Simply Recipes Recipe Test: Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives

I wish I could recall how I came across this recipe.  I was online, and saw the thumbnail of the photo somewhere.  It may have been Facebook.  Anyway, the photo redirected to a site called "Yummly," where I clicked again to get the full recipe at Simply Recipes.  This isn't a new recipe--Elise Bauer posted it in 2006.

Here's the full recipe:
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moroccan_chicken_with_lemon_and_olives/

How can you resist a recipe with this photo in it?

I started by rounding up the ingredients.  I'd never cooked with preserved lemon, and I couldn't find it at Fresh Market.  I found an Epicurious recipe for fast, easy preserved lemon.  I just preserved one lemon using the recipe, but it worked out well.  All you do is slice the lemon thinly, place in baking dish in as close to a single layer as possible, douse with salt and lemon juice, and bake at 200 for three hours.

Here's the easy preserved lemon recipe from Epicurious:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quick-Preserved-Lemons-12760

About to put my lemons in the oven.

I made the lemons two days before, and also mixed the spices so the chicken could sit in the spice rub for two days.  I love bold flavors, so I wasn't afraid to really let the flavors develop.  I ended up doubling the spice rub, too, so I could get as much as possible on the chicken.

The recipe made this much spice rub--just enough to fill the corner of my Ziploc bag.  I didn't think this was enough to really coat the chicken, so I doubled it up.

Bag of chicken with spice rub ready to go into the fridge for two days.  Letting it sit in the spices for two days let the flavors, as well as an intense orange color, develop.

When it was time to prepare the chicken, I was excited.  It had developed a really deep orange color from all the spices.  I didn't have a tagine, so I used a deep pan and prepared according to the recipe.  I didn't make any substitutions.  I didn't keep close tabs on the time, instead, I made sure the chicken skin was browned and crispy before flipping it.  I like chicken skin to have a crisp texture instead of a floppy, slow cooked softness.

Onions in, ready to simmer.

The house smelled fantastic as the chicken cooked.  As the chicken cooked, I carefully removed the parsley and cilantro leaves from the stems to ensure no tough stem pieces or the weird little unappetizing hairs cilantro gets if pulled off the stem hastily.

Moments from serving...

At serving time, the dish was very pretty.  The yellow from the lemon and bright green of the parsley and cilantro popped against the red flesh of the chicken.  The skin was satisfyingly crispy and the inside was meaty and moist.  The whole dish was freshly aromatic.

The finished product!

I can't wait to make this one again!  Another winning recipe!

One note: after prepping this dish, I noticed that the white French tips of my manicure were stained yellow, presumably from the turmeric.  Insider tip: consider wearing gloves if you have a fresh or pastel-colored manicure.  Turmeric stains.

Hellmann's Recipe Test: Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Herbs

This recipe from Hellmann's caught my eye when I was deciding what to do with the herbs leftover from the Green Pea and Fava Bean Salad with Sliced Speck.  I don't cook with sage often, so I was looking for good flavor combinations.  Sage and lemon came up together often.  I was also intrigued because while I've used compound butter in cooking, I've never thought to make "compound mayonnaise."

Here's the recipe I found while Googling: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Roasted-chicken-with-lemon-_-herbs-299623?columns=4&position=27%2F60

The original recipe is from the Hellman's website: http://www.hellmanns.com/recipes/detail/32401/1/roasted-chicken-with-lemon-herbs

I used the following:

1 small free range whole chicken  (1.3 lbs.)
1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 c. mayonnaise
3 T chopped parsley
2 tsp. chopped sage
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. thyme leaves
salt
fresh ground black pepper


Prep was really easy.  I preheated the oven to 425 and sprayed a roasting pan with non-stick spray.  I removed the giblet bag from inside the chicken.  I roughly doubled the "compound mayonnaise" mixture so I'd have plenty to slather over the 1.3 lb. free range chicken I purchased at Meijer.  Rather than putting the lemon inside the cavity of the bird per the recipe, I sliced it thinly, used my fingers and a knife to loosen the bird's skin, and put the lemon slices under the skin.  This added more moisture and lemon flavor.

Chicken prepped with the lemon slices.

After sliding the lemons under the skin, I liberally salted the bird and then sprinkled it with fresh cracked black pepper.  What seems like too much salt is just right for getting crispy skin.  I mixed the herbs, garlic, mayo, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  I slathered the chicken with the mayo and tossed the two uneven ends of the lemon into the center cavity of the bird.  For a perfect presentation, I could have tied the legs, but I didn't worry with it.  I wasn't going to plate the bird and bring it to the table this time.

I put the bird in the oven at 425, but did not turn the temperature down after 10 minutes as the recipe suggests.  I find that cooking chicken at a higher temperature yields crispier skin.  For me, the crispy skin is key to a delicious roasted chicken.

While I waited, I sauteed the giblets in a tablespoon of butter and had a tasty snack.

At 40 minutes, I checked the bird at the thigh and it bled when I cut into it.  The surrounding meat was visibly pink.  Since the skin had a nice, crispy look, I tented the pan with foil for the last 25-30 minutes so the bird wouldn't burn.  I checked the bird again at about 1 hour and 10 minutes, and it was done.

I let the bird rest while finishing mashed potatoes.  I served an airline piece to my husband (breast and wing) and ate a leg and thigh.  The chicken was deliciously crispy on the outside, but tender and juicy inside.  The lemon flavor was very present...something you don't always get when cooking with a squeeze of lemon juice.  The slices against the meat allowed the flavor to infuse more deeply.

Chicken, fresh out of the oven.

A closer look at the crispy skin and lemons peeking out from underneath.

This recipe is a keeper--it's easy and flavorful, and the whole bird makes a pretty presentation with the golden skin and lemon rounds peeking out.  Just be mindful of the cooking time.  The original recipe calls for a 4-5 lb. bird, check for doneness at 50 minutes.  There's absolutely no way that a 4-5 lb. bird can cook in an hour.  I worry that an inexperienced home cook will read the recipe and think that they can have this on the table in an hour.

Food and Wine Magazine Recipe Test: Green Pea and Fava Bean Salad with Sliced Speck

I'm still working my way through the August 2014 issue of Food and Wine magazine. The next recipe I'm testing captured my attention because it had a huge photo that looked really fresh and bright. I was a little leery of a salad that doesn't have any lettuce or spinach...it seems like a lot of strong flavors and no where for my palate to rest. Nevertheless, I was ready to try this recipe. It wasn't a slam dunk like the Grilled Skirt Steak with Fruit-and-Green-Tomato Salsa. This salad was an interesting mix of flavors that made sense together, but I'd tweak slightly next time.


The recipe calls for:

3 cups shelled fresh English peas (about 3/4 pound)
4 pounds fava beans, shelled (4 cups)
1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
Pepper
1/3 cup snipped dill sprigs
1/3 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup snipped chives
1/3 cup small basil leaves or torn basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped sage
20 thin slices speck (1/2 pound)
4 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled (1 cup)

For how to prepare, check out the original recipe from Food and Wine magazine here:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/green-pea-and-fava-bean-salad-with-sliced-speck

Like usual, I had to make a few substitutions based on what was available. I couldn't find fava beans and speck at the Broad Ripple Fresh Market, so I substituted white beans and serrano ham. I prepared the recipe as instructed with one exception--I didn't measure the ricotta cheese. I just liberally dolloped it on the plate to make sure my husband would eat it. "Salad" to him means meat, cheese, and ranch with a side of lettuce. I wanted to make sure there was something that he'd like to bait him!

The finished product...my salad with the salad pictured in Food and Wine.

I took a bite, and the taste was really fresh and bright. The salty of the ham worked with the sweet of the peas and the boldness of all the herbs/aromatics. Occasionally, I'd get a bite that was heavy on the parsley. These bites were bitter and unpleasant. To make this recipe really tops, I'd reduce the amount of parsley to just a dusting of chiffonade and add a handful of arugula. With all the distinct flavors like basil, sage, and chives, it would be nice to have a little break from time to time.


I enjoyed this recipe. I'd make it again with the reduction in parsley and perhaps a handful of arugula. This probably isn't one to experiment with the more picky eaters in your circle. The bold flavors may come across as disharmony. Not bad, but not one that drew highest accolades.

Food and Wine Magazine Recipe Test: Grilled Skirt Steak with Fruit-and-Green-Tomato Salsa

I'm still enjoying the Food and Wine magazine subscription my husband gifted to me.  Although I'm starting to think it wasn't a gift for me, it was a gift for him.  I've been working my way through the recipes, and he gets to be the taste tester.  Definitely a gift for him.

Next in the queue, a recipe that caught my eye because it's by Stephanie Izard.  Izard is the chef of Girl and the Goat, where I dined last summer on a trip to Chicago with friends.  My favorite girlfriend's husband had a job interview, so I tagged along for a day of shopping and gastronomy.  Dinner at Girl and the Goat was great, minus having to take her husband outside and babysit him on the sidewalk after he drank too much.  Our group of friends took turns sitting with him so no one would have to miss the meal.  It ended up being funny fodder for a wedding toast!  Anyway, it was the first time I ate goat or pig face.  I can't wait to go back.  By the way, if you're from the Girl and the Goat and reading this, my friend is still apologetic about the glass he broke, and the nap he took at the table until we shepherded him to the sidewalk so you wouldn't kick us out.  A bad job interview and double-fisting Manhattans will do that, I guess.  His loss since he's the first of us to go foodie, and he missed the meal!

Back to Stephanie Izard.  I have endless respect for women who brave traditionally men's jobs, and a woman like Stephanie who schooled the boys on Top Chef.  Sometimes I feel the challenge of being an attorney working in the tech sector--it's not always easy making your way in the boys' club.  Good for Stephanie for being a strong woman and a Midwestern culinary superstar.

Izard's recipe in the August 2014 recipe is for Grilled Skirt Steak with Fruit-and-Green-Tomato Salsa.

Here's the link to the recipe: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/grilled-skirt-steak-with-fruit-and-green-tomato-salsa

The recipe calls for:

2 lbs. skirt steak
olive oil
red wine vinegar
soy sauce
sambal oelek
scallions
green tomato
plum
sweet cherries
nicoise olives
basil
cilantro
parsley
sorrel
salt and pepper

Like the Piment d'Espelette of a few entries ago, I had to read up on some of these ingredients.  Sambal oelek is a staple of Thai, Malaysian, and Indonesian cooking.  It's chili pepper paste without seasonings like garlic.  Read more here.  Sorrel is a leafy herb used in cooking around the world.  It is rich in Vitamin C and has an acidic, even bitter taste due to the oxalic acid content.  According to Gourmet Sleuth, some spinach or arugula and lemon juice are an adequate substitute.

I went to three grocery stores and couldn't find the sambal oelek or sorrel, so I substituted Dynasty brand Thai Chili Garlic Paste for the sambal oelek, and arugula and lemon juice for the sorrel.  Since I love arugula, I used this is an opportunity to turn the salsa into more of a salad.  I used a handful instead of two tablespoons.  This gave the meal more bulk without having to prep a separate side dish.

I could not find sambal oelek at Kroger or Marsh, so I substituted Dynasty brand Thai Chili Garlic Paste.

Next up, I had to substitute for the cherries.  Cherries are in season in May, June, and July.  I went to two Marsh stores, one Fresh Market, and one Kroger hoping they had some anyway.  No dice.  I called Trader Joe's and Fresh Thyme, they said they didn't have any.  I even enlisted the help of the local police department to see if an officer friend had seen cherries anywhere!  I ended up buying a can of cherries in water.  I opened the can, and they were really mushy, so they couldn't work as a substitute.  They were not firm enough to cut.  I ended up substituting black grapes.

Of note, I also used some manzanilla olives I already had.  These olives are firmer and milder than nicoise olives, but still brought a briny flavor.  I'm not an olive snob.  I love olives in all forms.

Unfortunately, by the time I had made all these substitutions, this preparation was more "inspired by" Izard's recipe than an actual test of it.

I started this recipe on Sunday afternoon.  I chopped all the ingredients and stored them separately in cups since I knew I'd be home late on Monday (and Dallas would be on, so I didn't want to spend a long time prepping!)  It took between 20 and 30 minutes to wash and chop all the ingredients, then mix the vinaigrette.  I tasted the vinaigrette to see if the garlic would be noticeable--the sambal oelek would not have added garlic to the mix.  I didn't notice the flavor of the garlic, but the vinaigrette was heavy on the soy sauce flavor.  This ended up working out well--the salsa needed the salt.  This is why Stephanie Izard is a chef and I'm a wannabe food blogger.

Since everything was chopped and the green onions had already been sauteed and cooled, all I had to do was hit the steak with a little salt and pepper.  While it cooked, I mixed the vinaigrette and all the prepped ingredients.  As mentioned above, instead of two tablespoons of sorrel/arugula, I used a handful to make more of a salad.

The fresh ingredients about to be combined to top the steak.  In this moment, as I looked at the black grapes, plums, basil, green tomato, and a soy and pepper paste vinaigrette, I thought to myself that there was no way this would work together!

The steak was to medium-rare in about six minutes.  I let it rest to get the thickest parts a little more done--one placed looked a little raw, which unfortunately caused the ends to go to medium.  Select a piece of steak that it as uniform in thickness as possible to prevent this from happening.

The final product.

A closer look.

Admittedly, I was nervous when I presented the plate to my husband.  I thought this was going to taste bizarre.  Instead, it was surprisingly fantastic!  The basil and the sweet notes from the grapes and plums really harmonized with the cilantro and spicy zing of the vinaigrette.  This was so fresh and unlike anything else I'd tasted.  The basil was the superstar ingredient for me since it enlivened the sweet plum and grape elements while melding with the spicy pepper for something exotic.  I think he loves this dish more than he loves me.  He was that impressed.

I realize that Izard's recipe would taste differently because of all the substitutions I made due to product availability, and wanting to use up manzanilla olives I already had.  Nevertheless, I'd make this again just how I did it this time because it was so tasty.  This was by far the best recipe I've tested from Bon Appetit and Food and Wine.  It's also a steak recipe that won't leave you feeling weighed down.  Instead, you'll feel revitalized by all the fresh ingredients.

You. Must. Make. This.

Enjoy!

Food and Wine Magazine Recipe Test: Swordfish with Charmoula

Recently, my husband gifted me a subscription to Food and Wine magazine.  This was my first recipe from the magazine, so I thought I'd share the process of kicking the tires for you.

You can find the full recipe here: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/arctic-char-with-charmoula

The original recipe is Arctic Char with Charmoula.  Marsh did not have Arctic Char, but the swordfish filets looked lovely and I hadn't prepped anything swordfish in a long time.

The charmoula was easy to make in a blender.  It did not have the pretty, slightly grainy texture of the sauce in Food and Wine magazine, but it was still salty, bursting with garlic, and abounding with freshness.  The cooking times held true for the swordfish filets.  I think swordfish may actually be a better accompaniment to the charmoula sauce.  Charmoula tastes like chimichurri, which I often associated with robust flavors of steak or grilled chicken.  The swordfish is meatier than char, so it stands up to the bold flavors.

Here's the end result, served with a Starbucks brown rice and veggie bowl salad I had leftover from a work lunch.  I'm a fan of the recipe, but as suggested above, would swap out a meatier fish like swordfish for the char or any delicate white fish.

Easy Chicken Fresca

At my house, anything that tastes even remotely similar to a chimichurri is a huge hit.  This chicken recipe has the fresh flavors reminiscent of chimichurri, but on a weeknight schedule (no food processor or blender clean up!). The sauce isn't really a sauce or salsa, it's more of a fresh relish, so I'm calling it "fresca topping."  You can get this from ingredients to finished product in about 30 minutes, depending on the plumpness of your chicken.

You'll need:
Olive oil
Minced garlic
Lime juice
A vine ripe or Roma tomato
Parsley
Cilantro
2-4 Boneless chicken breasts
Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Dice the tomato and sprinkle with salt.  The salt will express some of the moisture from the tomato while you finish the other fresca components.

Diced tomatoes sprinkled with salt.

Begin with 1-2-3.  Mix one tablespoon minced garlic, two tablespoons lime juice, and three tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl.

The moisture for the topping is this 1-2-3 mixture.

Remove one to one and a half cups of cilantro leaves from the stem.  Other than cooking the chicken to a food safe temperature, this is the most important part of the recipe.  The stems are too coarse and get little hairs on them when the leaves are removed haphazardly.  These mistakes create a poor mouth-feel.  Take the time to remove the leaves cleanly.  Wash.  Then use scissors to chop up the leaves.  Pat dry and add to the 1-2-3 mixture.

Pluck each leaf of cilantro from the stem individually.

If you go to hastily, you'll end up with pieces on the leaves that feel like hair in your mouth.

Use scissors to quickly make the cilantro into small bits.

Repeat with the parsley, about half to three-quarters cup.  Wash, chop, and add to bowl.

Drain the moisture from the plate of tomatoes, add to bowl.  Add fresh black pepper and a few dashes of cayenne.  Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Finished topping.  Sit on counter at room temp to allow the flavors to marry.

Let the bowl sit at room temp while you prep the chicken.

Preheat oven to 400 and put skillet on stove on medium-high.  Add a splash of olive oil.  While skillet heats, splash chicken with lime, then sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and cayenne.  When skillet is hot--a drip of water from a spoon sizzles--add the chicken.  Cook about three minutes (so meat is golden) then flip.  Cook another three minutes then transfer the whole skillet to oven.  These free-range breasts from Fresh Market were extra plump and required an additional 10 minutes in the oven, then 10 on broil.  If you have any doubts, check temp with a meat thermometer in thickest part of chicken to ensure you've reached 165.  These breasts can also be prepared on the grill.

Chicken ready to be covered to rest.  Resting lets the chicken soak up the juices and rise a few more degrees internally.

Let chicken rest a few minutes, then slice thinly.  Use the tines of a fork to guide you if you're not used to cutting thin slices.  If you're struggling, you also might need a sharper knife.

Arrange across plate and top with your fresca topping.  You can either place the fresca topping directly on the chicken, or beside it if you're not so sure how much you'll like it.  If there's any juice in the bottom of the bowl where your topping was melding together, drizzle it over the chicken to add a burst of lime freshness and moisture.

Presentation option 1: crown the chicken with the topping.

Presentation option 2: place the topping alongside the chicken.  Good for if you're not sure these flavors will be a hit.

A simple salad, brown rice, or quinoa are nice accompaniments.  Or, if you're looking for a light meal, enjoy alone so you have room for fresh fruit or sorbet for dessert.