutesCook Time 45 minutesServings 8 peopleIngredients2 sticks butter plus 3 tablespoons, at room temperature2/3 cup light brown sugar2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice3 oranges (Cara Cara, blood, etc.)1 cup granulated sugar1 cup fine cornmeal1/2 cup all-purpose flour1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon kosher salt4 large eggs, room temperature1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature2 teaspoons vanilla extractInstructionsHeat your oven to 350. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.In a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the brown sugar and the lemon juice and cook until the sugar melts, about 3 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan.Grate the zest from two of the oranges into a bowl with the granulated sugar. Pinch the zest into your sugar with your fingers to extract the oils. Set aside.Cut the tops and bottoms off the citrus, then use your knife to cut away the rind top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Slice the fruit into 1/4-inch thick rings and place decoratively into the cake pan on top of the brown sugar/butter mixture. You may be left with extra fruit — a snack for the chef.In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a stand mixer, cream the 2 sticks of butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides every so often. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla and fold in the dry ingredients by hand. (It may look a bit curdled, that's okay.)Scrape the batter over the oranges and spread evenly. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes in the pan; then use a knife to run it around the perimeter and carefully (with mitts on) flip the cake out on to a cake stand. Let cool completely before serving.

Related Posts:

Eric Wolitzky’s Pineapple Upside-Down CakePineapple Upside-Down Cake with Toasted Coconut Ice CreamSeared Scallops with Citrus Risotto

The post Citrus Upside-Down Cake appeared first on The Amateur Gourmet.

The California Veggie Sandwich

Now that the secret’s out (the secret being that we’re moving back to NY after twelve years in L.A.), it’s time to talk about what I’ll miss the most about California. Will it be the beaches? It won’t be the beaches. Will it be the glamorous movie premieres? It won’t be the glamorous movie premieres. No, the thing that I’ll miss the most about L.A. is very simple: it’s the produce. Every trip to our farmer’s market is like a trip to an edible jewelry store: the bright orange persimmons in December, the juicy blood red oranges in January, and the huge array of chilies and tomatoes and summer squash when we’re in the height of August. Which is why I imagine, when the time comes for me to conjure up our L.A. years from our much smaller NY kitchen, I’ll turn to the California Veggie Sandwich.

There’ve Got to Be Sprouts

The idea for this sandwich came to me via this week’s podcast guest, Starlee Kine, who you may know from This American Life or her iconic podcast The Mystery Show. When I asked Starlee to send me a recipe for the podcast, she confessed that she really didn’t cook. So I asked her to send me somewhere in L.A. featuring a dish that she really loves — which is when she brought up The California Veggie Sandwich from The Trails in Griffith Park.

I wasn’t able to make it to The Trails before our interview, so I did the next best thing: I found a picture of the sandwich online and recreated it at home. I showed Starlee the picture, which featured watercress, and she adamantly insisted that the picture must be wrong because it’s not watercress, it’s sprouts. “It has to have sprouts,” she told me.

Season as You Go

Let’s be honest: we’re talking about a simple sandwich here. It doesn’t really need a recipe, though I’ll give you one.

My key discovery was to season each layer as I built it. I started by shmearing mayonnaise on one half of the sandwich; on the other, I layered in a whole ripe avocado per sandwich. Yes, you heard that right. I seasoned with salt and pepper and squeezed on some lemon juice. Then I piled on the sprouts, and did the same (salt, pepper, lemon). Finally I added sliced red onion and the key ingredient: Fake Bacon Bits.

These things are an essential ingredient, no matter which brand you use. They add crunch and salinity without harming any animals in the process. And this is a California Hippie sandwich, is it not? (Well, Veggie Sandwich, though Hippie Sandwich will do too.)

What can I say about this sandwich? It totally hit the spot. The avocado adds density but it’s the sprouts that really make it sing. This is the taste of California on two pieces of bread and it features ingredients that you can find anywhere, only — I must confess — those ingredients won’t be as good. California produce, I’ll miss you most of all.

PrintThe California Veggie SandwichA wholesome hippie sandwich inspired by the one at The Trails Cafe in Griffith Park.Course LunchCuisine AmericanKeyword avocado, California, mayo, sproutsServings 2 sandwichesIngredients4 slices of whole grain bread2 tablespoons mayonnaise2 very ripe avocadosFreshly squeezed lemon juiceKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper1 cup alfalfa sprouts1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion1/2 cup vegetarian bacon bitsInstructionsLay out your four pieces of bread. Spread the mayo on two of them.On the non-mayo pieces, lay in your avocado (you can slice it or mush it, up to you!). Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Then add 1/2 cup sprouts to each sandwich. Season that with lemon, salt, and pepper. Lay on the red onion and, finally, sprinkle with the Bacon Bits. Close the sandwich and cut in half on the diagonal. Eat right away.

Related posts:

A Most Excellent BLTDeviled Egg SaladCalifornia’s Timeless Veggie Sandwiches Have One Key Ingredient (Tejal Rao, NYT);The California Veggie Sandwich Makes the Most of the State’s Summer Bounty (Ben Mims, LAT)

The post The California Veggie Sandwich appeared first on The Amateur Gourmet.

Birthday Enchiladas

When Craig and I first started dating back in 2006, my friend Patty asked what sign he was and when he said Aquarius she weighed that against the fact that I was an Aquarius and concluded: “It’ll never work. Two Aquariuses? I don’t see it.”

Seventeen years later, we’re still two Aquariuses battling it out. And February is of course our favorite month because we both get to celebrate our birthdays. For my birthday this year, we went to Antico Nuovo and ate pasta and ice cream and had a grand old time. For Craig’s birthday this year, we went out to Kato and ate an extravagant tasting menu of exquisitely plated seafood dishes. But before that, I threw another birthday bone Craig’s way (I’m such an Aquarius) and made him a dinner he’s always wanted me to make: his mother’s enchiladas. Only I dialed them up a little and turned them into birthday enchiladas.

Just Like Mom’s, Only Different

Craig’s mom Julee’s enchiladas are a classic: they’re flour tortillas stuffed with cheese (Monterey Jack), covered in a chili powder-infused tomato sauce, then topped with more cheese before being baked in a 350 oven. I’ve had them before and they’re like a marriage of grilled cheese and lasagna by way of Mexico.

Because we invited some friends over, I wanted to bulk up the enchiladas a little more and that’s when I found Ali Slagle’s recipe. The technique is the same, except the filling is a mixture of onions, Poblano chilies, garlic, and black beans that then gets a mix of Cheddar and Monterey Jack folded into it.

Cool Little Enchilada Tricks

As for the tomato sauce, Ali smartly has you blend half of the sautéed aromatics (pre-black beans) with fire-roasted tomatoes, chili powder, and hot sauce (I used Chipotle Rancho Gordo).

The one thing that I brought to the table enchilada-wise (lol) was the concept of charring the flour tortillas before rolling them. I love doing this. It’s the main reason I’d miss a gas stove. You just lay the flour (or corn) tortilla directly on the gas flame, flip it with tongs, until it gets some charry spots.

Bring on the Birthday Enchiladas

Then it’s just a fun assembly. Pour half the sauce into a casserole. Put some bean stuff into a charred tortilla, roll it up, lay it it on top of the sauce, and continue until the casserole’s filled. If you have extra bean stuff, put that around the sides like I did.

The rest of the sauce goes on, more cheese goes on top, and into the oven it goes for ten minutes or so until the cheese is melted (I broiled it for extra pizazz). Then, for even more pizazz, I topped the enchiladas like nachos: with sour cream, pickled red chilies, radishes, scallions, and cilantro.

Look at these dazzled faces!

And now you know the secret of how these two Aquariuses have made it work all these years. When the moon is in the second house, we make enchiladas.

PrintBirthday EnchiladasA riff on Ali Slagle's enchilada recipe with flour tortillas, black beans, and two cheeses.Course Main CourseCuisine MexicanKeyword beans, cheese, enchiladas, Mexican, tortillasPrep Time 1 hourCook Time 15 minutesIngredients2 tablespoons olive oil2 yellow onions, finely chopped1 Poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, diced4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly slicedKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon ground cumin1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes2 teaspoons chili powder (make sure it's fresh)1 teaspoon hot sauce (or more to taste)2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed2 cups grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack or both10 – 12 soft corn or flour tortillasSour cream (optional)Pickled red chilies or jalapeños (optional)Thinly sliced radishes (optional)Cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)Scallions, chopped (optional)InstructionsHeat your oven to 425 degrees.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions, Poblano chile, and garlic and season with salt. Cook just until softened and slightly charred in spots. Stir in the cumin and cook another minute, just until fragrant. Remove from the heat.Transfer half of the vegetables to a blender and blend with the tomatoes, chili powder, and hot sauce. Taste and adjust with salt. (If the mixture is too thick, add a splash of water or, according to Ali Slagle, 1/4 cup sour cream to make it looser.)Add the black beans to the vegetables in the skillet and sauté a little bit with a little more salt and pepper, tasting to adjust. (My secret? I sometimes add a tiny splash of Balsamic to round them out, but that's just between us.) Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese.Heat the tortillas either in the oven on a cookie sheet or over a gas flame, as mentioned above, stacking them as you go. Cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Pour 1/2 of the tomato sauce on to the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish and spread it around.Line up the filling, tortillas and baking dish in a row. Place a little more than ¼ cup of the bean mixture in the center of one tortilla, roll it up, and place it seam-side down in the casserole. Repeat until you've used up all the tortillas. If you have any extra filling, spoon it around the edges of the pan.Pour the remaining sauce on top and top with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, about ten minutes. If you want it a bit more charred on top, turn on the broiler and watch it carefully. Garnish with big dollops of sour cream, pickled chilies, radishes, cilantro, and scallions.

Related posts:

Cheese Enchiladas with Chile con CarneCraig’s Birthday Dinner at KatoMy Birthday Dinner at Antico Nuovo

The post Birthday Enchiladas appeared first on The Amateur Gourmet.

Noodles with Mushrooms, Chiles, and Lime

When you cook a recipe with lots of ingredients, you expect a big impact. So it would follow that cooking a recipe with just a few ingredients would be less impactful; that it would be simple in the way mashed potatoes are simple: straightforward, satisfying, but not complex. And then someone sends you a recipe for noodles with mushrooms, chiles, and lime and you think to yourself, “okay that seems pretty basic,” but then you make it and you marvel at the way every ingredient sings. Not just flavor-wise, but texture-wise. From the crunchy, salty, roasted peanuts you add at the end, to the refreshing whole cup of cilantro that gets stirred in too. Suddenly simple isn’t basic, simple is where it’s at.

A Vegan Made Me Do It

My guest on this week’s podcast is Vegan Chef Chris Tucker who cooks vegan food for private clients and celebrities (he’s doing vegan desserts for the Elton John Oscar Party this year!). Our conversation runs the gambit from how to become a vegan (and why) to how to stock a vegan pantry. But everything launched with this recipe that he sent me which comes from my old food blogging friend Heidi Swanson’s newest cookbook Super Natural Simple.

The ingredients are all things you can find easily. The mushrooms can be anything from everyday creminis to more exotic things like oyster mushrooms or Hen of the Woods (I chose shiitake). As for the chiles, I used pickled Fresnos, but any chile will work.

Bring on the Mushrooms, the Noodles, the Chiles, the Lime

Is there anything more fun to cook than mushrooms? I doubt it.

What other ingredient starts out so bulbous, so chest-out confident, so bright and then — just with some heat and a little fat (a tablespoon of olive oil here) — transforms into a concentrated, flavor-packed, golden brown nugget of meaty goodness?

Once that happens, you’re set. Just whisk together some soy sauce, lime juice, the chiles, scallions, and lime, and add the mushrooms in to marinate.

For the noodles, I used Umi Organic ramen which I loved for their rough texture and their wholesome mix of flours (though I missed the instruction about defrosting them first before boiling, so be sure to do that).

It All Comes Together

Once the noodles are cooked (which takes just two minutes), you toss them with all of the other stuff, adding more lime juice and soy sauce as necessary.

Finally, you add the toasted peanuts and the cilantro, toss those in and you’re done. Serve it up into bowls.

It’s a wholesome, nourishing, vegan dinner that doesn’t feel like a wholesome, nourishing, vegan dinner. And it takes just a few ingredients to make it happen. Sometimes more is more, but not here. Here less wins the day.

PrintRamen Noodles with Mushrooms, Chiles, and LimeA simple but super impactful combination of noodles, mushrooms, chiles, and lime from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Simple.Course Main CourseCuisine JapaneseKeyword chiles, lime, noodles, peanuts, ramenPrep Time 15 minutesCook Time 15 minutesServings 3 peopleIngredients8 green onion, white and tender green parts, thinly slicedJuice of 1 lime, plus more to serve1/2 serrano chile, seeded and minced I used my own pickled red Fresnos here but you can use whichever chile you like1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce, plus more to taste1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil1 pound mixed mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thickGenerous pinch of sea salt1 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, mint)1/3 cup toasted peanuts or other nuts4 ounces frozen ramen noodles (preferably Umi brand), defrosted Note: you can also serve these mushrooms with rice or just eat them by themselves too.InstructionsCombine the green onions, lime juice, chile, and tamari in a large bowl and set aside.Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and season with the salt. Cook for 4 minutes, stir, and cook for a few minutes more, until the mushrooms release their liquid and start to brown. When the mushrooms are deeply golden, remove the pan from the heat.Add the mushrooms to the onion mixture and gently toss. Stir in the herbs and peanuts, conserving some for garnishing the noodles.Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add your defrosted ramen noodles and cook for two minutes (tasting to make sure the texture is right). Lift into the pan with the mushrooms and toss all around. Taste and adjust for more soy sauce and lime. Garnish with the remaining herbs and peanuts and serve in bowls.

Related recipes:

Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Cooking for Vegans

Baked Pasta with Fontina and Roasted Mushrooms

The post Noodles with Mushrooms, Chiles, and Lime appeared first on The Amateur Gourmet.

Chicken Sauce Piquant

It’s funny the things that inspire us to cook dinner. I was recently scrolling through TikTok (as one does these days) when a video popped up of Emeril Lagasse making a roux. I’ve long been curious about the process of making a true roux; from everything that I’ve read, it’s a long process — you have to stand there, like you’re making risotto, only instead of twenty minutes, it can take up to an hour. But that process of stirring flour into fat and slowly toasting it creates a base for your soup or stew or gumbo or, in this case, chicken sauce piquant, that not only boosts the flavor, but thickens things into a rich and decadent gravy.

What is Chicken Sauce Piquant?

Imagine a stewy braise of fried chicken thigh pieces cooked with all kinds of spices and the holy trinity (celery, onions, peppers), thickened by a roux made with the leftover chicken fat, and then cooked with tomatoes and garlic and chicken broth, and doctored with hot sauce (Crystal, of course). It’s hearty, it’s spicy, and it’s cozy for a cold winter’s night.

I found this recipe in my favorite Cajun cookbook: Donald Link’s Real Cajun. (I’ve shared so many recipes from it on here, I’m waiting for a lawsuit.) On my last trip to New Orleans, I ate at two Link restaurants: Cochon Butcher (their Cubano was outrageous) and Peche (maybe my favorite meal of the trip). I’m a Donald Link obsessive and so, I hope he’ll forgive me if I share another recipe of his.

The Holy Trinity

As you’ll see from this picture, the set-up for this dish is actually pretty simple: in one bowl you toss cut-up chicken thighs with salt, pepper, cayenne, chili powder, paprika, and flour. In another bowl, you mix together your onion, celery, poblano (the holy trinity, though with a spicier pepper than your normal green pepper), and garlic. Finally, in a third bowl (not pictured), you mix together plum tomatoes, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves, and hot sauce.

You start by browning the chicken in hot oil and that’s a step where you want to take your time. The more golden brown you can get the chicken pieces, the more flavorful your chicken sauce piquant will be. And then comes the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

Roux McLanahan

Once you’ve browned your chicken, you’ll be left with oil and chicken fat at the bottom of the pot. If you don’t see enough, you can add a little more oil (that’s what I did). Then you add the remaining flour from the chicken bowl (and if you need more flour, you can add some too). The goal here is to toast the flour in the oil until you get “a medium-brown, peanut butter-colored roux.” This isn’t like the Emeril video where it all happens very slowly; in this particular case, it should happen in five minutes. That’s probably because you’re starting mid-dish with some flour already toasted in there from the chicken. It’s still very exciting and very fragrant.

Once the trinity goes in, the dish basically becomes a braise. You cook your aromatics until the vegetables are soft, then add the liquids, and finally return the chicken to the pot. That all simmers for 45 minutes until you have a light gravy and the chicken is tender.

Order Up!

Imagine that on your stove just as your friends arrive for dinner. I put a lid on it and just kept there, heat off, and cooked a pot of basmati rice to serve it with; setting the table with all kinds of hot sauce for doctoring.

Needless to say, when I heated it back up and brought it out to the table. it was quite a culinary triumph. A soup, a stew, and a gravy all in one.

So get things together and make a roux this weekend. Your tummy and your friends will thank you.

PrintChicken Sauce PiquantA zesty, spicy, rich stew from Donald Link's Real Cajun.Course Main CourseCuisine CajunKeyword cajun, chicken, Donald Link, New Orleans, piquantPrep Time 30 minutesCook Time 1 hour 28 minutesServings 4 hungry peopleIngredients1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt2 teaspoons ground black pepper1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper2 teaspoons cayenne pepper2 teaspoons chili powder1 teaspoon paprika3 to 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs Donald Link's original recipe calls for a whole 4-pound chicken, boned, and cut into cubes; I think packaged chicken thighs make things a lot easier3/4 cup vegetable oil or lard1 cup all-purpose flour1 small onion, diced3 celery stalks, diced1 small poblano chile, seeded and diced1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic5 plum tomatoes, diced2 cups canned tomatoes5 cups chicken broth1 tablespoons fresh or dried thyme (if fresh, just the leaves, chopped)4 bay leaves4 dashes of hot sauce Steamed rice (for serving)Thinly sliced scallions (for garnish)InstructionsWhisk together the salt, peppers, chili powder, and paprika in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and use your hands to toss until evenly coated; set aside.Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke slightly. While the oil heats, toss the chicken with flour to coat. Shaking off the excess flour from the chicken, transfer the pieces to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides. Fry the chicken in two batches so you don't overcrowd the pan — the chicken should be in one layer, and not on top of each other. Reserve the leftover flour. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a deep plate, leaving the oil in the pan.Add the remaining flour to the oil and cook (I added a little more oil and flour at this point, because the leftovers didn't seem like enough — there should be at least 1/2 cup of each). Monitor the heat — you don't want the flour to burn! — and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes to create a medium-brown, peanut butter-colored roux.Add the onion, celery, poblano, and garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Add the chicken tomatoes, broth, thyme, bay leaves, and hot sauce. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a light gravy and the chicken is tender enough to shred with a fork. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or hot sauce as desired. Serve over rice, garnished with scallions.

The post Chicken Sauce Piquant appeared first on The Amateur Gourmet.

Blow-You-A-Whey Pancakes with Homemade Labneh

Little Miss Muffet can keep her curds: I’m stealing her whey. Especially to make these blow-you-a-whey pancakes with homemade labneh which (spoiler alert!) are easily some of the best pancakes that I’ve ever made and/or eaten in my life.

The secret is the milky white substance that collects in the bowl underneath the sieve when you strain yogurt overnight in the fridge. If you’ve never done this, you’ve never made labneh, which is a real shame because labneh is like yogurt taken to the power of eleven. It’s thick and creamy and works as a dip, a spread, even on its own as a base for fruit and granola. But we’re not here to talk about the labneh, we’re here to talk about the whey!

Why am I so obsessed with the stuff? It’s all because of Homa Dashtaki’s terrific new cookbook, Yogurt and Whey. Homa is the founder of The White Mustache, which sells some of the most celebrated yogurt in America. She’s also my podcast guest this week:

When I asked her to send me a recipe to make, she very quickly responded with the pancake recipe, giving me instructions for making my own whey. I’ll include it in the recipe below, but it’s as simple as buying two quarts of full-fat plain yogurt (not Greek) and straining it overnight with a sieve lined with cheesecloth in the fridge.

Such an easy thing to do and it yields such rewards! Again, the labneh is super versatile, but look what happens when you mix the whey with eggs, melted butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

See those happy blobs? See all the bubbles on top? That’s because all of the acid from the whey is interacting with the baking powder and baking soda, creating an amazing amount of lift. And then the natural sugars in the whey are helping the pancakes get nice and crispy on the edges.

If they remind you of buttermilk pancakes, you’re in the right ballpark: buttermilk pancakes are fluffy and crispy too (again, because of the acid). But the key difference here is that the whey has none of the heaviness of dairy. It’s lighter yet still contains all of the chemical properties you love about buttermilk. And look at how gorgeous these look hot out of the skillet.

What a gift to give yourself in the morning and all you have to do is strain yogurt overnight? In the time that it took you to read this, you could’ve already set that up. And the best part is you can top it with some of the labneh (in the lead picture, I also added some cherry compote we had in the fridge).

Who knew that something most of us throw away could lead to a life-changing pancake moment? Homa knew. And now, thanks to her, we know it too.

PrintBlow-You-A-Whey Pancakes with Homemade LabnehThe best pancakes you'll ever eat from Homa Dashtaki's Yogurt & Whey.Course BreakfastCuisine AmericanKeyword breakfast, pancakes, syrup, whey, yogurtPrep Time 1 dayCook Time 25 minutesServings 4 peopleIngredients2 quarts whole milk, full-fat, plain yogurt (not Greek)1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour2 tablespoons sugar1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon kosher salt2 large eggs4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skilletNeutral oil (such as sunflower, canola, or grapeseed)InstructionsThe day before you plan to make the pancakes, place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and line it with cheesecloth. Carefully pour in the two quarts of yogurt and place everything in the refrigerator overnight (it needs at least 24 hours). You need one cup of whey for this recipe — if you have extra, save it for more pancakes.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, one cup of whey, and melted butter until thoroughly combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently whisk just until incorporated (don't overmix; a few lumps of flour are okay). Set the batter aside for 15 minutes at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles.Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat well.Using a 1/3rd cup measure, scoop the batter into the hot pan — leaving some space between each pancake (I did four at a time). Bubbles will form on the tops of the pancakes; wait to flip them until most of the bubbles have popped and the pancakes are golden brown underneath (about 3 minutes). Flip and cook another minute or two until golden on the other side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining pancakes, adding more butter and oil as needed.Serve with some of the labneh, maple syrup, jam, or compote.

Related posts:

Ricotta PancakesCaramelized Apple PancakesStrawberry PancakesThe Pancake at Canéle

The post Blow-You-A-Whey Pancakes with Homemade Labneh appeared first on The Amateur Gourmet.

Baked Chicken Thighs with Butter and Onions

Keep your ferments, your sous vide pork chops, your deconstructed French Onion Soup; when it comes to dishes that I’m interested in, I’d much rather eat the favorite thing that you ate in childhood — especially if it’s something that your mother made for you with love. That’s the case with Aaron Hutcherson’s baked chicken thighs with butter and onions. It’s a deceptively simple dish that his mother made with a homemade spice mix, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, and just enough butter to give everything some pizazz. It’s a weeknight dinner that feels good enough for the weekend.

I learned about this dish on this week’s episode of You’ve Got to Taste This, in which Aaron talks about his childhood in Chicago, how his mom let him cook with her in the kitchen, and how he ultimately branched out on his own, attending culinary school (after working as a wealth manager) and becoming a recipe columnist for The Washington Post. You can listen to our whole conversation here or on Apple podcasts:

The spice mix is a classic combo of salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder (which made me think of my own mother — she loved sprinkling it on pasta and pizza), dried thyme, ground cumin, and paprika. You sprinkle that all over eight bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (you don’t want boneless, skinless here: the skin and bone insulate the chicken from the heat of the oven, keeping everything juicy).

If you just did that and stuck it in the oven, you’d have a great dinner. But Aaron (and his mom) take things a step further, scattering a chopped onion over everything and adding pats of butter.

If I’ve learned anything in this life, it’s this: butter and chicken are the best of friends. It’s what makes my roast chicken so special.

You bake that in a 400 degree oven (Aaron recommends a 9X13 pan, but I used a 12-inch cast-iron skillet) for 40 minutes and at the end, if the thighs aren’t crispy enough, you broil them.

I mean, who wouldn’t have a smile on their face if this came to the table?

Aaron suggests serving with rice and I think that’s a must: what else is going to soak up all of those buttery, spicy, chicken juices? I also added some of my famous roasted broccoli for health.

This is one of those versatile, back-pocket recipes you’ll whip out any time you need a quick, comforting dinner that’ll impress and nourish at the same time. Thanks Aaron, and thanks to your mom, for this newest addition to my repertoire.

PrintBaked Chicken Thighs with Butter and OnionsA lovely family recipe from food writer Aaron Hutcherson featuring chicken, spices, butter, and onions.Course Main CourseCuisine AmericanKeyword butter, chicken, main courses, onions, spicesPrep Time 20 minutesCook Time 40 minutesTotal Time 1 hour 5 minutesIngredients8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 pounds total)1 tablespoon kosher salt (I like Diamond Crystal)1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon dried thyme I used dried oregano here and it worked great1/2 teaspoon ground cumin1/2 teaspoon paprika1 small yellow onion, diced4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 piecesInstructionsPreheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat your chicken thighs dry with paper towels and mix together all of the spices.In a 9 X 13 baking dish or a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, add your chicken thighs. Sprinkle on all sides with the spice mixture, finishing with the chicken skin-side up.Sprinkle the chopped onion over the chicken and then top each piece with a slice of butter. Bake for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.If the chicken isn't crispy enough (is it ever crispy enough?) place under the broiler and broil just until the skin gets a bit darker, but not so long that it burns. Let it cool slightly and then serve with rice and lots of the pan juices on top.

The post Baked Chicken Thighs with Butter and Onions appeared first on The Amateur Gourmet.

Keema Pau

Have you ever been in a cooking rut? Sometimes I literally have no idea what to make for dinner even though I have a cookbook shelf overflowing with books and I read about food on the internet for 85% of my day.

Thankfully, I started this new podcast and my guests send me recipes to make that I would never think of making on my own. Case in point: this Keema Pau which was suggested to me by my guest this week, Karan Soni, who you may know from the Deadpool movies or the show Miracle Workers. Karan and his partner Roshan came over for dinner and noticed the Dishoom cookbook on my shelf and Karan lit up: he cooked his way through it during the pandemic and absolutely loved the food that he made. So when I asked him to send me a recipe for the pod, he referred me to page 109, which has the recipe for Keema Pau.

What is Keema Pau?

Well here’s our discussion if you’d like to hear us talk all about it:

But for those who don’t have time to listen to a highly acclaimed, much beloved podcast, here’s the gist: you sauté onions in oil, add fresh ginger and garlic, and then three teaspoons of freshly ground coriander seeds (I use a spice grinder).

Here’s where things get really wild: you add 1/2 cup of full-fat Greek yogurt, crank the heat up, and cook until the yogurt starts to separate. In my twenty years of cooking, I’ve never added dairy to heat and tried to get it to separate — the whole thing was thrilling. To that you add ground lamb, flour, and an herb paste that you make with spring onions, cilantro, mint, and green chili.

By the time this all cooked together for twenty minutes, I tasted and the flavor absolutely knocked me on to my butt. I’d never tasted anything like it: it had the sourness and tang from the yogurt, the meatiness and slight gaminess of the lamb, and then the herbaceousness from the mint, cilantro, and chilies. Visually, it wasn’t the most alluring thing I’d ever seen, and adding frozen peas didn’t really help, but the flavor was undeniable. Karan suggested buying frozen paratha from the Indian supermarket near my apartment which was a delight to just heat up directly in a cast iron skillet.

Seriously, if you take nothing else away from this post let it be this: frozen paratha are a brilliant thing to have in your freezer. They’d make a terrific base for scrambled eggs (Karan’s mom used to make hers with chilies and other aromatics and serve it over paratha for breakfast); I was even thumbing through the new Turkey and the Wolf cookbook and they serve one of their sandwiches on paratha.

For a side, I made one of my favorite Indian dishes: Meera Sodha’s Cauliflower, Cashew, Pea, and Coconut Curry. (The pomegranate seeds were an added flourish.)

This food was so good, it didn’t matter that the power went out just as our dinner guests arrived!

Everyone was so busy chowing down, we barely noticed when the lights came back on. If that’s not the sign of a good dinner, I don’t know what is. Thanks, Karan, for teaching me about Keema Pau! It really packs a punch.

PrintKeema PauAn enticing combination of lamb, yogurt, spices, and herbs from the Dishoom cookbook.Course Main CourseCuisine IndianKeyword cilantro, Dishoom, lamb, yogurtPrep Time 30 minutesCook Time 1 hourServings 4Ingredients2 inch piece of fresh ginger6 to 7 cloves garlic2 scallions or spring onions1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped2 whole green chilies plus an extra 1 tablespoon roughly chopped As you'll hear in the podcast, Karan recommends the small, spicy green chilies you find in Indian groceries; if you can't find, use any small, spicy green chile3 tablespoons vegetable oil1 onion, finely diced3 teaspoons ground coriander Buy the seeds whole and grind them in your spice grinder or mortar and pestle1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt1 pound ground lamb1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt2 bay leaves1/3 teaspoon plain flour1/4 cup frozen peasFor serving:4 frozen paratha, heated according to package directionsChopped red onion (for garnish)A few cilantro leaves3 to 4 lime wedgesInstructionsStart by grating the ginger and garlic with a microplane into a small bowl; set aside.In a blender, blitz together the scallions, cilantro, mint, and tablespoon of chopped green chilies together to make a paste (you may need to add a splash of water to help it come together).In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. When hot, add the onion and sauté gently for five minutes, stirring regularly, without browning (I added a pinch of salt here; up to you). Add the grated ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Add the ground coriander and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.Crank up the heat and stir in the yogurt, sautéing for 3 minutes just until the yogurt starts to separate. Lower the heat back to medium, stir in the lamb, salt, bay leaves, and mix well. Sauté, stirring regularly, until the moisture starts to leave the meat. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well.Stir in the green paste, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.Add the peas and the whole green chilies and simmer over the lowest possible heat for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the time is up, put the lid on, turn off the heat, and allow the keema to stand for ten minutes. This is a good time to taste and adjust for salt.To serve, heat the paratha and scoop the keema into bowls, garnish with red onion and coriander. Serve with the paratha and lime wedges.

The post Keema Pau appeared first on The Amateur Gourmet.