POULTRY AND GAME
| —1870s— | • Pigeon and quail are common: they’re broiled, glazed, jugged, potted, roasted, stewed, and made into pie. Chicken, not so much. |
| —1887— | • Curried Turkey Hash (here). |
| —1908— | • Chicken à la Marengo (here) shows up in the Times, but no one notices until Craig Claiborne popularizes it in the 1960s. |
| —1946— | • Cutlets à la Kiev (here). |
| —1961— | • The recipe for Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (here) is first printed in the Times; it lives on for decades. |
| —1964 — | • Birth of Buffalo chicken wings; the Times recipe is from 1981 (here). |
| —1960s— | • Eugene Beals invents the pop-up timer for turkeys. |
| —1969— | • Lee Lum’s Lemon Chicken (here) is one of the first Chinese dishes to really strike a chord with readers. |
| —1980s— | • Turducken (here) begins seeping into Thanksgiving culture. |
| —1980— | • Florence Fabricant refers to “free-range chickens”—a first in the Times. • Chicken Paprikash (here). |
| —1982— | • The Silver Palate Cookbook is published, and every cook in America serves chicken Marbella at dinner parties until everyone is sick of it. |
| —1987— | • Judy Rodgers is hired as chef at Zuni Café in San Francisco; the restaurant will become known for her roast chicken with bread salad (here). |
| —1990s— | • If you aren’t deep-frying turkey in a pot of boiling peanutoil for Thanksgiving you are brining the bird (see here). • Duck breast becomes standard fare on high-end restaurant menus. |
| —1999— | • Beer-Can Chicken (here) is all the rage on the barbecue circuit—chicken loses its remaining dignity, but it tastes good. |
| —2000s— |
• Proportionately fewer chicken recipes are printed in the Times. • For reasons that cannot be explained rationally, Americans stop eating chicken skin altogether. Commercial chicken continues its downward spiral toward flavorlessness. |
| —2003— | • Jamie Oliver’s Braised Ligurian Chicken (here) becomes a favorite of Times readers. • “Pastured” and “pasture-raised” chickens one-up free-range chickens—the birds forage in fields, not open pens. |
| —2009— | • Both the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times write about dry-brining the Thanksgiving turkey. Trend meters go berserk. |
POULTRY AND GAME
A little more than a hundred years ago, we cooked quail with bacon, turkey with curry, squab with marjoram, and chicken with leeks and prunes, each bird a frequent inhabitant of the Dutch oven. You’ll notice that as this chapter progresses, the kitchen aviary gets much, much smaller. As hunting diminished and farmers discovered that chicken could be raised efficiently (its feed-to-flesh ratio is lower than even beef), the use of seasonal game and turkey declined, and chicken swept the field.
Luckily, chicken also happens to be a delicious bird that easily feeds a family of four. And it’s flattered by seasonings as varied as jerk (here) and buttermilk (here). The recipes I loved most are ones in which familiar combinations are improved through technique. In Elizabeth Frink’s Roast Lemon Chicken (here), she has you add lemon zest and juice in so many ways that the bird tastes as if it had been raised on lemons alone. Steve Raichlen teaches you how to grill a whole chicken propped on top of a beer can (don’t ask, just do; here). And Mark Bittman makes frying chicken a snap by using much less oil.
But don’t forget about turkey, duck, quail, and squab (pigeon). Small game birds are easy to cook (they’re tiny little things—you just season them and toss them in the oven) and there are techniques here for duck and turkey that will change the way you cook them forever. Now I always roast duck partially at high heat and partially at low heat (see here), and brine my turkeys à la Alice Waters before roasting them (see here), which keeps the meat moist and the skin as crisp as a dry leaf.
Cold Poultry Dishes
Chicken with Lime, Chile, and Fresh Herbs (Larb Gai)
Elizabeth Frink’s Roast Lemon Chicken
Roasted Whole Poultry and Game
Roast Chicken with Bread Salad
Elizabeth Frink’s Roast Lemon Chicken
Roasted Brine-Cured Turkey with Wild Mushroom Stuffing
Roasted Brine-Cured Turkey with Shiitake and Lotus Seed Stuffing
Roast Lemon Pepper Duck with Honey Lemon Sauce
Roast Quail with Sage Dressing
Quail with Rosemary on Soft Polenta
Roasted Squab with Chicken Liver Stuffing
Grilled Poultry
Bademiya’s Justly Famous Bombay Chile-and-Cilantro Chicken
Spicy, Garlicky Cashew Chicken
Stews and Minced Poultry
Turkey with Noodles Florentine
Rillettes de Canard (Duck Rillettes)
Chicken with Lime, Chile, and Fresh Herbs (Larb Gai)
Fried Chicken and Wings
Chicken Wings with Oyster Sauce
Fried Sambal Wings with Cucumber Cream
Janice Okun’s Buffalo Chicken Wings
Chicken Betty’s Fried Chicken and Gravy
Cinnamon-Scented Fried Chicken
Spicy, Supercrunchy Fried Chicken
Braised/Roasted Bone-In Poultry
Braised Duck Legs with Pinot Noir Sauce
Crisp-Braised Duck Legs with Aromatic Vegetables
Fricassee of Chicken with Tarragon
Moroccan Chicken Smothered in Olives
Pan-Roasted Chicken with End-of-Season Tomatoes
James Beard’s Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Staff Meal Chicken with Salsa Verde
Southeast Asian Chicken Two Ways
Spicy, Garlicky Cashew Chicken
Boneless Poultry
Breaded Chicken Breasts with Parmesan Cheese
Chicken Roasted with Sour Cream, Lemon Juice, and Mango Chutney
Stir-Fried Chicken with Creamed Corn
Rhubarb-Soy-Marinated Duck with Rhubarb-Ginger Compote
Duck
Rhubarb-Soy-Marinated Duck with Rhubarb-Ginger Compote
Crisp-Braised Duck Legs with Aromatic Vegetables
Braised Duck Legs with Pinot Noir Sauce
Confit de Canard (Preserved Duck)
Game and Game Birds
Roast Quail with Sage Dressing
Quail with Rosemary on Soft Polenta
Roasted Squab with Chicken Liver Stuffing
Border Town Hunter’s Stew with Antelope (or Venison), Poblanos, Pumpkin, and Hominy
Winter Poultry and Game
Braised Duck Legs with Pinot Noir Sauce
Spring Poultry and Game
Fricassee of Chicken with Tarragon
Rhubarb-Soy-Marinated Duck with Rhubarb-Ginger Compote
Summer Poultry and Game
Bademiya’s Justly Famous Bombay Chile-and-Cilantro Chicken
Pan-Roasted Chicken with End-of-Season Tomatoes
Fall Poultry and Game
Roast Quail with Sage Dressing
Roasted Brine-Cured Turkey with Wild Mushroom Stuffing
Roasted Brine-Cured Turkey with Shiitake and Lotus Seed Stuffing
Turkey with Noodles Florentine
If you can get grated fresh (or frozen) coconut—usually available at Asian and Indian markets—this is a great, easy dish for a weeknight dinner. While you’re at the store, pick up some fresh curry powder, too.
———
One 4-pound chicken, cut into 6 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons curry powder
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup grated fresh or frozen coconut
½ cup light unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup water
1. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, add the chicken skin side down and cook, turning occasionally until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion to the pan, and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the curry and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Add the coconut, coconut milk, and water, return the chicken to the pan, and cover with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes. Baste the chicken with the pan juices, and check the breast meat. If it’s done, remove the breasts from the pan. Otherwise, put the lid back on and continue cooking, removing the breasts as they finish cooking. Then remove the lid and finish cooking the legs with the lid off.
3. Arrange the chicken on a platter. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce. Spoon it over the chicken.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Kaffir Lime Lemonade (here), Sweet (or Savory) Lassi (here), Beet and Ginger Soup with Cucumber (here), Hoppers (here), Yogurt Rice (here), Jasmine Tea Rice (here), Tangerine Sherbet (here)
APRIL 25, 1880: “RECEIPTS FOR THE TABLE” RECIPE SIGNED A.D.V.
—1880
A MOLEY (CURRIED TURKEY HASH)
To make the case that Americans should make curry rather than hash with their leftover Thanksgiving turkey, the writer of the story adapted a bunch of curry recipes, including this moley, from a cookbook by Daniel Sautiagoe, a Tamil from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
The distinction between a curry—a vegetable, fish, or meat dish seasoned with a blend of spices—and a moley mystifies me. This moley sure seems like a curry (note the meat and the spices). It is heavily skewed for the American kitchen, calling for butter rather than coconut oil, curry powder in place of a homemade curry mixture, and milk and cream instead of coconut milk.
———
2 cups sliced onions
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon curry powder
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt
2 cups whole milk
4 cups diced cooked turkey
1 tablespoon heavy cream
¼ teaspoon cider vinegar
1. Soften the onion in the butter, with the curry powder, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne, in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Season with salt, add the milk, and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half and thickened a little.
2. Add the turkey and heat through, then stir in the cream and vinegar. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Sweet (or Savory) Lassi (here), Crab and Coconut Curry (here), Hot Pepper Shrimp (here), Green Beans with Coriander-Coconut Crust (here), Basmati Rice with Coconut Milk and Ginger (here), Tapioca Pudding (here)
NOVEMBER 25, 1887: “CURRY FOR THE TURKEY.” RECIPE ADAPTED FROM A COOKBOOK BY DANIEL SAUTIAGOE.
—1887
ROAST QUAIL WITH SAGE DRESSING
This article appeared in late October, in anticipation of quail season, which at the time began and ended in November. With so little time to enjoy the birds, there was no room for a mistake in the kitchen. As the author noted, “Those who eat quail for the sake of the real flavor of the flesh will advocate the plainest methods of cookery and such simple seasonings as butter, pepper, and salt, or, at the most, the fat of salted bacon.” Beyond that, readers were offered instructions for quail roasted at high heat and served over toasts spread with giblet butter; stuffed quail; roasted quail wrapped in grape leaves; and this carefully constructed bacon-cloaked roasted quail poised on a bed of seasoned and toasted bread crumbs. I can think of no better way to enjoy the birds.
If you’ve never cooked quail before (I hadn’t), jump in and try it. You’ll have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
———
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2½ cups fresh bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons dried sage
1 tablespoon onion juice (see Cooking Notes, here)
4 quail (about 5 ounces each)
8 slices bacon
Flour for dusting
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and toast them to the color of a hazelnut. Season with salt and pepper. Off the heat, stir in the sage and onion juice. Keep warm.
2. Wrap each quail in 2 slices of bacon, securing it with toothpicks. Dust the birds with flour and place on their sides in a roasting pan. Roast for 6 minutes, basting with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
3. Turn the quail and roast for 6 more minutes for medium-rare, 8 more minutes for medium well.
4. Serve the birds on a bed of the bread crumbs.
SERVES 2 AS A MAIN COURSE, 4 AS A FIRST COURSE
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Bagna Cauda (here), Nicole Kaplan’s Gougères (here), Ratatouille with Butternut Squash (here), Fresh Mushrooms Stewed with Madeira (here), Barley Risotto (here), Stewed Fennel (here), The Most Voluptuous Cauliflower (here), Cumin-Mustard Carrots (here), Poached Pears in Brandy and Red Wine (here), Lemon Mousse for a Crowd (here), Snow Pudding (here)
OCTOBER 27, 1907: “OPENING OF THE QUAIL SEASON.”
—1907
CHICKEN À LA MARENGO
Some people may be disappointed that I didn’t include Craig Claiborne’s chicken Marengo, which I’d heard was the dish to serve in the 1960s. I made two of his versions and liked them, but then I tried this much older recipe and thought it blew Craig’s away. His were uniform, polite, their sauces thickened with flour; this one reminded me of the kinds of country home cooking you find in Italy. You get crisp pieces of chicken, a whiff of garlic, some mushrooms, and a concentrated oil-slicked wash of tomato.
According to Larousse Gastronomique, the original dish was created by Napoleon’s chef after the battle of Marengo (although The Oxford Companion to Food points out that tomatoes were not used in this way at the time). It is said to have been garnished with crawfish and fried eggs—hardly what we think of as battlefield fare.
———
One 14-ounce can whole tomatoes
⅓ cup chopped carrot
⅓ cup chopped celery
⅔ cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
One 4½-pound chicken, cut into 4 pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
½ pound white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1. Pour the can of tomatoes into a small saucepan. Crush the tomatoes using a potato masher or fork. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and parsley. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, about 40 minutes. Season with salt about halfway through.
2. Press the tomatoes through the fine disk of a food mill into a bowl, then stir in 1 tablespoon butter and check the seasoning.
3. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with the oil in a 12-inch sauté pan or casserole over medium-high heat. Add the garlic. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the dark meat pieces to the pan. Once they begin to get crisp on the edges, reduce the heat to medium. After 5 minutes, add the breast pieces. Turn the chicken as it browns and remove the pieces to a platter as they finish cooking, 15 to 18 minutes total time. After 15 minutes, add the mushrooms to the pan, season them, and cook until lightly browned and cooked through—they may need to cook for a few minutes after the chicken has been removed.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon off all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of fat. Add 1 cup tomato puree to the mushrooms and stir up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the sauce thickens and forms a glaze with the fat in the pan. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Artichokes Croisette (here), Italian Roast Potatoes (here), Pistachio Cream (here), Queen of Puddings (here)
MAY 17, 1908: “HOW TO COOK CHICKENS: THERE ARE NUMEROUS DEVIATIONS FROM THE UNIMAGINATIVE ROAST OR BOIL—HERE ARE SOME OF THEM.”
—1908
ROASTED SQUAB WITH CHICKEN LIVER STUFFING
Squab is the kind of bird—it’s gamy, but delicately so—that you need to eat with your hands if you want to enjoy it properly, so let the birds cool for ten minutes before serving. Give your guests large napkins and small sharp knives for carving away at the tiny specimens. This recipe came from Louis Diat, the French chef best known for vichyssoise.
———
4 squab (about 1 pound each)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons softened
½ finely chopped onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ cup coarse dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons whole milk
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the hearts and livers from the squab. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, hearts, and livers, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion has softened and the giblets are cooked through. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
2. Chop the hearts and livers and return to the onions. Stir in the parsley, ginger, and bread crumbs. Pour in the milk and toss to moisten.
3. Fill the cavities of the birds with the stuffing, then truss them. Rub ½ tablespoon of the remaining butter over each and season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the legs reads 160 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Mushrooms Stuffed with Duxelles and Sausage (here), Sautéed Potatoes with Parsley (here), Watercress Salad (here), Creamy Salad Dressing (here), Fresh Ginger Cake (here), Spanish Cream (here)
In the introduction to this recipe, Kiley Taylor, the reporter, wrote excitedly of the plump new squab created with “scientific raising” and “special feeding”—which seems sinister now that we know the ills that factory farming has wrought.
SEPTEMBER 1, 1940: “VICTUALS AND VITAMINS,” BY KILEY TAYLOR. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM LOUIS DIAT, THE CHEF AT THE RITZ IN NEW YORK CITY.
—1940
CUTLETS À LA KIEV
A photo caption accompanying this story and recipe read: “The chef at the Casino Russe rolls a whole chicken breast around an elongated lump of butter, dips the bundle into flour, egg, and crumbs, and fries it in deep fat. Cutlet à la Kiev, as this is called, is as exotic as vodka.” As you cut into the chicken, the butter in the center is supposed to spurt out, like the jelly in a doughnut. Spoiler: it does. It also has the perfect culinary yin-yang of crunch and moisture.
———
6 small skin-on, boneless chicken breasts (5 to 7 ounces each)
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups fine dry bread crumbs
Salt
Canola oil for frying
1. Lay the chicken breasts skin side down on a cutting board. With the tip of a sharp knife, make 2 tiny lengthwise slits in each breast. Flatten the breasts with a meat mallet until they’re ⅓ inch thick.
2. Cut the butter into 2-tablespoon portions and roll each portion into log shape. Lay 1 log at the bottom edge of each chicken breast, then roll the chicken breast, “making a bundle that looks roughly like a chicken leg.”
3. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Put the flour in another shallow bowl and the bread crumbs in a third bowl. Season each rolled breast with salt, then dip first in the flour, then in egg, and then in bread crumbs. Dip it in the egg and bread crumbs once more.
4. Heat ½ inch of oil in a deep 12-inch skillet until it’s hot enough to toast a bread crumb in 30 seconds. Add the chicken bundles skin side down and fry until nut brown, regulating the heat as needed (the fat should be bubbling but the bread crumbs should not be burning), then turn and brown the other side, 10 to 12 minutes total. Drain on paper towel and serve immediately.
SERVES 6
COOKING NOTE
The recipe calls for fine dry breadcrumbs, which work well, but why not try Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) for an extra-crunchy effect?
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Garden Minestrone (here), Tomato Soup I or II (here and here), Risotto with Lemon and Crème Fraîche (here), Steamed Spinach with Balsamic Butter (here), String Beans with Ginger and Garlic (here), Purple Plum Torte (here)
AUGUST 6, 1946: “NEWS OF FOOD: CHEF CHALLENGES HOUSEWIVES, SAYS FEW KNOW HOW TO DO KIEV CHICKEN CUTLETS,” BY JANE NICKERSON. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM GABRIEL SIDORENKO, THE CHEF AT CASINO RUSSE, A RESTAURANT IN NEW YORK CITY.
—1946
COUNTRY CAPTAIN
Country captain is the Lowcountry’s version of chicken cacciatore, an unpretentious dish you put on the stove and let bubble away until it’s done. Sam Sifton, who wrote about it in 2009, called it “a meal you could cook for company and probably ought to, an elegant dinner of no great complication, what the food historian and raconteur John T. Edge calls in the very best sense a Southern woman’s dish, devoid of macho chef-man technique and frippery.”
You brown some chicken, sprinkle in chopped green pepper, garlic, and curry (Charleston and Savannah were ports for the spice trade), fill in the gaps with tomatoes, and leave it to simmer. When it’s almost all cooked down, you put some rice on the stove, then open up a jar of chutney, sprinkle the chicken with almonds (remember to leave out the frippery), and call everyone to the table. Franklin D. Roosevelt was a fan of country captain. So, too, was General Patton. But it was Cecily Brownstone, the Associated Press food writer, who kept the recipe alive for decades. Brownstone got James Beard to teach the recipe at his school and Irma Rombauer to publish it in The Joy of Cooking.
———
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 2½-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup finely diced onion
⅓ cup finely diced green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1½ teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme
One 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes, with their liquid
Toasted blanched almonds
Bottled chutney, such as Major Grey’s
1. Season the flour with the salt and pepper, and dredge the chicken in the flour. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and brown the chicken on all sides; if necessary, add more butter.
2. Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the onion, green pepper, garlic, curry powder, and thyme. Cook briefly, stirring, until the onion wilts, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, with their liquid, return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up, and bring to a simmer. Cover the skillet, lower the heat, and cook until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve with chutney.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Pork Belly Tea Sandwiches (here), Sweet Potatoes Anna (here), Stuck-Pot Rice with Yogurt and Spices (here), A Perfect Batch of Rice (here), Sugar Snap Peas with Horseradish (here), Almond Cake (here), Coconut Pie (here)
AUGUST 15, 1963: “NEW MENUS ARE OFFERED HOME COOK.”
—1963
FRICASSEE OF CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON
Fricassee, a technique now usually called braising, involves a quick browning of meat with aromatics, then filling the pan with wine and broth and shuttling it to the oven, where the textures relax and the flavors intensify. Fricassee of chicken with tarragon is to a French person what fried chicken is to an American Southerner. Not all chicken with tarragon is created equal—this one’s magic lies in the addition of fresh nutmeg and thyme and an elegant sauce lavished with cream, lemon, and egg yolks.
———
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups finely chopped onions
Two 3-pound chickens, cut into serving pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 bundle tarragon stems, tied with kitchen string (optional)
Cayenne pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
Chopped flat-leaf parsley or tarragon
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a large casserole and add the onion, chicken, salt and pepper to taste, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, tarragon, tarragon stems, if using, and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Do not brown the chicken.
2. Sprinkle the chicken with the flour and stir until all the pieces are well coated. Add the chicken broth and wine and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover, put in the oven, and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the chicken is fork-tender.
3. Place the casserole on top of the stove again. Skim off excess fat. Add half the cream and bring to a boil. Blend the remaining cream with the egg yolks and stir this into the sauce. Cook for 30 seconds—do not let it boil—then remove from the heat. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.
SERVES 6
COOKING NOTES
Use a very large braising pan so you have enough room to move the chicken and other ingredients around—otherwise, it’s impossible to disperse the flour in Step 3.
Keep adding lemon until the acid in the sauce and the cream taste good to you.
I’d make a big batch of rice to serve with the chicken—it will soak up the sauce and clean up the somewhat messy-looking dish.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Rillettes de Canard (Duck Rillettes; here), Fennel, Orange, Watercress, and Walnut Salad (here), Diana Vreeland’s Salade Parisienne (here), Cassolette of Morels, Fiddleheads, and Asparagus (here), A Perfect Batch of Rice (here), Tarte aux Fruits (here), Apple Galette (here), Judson Grill’s Berry Clafoutis with Crème Fraîche (here), Chocolate Mousse (here), Almond Cake (here)
FEBRUARY 4, 1968: “STEW À LA FRANÇAISE,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1968
TURKEY WITH NOODLES FLORENTINE
This giant turkey casserole—it serves 24, so get out your lasagna pans—was included in Craig Claiborne’s annual roundup of the year’s most popular recipes.
———
One 12-pound whole turkey breast or two 5- to 6-pound half-breasts, or one 15- to 16-pound whole bird, cut into 6 to 8 large pieces
Salt
¼ cup black peppercorns
4 carrots, scraped and trimmed
6 stalks celery
3 to 4 pounds spinach
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 5 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¾ cup all-purpose flour
8 cups strained turkey broth (from Step 1) or chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
One 16-ounce package egg noodles
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Place the turkey in a large pot and add cold water to cover, salt to taste, the peppercorns, carrots, and celery. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the turkey is tender, 2 hours for a 12-pound breast (two 5-pound breasts, cooked in separate pots, should be simmered for 1 hour; a 16-pound bird in pieces will take 1½ hours for breasts, 3½ hours for legs). Do not overcook. Transfer the turkey to a platter.
2. While the turkey is cooking, rinse the spinach and place in a covered saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until wilted. Drain, run under cold water, and press between your hands to remove the moisture. Toss the spinach in 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Remove the turkey from the bones. Cut meat into bite-sized cubes.
4. Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a whisk. When blended, add the stock, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the sauce has concentrated but isn¹t thick, about 45 minutes. Stir in the cream and continue cooking, stirring, for about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in boiling salted water until al dente. Do not overcook, since they will be reheated in the sauce. Drain the noodles and run under cold running water. Drain well.
6. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a large casserole or 2 smaller ones, total capacity about 10 quarts, make layers of the noodles, spinach, and turkey until all the ingredients are used. Pour half the sauce over the layers and stir with a two-pronged fork.
7. Combine the yolks with the remaining sauce and pour over all. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter.
8. Bake the casserole until heated through. Run the casserole under the broiler just until the cheese is golden brown.
SERVES 24
COOKING NOTE
Use the turkey broth from cooking the turkey parts—no need to buy or make more separately.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Green Goddess Salad (here), Fennel, Orange, Watercress, and Walnut Salad (here), Teddie’s Apple Cake (here)
JULY 7, 1968: “CROWD PLEASER,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1968
CHICKEN CANZANESE
Any food historian will tell you that trying to track down the origin of a recipe is like chasing tadpoles. There are so many, and they all look alike. Even when you find what seems to be the original source, you can’t necessarily believe it because adapting recipes is an age-old industry. Nonetheless, I thought I’d give the hunt a try with chicken Canzanese, an unusual recipe that ran in the Times in 1969.
A Google search for “chicken Canzanese” yielded many results, a number of them facsimiles, or slight variations of the chicken dish that appeared in the Times. There’s one on Cooks.com that’s a close adaptation of the Times’s recipe, another by Mario Batali on the Food Network’s website and one by Anna Teresa Callen, the cookbook author and teacher, on her own website. Batali’s and Callen’s, which vary only slightly from the Times’s recipe, are nearly word for word the same. Only one recipe that I found sourced the Times’s recipe, which itself came from Ed Giobbi, a cookbook author, and was written about by Craig Claiborne.
You can also find plenty of turkey recipes done in the style of Canzanese (Canzano is in the Abruzzo region in Italy), which refers to braised turkey, served cold with chopped turkey aspic. But chicken Canzanese, which is not mentioned in important Italian cookbooks like Le Ricette Regionali Italiane (Italian Regional Cooking), is completely different. When you make it, you understand why it’s still kicking around after all these decades. After flash-brining the chicken, you throw everything into the pan at the same time—chicken, cubed prosciutto, sage, bay leaves, rosemary, garlic, chile, cloves, peppercorns, and wine—and end up with a dish that has the fragrance of Chinese steamed duck and the succulence of a Bolognese sauce.
I sensed that it would be impossible to come to a conclusion about where chicken Canzanese originated (Giobbi’s recipe was the earliest I could find), and this was confirmed as soon as I started calling people. Callen said she grew up in Abruzzo eating chicken Canzanese. Batali, who regularly credits people from whom he adapts recipes, said that he must have gotten his from Callen, and was apologetic about the borrowing. Giobbi, whose recipe came from a family friend in Abruzzo, suggested that perhaps Callen was influenced by him. When I asked Callen if there was any chance she referred to Giobbi’s recipe when writing about her family’s dish, she said, “Could be, very well.” I didn’t intend this to be an investigation—recipes are adapted all the time, it’s one of the primary ways cuisines evolve—so I did not chase down the dozens of sites that appear to have copied Callen or Batali. One thing is clear, though: a good recipe has a thousand fathers, but a bad one is an orphan.
———
Kosher or coarse sea salt
One 3-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 sage leaves
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic, sliced lengthwise
6 whole cloves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
12 black peppercorns, crushed
1 dried hot red chile, broken and seeded
One ⅛-inch-thick slice prosciutto (about 4 ounces)
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup water
1. Add 3 tablespoons kosher salt or coarse sea salt to a large bowl. Dissolve in about ½ cup warm water. Lay the chicken pieces in the bowl and cover with cold water (about 4 cups). Let stand for about 1 hour. Drain and pat dry.
2. Arrange the chicken pieces in one layer in a skillet and add the sage, bay leaves, garlic, cloves, rosemary, peppercorns, and red pepper. Cut the prosciutto into small cubes and sprinkle it over the chicken. Add the wine and water. Do not add salt, since the prosciutto will season the dish. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken to a plate and reduce the cooking juices until concentrated and a little syrupy—taste it to see. Serve the chicken in shallow bowls with the juices (and slivered garlic and prosciutto) spooned on top. Mop up juices with country bread.
SERVES 2, OR 4 IF THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER DISHES
COOKING NOTES
A great chicken dish deserves (and depends on) a great chicken—buy the highest-quality bird you can find. The best place to look is a farmers’ market.
The chicken never browns, so if presentation is your thing, avert your eyes—or simply pull the meat from the bones and make a warm salad with escarole, the broth, and prosciutto. Or use the meat and sauce to make a very simple pasta dish. Whatever you do, be careful not to overcook the chicken. And serve it right after cooking, when its aromatics are most intense.
The original recipe said it serves 4, but when I made the dish for my mother and me, we polished off the whole thing. Only count on it serving 4 if you’re making a bunch of side dishes.
It may seem strange to buy expensive prosciutto and cut it into cubes, but don’t skimp on the quality of prosciutto. I did once and was punished with a salty sauce. If you can only get indifferent prosciutto, add less of it.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Ricotta Crostini with Lemon Zest and Hazelnut (here), Zuppa di Funghi Siciliana (here), Fried Artichokes Azzurro (here), Italian Roast Potatoes (here), Balducci’s Tiramisù (here)
READERS
“I remember that I used the recipe the first time because chicken was affordable for a crowd and the ingredients then seemed different but not weird. This recipe as I read and reread it over the years pushed me to learn more about cooking. Why not brown the chicken pieces? (Giobbi does not.) What about putting it all together and sticking it in the oven? What if I chopped the seasonings and put them in the cavity and under the skin of a roasting chicken and then, well, roasted it? The recipe with its time-proven flavors (back to the Renaissance at least?) has never failed.
“For me, this is one of those recipes that permutes endlessly as the seasons, the occasion, or the cook’s mood changes. Sometimes (often) I do brown the chicken, sometimes use pancetta instead of prosciutto, sometimes add a little chopped tomato, sometimes introduce porcini mushrooms. If the company at dinner have dietary restrictions, oil-cured black olives can stand in for the pork. I have tried it with boneless chicken breasts only—satisfactory—and with guinea hen—excellent.”
From Jonatha Ceely, e-mail
MAY 18, 1969: “CHICKEN BIG,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE. RECIPE BY ED GIOBBI, WHO ADAPTED IT FROM A FAMILY FRIEND IN ITALY.
—1969
LEE LUM’S LEMON CHICKEN
Lee Lum was the chef at Pearl’s Chinese Restaurant in Manhattan. Don’t balk at his ingredient list, just make the recipe—a strange and sublime dinner awaits you. I took out the teaspoon of MSG; I have the feeling you’ll forgive me.
———
8 small or 6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
¼ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon gin or vodka
3 large egg whites
1 cup water-chestnut flour or powder (available at Asian markets)
Peanut or salad oil for frying
¾ cup sugar
½ cup white vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
Finely chopped zest and juice of 1 lemon
¼ head iceberg lettuce, finely chopped
3 small carrots, peeled and cut into julienne
½ large green bell pepper, cut into julienne
3 scallions, cut into julienne
½ cup shredded canned pineapple
One 1-ounce bottle lemon extract
1. Place the chicken in a shallow earthenware dish or bowl. Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and gin and pour over the chicken. Toss to coat and let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Drain the chicken and discard the marinade. Beat the egg whites until frothy in a bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat. Place the water chestnut flour on a plate and coat the chicken pieces with the flour.
3. Add ½ inch of peanut oil to a large skillet and heat to about 350 degrees. Carefully add the chicken pieces, a few at a time if necessary, and brown one side, then turn and brown the other, about 10 minutes total. Drain on paper towels.
4. Meanwhile, place the sugar, vinegar, broth, cornstarch mixture, and lemon zest and juice in a small pan and bring to a boil, stirring until the mixture thickens.
5. Cut the chicken into 1-inch crosswise slices and place it on top of the shredded lettuce on a serving platter. (If necessary, keep it warm in a 200-degree oven.)
6. Add the vegetables and pineapple to the sauce and return to a simmer, just to reheat. Remove from the heat, stir in the extract, and pour over the chicken.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTE
Wisely anticipating people’s doubt about the large amount of lemon extract he called for, Craig Claiborne attached this note to the recipe: “This amount of lemon extract is accurate. It should be added at the very last moment.”
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Oriental Watercress Soup (here), Jasmine Tea Rice (here), Chinese Barbecued Spareribs (here), Tea Ice Cream (here)
SEPTEMBER 14, 1969: “ORIENTAL TANG,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM LEE LUM, THE CHEF AT PEARL’S CHINESE RESTAURANT IN NEW YORK CITY.
—1969
CHICKEN WINGS WITH OYSTER SAUCE
This recipe comes from the period when we were just dipping our toes in Asian cooking—when any recipe containing scallions, ginger, and soy sauce connoted the Far East. Although this dish may now seem comically Westernized, it’s still fragrant and succulent and simple in its Asian-esque way.
———
8 chicken wings
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons peanut, vegetable, or corn oil
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
½ cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1. Cut off and discard the small tips of the wings. Cut the main wing bone from the second joint and reserve both.
2. Put the pieces in a bowl and add 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon oil, the dark soy sauce, and the sugar. Blend well.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or skillet. Add the chicken mixture and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, taking care that the sauce does not burn. Add the chicken broth, cover, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken pieces are cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside.
4. Reduce the liquid in the wok to a glaze. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add the oyster sauce and 2 tablespoons water.
5. Blend the remaining cornstarch with the remaining tablespoon of water and stir this in. Add the wine. Return the chicken wings to the pan and stir over high heat to coat with the sauce.
SERVES 4 AS A FIRST COURSE
Chinese Barbecued Spareribs (here), Jasmine Tea Rice (here), Stir-Fried Collards (here), Chilled Sesame Spinach (here), Warm Eggplant Salad with Sesame and Shallots (here), Lemon Lotus Ice Cream (here)
JANUARY 21, 1979: “WINGING IT,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE WITH PIERRE FRANEY.
—1979
CHICKEN PAPRIKASH
This classic is incomplete without buttered noodles.
———
One 3-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add the chicken pieces skin side down and cook over moderately high heat until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the pieces and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until brown on the second side.
2. Scatter the onions and garlic around the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with paprika and stir. Add the chicken broth, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes or longer until chicken is done. Remove the chicken to a warm serving dish. Pour off excess fat.
3. Blend the sour cream and flour and stir it into the sauce. Simmer, stirring, for about 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
SERVES 4
VARIATION
Try this with smoked paprika (pimentón), either the sweet or the spicy.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Smoked Mackerel on Toasts (here), Vichyssoise à la Ritz (here), Cucumbers in Cream (here), Confit of Carrot and Cumin (here), Gingersnaps (here), Delicate Bread Pudding (here), Apple Galette (here)
JANUARY 6, 1980: “FOOD: THERE’S MORE TO PAPRIKA THAN COLOR,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE WITH PIERRE FRANEY.
—1980
ED GIOBBI’S RABBIT CACCIATORA
Ed Giobbi, an artist and accomplished cook who lives in Katonah, New York, was one of a handful of Craig Claiborne’s recipe pinch hitters. Every few years, he’d give Craig a stellar recipe that Claiborne’s readers would then remain loyal to for decades. (See Chicken Canzanese here, Ed Giobbi’s Sweet Red Pepper Sauce for Pasta here, and, though his claim to its authorship is controversial, the Spaghetti Primavera here.) This rabbit cacciatore is another one of them—and it exemplifies what makes Giobbi such a fine cook. His cacciatore hews closely to any classic version: you brown the rabbit, braise it with tomatoes and mushrooms, and add red pepper flakes to give the sauce a pulse of heat. But Giobbi slips an extra step into the recipe: he has you soak dried mushrooms and layer them and the rehydrating broth into the sauce. The dried mushrooms act something like a dye, saturating the sauce with a warm earthy aroma, making the heat of the red pepper flakes all the more integral. Giobbi also has you cook the regular mushrooms separately, ridding them of moisture that might otherwise dilute the sauce.
———
8 dried mushrooms, preferably porcini
1 rabbit (3½ to 4 pounds), cut into serving pieces, liver reserved (see Cooking Notes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1½ teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ pound mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 cups canned Italian tomatoes
1. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and add hot water to cover. Let stand for about 20 minutes, or until softened.
2. Sprinkle the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper to taste. Heat half the oil and half the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add the rabbit pieces and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the rabbit with the red pepper flakes, if using, and garlic. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half. Sprinkle the rabbit with the rosemary. Drain the dried mushrooms, reserving about 2 tablespoons of soaking liquid. Squeeze the mushrooms to extract most of the moisture and add them to the rabbit. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons soaking liquid, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a large skillet and add the fresh mushrooms. Cook until wilted, then continue cooking until most of the mushroom liquid evaporates.
5. Add the mushrooms to the rabbit. Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes. Ten minutes before the rabbit is done, add the liver to the pan. Once the liver is cooked through, remove it from the pan, thinly slice it, and then return it to the finished dish.
6. Sprinkle the dish with the remaining olive oil and serve, preferably, with polenta.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTES
If your rabbit is small, as mine was, use 2. If it comes without the liver, chicken liver may be used in its place.
And if the rabbit is frozen, let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Fried Olives (here), Italian Salad (here), Artichoke Salad with Anchovy and Capers (here), Fennel and Apple Salad with Juniper (here), Soft Polenta (here), Bolzano Apple Cake (here), Cornmeal Biscotti (here)
JANUARY 23, 1980: “SIX RECIPES FROM ACROSS THE ATLANTIC FOR PREPARING RABBIT,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ED GIOBBI.
—1980
CHICKEN BETTY’S FRIED CHICKEN AND GRAVY
The chicken fries to a deep nut brown, and if you season it well, you get that salty, sticky skin that’s the hallmark of excellent fried chicken. Don’t be turned off by the nine steps in the recipe—think of it as one small peak to climb in your effort to conquer the kitchen.
———
For the Chicken
One 3- to 3¼-pound chicken
1 large egg
⅔ cup whole milk
About 1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ to 1 cup lard
¾ to 1 cup vegetable shortening
1½ tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
For the Gravy
2 scant tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 to 3 cups whole milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. The chicken should be cut into 9 pieces that include the backbone, 2 thighs, 2 breasts, 2 drumsticks, and 2 wings. Pat each piece thoroughly dry. To be thoroughly cooked in the time indicated here, the chicken should be close to room temperature; remove it from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before it is to be prepared for frying.
2. Beat the egg with the milk in a wide bowl. Have on hand a plate or a sheet of wax paper on which to season the chicken. Place the flour in a baking pan that is roughly 9 by 13 inches.
3. Combine ¾ cup lard and ¾ cup vegetable shortening in a 12-inch skillet, preferably made of black cast iron, set over medium-high heat. You want the melted fat to reach a depth of ½ to 1 inch. This will vary with the size of the pan you use, so adjust the amount of fats if necessary, keeping the half-and-half proportion of lard and vegetable shortening.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg-and-milk liquid, covering both sides of each piece. Let the excess drip off slightly, then place the chicken on the plate or wax paper and season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the pieces of seasoned chicken in the pan of flour.
5. Turn the chicken, a few pieces at a time, in the flour until thoroughly coated on all sides. Press and thump the chicken into the flour as you turn it so the flour adheres to all sides. Tap the floured pieces of chicken against each other gently to shake off excess flour, and place in the hot fat. Chicken pieces should not be crammed in the pan, but they can be fairly close.
6. Fry the chicken until golden brown on one side, then turn and brown the second side. It should take 6 to 7 minutes to brown each side, so adjust the heat accordingly. The chicken will brown further as it cooks and the final result should be a deep copper color without any hint of blackness. When the chicken is golden brown on both sides, place a splatter screen on top if you have one. Reduce the heat so the frying continues steadily but gently. Allow 5 to 10 minutes frying time after you cover the pan. Turn the pieces several times during that period and lower the heat if the chicken browns too quickly. Add fat, if necessary, to keep the chicken “swimming.”
7. Drain the chicken on paper towels. Continue frying until all pieces are done. If you must fry the chicken in more than one batch, keep the fried pieces hot by placing them on a rack on a baking sheet in a preheated 250-degree oven.
8. To make the gravy, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat, leaving the browned flour in the pan. (If you have used 2 frying pans, pour off the fat from both and combine the browned particles in one pan.) Place the pan over low heat until the fat is simmering. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the flour browns and the mixture is a thick paste. Pour in about 1½ cups milk. Stir with a whisk and simmer until the gravy is smooth and fairly thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. The gravy should simmer for 7 or 8 minutes more, so additional milk will be necessary to achieve the consistency of very heavy cream. Adjust the seasonings; the gravy should be very peppery and a creamy cocoa brown in color.
9. Serve the chicken in a basket lined with paper napkins or towels. Serve the gravy in a heated gravy boat. The sauce should be spooned over homemade baking powder biscuits and/or stiff, buttery mashed potatoes, not over the chicken. Coleslaw provides a refreshing contrast in flavor and texture.
SERVES 2 TO 3
COOKING NOTES
The original recipe called for MSG. I took it out.
Mimi Sheraton said, “If you fry 2 chickens, use 1 jumbo egg and 1 cup of milk, plus an extra cup of flour for dredging. All the other ingredients can be doubled. If you use 2 pans for frying, keep the breasts in one and thighs and drumsticks in another. Giblets, wings, and backbones can be fried when other pieces are done, as they will cook thoroughly in about 10 minutes after they have browned.”
I used kosher salt and crushed a variety of peppercorns (red, green, white, and black—because I didn’t have enough black in the house) in a mortar and pestle, which worked very well.
You will want more than this recipe makes. I’d suggest doubling it—2 chickens, 2 pans.
To save time, have your butcher cut up the chicken.
When frying the chicken, adjust the heat so the fat creates a foamy bubble, not a rapid one. If you can’t fit all the chicken pieces in the pan, set aside the wings; once the other pieces cook and shrink a little, you can add them, and they cook faster because they’re smaller.
After you fry the chicken, the fat in the pan will be very hot. You can either serve the chicken without gravy or keep the chicken warm in a 250-degree oven while you let the fat cool down a little and then make the gravy.
The backbone is worth frying—great for picking!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Mimi Sheraton, who wrote about this fried chicken, said the gravy is to be served over biscuits—try the Old South Buttermilk Biscuits (here). For a menu: Jay Grelen’s Southern Iced Tea (here), Mint Julep (here), Julia Harrison Adams’s Pimento Cheese Spread (here), Málaga Gazpacho (here), Iceberg Lettuce with Smoked Bacon and Buttermilk Dressing (here), Ice-Cold Tomatoes with Basil (here), French Potato Salad (here), Red Velvet Cake (here).
READERS
“‘You made this with LARD???’ People cannot believe they are being fed something so politically incorrect. But they love it. (Nowadays Mario Batali serves lardo pizza, a welcome swing of the pendulum.) Not much to say about this recipe. It is perfection, and impossible to ruin because of its depth of detail.”
Reynold Weidenaar, New York, NY, e-mail
MAY 18, 1980: “KANSAS CITY’S PIED PIPER OF CHICKENDOM,” BY MIMI SHERATON. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM CHICKEN BETTY LUCAS OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.
—1980
JANICE OKUN’S BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS
The precise origin of the Buffalo chicken wing—the tasty morsel that spawned a national franchise with scantily clad servers—has eluded food writers for decades. It has been repeated so often that these wings were invented at the Anchor Bar on Main Street in Buffalo that pretty much everyone accepted it as the truth. There has been less consensus, however, about whether the wings were created when a mistaken delivery of wings arrived at the bar and Frank Bellissimo asked his wife, Teressa, to do something with them. Or when Dom, their son, asked his mother to concoct a late-night snack for regulars at the bar. Either way, it was Teressa who in 1964 came up with the idea of combining spicy wings with crisp celery and blue cheese dressing.
In 1980, however, Calvin Trillin, a writer for The New Yorker, came across John Young, a man who claimed to have invented the spicy sauce (but not the celery and blue cheese part). His wings were blanketed with what he called “mambo sauce” and his restaurant, John Young’s Wings ’n Things, was open in Buffalo around the time the dish became famous.
Buffalo itself has wisely avoided taking sides in the debate. The city simply declared July 29 “Chicken Wing Day” and left it at that.
———
24 chicken wings (about 4 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups peanut, vegetable, or corn oil for deep-frying
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 to 5 tablespoons (one 2½-ounce bottle) Frank’s Louisiana Red Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe follows)
Celery sticks
1. Set the chicken wings out on the counter 30 minutes before cooking. Cut off and discard the small tip of each wing. Cut the main wing bone and second wing bone apart at the joint. Sprinkle the wings with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or large casserole. When it is quite hot, add half the wings and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the chicken wings are golden brown and crisp, remove them and drain well on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining wings.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add hot sauce to taste and the vinegar. Put the chicken wings on a warm serving platter and pour the butter mixture over them. Serve with the blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.
SERVES 4 TO 6
BLUE CHEESE DRESSING
1 cup homemade mayonnaise (recipe follows) or store-bought mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Add more blue cheese if desired. Chill for an hour or longer.
MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS
MAYONNAISE
1 large egg yolk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon imported mustard, such as Dijon or Düsseldorf
1 teaspoon cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 cup peanut, vegetable, or olive oil
Place the yolk in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste, the mustard, and vinegar. Beat vigorously for a second or two with a wire whisk or electric beater. Start adding the oil gradually, beating continuously with the whisk or electric beater. Continue beating and adding the oil until all of it is used.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
COOKING NOTE
The recipe called for 2 to 5 tablespoons hot sauce; I added 3 tablespoons.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
The Bone (here), Sir Francis Drake (here), Spoonbread’s Potato Salad (here), Green Goddess Salad (here), Macaroni with Ham and Cheese (here), Chocolate Pudding (here)
AUGUST 30, 1981: “WINGING IT IN BUFFALO,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE WITH PIERRE FRANEY. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM JANICE OKUN, FOOD EDITOR OF THE BUFFALO EVENING NEWS.
—1981
BREADED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PARMESAN CHEESE
You can also make this dish with pork or veal cutlets. They’ll cook more quickly.
———
4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1¼ pounds total)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons corn, peanut, or vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1. Cut away and discard any white membranes or traces of fat from the breast halves. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Dip the breasts in the flour. Coat well, and shake off the excess.
2. Combine the egg with the water and salt and pepper to taste in another shallow dish and beat to blend. Combine the bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese in a third dish and blend.
3. Dip the breast halves in the egg mixture, coating thoroughly. Drain off excess. Dip the pieces in the bread crumb mixture, also coating thoroughly. Pat the pieces lightly with the side of a large knife to make the crumbs adhere.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add the breasts (do this in 2 batches, if necessary) and cook until golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown on the second side.
5. Transfer the chicken to a warm platter; pour off the fat, if there is any, from the skillet. Add the butter and cook until bubbling. Add the tarragon and lemon juice; blend. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
SERVES 4
If the chicken breasts are large, slice them crosswise in half.
I like the technique in Step 3 of seasoning the egg, rather than the flour, because it ensures more evenly seasoned chicken, and is a tip that can be applied to all breading recipes.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Artichauts Vinaigrette (here), Fettuccine with Preserved Lemon and Roasted Garlic (here), Zucchini and Vermouth (here), Orzo with Pine Nuts and Basil (here), Italian Roast Potatoes (here), Zabaglione (here), Ricotta Kisses (here)
AUGUST 12, 1987: “60-MINUTE GOURMET,” BY PIERRE FRANEY.
—1987
RABBIT IN MUSTARD SAUCE
The mustard is wiped off the rabbit before cooking, a step I was sure would spell doom but the mustard flavor really comes through in the finished dish. I’d happily eat the succulent sauce over pasta. Alternatively, serve the whole dish with pasta: I spooned it over angel hair egg noodles tossed with olive oil and a little of the pasta water.
———
½ cup Dijon mustard
1 rabbit (about 3½ pounds), cut into 6 or 7 pieces
2 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, minced
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt if needed
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
1. Rub the mustard all over the rabbit. Let rest in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
2. About 15 minutes before the rabbit is ready, sauté the bacon in a large deep skillet until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and reserve. Set the skillet aside.
3. Wipe the mustard off the rabbit. Toss the rabbit with the flour. Add half the butter to the skillet and set over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, and adding the remaining butter for the second batch, sauté the rabbit pieces until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes for each batch. Remove the rabbit from pan and set aside.
4. Pour the wine into the pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Add the rabbit and onions and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat so the liquid barely simmers. Cook until the rabbit is tender, about 1 hour, skimming the surface as necessary.
5. Remove the rabbit from the pan. Increase the heat and simmer the sauce until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in salt if needed and pepper. Remove the bay leaf.
6. Return the rabbit and bacon to the pan and stir in the parsley. Serve with noodles.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTE
To make your guests happier, you may want to take the rabbit meat off the bones in Step 5 before returning the meat to the sauce.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Claret Cup (here), Ricotta Crostini with Fresh Thyme and Dried Oregano (here), Butter-Braised Asparagus and Oyster Mushrooms with Peas and Tarragon (here), Breton Butter Cake (here), Lemon-Almond Butter Cake (here)
FEBRUARY 7, 1993: “FOOD: RABBIT IS RICH,” BY MOLLY O’NEILL.
—1993
QUAIL WITH ROSEMARY ON SOFT POLENTA
People see game in the title of a recipe and immediately think: project. Not here. These quail take 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook.
———
For the Quail
8 quail, wing tips removed
12 sprigs rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 thin slices pancetta
For the Polenta
3¾ cups water
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
1. To prepare the quail, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place 1 sprig of rosemary in the cavity of each quail, cutting the sprigs as needed to fit. Put the quail in a roasting pan and drape 2 slices of pancetta atop each quail. Set aside.
2. To prepare the polenta, combine the water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisking constantly, add the cornmeal very gradually, pouring it in a light, steady stream. Change from the whisk to a wooden spoon, reduce the heat so that the mixture is at a slow simmer, and stir constantly until the polenta thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, when the polenta is almost done, place the quail in the oven and roast for 12 minutes, then brown under the broiler (at least 5 inches from the flame) for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on how rare you want it.
4. Divide the polenta among 4 plates, top each serving with 2 quail, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTE
After roasting the quail, I crisped the skin for 3 minutes under the broiler (about 6 inches from the flame).
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Puntarelle with Anchovies (here), Panna Cotta (here)
PERIOD DETAIL
Polenta is a staple of the Times recipe archives. In the nineteenth century, the paper ran a recipe similar to this one for a “ragout of small birds” served with squares of fried polenta. Bob the Sea Cook, a frequent receipe contributor of the period, wrote, “There used to be in my time, in Milan, in the poorer quarters, people going around in the market places with great big pots of mush—that was all it was—which was yellow as gold.” This mush, of course, was polenta. Bob offered a recipe for sausages served with a heap of soft polenta. I tried it, but it was so simple—even simpler than this quail one—that I felt no recipe was required.
DECEMBER 12, 1993: “FOOD: RUFFLING SOME FEATHERS,” BY MOLLY O’NEILL.
—1993
ROAST CHICKEN WITH BREAD SALAD
I joked at one point that this book should be called Chicken and Dessert, because the thousands of recipes that readers suggested were so dominated by these two categories. I reached a point where I vowed not to add a single more chicken dish to the book. But what vow, other than marriage, is ever really kept? I broke my promise for this dish, and I have no regrets. This chicken, which comes from Judy Rodgers, the owner of Zuni Café in San Francisco, is legendary. The night before cooking the chicken, you slip garlic and thyme under the skin and generously season the bird. The following day it comes out of the oven in a fragrant cloud, with skin as crisp as parchment.
The bread salad is also delicious, a smart flavor grid of warm toasted bread cubes, sautéed scallions and garlic, bitter greens, and dried currants. I won’t say it’s an easy salad to make—it’ll fill your sink with bowls, measuring spoons, and baking vessels. But if you want your chicken to turn out the way Rodgers’s does, then suck it up.
———
One 2½-pound chicken
1½ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs thyme
4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
For the Salad
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon warm water
1 tablespoon currants
6 cups stale Tuscan-style bread cut into 1-inch cubes (most of the crust removed)
1½ tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup Champagne vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, slivered
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 cups mixed young bitter greens, like arugula, chicory, and/or frisée
1. To prepare the chicken, the day before serving, sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. Run your fingers between the skin and flesh over the breasts and legs to make 4 small pockets. Place a sprig of thyme and a garlic clove in each pocket. Wrap the chicken in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
2. About 2 hours before serving, start the salad: Heat the broiler. Combine the red wine vinegar and warm water in a small bowl. Add the currants and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, place the bread in a large bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet and toast the bread under the broiler for about 2 minutes; set aside.
4. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken breast side up in a shallow roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes.
5. Turn the chicken over and roast until the juices run clear when the chicken is pricked in the thickest part of the thigh, about 15 to 20 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
6. Meanwhile, whisk together the mustard, Champagne vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add the bread and toss to coat. Set aside.
7. Heat the remaining ½ teaspoon of olive oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and scallions and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the currants and toss them in the bread mixture, along with the scallions and garlic. Place the salad in a baking dish.
8. When the chicken is done, place the salad in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the salad in for 10 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, carve the chicken into 8 pieces, reserving the pan juices.
10. Toss the salad with 2 tablespoons of the pan juices and the greens. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top with 2 pieces of chicken.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTE
For the salad, you may want to use less dressing and more chicken juices—play around with it and see what proportions you like.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Claret Cup (here), Seasoned Olives (here), Garden Minestrone (here), Sformata di Ricotta (Ricotta Custard; here), Plum Fritters (here), Dorie Greenspan’s Sablés (here), Kumquat-Clementine Cordial (here)
MAY 8, 1994: “THE PRUDENT GOURMET,” BY MOLLY O’NEILL. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM JUDY RODGERS, THE CHEF AND CO-OWNER OF ZUNI CAFÉ IN SAN FRANCISCO.
—1994
RHUBARB-SOY-MARINATED DUCK WITH RHUBARB-GINGER COMPOTE
A burble of sweetness, succulence, and zing, tied together with an undercurrent of salt.
———
1 cup thinly sliced rhubarb
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 small whole skinless, boneless duck breasts, split
1 teaspoon olive oil
1¼ cups Rhubarb-Ginger Compote (here)
1. Place the rhubarb, soy sauce, and ginger in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Strain.
2. Place half of the soy mixture in a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Add the duck breasts and marinate for 1 hour, turning the breasts from time to time.
3. Heat the oil in a medium cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the duck and sear for 4 minutes. Turn the duck and keep the heat at medium-high for 1½ minutes, then turn it down to medium to finish the cooking. The duck is done when it’s well browned but still medium-rare in the center. Remove the from skillet and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Add the remaining soy mixture and marinade to the skillet and deglaze the pan—this happens really quickly. Remove from the heat.
5. Cut the breasts on the diagonal into thin slices. Fan the slices out on 4 plates and spoon the sauce over them. Divide the compote among the plates.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Asparagus with Miso Butter (here), Jasmine Tea Rice (here), Warm Eggplant Salad with Sesame and Shallots (here), Stir-Fried Collards (here), Lemon Lotus Ice Cream (here), Transparent Pudding (here), Huntington Pudding (here)
MAY 15, 1994: “RHUBARB BITES,” BY MOLLY O’NEILL.
—1994
JAMES BEARD’S CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC
This is one of those recipes that begins with one writer and as it succeeds and is passed along from friend to friend, leaves behind its original source. My husband, Tad, makes this stew for dinner parties because it’s prepared in a single pot, requires no potatoes or rice on the side, and can be made ahead of time and rewarmed for the party, eliminating any unwelcome last-minute performance anxiety. He had been making a version of this recipe for a few years before this original was brought to my attention. His recipe called for a cup of celery leaves, rather than ribs, and it had a touch of broth in addition to the wine.
Both braised dishes are excellent, but it turns out that James Beard’s recipe also appeared in the Times with two variations. In addition to this version, one from 1961 called for Cognac rather than vermouth, no onions, and for sealing the pot with a flour-and-water paste before sending it on its fateful journey in the oven. Clearly, that last step had no chance of surviving to the current day.
———
4 stalks celery, cut into long strips
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
40 cloves garlic, unpeeled
6 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
⅔ cup olive or vegetable oil
16 chicken legs—any mix of drumsticks and thighs
2½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup dry vermouth
Sliced French bread, warmed
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover the bottom of a heavy 8-quart casserole with one-third of the celery, onions, garlic, parsley, and tarragon. Place the oil in a shallow dish. Dip one-third of the chicken pieces into the oil, coating all sides evenly, and place in the casserole. Sprinkle with one third of the salt and pepper and a few gratings of nutmeg. Repeat to make 2 more layers. Pour the vermouth over the chicken.
2. Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil (or parchment paper) and fit the lid over the foil to create an airtight seal. Bake for 1½ hours, without removing the cover. Check the chicken for doneness; return the casserole to the oven if the chicken seems underdone.
3. Serve the chicken along with the pan juices, the garlic, and thin slices of heated French bread to be spread with garlic squeezed from the root ends of the cloves.
SERVES 8
COOKING NOTE
I made a few adjustments to the recipe. The original called for vegetable oil, which is fine but tasteless. There is enough oil that I suggest using a buttery olive oil, which weaves its own flavor into the mix and forms a delicious dipping pool for the bread. The recipe instructed you to put the vegetables on the bottom and the chicken on top, but layering them together allows the flavors to mingle and lets you more easily serve bits of both chicken and vegetables.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Crostini with Eggplant and Pine Nut Puree (here), Asparagus Salad (here), Puree of Peas and Watercress (here), Polish Jewish Plum Cake (here), Tartelettes aux Pommes Lionel Poilâne (Individual Apple Tarts; here), Tourtière (Apple, Prune, and Armagnac Tart; here), Raspberry Bavarian Cream (here)
OCTOBER 26, 1997: “THREE HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE,” BY MOLLY O’NEILL.
—1997
ROAST LEMON PEPPER DUCK WITH HONEY LEMON SAUCE
———
For the Duck
2 tablespoons minced lemon zest
1 teaspoon minced thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Two 5-pound ducks, necks, giblets, and livers removed
For the Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
½ jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
2 tablespoons chopped sage
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
¼ cup honey
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon water
2 cups veal or chicken broth
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the lemon zest, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Using your fingers, loosen the skins of the ducks over the breastbones, legs, and thighs. Tuck the lemon-pepper mixture evenly beneath the skin, covering each breast, leg, and thigh. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
2. Heat a roasting pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Place the ducks on a rack in the roasting pan and cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove the ducks from the pan and cool to room temperature. Set the roasting pan aside.
3. Quarter the ducks, trimming off any excess fat.
4. To prepare the sauce, place the roasting pan over medium-high heat and add the butter, shallots, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme, sage, and rosemary and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the honey and lemon juice. Make a paste of the flour and water and add to the pan. Add the stock, bring to a simmer and reduce until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. The sauce may be cooled and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
5. To serve, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the duck pieces skin side down and cook until the skin begins to sizzle, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and crisp the duck skin, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover with a lid or foil and reheat in the oven for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce in a small pan over medium heat.
7. Transfer the duck to a warm platter and serve with the sauce.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
James Beard’s Pureed Parsnips (here), Porcini Bread Stuffing (here), Sweet Potatoes Anna (here), Raw Spinach Salad (here), Pear Upside-Down Cake (here)
DECEMBER 3, 1997: “THE PRECOOKED MASTERPIECE: HOW CHEFS CREATE GRAND ILLUSIONS,” BY AMANDA HESSER. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM MICHAEL ROMANO, THE CHEF AT UNION SQUARE CAFÉ IN NEW YORK CITY.
—1997
BADEMIYA’S JUSTLY FAMOUS BOMBAY CHILE-AND-CILANTRO CHICKEN
Oh, how I love this dish! The chile-and-cilantro coating is lightweight but powerful, and it reminds me of the bright, fragrant cooking of Kerala. You sweat as you eat it, but it’s hard to stop eating.
The sauce would also be great with fish.
———
1½ tablespoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup water, or as needed
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper or hot paprika
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
4 whole chicken legs (2¼ pounds), skinned, or one 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces and skinned
For Serving
Sliced red onion
Thinly sliced limes and lemons
Cilantro Sauce (recipe follows) for dipping
Tamarind concentrate for dipping
Naan bread for serving
1. Toast the coriander seeds, peppercorns, and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a coffee or spice mill or mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder.
2. Combine the ground spices, garlic, ginger, oil, water, cayenne, lemon juice, and salt in a blender and puree to a paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro. Add the chicken and thoroughly coat with the spice paste. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
3. When ready to cook, prepare a charcoal fire (or use a gas grill set to medium). Grill the chicken, turning once, until done, 10 to 15 minutes per side. Serve with the onions, limes and lemons, cilantro sauce, tamarind concentrate, and naan bread.
SERVES 2 TO 4
CILANTRO SAUCE
1 cup chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño pepper/halved and seeded or not
½ cup walnuts
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons), or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup water
Combine the cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, walnuts, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend to a puree. Add the water, and pour into a serving container. Add salt or lemon juice to taste.
MAKES 1 CUP
COOKING NOTES
Those who don’t possess a grill can broil the chicken (about 5 inches from the flame): 8 minutes on one side, 4 minutes on the other. Finish cooking in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
You can leave the chicken skin on.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Mango Lassi (here), Aloo Kofta (here), String Beans with Ginger and Garlic (here), Stuck-Pot Rice with Yogurt and Spices (here), Yogurt Rice (here), Coconut Pie (here), Vanilla Plum Ice (here)
JUNE 28, 1998: “FOOD: PIT STOPS,” BY MOLLY O’NEILL. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM THE BARBECUE! BIBLE, BY STEVEN RAICHLEN.
—1998
In the early 1990s, Molly O’Neill took over the most desired position in all food writing, the Sunday Magazine food column. Unfortunately for her, she had to fill the shoes of Craig Claiborne, who had stepped down in the late 1980s. (In between, a random mix of columnists filled the spot.)
But Molly didn’t flinch. Unlike Craig, Molly had worked in restaurants in addition to attending LaVarenne, and having grown up in a generation of cooks influenced by Claiborne, she took to food in an utterly liberated way. She embraced fusion cooking (see here), the French bistro movement (here), New York’s sacred haunts (if you don’t have it already, you should buy her New York Cookbook), and trendy ingredients (here), and was a genius at spotting new chef talent (here). She flourished in the Sunday Magazine for a decade and her work at the Times was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.
This recipe captures her crossover interests in six neat little potpies. They’re highbrow and low. Satisfying yet amusing. And just the kind of thing you wish you’d thought up yourself.
———
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
½ pound red potatoes (about 3 small), cut into ⅓-inch dice
8 baby carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
¼ pound baby pattypan or yellow squash, halved
¼ pound baby zucchini
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1¼ cups whole milk
¾ cup heavy cream or another ¾ cup milk
4 drops Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs (flat-leaf parsley, chives, thyme)
1 pound (or one 17.3-ounce package) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1. Place the chicken and broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain, reserving the stock; set the meat aside to cool.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. (Do not let them brown.) Add the carrots, peas, squash, and zucchini and cook until the vegetables just become tender, 6 to 7 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth. Whisk in the milk and cream. Raise the heat to medium and continue whisking until the mixture boils. Remove from the heat and stir in the Tabasco, sherry, and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine the chicken, cooked vegetables, and cream sauce in a bowl, and divide the mixture among 6 ovenproof bowls with a capacity of at least 2 cups each. (The potpies can be prepared to this point ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
5. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry dough out to a thickness of 1⁄6 inch. Cut out 6 circles of pastry just slightly bigger than the diameter of your bowls. Fit the pastry over the tops of the bowls, brush them lightly with the beaten egg, and use the tip of a knife to poke a few holes in the pastry. Bake until the tops have browned and the filling bubbles, about 25 minutes.
SERVES 6
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Iceberg Lettuce with Smoked Bacon and Buttermilk Dressing (here), Mississippi Mud Cake (here), Chocolate Pudding (here)
SEPTEMBER 20, 1998: “FOOD: A SMOKE SCREEN,” BY MOLLY O’NEILL.
—1998
———
2½ cups very finely minced cooked turkey
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
½ teaspoon celery salt
⅔ cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix the turkey, pecans, relish, and salt together. Fold in the mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTE
If you don’t have leftover turkey, buy a turkey leg (or two). Place it in a small roasting pan and sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Scatter some thyme leaves on top and tuck 2 smashed garlic cloves underneath. Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 375-degree oven until cooked through, about 30 minutes.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Old South Buttermilk Biscuits (here), Fennel and Apple Salad with Juniper (here), Winter Slaw with Lemon-and-Orange Dressing (here), String Beans with Ginger and Garlic (here), Spinach with Sour Cream (here), Bourbon Pecan Pie (here)
NOVEMBER 25, 1998: “PECANS FROM HEAVEN: THE GEORGIA HARVEST,” BY FLORENCE FABRICANT. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM MARY PEARSON OF PEARSON FARMS IN PERRY, GEORGIA.
—1998
BEER-CAN CHICKEN
You are not a true American until you’ve taken our beloved chicken, placed it in an undignified position atop an open can of beer, and set it on a grill. The beer nestled in the cavity of the bird steams, keeping the bird moist on the inside and infusing the meat with a hoppy fragrance without dampening the skin.
The classic version of the recipe (classic being a relative term, as the dish first showed up on the barbecue circuit around 1994) is chicken on Budweiser, but aficionados have expanded the repertory to include seasoning the bird (and beer) with Cajun spices, garlic, onion juice, apples, and even crab boil. Steven Raichlen, whose recipe this is, invites you to use whatever barbecue rub you like for the exterior of the bird. There’s a good one by John Berwald here, and one in the North Carolina–Style Pulled Pork recipe here.
———
2 cups hickory or oak chips
Two 12-ounce cans beer
½ cup of your favorite barbecue rub
Two 3½- to 4-pound chickens
1. Place the wood chips in a bowl. Pop the tab of each beer can and make 2 additional holes in each top, using a church-key opener. Pour half the beer from each can over the chips. Add additional beer or water to cover chips and soak them for 1 hour; drain.
2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see Raichlen’s Grill Instructions, below). Sprinkle 1 teaspoon barbecue rub in the neck cavity and 2 teaspoons in the main cavity of each chicken. Add 1 tablespoon rub to each half-full open can of beer. (Don’t worry if it foams up.) Season the outside of each bird with 2 tablespoons rub.
3. Stand the beer cans on a work surface. Holding each chicken upright, lower it over a can so that the can goes into the main cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod: the chicken should sit upright over the can. Carefully transfer the chickens to the grill in this position, placing them in the center over the drip pan, away from the heat.
4. If using charcoal, toss half the wood chips on each mound of coals. If using gas, place the chips in a smoker box. Barbecue the chickens until nicely browned and cooked through, about 1 to 1½ hours, keeping the temperature about 350 degrees. (If using charcoal, replenish the coals as needed.) The internal temperature of the birds, taken in the thickest part of the thigh, should be at least 165 degrees.
5. Carefully transfer the birds to a platter, in the same position. To carve, lift the birds off the cans, and discard the cans.
SERVES 4
I used the rub from the North Carolina–Style Pulled Pork recipe here.
The seasoning instructions in Step 2 are somewhat tedious—once you get the hang of it, there’s no need to measure.
RAICHLEN’S GRILL INSTRUCTIONS
“On a backyard grill, you need to use the indirect method. This means that you configure your fire so that it is hottest away from the food.
“On a charcoal kettle grill, light the charcoal or Charwood in a chimney starter. When it glows red, dump it in two piles at opposite sides of the grill. (Some grills come with side baskets for this purpose.) Place a foil drip pan in the center of the grill, between the mounds of embers. Place the grate on the grill, and cook the chicken in the center over the drip pan. Toss soaked wood chips on the coals to generate smoke. Keep the grill covered, adjusting the vents to keep the temperature at 350 degrees. After cooking the chicken for an hour, add 10 fresh briquettes or an equal amount of Charwood. Leave the grill uncovered for a few minutes, until the coals ignite.
“On a gas grill, if it has two burners, light one side on high, and cook the chicken on the other. On a three-burner grill, light the front and rear or outside burners, and cook the chicken in the center. On a four-burner grill, light the outside burners, and cook in the center. Many gas grills come with smoker boxes, in which you can put the wood chips. If you don’t have a smoker box, loosely wrap the chips in heavy-duty foil, make a few holes on top, and place the foil package under the grate over one of the burners.”
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Jay Grelen’s Southern Iced Tea (here), Pickled Shrimp (here), Julia Harrison Adams’s Pimento Cheese Spread (here), Fried Corn (here), Salade Niçoise (here), Tomatoes Vinaigrette (here), Jean Halberstam’s Deep-Fried Peaches (here)
READERS
“We have made this dozens of times! We serve the thighs and drumsticks warm and save the breast pieces for salad or soup, including the skin. We particularly like that so much of the fat ends up in the drip pan. We use our old faithful Weber cooker.”
Karen Dooley Bower, Glenside, PA, letter
JULY 7, 1999: “KEEPING THE EMBERS AT BAY,” BY STEVEN RAICHLEN.
—1999
ROASTED BRINE-CURED TURKEY WITH WILD MUSHROOM STUFFING
You’ll need steak knives to get through the lacquered skin and rosy meat, and to fend off anyone who attempts to steal your turkey skin. The cure is well calibrated so that the turkey is succulent and the herbal brine glides over your palate without tasting salty.
This recipe ran twice in the newspaper, once with its original Wild Mushroom Stuffing and once with a Shiitake and Lotus Seed Stuffing (here) created by a Vietnamese immigrant for her family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Both are superb. I didn’t include any other Thanksgiving turkey recipes (well, except Turducken here, but that’s its own category of weird and wonderful), and after you make this one, you’ll understand why.
———
8 quarts water
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons kosher salt
¾ cup sugar
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
¼ cup diced (½-inch) celery
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, diced (½-inch) and washed well
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
2 star anise
2 or 3 sprigs thyme
One 12- to 14-pound naturally fed, free-range turkey
Wild Mushroom Stuffing (here)
¼ cup olive oil or 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Rosemary branches (optional)
1. Bring the water to a boil in a 16-quart or larger stockpot. Add the salt and sugar, and stir until completely dissolved. Turn off the heat and add the carrot, onion, celery, leek, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander, red pepper, fennel seeds, star anise, and thyme. Refrigerate until cold.
2. Remove the giblets from the turkey. Cover and refrigerate the liver if using it in the stuffing. Discard the remaining giblets or reserve for another use. Add the turkey to the stockpot. If necessary, weight it with a plate so that it stays below the brine’s surface. Refrigerate for 72 hours.
3. Remove the turkey from the brine (discard the brine) and allow to come to room temperature.
4. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Loosely fill the turkey at both ends with the stuffing, and truss. (You can, of course, bake the stuffing separately in a buttered baking dish.)
5. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan and roast until it starts to brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees and roast for 12 minutes more per pound, or until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the leg reaches 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (Total roasting time will be about 3 hours.) Baste frequently with the olive oil and pan juices, using rosemary branches as a brush if desired. If the bird begins to darken too much, cover it loosely with a piece of foil.
6. Remove the turkey from oven, cover loosely with foil if you have not already done so, and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving the bird and spooning the stuffing into a serving dish.
SERVES 12 TO 15
COOKING NOTES
I basted with olive oil.
If you don’t have a 16-quart pot, make and cool the brine, then brine the turkey in a clean bucket, or similar food-safe vessel.
If you don’t stuff the turkey—I didn’t—it will take an hour less to cook.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Creamed Onions (here), Sweet Potatoes Anna (here), Candied Sweet Potatoes (here), Stewed Fennel (here), Holiday Cranberry Chutney (here), Mississippi Pecan Pie (here), Rum Pumpkin Cream Pie (here)
PERIOD DETAIL
By Thanksgiving of 2009, brine-curing turkey was fast being replaced with dry-brining, which is appealing because it doesn’t require moving your refrigerator shelves to accommodate a vat of sloshing brine. Judy Rodgers’s Roast Chicken here is dry-brined, which means it’s simply rubbed with salt (and herbs) the day before roasting. As Kim Severson, a reporter for the Dining section, pointed out, you can apply the same method to turkey. Use 1 tablespoon kosher salt for every pound of turkey. Two days before roasting, rub the salt (and herbs and spices, if desired) all over the bird, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it. The next day, turn the turkey over. A few hours before cooking, take the turkey out of the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and pat it dry with paper towels. Then roast the turkey as you usually would.
NOVEMBER 17, 1999: “NEW AMERICAN TRADITIONS: IN A BERKELEY KITCHEN, A CELEBRATION OF SIMPLICITY,” BYR. W. APPLE JR. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ALICE WATERS.
—1999
SLOW-ROASTED DUCK
I once did a deep-dive into duck cookery for the Dining section, and the duck aroma in my kitchen only subsided after about six months. But the revelations were worth it. I discovered that roasting duck as you do a chicken—at moderate, even temperature—is not the way to go. Duck has more fat and thicker skin. You need to find ways of rendering the fat so that it moistens the meat on its way out. I found two good ways of doing this.
Steaming followed by sautéing, it turns out, produces the consummate crisp and succulent duck. Steaming softens the meat while rendering the fat and also infuses the seasonings into the duck. You can do that part up to a day ahead, then crisp the duck in a pan before serving. You can find this technique in the next recipe, here. The other technique, given here, involves roasting. Starting at a high temperature—500 degrees—for the first few minutes of cooking, then lowering it to 300 degrees crisps the duck skin crisp and caramelized yet allows the meat to relax as it would in a braise.
———
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 sprigs thyme
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled
¾ pound thin carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
¾ pound turnips, peeled and cut into wedges
¾ pound golden beets, peeled and cut into wedges
4 shallots, unpeeled, halved
1. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Season the duck generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Put 1 or 2 pieces each of thyme, garlic, carrots, turnips, beets, and shallots in the cavity. Truss the duck and set it in a large casserole or medium roasting pan. Scatter the rest of the ingredients and the neck around the duck; season with salt and pepper. Cover loosely with foil.
2. Roast the duck for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 300 degrees and roast for 3½ hours, basting the vegetables and duck with the pan juices and skimming off the fat occasionally.
3. Remove the foil. Take out the vegetables and neck and set aside. Roast the duck uncovered for 1 more hour (if the vegetables are not tender, continue roasting until they are, then remove them). The skin should be well browned and crisp; the meat, extremely tender.
4. Transfer the duck to a cutting board. Skim the fat off the pan juices, and add water to the pan if necessary to make ½ cup. Bring the juices to a boil, adjust the seasoning, and transfer to a serving bowl. Reheat the vegetables and neck in a baking dish in the oven.
5. Carefully carve the duck (the meat may fall off the bone), adding the vegetables from the cavity to the pan. Pull the meat from the neck and add it to the pan as well. Serve the duck with the pan juices and vegetables.
SERVES 3
VARIATION
In 1993, Florence Fabricant wrote about a technique she’d perfected for roasting duck breast. You score the fat on the breasts in a crisscross pattern and season (or marinate) the breasts however you like. Heat a large, heavy skillet, preferably nonstick, to very hot. Sear the duck breasts skin-side down until browned, about 2 minutes. Pour off the fat. Turn the duck breasts and brown the other side. Then transfer the duck breasts, skin-side up, to a baking dish, and slow-roast them in a 175-degree oven for 1 hour. By this time the duck breasts will be uniformly pink throughout.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Hot Cheese Olives (here), Cauliflower Soup with Cremini Mushrooms and Walnut Oil (here), Mushrooms Stuffed with Duxelles and Sausage (here), Cabbage and Potato Gratin with Mustard Bread Crumbs (here), Whiskey Cake (here), Chocolate Mousse (here)
JANUARY 19, 2000: “DUCK, DEMYSTIFIED: MASTERING THE WHOLE BIRD,” BY AMANDA HESSER. TECHNIQUE ADAPTED FROM GREG SONNIER, THE CHEF AT GABRIELLE IN NEW ORLEANS.
—2000
STEAMED AND CRISPED DUCK
Don’t feel hemmed in by the Asian flavors: you can use any array of spices you like. For instance, try some Indian seasonings like turmeric, ginger, cardamom, and chiles.
For another technique that results in a duck with crisp skin and succulent meat, see here.
———
5 scallions, smashed with the side of a cleaver
Six ⅛-inch-thick slices fresh ginger, smashed with the side of a cleaver
1 tablespoon rice wine
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
1 star anise, smashed with the side of a cleaver
One 5-pound duck
1. Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over the duck, inside and out. Put the duck breast side down in a dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next day, take the duck out of the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature. Place the duck on a steamer rack small enough to fit into a wok. Fill the wok with water to come to the bottom of the rack and bring to a boil. Place the rack over the boiling water, cover with a lid or foil, and steam the duck over high heat until extremely tender, about 1½ to 2 hours. Replenish the boiling water when necessary.
3. Transfer the duck to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
4. Quarter the duck. Heat a large ovenproof nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the duck pieces skin side down and sauté until the skin begins to sizzle and brown, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and crisp the skin for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, then lower the heat and cook until heated through. Transfer the pieces to a platter; serve.
SERVES 3
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Oriental Watercress Soup (here), James Beard’s Pureed Parsnips (here), Red Cabbage Glazed with Maple Syrup (here), Stir-Fried Collards (here), Sugar Snap Peas with Horseradish (here), Steamed Fennel with Red Pepper Oil (here), Marcella’s Pear Cake (here), Coconut Rice Pudding with Lime Syrup (here)
JANUARY 19, 2000: “DUCK, DEMYSTIFIED: MASTERING THE WHOLE BIRD,” BY AMANDA HESSER. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM CLASSIC CHINESE CUISINE, BY NINA SIMONDS.
—2000
TIP FOR CRISP SKIN
The secret to producing a roasted chicken or duck with skin so crisp it crackles lies in how you treat the bird long before it goes in the oven. A decade back I visited Café Boulud, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where the crisping process begins with the raw birds that are cleaned, trussed, and hung on meat hooks in the walk-in refrigerator for a few days. The uncovered skin dries out and firms up. When it hits a hot pan, it crisps like a potato chip, yet the meat stays moist. Andrew Carmellini, the restaurant’s chef at the time, told me that the idea came from the preparation of suckling pigs, which are usually hung in the refrigerator to draw moisture out of the skin. With chickens, hens, and squab, the cooks brown the birds in clarified butter and roast them at 450 degrees, spooning on butter and herbs in the last few minutes.
This technique can be adapted to the home kitchen. On a Thursday, I bought a quail, a guinea hen, and a chicken, rinsed them, dried them, and placed them on a baking rack on a baking sheet, then put them in the refrigerator, turning them once each day. On Sunday, I bought another set of the same birds and roasted the fresh and the dried together. The difference was marked. The dried birds started out with darkened, leathery skin and emerged from the oven brown like a hazelnut, with a thick crackly shell. The skin of the fresh birds was paler, thinner, and flabbier.
Next time, I would dry the birds for just 2 days. With the quail, 1 day would be sufficient: it’s a skinny bird with very little fat, and the legs were dry. One last tip: when you’re ready to cook, rub the bird with oil or butter before seasoning, or the salt won’t cling to the dried skin.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2000: “TIDBIT: A DRY BIRD IS QUICK TO SIZZLE,” BY AMANDA HESSER.
—2000
ROASTED BRINE-CURED TURKEY WITH SHIITAKE AND LOTUS SEED STUFFING
The best Thanksgiving menus, in my view, come from immigrants who adapt the mainstays of the traditional American Thanksgiving to tastes they grew up with. This turkey is the creation of Bao-Xuyen Le, a Vietnamese woman who has spent time in France and now lives in Huntington Beach, California. The brined turkey—a recipe adapted from Alice Waters—is new American, the stuffing decidedly fusion. It’s made of Vietnamese ingredients, and it evolved from a stuffing Le created for chicken in Vietnam. Instead of chestnuts, she buys lotus seeds. Rather than bread, she uses dried sweet rice flakes. In place of pork, there is ground chicken and giblets. What results is nothing like American stuffing. It is light and moist, with little tastes of shallot, giblets, bits of water chestnut and shiitake mushrooms, and a whisper of fish sauce.
Preceding the turkey, Le serves toasts spread with foie gras; spring rolls stuffed with pork (roasted French-style with bay leaves and garlic), toasted rice flour, cilantro, mint, and shiso leaves (here); and dumplings. To go with the turkey, she makes mashed potatoes, a smooth puree, which she seasons with Asian mushroom powder (“the secret,” she said), milk, butter, and sel de Guérande. For her “salade,” she plucks greens and herbs from her garden.
Sometimes, someone brings a pie, but generally the Les stick to lighter sweets. A plate stacked high with persimmons is set on the table, along with a platter of petits fours and Vietnamese cakes—translucent blocks of rice, yam, and bean paste in bright-green-leaf colors and round, dense coconut cakes.
———
8 quarts water
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons kosher salt
¾ cup sugar
1 carrot, peeled and diced (½ inch)
1 large onion, peeled and diced (½ inch)
¼ cup diced celery (½ inch)
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, diced (½ inch) and well washed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
2 star anise
2 or 3 sprigs thyme
One 12- to 14-pound naturally fed, free-range turkey
Shiitake and Lotus Seed Stuffing (here)
¼ cup olive oil or 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Bring the water to a boil in a 16-quart or larger stockpot. Add the salt and sugar, and stir until completely dissolved. Turn off the heat and add the carrot, onion, celery, leek, and herbs and spices. Refrigerate until cold.
2. Remove the giblets from the turkey, and cover and refrigerate if using in the stuffing. Add the turkey to the stockpot. If necessary, weight it with a plate so that it stays below the brine’s surface. Refrigerate for 72 hours.
3. Remove the turkey from the brine (discard the brine) and allow to come to room temperature.
4. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Loosely fill the turkey at both ends with the stuffing, and truss. (You can, of course, bake the stuffing separately in a buttered baking dish.)
5. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan and roast until it starts to brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees and roast for 12 minutes more per pound, or until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh reaches 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Baste frequently with the olive oil and pan juices. If the bird begins to darken too much, cover loosely with foil.
6. Remove the turkey from the oven, cover loosely with foil if you have not already done so, and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving the bird and spooning the stuffing into serving dish.
SERVES 12 TO 15
COOKING NOTES
If you don’t have a 16-quart pot, make and cool the brine, then brine the turkey in a clean bucket or similar food-safe vessel.
If you cook the stuffing on the side, the turkey will take an hour less to cook.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Pork-and-Toasted-Rice-Powder Spring Rolls (here), Mashed Potatoes Anna (here), Mississippi Pecan Pie (here), sliced persimmons
NOVEMBER 15, 2000: “AMERICA CELEBRATES: HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF.: ADD A LITTLE VIETNAM, FRANCE, AND CALIFORNIA, AND MIX,” BY AMANDA HESSER. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ALICE WATERS AND BAO-XUYEN LE.
—2000
ELIZABETH FRINK’S ROAST LEMON CHICKEN
Julia Reed, a columnist for the Times Magazine, argued that this roasted chicken, which is delicious hot, is the ideal picnic dish served cold. The recipe came from Elizabeth Frink, a sculptor, who contributed it to The Artists’ and Writers’ Cookbook. Sometimes it’s difficult to determine what makes one recipe better than another, but here it’s the technique.
Frink carefully formulated every step with repetitions of lemon: you rub strips of lemon peel on the chicken skin, squeeze lemon juice over the inside and outside of the bird, stuff the lemon pieces into the cavity, and then, for good measure, squeeze the juice of a second lemon over the chicken 30 minutes before it’s done roasting.
As Reed noted, “Not only is the chicken good cold, it makes the most delicious sandwiches (another picnic staple, best on thin-sliced brioche with butter or a little homemade mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper) because the meat is infused with the taste of lemon.” Indeed, and the skin is downright tart.
———
One 3-pound chicken
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the chicken in a large baking dish and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Remove the skin from 1 lemon in strips with a vegetable peeler, and rub the skin over the outside of the chicken. Then quarter the lemon and squeeze the juice over and into the chicken. Put the lemon pieces and garlic cloves inside the cavity.
2. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a small pan. Pour about one-third of the butter mixture inside the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Pour the remaining butter and oil over the chicken. Reseason the top of the chicken.
3. Roast the chicken for 1½ hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the leg registers 165 degrees, basting it every 15 minutes with the pan juices. Half an hour before the chicken is done, pour the juice from the second lemon over the chicken and sprinkle with the parsley.
4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to sit for 15 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, pour ½ cup water (or broth, if you have some) into the roasting pan and place it over high heat. As it comes to a boil, scrape up the pan drippings with a wooden spoon. Reduce the pan juices to the desired consistency, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Carve and serve the chicken, passing the sauce on the side.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTES
In 1945, the Times ran its first chicken recipe containing instructions for measuring the internal temperature of the bird—measured at the thickest part of the leg—as a test for doneness. Since then, that has become a standard part of roasted chicken recipes. As most chefs will tell you, 165 degrees is as high as they will go. Once the chicken is removed from the oven, it will continue to cook and the temperature will rise, usually another 5 to 7 degrees. So a bird taken out of the oven at 165 degrees will have reached at least 170 degrees by the time it’s served. You should cook poultry to whatever temperature you’re comfortable with, but if you come for dinner at my house, the chicken will be 170 degrees.
The original recipe does not call for a sauce, but the pan juices were so delicious that I added one more step to deglaze the pan and capture the drippings and juices.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Vermouth Cup (here), Potage Parisien with Sorrel Cream (here), Salmon Mousse (here), Artichauts Vinaigrette (here), Roasted Potato Salad (here), Watercress Salad (here), Diana Vreeland’s Salade Parisienne (here), Marcella’s Pear Cake (here) Fruit Crostatas (here)
PERIOD DETAIL
This lemon chicken recipe was by no means the first lemon chicken to appear in the Times—there are some eighteen others in the archives—and by no means the last. A recipe for Lee Lum’s Lemon Chicken, a Chinese dish, is here.
JULY 8, 2001: “THE PICNIC PAPERS,” BY JULIA REED. ELIZABETH FRINK’S RECIPE APPEARED IN THE ARTISTS’ AND WRITERS’ COOKBOOK.
—2001
CHICKEN ROASTED WITH SOUR CREAM, LEMON JUICE, AND MANGO CHUTNEY
My husband, Tad, served this dish the first time he cooked for me. To make it, you whisk together lemon juice, sour cream, Major Grey’s chutney, curry powder, and, of all things, mayonnaise, pour it over chicken breasts, and bake them in a hot oven. The shiny yellow sauce sounds about as promising as green goddess dressing, but it’s marvelous. And here’s why: it has all the components of a good sauce: cream, egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt. (Turned out, he had all the components of a good husband; generosity, intelligence, a sense of humor, and a few good recipes under his belt.)
———
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each), cut in half
½ cup Hellmann’s (or Best Foods) mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons Major Grey’s mango chutney
1 teaspoon curry powder
Juice of 1 lemon, preferably a Meyer lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lay the chicken in a medium baking dish (either Pyrex or enameled cast iron).
2. Whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream in a small bowl. Add the chutney and curry powder and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon juice a little at a time, tasting as you go. It should taste quite tangy. Stop when it is to your liking.
3. Spoon the sauce evenly over the chicken. Place in the oven and roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Season with pepper and serve.
SERVES 2
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Soupe à l’Ail (Garlic Soup; here), Puree of Peas and Watercress (here), Sugar Snap Peas with Horseradish (here), Sautéed Potatoes with Parsley (here), Campton Place Buttermilk Chocolate Cake (here)
READERS
“Never fails to be enjoyed, so easy, perfect.”
Mitzi Maxwell, Orlando, FL, e-mail
JULY 15, 2001: “FOOD DIARY: LOVIN’ SPOONFULS,” BY AMANDA HESSER. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM FIFTEEN MINUTE MEALS, BY EMALEE CHAPMAN.
—2001
GINGER DUCK
My late mother-in-law, Elizabeth Friend, made this for dinner on my first meet-the-parents weekend. She used the cooking broth to make the rice, and she tucked watercress under the duck when serving it—a snappy counterpoint to the rich bird. Alongside, we had Puree of Peas and Watercress (here) and for dessert, Almond Cake (here). All of which made me feel incredibly daunted by her culinary prowess.
Elizabeth, whose cooking style blossomed during the Julia Child years, tended toward bold, self-contained dishes, most of which could be made at least partially ahead, allowing her to be part of the cocktail hour (a great strategy for all cooks to heed). This recipe came to Elizabeth from Baba, her family’s cook when she was young, and it is now sustaining a fourth generation.
———
1 duck, giblets removed
1 onion, cut in half, or 3 shallots
2 stalks celery, cut into 3-inch-long pieces
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ cup sugar
½ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup dry sherry
1 small bunch watercress, trimmed and washed
1. The day before serving, stuff the duck with the onion and celery. Place the duck breast side up in a large pot with enough water to half-cover it. Add the ginger and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat so that it simmers gently for an hour.
2. Turn the duck over. Add the sugar, soy sauce, and salt. Continue simmering for another hour.
3. Turn the duck once again and simmer until tender and almost falling apart, about another hour. Turn off the heat and, when it’s cool enough, remove the duck from the pot and place in a roasting pan. Cover and refrigerate. Pour the broth into a container and refrigerate overnight. A layer of fat will form on top; scrape it off and discard. Reserve 1 cup for the duck; what remains is delicious in rice and soups and can be frozen for months.
4. Before roasting, bring the duck to room temperature in the roasting pan. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Add the sherry and 1 cup of the defatted duck broth to the roasting pan and place in the oven. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, basting the duck occasionally with the juices from the pan. The duck is done when it is heated through and the skin is crisp and chestnut brown.
6. Transfer the duck to a serving platter and garnish with the watercress.
SERVES 3
COOKING NOTE
A whole duck serves 4, but barely. As with most of the whole duck recipes in the book, doubling this is best if your 4 have big appetites.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Some other ideas: Cream of Carrot Soup (here), Butternut Squash and Cider Soup (here), Chilled Sesame Spinach (here), Sugar Snap Peas with Horseradish (here), The Most Voluptuous Cauliflower (here), Lemon Lotus Ice Cream (here), Tea Ice Cream (here), Apple Galette (here)
AUGUST 12, 2001: “FOOD DIARY: AMATEUR NIGHT,” BY AMANDA HESSER. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ELIZABETH FRIEND.
—2001
BRAISED DUCK LEGS WITH PINOT NOIR SAUCE
A friend aptly described this as “duck bourguignon”—a quick and dirty version.
———
8 duck legs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
8 cups duck or chicken broth
About 3 cups pinot noir
Mixed sturdy greens, such as arugula, curly endive, tatsoi, and escarole, for serving (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the duck legs well on both sides with salt and pepper. Crumble the herbes de Provence evenly over all sides. Lay the legs skin side up in a 3-inch-deep baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer.
2. Roast the duck for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the shallot and cook until lightly colored. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and 2 cups broth. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, skimming frequently. Add 2 cups more stock and continue cooking, reducing, and skimming, and adding more stock 2 cups at a time, until all the stock has been added, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. Pour off the duck fat from the baking dish and reserve for another use. Heat the pinot noir to a bare simmer in a small saucepan. Pour over the legs so that the meat is immersed but the skin is exposed. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the skin is golden red.
5. Remove the legs from the roasting pan and keep warm. Pour the braising liquid into a large measuring cup. Add 1 cup of the liquid to the saucepan of stock and cook until reduced enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Strain through a fine sieve. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Arrange the duck legs on serving plates (over mixed greens, if you like) and pour the sauce on top.
COOKING NOTE
It’s important to use a fresh jar of herbes de Provence.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Seasoned Olives (here), Nicole Kaplan’s Gougères (here), Braised Red Cabbage with Chestnuts (here), Golden Winter Puree (here), Figs in Whiskey (here), Black Forest Cake (here)
JANUARY 9, 2002: “DUCK LEG CONFIDENTIAL,” BY REGINA SCHRAMBLING. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM BAY WOLF RESTAURANT COOKBOOK, BY MICHAEL WILD AND LAUREN LYLE.
—2002
MOROCCAN CHICKEN SMOTHERED IN OLIVES
This Paula Wolfert dish is similar in technique to James Beard’s Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (here) in that you layer the chicken pieces with aromatics, then cover it with broth and simmer it, but it’s totally different in spirit. The chicken tastes exactly as you would expect a Wolfert recipe to taste—soulful and assertive.
———
¼ cup salt for brining (optional)
½ cup sugar for brining (optional)
8 chicken thighs, skin removed and discarded
2 onions, halved and sliced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ cup chopped cilantro
2 cups chicken broth
11 ounces (about 1½ cups) pitted green olives in brine, like Goya’s, drained
Juice of 1 lemon
1. To brine the chicken (optional), combine the salt, sugar, and 1 cup hot water in a large bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add 3 cups cold water and the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain, rinse, and drain again.
2. Arrange the onions in a large casserole and top with the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with the ginger, turmeric, cumin, paprika, garlic, and cilantro. Pour the chicken broth over all. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, turning once.
3. Meanwhile, combine the olives with several cups of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain well and set aside.
4. Add the olives and lemon juice to the chicken and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. If desired, simmer longer to reduce and thicken the sauce. Serve.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTE
Go ahead, brine the chicken. It’s easy and worth it—brining lightly cures the meat and helps keep it moist.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Roasted Carrot and Red Lentil Ragout (here), Moroccan Carrot Salad (here), Spicy Orange Salad Moroccan-Style (here), Blood Orange, Date, and Parmesan Salad with Almond Oil (here), Winter Slaw with Lemon-and-Orange Dressing (here), Pepper-Cumin Cookies (here), Moroccan Rice Pudding (here), Revani Verrias (Semolina Cake; here), Sugared Puffs (here)
JUNE 12, 2002, “FOR THE LITERARY SET, HOME COOKING, UNEDITED,” BY ALEX WITCHEL. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM MEDITERRANEAN COOKING, BY PAULA WOLFERT.
—2002
PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH END-OF-SEASON TOMATOES
Brining the chicken the morning you make this dish is a trick I learned from my mother. It keeps the chicken moist and helps the skin crisp in the oven.
———
1 tablespoon sea salt, plus more for seasoning
One 4-pound chicken, cut into 6 pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 sprigs thyme
1 shallot, finely chopped
½ cup fino sherry
3 very ripe tomatoes (from a farm stand if possible), coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon aged sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
1. Pour the salt into a bowl large enough to hold the chicken. Add a cup of tepid water and dissolve the salt. Add the chicken pieces, then cover with more water. Refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours, until ready to cook.
2. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chicken from the water and pat it dry. Place the flour and salt and pepper to taste in a plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces 2 at a time and shake to lightly coat them, then vigorously shake off excess flour.
3. Place a deep ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil and butter. When the foam subsides, add the chicken pieces skin side down and brown well, adjusting the heat as needed, then turn and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the thyme sprigs and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast the chicken, basting every few minutes, until it is cooked 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan and place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 1 minute. Pour in the sherry and boil, scraping up any pan drippings, until the pan is almost dry. Add the tomatoes, increase heat to high and cook until the tomatoes have broken down and the juices have condensed, 10 minutes. The sauce should be pulpy, not drippy. Taste and adjust the seasoning, sprinkle with the vinegar, then spoon over the chicken.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Watermelon Gazpacho (here), Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado (here), Haricots Verts with Balsamic Vinaigrette (here), Saratoga Potatoes (here), Angel Food Cake (here—with Brandied Peaches, here), Blueberry Ice Cream (here), Forget-It Meringue Torte (here)
SEPTEMBER 11, 2002: “A MEAL WITH LOVED ONES CLOSES THE CIRCLE OF LIFE,” BY AMANDA HESSER.
—2002
STIR-FRIED CHICKEN WITH CREAMED CORN
Inspired by a fish and corn dish he’d had at Ocean Star, a Chinese restaurant in Monterey Park, California, Mark Bittman devised this brilliant variation made with chicken. He spiced it aggressively and included fresh corn in addition to the dubious-but-essential canned creamed corn. The dish is like pigs-in-a-blanket—its success cannot be explained. Just accept and enjoy.
———
1 pound boneless chicken (breasts or thighs), cut into ½-inch chunks
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon sherry, rice wine, sake, or dry white wine
2 tablespoons peanut or other neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 small chile, seeded and minced (or crushed red pepper flakes to taste)
One 15-ounce can creamed corn
1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
Chopped cilantro for garnish
1. Mix the chicken with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and wine in a small bowl. Put the peanut oil into a deep skillet or wok, preferably nonstick, and turn the heat to high.
2. Drain the chicken. When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the skillet and cook undisturbed until the bottom browns, about 2 minutes. Stir once or twice, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
3. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile and stir; 15 seconds later, add the creamed corn and corn kernels. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve over white rice.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTES
Use chicken thighs, which have more flavor than breasts.
I used frozen corn (with no water added), it worked well.
Serve with jasmine or basmati rice if possible.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Zucchini and Vermouth (here), String Beans with Ginger and Garlic (here), Chilled Sesame Spinach (here), Jasmine Tea Rice (here), Summer Pudding (here), Lemon Bars (here), Vanilla Plum Ice (here)
OCTOBER 2, 2002: “THE MINIMALIST; CREAMED CORN? REALLY?” BY MARK BITTMAN.
—2002
STAFF MEAL CHICKEN WITH SALSA VERDE
Every once in a while, a crude and spicy dish sneaks into the pages of the Times (see Beer-Can Chicken here). Enjoy it!
———
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon granulated garlic (not garlic powder)
1 heaping tablespoon granulated onion (not onion powder)
1 tablespoon plus ¾ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon to ¼ cup crushed red pepper flakes, depending on desired heat
½ cup olive oil
One 3- to 3½-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Salsa Verde (recipe follows)
1. Combine the lemon juice, garlic, onion, pepper, paprika, salt, red pepper flakes, and olive oil in a large bowl and whisk to blend into a paste. Add the chicken pieces and turn until well coated on all sides. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or as long as overnight; if marinating more than 1 hour, cover the bowl and refrigerate. Turn pieces occasionally.
2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on a large foil-lined baking sheet, leaving ample space between the pieces. Roast for 30 minutes.
3. Reduce the oven heat to 300 degrees and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and the meat is tender. Serve hot or at room temperature, with the salsa and, ideally, with rice.
SERVES 4
SALSA VERDE
¼ pound jalapeño peppers (3 to 4 large), stems removed (not seeded)
2 to 3 cups chicken broth
1¼ pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 small bunch cilantro, leaves and stems chopped (½ cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1. Place the jalapeños in a medium saucepan and add enough broth to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the jalapeños are slightly tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the tomatillos and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomatillos have lost their brightness and the vegetables are soft but not mushy.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a blender or food processor, and process until chunky, adding cooking liquid as needed to make a thick but loose purée. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Black Bean Soup with Salsa and Jalapeño Corn-Bread Muffins (here), Beets in Lime Cream (here), Rice (here), Salted Caramel Ice Cream (here), Aztec Hot Chocolate Pudding (here)
Interest in the behind-the-scenes life of restaurants supported a wave of books from Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential to Bill Buford’s Heat. Even the staff meal—traditionally, the grub served to those who later make your dinner—was dissected and celebrated. New York’s Chanterelle made a book of it: Staff Meals from Chanterelle; Thomas Keller included his staff’s lasagna recipe in The French Laundry Cookbook; and Regina Schrambling wrote in the Times about this chicken dish served in the basement kitchen of Artie’s Delicatessen in New York.
OCTOBER 16, 2002: “UPSTAIRS, HOT PASTRAMI; DOWNSTAIRS, JALAPEÑOS,” BY REGINA SCHRAMBLING. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ANTONIO MARTINEZ OF ARTIE’S DELICATESSEN IN NEW YORK CITY.
—2002
TURDUCKEN
Once upon a time, possibly at a lodge in Wyoming, possibly at a butcher shop in Maurice, Louisiana, or maybe even at a plantation in South Carolina, an enterprising cook decided to take a boned chicken, a boned duck, and a boned turkey, stuff them one inside the other like Russian dolls, and roast the result. He called his masterpiece turducken.
In the years that followed its disputed birth, turducken has become a Southern specialty and holiday feast. A well-prepared turducken is a marvelous treat, a free-form poultry terrine layered with flavorful stuffing and moistened with duck fat. Once it’s assembled, it looks like a turkey and it roasts like a turkey, but when you carve it, you can slice it like a loaf of bread. In each slice, you get a little bit of everything: white meat from the turkey breast, dark meat from the legs, duck, carrots, bits of sausage, bread, herbs, juices, and chicken too.
Although Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme likes to claim credit for the turducken, the annals of culinary history are stuffed with birds stuffed into birds. There is a reference in the diaries of John B. Grimball from 1832 for a Charleston preserve of fowl. It consisted of a dove stuffed into a quail, the quail into a guinea hen, the hen into a duck, the duck into a capon, the capon into a goose, and the goose into a peacock or a turkey. The whole thing was then roasted and cut into “transverse sections.” It makes turducken seem like the lazy way out.
Barbara Wheaton, a food historian, said that in the fourteenth century, peacocks were boned and roasted and restuffed into their still-feathered skin. In his Encyclopedia of Practical Gastronomy, published at the turn of the last century, Henri Babinski, who used the pseudonym Ali-Bab, gives instructions for stuffing boned ortolans into truffles (not a bad way to go, if you’re an ortolan, I guess).
“In the Republic of Georgia,” Darra Goldstein, a professor of Russian at Williams College and the editor of Gastronomica, a journal of food and culture, wrote in her book The Georgian Feast, “there’s a very old feast dish that calls for a huge ox roasted on a spit, stuffed successively with a calf, a lamb, a turkey, a goose, a duck, and finally a young chicken, and seasoned throughout with spices. The art lay in ensuring that each type of meat was perfectly roasted.”
Layering a bunch of birds (or beasts) is clearly a culinary stunt, but it also makes for a great-tasting dish. One problem with turkey is that eating it gets monotonous very quickly, but when each bite of turkey is alternated with chicken, duck, or possibly pork stuffing, you may end up eating too much, but you never get bored.
———
½ pound sliced pancetta (¼ inch thick), cut into ½-inch squares
¾ pound sweet Italian sausages with fennel
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion, plus 4 onion halves for pan
1 cup chopped carrots, plus 4 carrot halves for pan
1½ cups chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon anise seeds
One 3- to 3½-pound chicken, boned, wings and giblets reserved
One 4- to 5-pound duck, boned, wings and giblets reserved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup brandy
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
3 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 cups ½-inch cubes stale baguette
One 10- to 12-pound turkey, boned
1. The day before serving, cook the pancetta in a large sauté pan over low heat until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Remove the sausage from the casings, break into small pieces, and add to the pan. Cook the sausage until it’s no longer pink. Drain on paper towels.
2. Pour off the fat in the pan. Add the oil, along with the chopped onion, carrots, and celery, garlic, and anise seeds, and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and duck giblets, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the giblets are almost cooked through. Raise the heat to high and pour in the brandy. Reduce until almost gone, then shut off the heat and stir in the thyme and tarragon. Remove from the heat.
3. Remove the giblets from the pan and chop. Fold together the pancetta, sausage, vegetables, giblets, and bread cubes in a large bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Let cool, then refrigerate overnight.
4. The next day, lay the turkey out on the counter, skin side down. Season with salt and pepper. Spread one-third of the stuffing over its surface, pressing some into each drumstick to make it plump again. Trim about two-thirds of the fat from the duck, leaving some fat on the breast. Butterfly the duck drumsticks. Lay the duck pieces on top of the turkey over their corresponding parts. Season with salt and pepper. Spread one-third of the stuffing over the duck. Lay the chicken on top, again skin side down, and corresponding in arrangement to the turkey. Season with salt and pepper, and spread with the remaining stuffing.
5. Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Thread a carpet or upholstery needle with 2 feet of butcher’s twine. Beginning at the tail end, begin pulling the edges of the turkey together, re-forming its body, stitching every inch or so. Have someone hold the bird while you stitch. Do not sew the turducken together too tight, or it will split open when cooking.
6. Turn the bird over. With a 3-foot piece of twine, truss it, wrapping the twine around the tips of the drumsticks, then crisscrossing it and going down around base of the drumsticks. Crisscross the twine under the bird, then bring it up the sides and crisscross it on top, wrapping it down and around the wings, crisscrossing it on the back and up again, tying it over the breast.
7. Season the roasting pan with salt and pepper. Place the turducken in the pan breast side up and season it. Place the chicken and duck wings, along with the halved onions or carrots, in the pan.
8. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake. After 2 hours, begin checking the bird every 30 minutes or so and basting once the juices form. Turn the pan every now and then so the turducken cooks evenly. When an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the turducken reads 130 degrees (probably after about 4 or 5 hours), remove the aluminum foil and turn the heat up to 375 degrees. Baste every 15 minutes or so until the turducken reaches 165 degrees in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes or so.
9. With sturdy spatulas, lift the turducken onto a platter. Cover with foil and let sit for another 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, strain the pan juices and spoon off the fat.
10. Using a bread knife or carving knife, slice the turducken like a loaf of bread. Serve, passing the cooking juices.
SERVES 12
COOKING NOTES
Preserve your sanity; find a butcher who will bone the birds for you.
Making turducken, it turns out, is not unlike preparing a turkey with stuffing, and not unlike cooking a rolled and tied butterflied leg of lamb. You want the stuffing to be full flavored and sturdy; it should fill the dips and cavities where the bones once were, without making the bird bulky. If you fill the turkey too full, it will split open when cooking.
Assembling a turducken is simple. You lay the boned turkey skin side down (if your butcher hasn’t butterflied the bird, slice through the skin where the backbone was and open up the bird so it lies flat), season it with salt and pepper, and spread it with some of the stuffing. Make sure to tuck some stuffing into the drumsticks. Lay the duck in the same manner on top of the turkey and repeat. The same goes for the chicken. Then you have a choice: you can sew up the bird using a carpet or upholstery needle and butcher’s twine, or thread thin skewers through the edges of the bird and then lace the skewers with twine.
I recommend sewing—and enlisting someone to help. Begin at the tail end, folding up the tail skin and pulling the edges of the bird, close to the wings, back together. Stitch the bird from side to side about an inch from each edge, pulling the twine to tighten it. Continue sewing up to the neck end, then tie off the string. I recommend trussing the assemblage as you would a chicken, which will help outline the drumsticks and re-form the birds into one plump turducken.
You will need a thermometer, because that is the only way to know what’s going on inside. When the center reaches 130 degrees, you remove the foil and increase the oven heat. The outside will get brown, and basting will allow the mix of juices to moisten the entire turducken.
When the turducken is done (165 degrees), you set it on a platter, use a gravy boat to collect the cooking juices—which are rich and concentrated, like a demiglace—and march both to the table. Give someone who’s never encountered a turducken the honor of taking a long thin knife and slicing.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Corn Bread Stuffing (here), Red Cabbage Glazed with Maple Syrup (here), Brussels Sprouts “Slaw” with Mustard Butter (here), Mashed Potatoes Anna (here), Stewed Fennel (here), Creamed Onions (here), Broccoli Puree with Ginger (here), Apple Crumb Pie (here), Sour Cream Ice Cream (here), Pear Upside-Down Cake (here)
NOVEMBER 20, 2002: “TURKEY FINDS ITS INNER DUCK (AND CHICKEN),” BY AMANDA HESSER.
—2002
CRISP-BRAISED DUCK LEGS WITH AROMATIC VEGETABLES
One of the hallmarks of Mark Bittman’s “The Minimalist” column has been his interest in technique. He often takes a classic recipe and plays around with the method to underline the characteristics that cooks would desire in the finished dish. Take, for instance, this recipe for braised duck legs. Two small revisions give the finished legs a crisp skin, a detail often lost in braising: Bittman first very slowly renders the fat from the duck legs and crisps the skin in a pan. Later the legs are braised, raised up on a levee of chopped vegetables and covered in liquid just up to the level of the skin, in an uncovered pan. The legs braise fairly quickly, and maintain their crispness.
———
4 duck legs, trimmed of excess fat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion
½ pound carrots
3 stalks celery
6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
8 sprigs thyme
2 cups chicken broth
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the duck legs skin side down in an ovenproof skillet large enough to accommodate all the ingredients comfortably; turn the heat to medium. Brown the duck legs carefully and evenly, sprinkling them with salt and pepper as they cook.
2. Meanwhile, peel the onion and carrots and dice all the vegetables.
3. When the legs are nicely browned, turn them over and sear for just a minute or two. Remove to a plate; remove all but enough fat to moisten the vegetables from the pan. Add the vegetables to the skillet, along with some salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Return the duck legs to the pan, skin side up, and add the garlic, thyme, and stock; the stock should come about halfway up the duck legs but should not cover them. Turn the heat to high, bring to a boil, and transfer to the oven.
5. Cook for 30 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees. Continue to cook, undisturbed, until the duck is tender and the liquid reduced, at least another half hour. The duck is done when a thin-bladed knife pierces the meat with little resistance. (When done, the duck will hold nicely in a warm oven for another hour.)
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTES
I used a Le Creuset braiser for this recipe, and some of the edges of the duck skin stuck to the pan. Use a nonstick pan if you have one.
The original recipe did not call for garlic and thyme; they were included as a variation in Bittman’s text. But without them, the dish is too one-dimensional. He also recommended a habanero chile and a few slices of ginger as an alternative.
VARIATION
When spreading the vegetables in the roasting pan, add 1 cup green or black olives, and instead of just chicken stock, use half stock, half canned whole tomatoes.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Seasoned Olives (here), Red Wine Risotto (here), Raw Spinach Salad (here), Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pine Nuts (here), Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Sablés (here)
PERIOD DETAIL
By 2000, Times food writers had begun writing more recipes for duck legs and chicken legs and thighs than for breast meat. American cooks—or Times readers, at least—had finally come to the conclusion that duck breasts and chicken breasts, praised in the past for their simplicity, are often tasteless, not to mention difficult to cook well.
DECEMBER 25, 2002: “THE MINIMALIST: DUCK LEGS, A.S.A.P.,” BY MARK BITTMAN.
—2002
CHICKEN BOUILLABAISSE
The best chicken bouillabaisse—a peasant stew coarsing with the mineral and garlic flavors of Marseilles—comes from a chef best known for cooking fish, Eric Ripert.
———
One 3- to 3½-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled, all but 2 cloves thinly sliced
½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced
3 pinches saffron threads
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
⅔ cup diced ripe tomato or well-drained canned tomato
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
3½ cups chicken broth
8 small Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tablespoon boiling water
One 6-inch piece baguette
1 large egg yolk
One 6-inch strip orange peel
2 tablespoons Pernod or Ricard
4 branches thyme
1. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Pour 2 tablespoons oil into a deep sauté pan or casserole large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer (or brown in batches if your pan isn’t large enough) and place over high heat until starting to smoke. Add the chicken skin side down and cook until golden brown, turning to brown both sides. Remove the chicken to a platter and lower the heat to medium. Add the onions, leeks, sliced garlic, and fennel and cook, stirring, until starting to soften.
2. Sprinkle on 2 pinches saffron and the cayenne and cook for a few minutes longer, then add the tomato and tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Sprinkle with the flour, stir, and then return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices from the platter. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove the 4 breast pieces from the pan. Continue cooking the remaining chicken for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until done, then remove from the pan. Skim any foam from the surface of the sauce, and set the pan aside.
3. While the chicken cooks, place the potatoes in a saucepan, add salted water to cover, and boil until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain. Peel when cool enough to handle.
4. Place the remaining pinch of saffron in a small dish and pour the boiling water over it.
5. Slice the piece of baguette lengthwise into 4 slices, and toast. Rub with 1 garlic clove and brush with a little oil.
6. Place the egg yolk in a mixing bowl. Force the remaining garlic clove through a press—or just finely chop it—and add it to the yolk, beating with a whisk. Strain in the water from steeping the saffron, whisking. Slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil, whisking vigorously, until the mixture thickens to mayonnaise consistency. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.
7. Add the orange peel, Pernod, and thyme to the pan the chicken cooked in, and simmer for 5 minutes; then remove the orange peel and thyme. Season the sauce with salt and cayenne. Add the potatoes and chicken to the pan and reheat.
8. Serve the chicken and potatoes in warm soup plates with the sauce. Spread some of the garlic-saffron mayonnaise (aioli) on the toasted baguette slices (reserve the remaining aioli for another use), and place 1 alongside each serving.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTE
The aioli takes a while to thicken—keep beating!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Seasoned Olives (here), Artichauts Vinaigrette (here), Salade à la Romaine (here), No-Knead Bread (here), Le Cirque’s Crème Brûlée (here), Lemon Mousse for a Crowd (here), Frozen Meringue Velvet (here)
JANUARY 1, 2003: “THE CHEF: ERIC RIPERT: BOUILLABAISSE, UNSTRICTLY SPEAKING,” BY FLORENCE FABRICANT. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ERIC RIPERT, THE CHEF AT LE BERNARDIN IN NEW YORK CITY.
—2003
SOUTHEAST ASIAN CHICKEN TWO WAYS
Chicken is to Mark Bittman what the puppy is to Jeff Koons—a subject inspiring endless variations. Here, after using a soy, garlic, ginger, and chile marinade for the chicken, Bittman has you finish half the dish with lime wedges and cilantro (Thai-style) and half with more garlic and ginger and fish sauce (Vietnamese-style). The first is fragrant and moist. The second has a sticky, savory glaze. You can make the entire dish one way or the other, but I think it’s fun to make it both ways.
———
One 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces and trimmed of excess fat
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon corn oil
Lime wedges
Chopped cilantro
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce, preferably Thai
1. Place the chicken in a large bowl with the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon each garlic and ginger, and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Toss well to coat. (The chicken can be covered and refrigerated for up to a day.)
2. Heat the oil in a large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and add skin side down to the hot oil. Brown well on both sides, about 4 minutes per side, then lower the heat, and cook, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. At this point, half the chicken can be served with lime wedges and cilantro, if you wish.
3. For Vietnamese-style chicken, remove the chicken from the pan, then turn the heat to low, and add the sugar, another tablespoon each of garlic and ginger, and another teaspoon of red pepper flakes, along with the water. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts and the sauce thickens and foams. Add the fish sauce and any juices accumulated around the chicken and cook for 1 minute more, then return the chicken to the pan and cook, turning the pieces occasionally, until they are nicely glazed and the chicken is hot.
4. Remove from the skillet, spoon the sauce on top and garnish with lime and cilantro.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTES
Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before starting the recipe—it will cook more evenly.
I cut the breasts in half so the pieces of chicken were more evenly sized.
I used a splatter screen to keep the fat from flying everywhere as I sautéed the chicken. This had the added benefit of holding some of the heat in the pan, helping the chicken cook through more quickly.
Remove the chicken pieces from the pan as they finish cooking. Keep warm in a low oven.
The amount of red pepper flakes seems outrageous, but somehow it works. The dish is spicy but not intolerably so.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Kaffir Lime Lemonade (here), Pork-and-Toasted-Rice-Powder Spring Rolls (here), Pork Belly Tea Sandwiches (here), Steamed Fennel with Red Pepper Oil (here), Pad Thai–Style Rice Salad (here), Glazed Mango with Sour Cream Sorbet and Black Pepper (here), Sticky Rice with Mango (here)
FEBRUARY 12, 2003: “THE MINIMALIST: A DUAL ROLE FOR CHICKEN,” BY MARK BITTMAN.
—2003
SPICY, SUPERCRUNCHY FRIED CHICKEN
Ready for a tip that will change your life? You don’t need to deep-fry chicken: you can shallow-fry it in half an inch of oil, which means less mess and wasted fat.
———
1 good chicken, cut into serving pieces and trimmed of excess fat, or 8 to 10 leg pieces (drumsticks and thighs), trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder
½ teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero, or other hot chile, seeded and minced, or cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed
Lard and unsalted butter combined or vegetable oil for frying
½ cup cubed country ham
Lemon or lime wedges for garnish
1. Toss the chicken with the salt, pepper, curry, allspice, garlic, chile, egg, and water in a bowl. When thoroughly combined, blend in the flour, using your hands. Keep mixing until most of the flour is blended with the other ingredients and the chicken is coated (add more water or flour if the mixture is too thin or too dry; it should be dry but not powdery). Let sit while you heat the fat. (The chicken can marinate, refrigerated, for up to a day.)
2. Choose a skillet or casserole at least 12 inches in diameter that can be covered. Add enough fat to come to a depth of about ½ inch and turn the heat to medium-high. If you are using butter, skim any foam as it rises to the surface. When the oil is hot (a pinch of flour will sizzle), raise the heat to high. Add the cubed ham, then slowly add the chicken pieces (if you add them all at once, the temperature will plummet). Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook for 7 minutes.
3. Uncover the skillet, turn the chicken, and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 7 minutes. Turn the chicken again and cook for about 5 minutes more, turning as necessary to ensure that both sides are golden brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet and drain on paper towels.
4. Serve the chicken at any temperature, with lemon or lime wedges.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTES
Use a deep cast-iron skillet if you have one—it holds heat most evenly.
Covering a pan of hot oil while frying can be dangerous. Do not leave the stove while you do it, and keep an eye on the pan, lifting the lid occasionally to make sure the temperature isn’t too high.
Adding cubed ham to the fat before frying adds another layer of succulence to the chicken.
VARIATION
Cinnamon-Scented Fried Chicken: While the fat heats, mix together 2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 tablespoon coarse salt, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a plastic bag. Toss the chicken in the bag, 2 or 3 pieces at a time, until well coated. Put the pieces on a rack as you finish. Fry the chicken as instructed in the recipe.
Pickled Shrimp (here), Cucumbers in Cream (here), Wilted Chard with Pickled Red Onion (here), Stewed Corn (here), Light Potato Salad (here), Pickled Watermelon Rind (here), Red Velvet Cake (here), Key Lime Pie (here), Buttermilk Pie (here)
MAY 21, 2003: “THE MINIMALIST ENTERTAINS; FOR PERFECT FRIED CHICKEN THIS SUMMER, BREAK THE RULES,” BY MARK BITTMAN.
—2003
BRAISED LIGURIAN CHICKEN
Jamie Oliver, the tufted blond celebrity chef, prepared this for me in the cramped basement kitchen of Passione restaurant in London. It was a typically damp, sodden London day and yet the flavors of the Mediterranean sang in the pan. “It’s quite delicately flavored,” Oliver said to me. “It’s perfumed with the wine and the rosemary. You get this kind of meaty kind of saltiness from the olives, and what’s really interesting is if an English housewife got hold of the recipe, she’d probably stone the olives and have quite a lot of them. But in Italy, literally for eight people they put that much”—in his hand, he cradled about two dozen olives—“and they leave the pits in.”
Oliver, who can as easily rattle on entertainingly about a floor board, continued, “When you cook olives whole like this, it’s almost like an anchovy. The salt comes out of the olives, and the olive becomes more like a vegetable. And the salt from the olive flavors the chicken really wonderfully.” Readers seemed to think so—nine people wrote in to recommend this recipe for the book.
———
2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 to 5 sprigs rosemary
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1½ cups dry white wine
4 anchovy fillets
½ cup Calamata olives (not pitted)
3 ripe plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1. Combine the flour with salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and toss until evenly coated.
2. Place a large casserole over medium-high heat and heat the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and fry until golden underneath, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken, add rosemary and garlic, and fry until the garlic is softened but not colored, about 3 minutes. Add the wine. When it comes to a boil, add the anchovies, olives, and tomatoes. Partially cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is cooked and tender and the broth is reduced to a rich sauce, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. To serve, discard the rosemary sprigs, and season the sauce well with salt and pepper. Place a piece or two of chicken on each plate and top with a spoonful of sauce.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Crostini Romani (here), Zuppa di Funghi Siciliana (Sicilian Mushroom Soup; here), Italian Roast Potatoes (here), Steamed Spinach with Balsamic Butter (here), Roasted Cauliflower (here), Saffron Panna Cotta (here), Frozen Lemon Soufflé (here), Coffee Caramel Custard (here)
NOVEMBER 19, 2003: “THE CHEF: JAMIE OLIVER: THE MEDITERRANEAN SUN WARMS RAINY LONDON,” BY AMANDA HESSER. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM JAMIE OLIVER.
—2003
CAROLINA CHICKEN BOG
From the land of grits and gumbo, chitterlings, and chow-chow comes bog, a toasty chicken and pepper stew. Sam Sifton and Mark Bittman, who wrote about this recipe by Robert Stehling, a chef in Charleston, said the name “derives from the way in which the pieces of chicken sit in the pot, like hummocks in a bog.”
———
3 tablespoons bacon fat or neutral oil, like corn or canola
6 ounces chicken gizzards and hearts, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and diced
2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and diced
4 medium-to-large white onions, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry red wine
One 35-ounce can tomatoes, chopped, with their liquid
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 pound mixed sausages and cured meats, like kielbasa, Italian sausage, breakfast links, chorizo, diced ham, and/or bacon
2 cups chicken broth
1 branch thyme
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 bay leaves
1½ pounds boneless chicken, preferably thighs, chopped
8 chicken livers, trimmed and cut in half
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup Dijon mustard
Cooked white rice for serving
1. Put the fat in a deep skillet or large casserole over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the gizzards and hearts and cook until quite brown and sticking to the pan, at least 3 minutes. Stir once, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then brown the other side. Add the peppers, onions, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the red wine and tomatoes and bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers; cook for about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns quite brown, about 10 minutes. Add this roux to the simmering stew; cook 5 minutes.
3. Add the meats, broth, thyme, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves to the stew and cook at a lively simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes. Add the chicken meat and cook for another 15 minutes or more (this dish can sit on the stove, simmering, for hours; add a little water or stock if it threatens to dry out).
4. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in an 8- or 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, add the livers and cook until quite brown on one side; sprinkle with salt and pepper as they cook. Turn and brown on the other side.
5. Stir the vinegar and mustard into the stew. Add the livers and stir. Serve over white rice.
SERVES 8
COOKING NOTE
If you can’t find chicken gizzards and hearts, substitute chicken necks.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Cheese Straws (here), Green Goddess Salad (here), Iceberg Lettuce with Smoked Bacon and Buttermilk Dressing (here), Bourbon Pecan Pie (here)
JANUARY 28, 2004: “SUNDAY ON THE COUCH WITH CHICKEN AND BEANS,” BY MARK BITTMAN AND SAM SIFTON. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ROBERT STEHLING, CHEF AND THE OWNER OF HOMINY GRILL IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.
—2004
ROAST CHICKEN SALAD
———
10 cups baby spinach
5½ cups roughly shredded roast chicken (from a 3-pound roast chicken; see here)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 ripe avocados
1½ teaspoons Maldon salt, or table salt to taste
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Combine the spinach, chicken, scallions, and about ¾ cup cilantro in a large mixing bowl.
2. Halve the avocados and discard the pits; scoop out curls with a spoon. Or peel the avocados and cut the fruit into chunks or slices. Add to the salad.
3. Stir together the salt, lime zest, and lime juice in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil and pepper to taste. Pour over the salad, tossing gently by hand to mix.
4. Arrange the salad on a large plate or in a salad bowl and sprinkle with the remaining chopped cilantro.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Ginger Lemonade (here), Watermelon and Tomato Salad (here), Al Forno’s Roasted Asparagus (here), No-Knead Bread (here), Blueberry Pie with a Lattice Top (here), Brownies (here)
READERS
“Eaten weekly if possible.”
Carrie Harmon, Short Hills, NJ, e-mail
JUNE 9, 2004: “AT MY TABLE: A COLD LUNCH, EASY ON THE COOK,” BY NIGELLA LAWSON.
—2004
BUTTERMILK ROAST CHICKEN
A soak in seasoned buttermilk followed by some time in a hot oven work wonders for chicken—its skin crisps and turns bronze.
Because you can only buy buttermilk in quart-size containers—a racket!—and no recipe calls for more than 2 cups buttermilk you will have some left over. For some ideas on how to use it up, see Fish Poached in Buttermilk here, Chilled English Pea–Mint Soup here, Old South Buttermilk Biscuits here, or the Buttermilk Pie here.
———
One 4-pound chicken
2 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon Maldon or other sea salt
1 tablespoon crushed black pepper
2 tablespoons roughly chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon honey
1. To butterfly the chicken, place it breast side down on a cutting board and use heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut down along both sides of backbone. Discard the backbone, turn the chicken over, and open it like a book. Press gently to flatten it.
2. Place the chicken in a large freezer bag. Add the buttermilk, ¼ cup oil, the garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and honey. Seal the bag securely and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 2 days.
3. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on a rack over a plate so the excess can drip off. Line a roasting pan with foil and place the chicken in the pan. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Roast for 45 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees and continue roasting until the chicken is well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F, about another 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a carving board and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.
5. Place a portion of chicken on each of 4 plates, and drizzle with the pan juices.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTE
To brown the bird evenly, halfway through cooking, rotate the roasting pan 180 degrees.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
White Gazpacho with Almonds and Grapes (here), Watercress Salad (here), Blood Orange, Date, and Parmesan Salad with Almond Oil (here), Saratoga Potatoes (here), Potato “Tostones” (Flattened Potatoes; here), Green Pea Fritters (here), Summer Squash Casserole (here), Fresh Succotash (here), Light Potato Salad (here), Summer Pudding (here)
READERS
“Even if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, the recipe provides a good technique for roasting a spatchcocked chicken, which is faster than a whole chicken and provides a simple solution to the white-meat/dark-meat cooking time problem. Not only is this a terrific recipe, but it also taught me the wonderful British word ‘spatchcock,’ a term that no self-respecting cook should be without. Alas, it’s too long for Scrabble.”
Cynthia J. Eiseman, e-mail
JULY 21, 2004: “AT MY TABLE: SPATCHCOCK THE CHICKEN, CUT THE CAKE. AH, SUMMER!” BY NIGELLA LAWSON.
—2004
FRIED SAMBAL WINGS WITH CUCUMBER CREAM
———
½ cup yuzu juice
½ cup kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons sugar
8 cups water
18 chicken wings, about 3½ pounds, wing tips removed, each wing cut in half
6½ tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup sambal
¼ cup Sriracha sauce (Asian hot sauce)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
½ English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and seeded
One 4-inch piece fresh ginger
1 cup sour cream
4 cups vegetable oil for shallow frying
1. To make the brine, combine the yuzu juice, salt, sugar, and water in a container large enough to hold the wings. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the wings and refrigerate overnight.
2. Drain the wings, rinse well, and pat dry.
3. Combine the butter, sambal, hot sauce, and vinegar in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over low heat, and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
4. Cut the cucumber crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick pieces. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes. Pat dry with a towel.
5. Grate the ginger over a towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out 2 tablespoons juice into a bowl. Add ½ teaspoon salt to the juice, then combine with the sour cream and cucumber. Season to taste.
6. Pour 2 inches of oil into a large deep pot and place over high heat. When the oil reaches 375 degrees, fry the chicken wings, in batches, for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned. Transfer to a bowl. Toss the wings with the hot sauce and serve with the cucumber cream.
SERVES 6 AS A FIRST COURSE
COOKING NOTE
Yuzu is a type of citrus often used in Asian cooking. If yuzu juice is unavailable, use 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons) and 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus the grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Pork-and-Toasted-Rice-Powder Spring Rolls (here), Beet and Ginger Soup with Cucumber (here), Malaysian-Inspired Pork Stew with Traditional Garnishes (here), Chicken with Lime, Chile, and Fresh Herbs (Larb Gai; here), Mango Ice Cream (here)
JULY 30, 2006: “THE ARSENAL,” BY JILL SANTOPIETRO. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM TAKU RESTAURANT IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
—2006
SPICY, GARLICKY CASHEW CHICKEN
Extraordinarily spicy, garlicky, and good.
———
1 cup salted roasted cashews
6 tablespoons chopped cilantro (with some stems)
¼ cup canola or safflower oil
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, sliced (discard seeds or not, to taste)
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
Lime wedges for garnish
1. Combine the nuts, 2 tablespoons cilantro, the oil, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, jalapeño, lime juice, and water in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
2. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Set aside ⅓ of the cashew mixture. Smear on enough of the remaining mixture to thoroughly coat the chicken. Let marinate at room temperature while you heat a grill or broiler. (Or refrigerate for up to 12 hours before cooking.)
3. Grill or broil the chicken, turning frequently, until it is crisp and golden on the outside and done on the inside (cut a small nick to check), 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining ¼ cup cilantro and serve with lime wedges and the reserved cashew mixture.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Manjula Gokal’s Gujarati Mango Soup (here), Chinese Barbecued Spareribs (here), Stuck-Pot Rice with Yogurt and Spices (here), Jasmine Tea Rice (here), Green Beans with Coriander-Coconut Crust (here), Mango Ice Cream (here), Macaroons (here)
JULY 11, 2007: “A TRAIL THAT LEADS THROUGH MANY MEALS,” BY MELISSA CLARK.
—2007
CHICKEN AND LEMON TERRINE
One of the most flavorful terrines I’ve ever tasted. Delicate pieces of brined and poached chicken and lemon confit are suspended in a Meyer lemon and herb gelatin. Serve with peppery baby arugula, tossed with olive oil and good salt, and a stellar lunch is yours.
———
13 ounces (about 1½ cups) fine sea salt, plus 2½ teaspoons, plus more as needed
4 quarts cold water
Two 3-pound chickens, halved
7 Meyer lemons
1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, cut into 3-inch pieces and washed well
2 onions, quartered
1 head garlic, halved like a grapefruit
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems chopped
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
15 black peppercorns
1 whole clove
1¼ cups dry white wine
1 cup sugar
About 2½ ounces (½ cup) powdered gelatin
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1. Two days before serving, whisk the salt and cold water together in a nonreactive 3-gallon container until the salt has dissolved. Submerge the chicken halves in the brine and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
2. The day before serving, discard the brine and rinse the chickens well in cold water. Place the chickens in a large stockpot and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil slowly, then reduce the heat and skim the water of impurities.
3. Halve 4 of the lemons and add them to the pot, along with the leek, onions, garlic, half the cilantro, the thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, clove, and white wine. Bring back to a boil, then gently simmer until the meat can be pulled from the bone, about 45 minutes. Let the chicken cool in the liquid (bouillon).
4. Meanwhile, to prepare the lemon confit, squeeze the juice from the remaining 3 lemons over a sieve, and chill the juice. Scoop the pulp from the rinds and discard it. Place the rinds in a medium pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil, then drain; repeat twice with fresh water. Then add the sugar and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the rinds are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool. Cut the rinds into ¼-inch pieces.
5. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and, while they are still warm, separate the meat from the skin and bones, leaving the meat in large chunks. Discard the skin and bones. Strain the bouillon through a sieve lined with three layers of cheesecloth. Discard the vegetables.
6. Weigh the chicken (you should have about 2¼ pounds). Measure out the same weight of bouillon as chicken (about 1 quart; freeze any extra to use later as stock).
7. Bring the bouillon to a boil in a saucepan, and skim the top. Reduce to a simmer and whisk in 1 ounce of gelatin for every 14 ounces of liquid (about ¾ cup plus 1½ tablespoons gelatin for 2¼ pounds bouillon) until dissolved. Remove from the heat and fold in the chicken (do not stir, or the chicken will become stringy). Let cool slightly.
8. When the liquid is just warm, fold in the lemon confit and remaining cilantro. Season with the 2½ teaspoons salt and pepper. Season to taste with the remaining lemon juice and more salt and pepper as necessary. (Add a touch more salt than you think is needed, as the flavor becomes muted when chilled.) Transfer to a 2-quart or 4-by-11-by-3-inch terrine, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 1 day.
9. Turn the terrine out, slice and serve at room temperature.
SERVES 16 AS A FIRST COURSE OR LIGHT LUNCH.
COOKING NOTE
To halve the chickens, use poultry shears to cut out the backbone, then use a chef’s knife to split the breastbone.
Don’t substitute regular lemons for the Meyer lemons—they’re too bitter.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
See headnote. For dessert: Raspberry Granita (here).
APRIL 27, 2008: “THE WAY WE EAT: BLOCK PARTY,” BY CHRISTINE MUHLKE. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM DANIEL BOULUD AND SYLVAIN GASDON AT BAR BOULUD IN NEW YORK CITY.
—2008
JERK CHICKEN
Julia Moskin was hired as a food reporter for the Times around the time I began working on this book, so by rights there shouldn’t be many of her recipes here. But so many of her stories already seem timeless. Julia has written about Dorie Greenspan’s and Pierre Hermé’s sablés (here and here), her own Croq-Télé (here), and Sugar Snap Peas with Horseradish (here), among others. She also helpfully pointed me in the direction of some of her favorites, like the exceptional Tuna Salad (here), Swedish Ginger Cookies (here), and Sour Cream Ice Cream (here).
Here, Moskin introduced readers to the art of making jerk chicken.
“Jerk is Jamaica to the bone, aromatic and smoky, sweet but insistently hot,” wrote Moskin. “All of its traditional ingredients grow in the island’s lush green interior: fresh ginger, thyme, and scallions; Scotch bonnet peppers; and the sweet wood of the allspice tree, which burns to a fragrant smoke.
“Its components are a thick brown paste flecked with chiles, meat (usually pork or chicken, occasionally goat or fish), and smoke, from a tightly covered charcoal grill, that slowly soaks into the food.”
Jerk descends from the Maroons and the Tainos in Jamaica, who dug pits to smoke wild pigs with allspice wood.
———
Two 3½- to 4-pound chickens, quartered, or 8 whole chicken legs, or 5 to 6 pounds chicken thighs
1 large bunch scallions (about 8), trimmed
2 shallots, halved
4 to 6 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, stems removed
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves
¼ cup fresh thyme leaves or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons ground allspice, plus more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
Juice of 2 limes
2 large handfuls pimento wood sticks and chips or other aromatic chips, or as needed, soaked in water for 30 minutes.
1. At least 1 day before cooking, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and grind to a coarse paste. Slather all over the chicken, including under the skin. Refrigerate for 12 to 36 hours.
2. Bring the chicken to room temperature before cooking, and lightly sprinkle with more salt and allspice.
3. Prepare a charcoal grill: Clean and oil grates and prepare a medium-hot fire, using one chimney of charcoal. The temperature can start as high as 300 degrees and go as low as 250. For best results, the coals should be at least 12 inches away from the chicken. If necessary, push the coals to one side of grill to create indirect heat. Add the soaked wood sticks and chips to the coals, then close the grill. When thick white smoke billows from the grill, place the chicken on the grate, skin side up, and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Uncover the grill. The chicken will be golden and even mahogany in places. Chicken thighs may already be cooked through. For other cuts, turn the chicken over and add more wood chips and charcoal if needed. Cover and continue cooking, checking and turning every 10 minutes. The chicken is done when the skin is burnished brown and the juices run are completely clear, with no pink near the bone. For large pieces, this can take up to an hour.
SERVES 8
COOKING NOTE
Pimento (allspice) wood sticks and chips are available at www.pimentowood.com.
VARIATIONS
Moskin noted, “If you have no grill, the chicken can be baked in the oven at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes; the smokiness will be lost but seasoning will be intact. Jerk rub can also be used on a boneless leg of lamb or pork roast, to be cooked on a medium-hot grill or in the oven.”
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Ginger Lemonade (here), Rice and Peas (here), Mango Ice Cream (here)
JULY 2, 2008: “SWEET HEAT: FOR JAMAICANS, IT’S ABOUT JERK,” BY JULIA MOSKIN.
—2008
CHICKEN WITH LIME, CHILE, AND FRESH HERBS (LARB GAI)
I hope these Asian minced salads catch on, because they’re wonderful to eat in the summer, the herbs and acidity much more spirited than the torpid mayonnaise-based chicken salads we’re used to. There’s also a Minced Fish Salad, a recipe from Laos, here. This recipe comes from Kwan Thai, an immigrant from Thailand who owns Kwan Bellhouse in Pearl River, New York.
———
¼ cup Thai or Lao sticky rice or 2 tablespoons roasted rice powder (available at Asian markets)
1 pound coarsely ground or finely chopped white- or dark-meat chicken (lean beef, such as sirloin, can be substituted)
½ teaspoon hot chile powder, preferably Thai or Lao
4 teaspoons Asian fish sauce, preferably Thai
5 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste
¼ cup slivered red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons sliced scallions
10 mint leaves, plus more for serving
Salt
Lettuce leaves and cucumber spears for serving
4 cups cooked sticky or jasmine rice for serving
1. If using raw rice, to make roasted rice powder, heat a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until the rice is toasted and dark brown but not black, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the wok and let cool, then grind to a coarse powder in a mortar, blender, or spice/coffee grinder.
2. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. When it is very hot, add 2 tablespoons water, then add the chicken, stirring constantly to break up any lumps. Cook just until cooked through, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.
3. When the chicken is just warm, add the remaining ingredients and roasted rice powder. Mix gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding salt if needed. The mixture should be tangy, salty, and lightly spicy.
4. Spoon onto a serving plate and surround with mint leaves, lettuce, and cucumber. Serve with rice. If serving with sticky rice, pinch some off, mold into a small ball, and dip into larb, scooping up a little of each ingredient. Or scoop the larb into lettuce leaves.
SERVES 4 TO 6
COOKING NOTE
Larb gai is traditionally served with long-grain Thai or Lao sticky rice, sometimes labeled “glutinous.” It is not the same as Japanese short-grain rice.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Kaffir Lime Lemonade (here), Pork-and-Toasted-Rice-Powder Spring Rolls (here), Mango Ice Cream (here), Sticky Rice with Mango (here)
JUNE 17, 2009: “A TOUCH OF ASIA, TANGY AND HOT,” BY JULIA MOSKIN. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM KWAN BELLHOUSE IN PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK.
—2009
