Chicken – Cooking in Code http://www.cookingincode.com Software developer by day, chef by night Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:31:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.4 214944756 Asparagus and Friends Part 2: Asparagus on the Grill http://www.cookingincode.com/2010/06/17/asparagus-and-friends-part-2-asparagus/ http://www.cookingincode.com/2010/06/17/asparagus-and-friends-part-2-asparagus/#respond Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:31:00 +0000 https://cookingincode.appspot.com/2010/06/asparagus-and-friends-part-2-asparagus-on-the-grill.html Read More Read More

]]> Grilling asparagus may sound like a rather tedious process, and indeed, if you’re not big on grilling, a similar effect can be achieved by tossing it with some olive oil in a baking pan and popping it under the broiler for a few minutes. However, if you’re already BBQ-ing, as we were, it seems a shame to go to all the fuss and bother of heating up the oven.

The biggest hazard when it comes to grilling asparagus is that it has a terrible tendency to slip through the grate on the grill, at which point it is no longer edible, *and* you have to disassemble the BBQ to extract it. However, on this particular evening, I had a flash of brilliance of Fine-Cooking-Tips-and-Tricks proportions: I took the fish-grilling basket, and chucked the asparagus in there, closed it up and put it on the grill. It worked perfectly. There was no asparagus-spear herding with the tongs or the spatula, just flip it over a couple times while your other grillables are cooking and there you have it: grilled asparagus, no fuss, no bother, no grill pan.

A word of warning though (well, 2 actually). I failed to toss my spears with salt and olive oil before grilling (I was *that* lazy), which probably would have made for a tastier result (we were doing Asian style chicken thighs with the asparagus, so I drizzled it with a soy-and-hoisin sauce, which basically had the same effect. Also, I recommend not stuffing *too* much asparagus into the fish-basket. Ideally you want each spear to be expose to the flame on at least one side (so 2 layers of asparagus at most), otherwise the ones in the center don’t cook very well.

Grilled Asparagus Spears and Five-Spice Chicken Thighs with Soy-Vinegar Sauce & Cilantro

The chicken thighs are from The Wonder Issue of Fine Cooking. The ingredient list is nothing special, but somehow this is one of the most Asian-tasting recipes for Asian style chicken I’ve ever tried (and, its a mix, marinade and grill sort of thing, which makes it that much better).


DSCN0191.JPG, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

Servings: Serves four to six (and great as left-overs).

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 large, 10 medium, or 12 small), trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil; more for the grill
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions
1. Mix the five-spice powder, the 1 tablespoon sugar, the garlic powder, and the salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
2. Put the chicken in a shallow pan, drizzle with the vegetable oil, and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the chicken; toss and rub to coat thoroughly.
3. Prepare a hot charcoal fire or heat a gas grill with all burners on medium high for 10 minutes. Clean the hot grate with a wire brush and then lubricate it with an oil-soaked paper towel. Put the chicken on the grate and grill (covered on a gas grill or uncovered over a charcoal fire) until one side has dark grill marks, 5 to 6 minutes for large thighs or 4 to 5 minutes for medium and small thighs. Turn and continue to grill until well marked on the other sides and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes longer for large thighs or 4 to 5 minutes for medium and small thighs.
4. Move the thighs to a serving dish. Drizzle with about half of the soy mixture, sprinkle with the cilantro, and toss to coat. Let rest 4 to 5 minutes, tossing once or twice. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with the remaining soy mixture passed at the table.

Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus spears
Salt
Olive Oil

Optional:
1 tbsp hoisin sauce,
1 tsp soy sauce

Toss the spears with salt and olive oil, place in a fish grilling basket, and grill along side the chicken, if you want, you can drizzle it with the soy/hoisin mix afterwards.

]]> http://www.cookingincode.com/2010/06/17/asparagus-and-friends-part-2-asparagus/feed/ 0 37 Two Creative Ways to Cook Chicken Thighs http://www.cookingincode.com/2010/02/12/two-creative-ways-to-cook-chicken/ http://www.cookingincode.com/2010/02/12/two-creative-ways-to-cook-chicken/#respond Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:09:00 +0000 https://cookingincode.appspot.com/2010/02/two-creative-ways-to-cook-chicken-thighs.html Read More Read More

]]> Chicken thighs are underrated. Or rather, chicken breasts are overrated. In truth, since I discovered the difference in the juiciness and taste, I have only bought chicken breasts for grilling purposes (actually, chicken thighs grill up quite nicely too, but they’re smaller, so you have to be a bit more diligent about flipping them). When it comes to stovetop cooking though, chicken thighs (bone in or out) are the perfect size. Big enough that they don’t disappear, but small enough that they cook quickly, and don’t dry out.

Without further ado then, here are some fun ways to do chicken thighs:

Chicken Dijonnaise

Courtesy of LCBO’s (Food and Drink).

I have done this with bone-in and boneless chicken thighs; both work, but I think the bone-in ones somehow give the dish more of a *French bistro* vibe. Also, they hold their shape and moisture better. To remove the skin from chicken thighs, grasp one corner with a piece of paper towel and give it a good tug.

Ingredients

  1. 2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
  2. 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
  3. 8 plump skinless bone-in chicken thighs, about 2 lb (1 kg)
  4. ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
  5. 1 cup (250 mL) sliced shallots (about 6)
  6. ¼ cup (50 mL) good-quality smooth Dijon mustard
  7. ½ tsp (2 mL) black pepper
  8. 1 cup (250 mL) white wine (or vermouth)
  9. ½ cup (125 mL) whipping cream
  10. Thyme sprigs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).

2. Melt butter with oil in a large flameproof casserole or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt. Cook in batches 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown on all sides. Remove chicken thighs from casserole as each batch cooks, and set aside on a plate.

NB: This is probably the hardest step. The butter and chicken fat tend to spit a bit, and browning any sort of meat is a skill which I have only recently learned. There are 2 tricks: first, don’t crowd the chicken–I usually do no more than 3-4 thighs per batch. Second, leave them for a good 3 minutes (at least) before flipping them, this way, the meat seals, and doesn’t stick to the pot when you go to turn it, so you get a nice golden-brown layer on the meat, rather than the pot.

3. Reduce heat to medium, add shallots to fat remaining in casserole. Cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes until softened. Return chicken thighs to casserole, meaty side up, along with any juices that have accumulated on plate. Cover casserole and transfer to the oven.

4. Cook 25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken thighs from casserole. Arrange meaty sides up on a baking sheet. Spread 2 tbsp (25 mL) mustard evenly over thighs (this seems like a lot of mustard, but it works). Sprinkle with pepper. Return chicken thighs to turned-off oven to keep warm.

5. Add the wine to the casserole. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to scrape up any brown bits from bottom of casserole. Boil over high heat 3 to 5 minutes, until liquid has reduced slightly. Whisk in cream and remaining mustard. Boil, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, until sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

6. Arrange chicken thighs on a warm shallow serving dish and pour sauce over and around chicken. Garnish with thyme and serve at once.

This goes really well with risotto, or Brussels sprouts saute.

Clay Pot Ginger Chicken

(Courtesy of Food and Wine).

I was actually really impressed with this dish. Maybe it was the ginger (I’m a total sucker for ginger) or maybe it was because we got the rice bang on, or maybe it was just the authenticity of eating it out of little white bowls with chopsticks. But I thought it was authentic-Chinese-restaurant quality good. The sugar-syrup might be the secret ingredient too.

No clay pot required. A good quality medium-to-large dutch oven will work just fine.

Ingredients

  1. 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
  2. 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup hot water
  3. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  4. 2 Thai red chiles, chopped, or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I think we put in both)
  5. 1 garlic clove, minced
  6. One 4-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into slivers
  7. 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3-by-1-inch pieces
  8. 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
  9. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  10. 1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
  11. 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
  12. 6 cilantro sprigs, cut into 1-inch lengths

Directions

1. In a small heavy saucepan, cook 2 tablespoons of the sugar over moderate heat until bubbling and beginning to brown around the edges, 4 minutes. Gradually stir in 1/3 cup of the hot water and simmer for 3 minutes to dissolve the caramel. Remove from the heat.

2. Heat the oil in a medium Chinese clay pot or in a casserole. Add the chiles, garlic and half of the ginger and stir-fry over moderate heat until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the chicken, fish sauce, salt and the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and stir until the chicken turns white, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion wedges, the remaining 1/4 cup of hot water and the caramel sauce and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the scallions and cook for 3 minutes longer. Stir in the remaining ginger and remove the pot from the heat. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.

]]> http://www.cookingincode.com/2010/02/12/two-creative-ways-to-cook-chicken/feed/ 0 60