Roasted Chicken Thighs With Bread Crumbs And Mushroom Stuffing

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We have been trying to eat everything in the freezer now for a month so we can defrost the refrigerator and perhaps fix the leak that is coming out from beneath.  It seems that I have hidden chicken parts all over the place including a pack of 8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs that I had bought to make General Tso's chicken. Yesterday was its day but low and behold my daughter brought us dinner from our favorite Chinese takeout and the recipe went out the window.  Mark Bittman had just posted a recipe for roasted chicken breasts and all bells started going off in my head.  A package of mushrooms was also going bad and it needed to be used, so... here you have the results.

This recipe is best with chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, not chicken breasts. They would be too dry.  If you go the latter route, only cook for about 30 minutes or so.  I loved the taste of this dish with the boneless thighs which is something I had only used in the past for the Chinese recipe.  I also think bread crumbs would work better although I used the Panko and they adhered well enough.

Even though it made for a delightful dinner for us tonight, and better leftovers tomorrows, I think this would be a great recipe for a ladies lunch or bridge night.  Somehow I don't like to serve chicken for company at night, so I would not consider it dinner party fare.  I served curried yellow rice with it and the combination was perfect.  So there you have it...  another evening at the improv!

Printable Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the mushroom stuffing

1 Tb butter

1 Tb olive oil

1 lbs white mushrooms coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 shallot finely minced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 TB chopped parsley

2 TB dry sherry, or white wine

Melt butter and oil together in a skillet on medium high.  Add the garlic, shallots, salt and pepper and mushrooms and sautee for about 5 minutes.  Add wine and parsley and reduce.  Remove to the side and let cool.

For the breaded chicken thighs

4 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

1 cup coarse bread crumbs, preferably fresh, or panko

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts ( I used walnuts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs pounded to uniform thickness if necessary


Directions
1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a baking sheet with a little oil or butter. Combine the bread crumbs, chopped nuts, and 1/4 cup of the parsley in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined.

2.   Lay the chicken thighs flat and fill with about 1 tsp of mushroom stuffing.  Roll closed and stick one or two toothpicks to hold together.  Dip each chicken thigh first in melted butter, then in the bread crumb mixture, pressing down to make it adhere. Put each stuffed thigh, on the baking sheet. If there’s any leftover topping, sprinkle it on top of the chicken and press down a bit.

3. Roast until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the thighs look golden, 50 to 60 minutes or more. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve.

Inspired by Mark Bittman
Photo: Lindaraxa

Pumpkin Flan With Pumpkin Seed Praline

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Through the years, I've come to the realization that if you love pumpkin there is no law that says you must wait 'til Thanksgiving. Things like pumpkin pie, pumpkin flan or pumpkin soup are too good to get thrown into the shuffle of a family holiday.  I much prefer to serve them for a weekend family dinner or dinner party with friends where I can sit down and truly enjoy them.  Later on, I will show you how to integrate this dessert into a fantastic autumn dinner party.

Flans somehow intimidate new cooks.  The idea of the water bath (bain marie) sends people into a tizzy when in reality there is nothing to it.  Get yourself a pair of kitchen gloves, lay the dish in the pan and then fill it with boiling water.  Open the oven door and carefully slide in.  That's it!  Although this recipe calls for a souffle mold, I have always made my flans in an aluminum tube pan.  I find it works best for me but I will leave it up to you.  If you decide to use a tube pan and you have the energy, whip some cream and add it to the center.  A little dash of bourbon won't hurt!

Printable Recipe

yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

active time: 1 hr

total time: 7 3/4 hr


Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 cup whole milk

2 (5-oz) cans evaporated milk (1 1/3 cups)

5 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

15-oz can solid-pack pumpkin (1 3/4 cups)

2 tablespoons bourbon

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Accompaniment:  pumpkin-seed praline*


Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Heat a 2-quart soufflé dish or round ceramic casserole in middle of oven.

Cook 1 cup sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Quickly and carefully remove hot dish from oven and immediately pour caramel into dish, tilting it to cover bottom and sides. (Leave oven on.) Keep tilting as caramel cools and thickens enough to stay in place.

Scald whole milk with evaporated milk in a saucepan and remove from heat. Beat eggs and remaining cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in salt, pumpkin, bourbon, and spices. Pour milk mixture through a sieve into a bowl and beat into pumpkin mixture in a slow stream until combined well.

Pour custard over caramel in dish and set in a water bath of 1 inch hot water. Put pan in middle of oven and lower temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden brown on top and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours, possibly longer. Remove dish from water bath and transfer to a rack to cool. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 6 hours.

To unmold flan, run a thin knife around flan to loosen from sides of dish. Wiggle dish from side to side and, when flan moves freely in dish, invert a large serving platter with a lip over dish. Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter. Caramel will pour out over and around it. Cut flan into wedges and serve with caramel spooned over and with shards of praline.

PRALINE

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of water

1 cup hulled (green) pumpkin seeds, toasted

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Lightly oil a sheet of tin foil and set oven baking sheet.

Cook sugar, water, and a pinch of salt in a deep 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a metal fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Immediately stir in pumpkin seeds and quickly pour onto foil, spreading into a thin sheet before it hardens. (If caramel hardens and is difficult to spread, put in a 400°F oven until warm enough to spread, 1 to 2 minutes.)

Cool praline on baking sheet on a rack until completely hardened, then break into large pieces.

Cook's Note:  Make the day before.  *You can make the praline or skip it.  The flan will be just as good on it's own although the addition of the praline will take it over the top! Pumpkin seeds can be found at Whole Foods or at certain health food stores.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet 1999

Roast Quail With Fresh Figs And Balsamic

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This is the recipe that finally made me break down and buy demi glace.  For those of you who don't know about demi glace, it is the basis of all great sauces. It is traditionally made by combining equal parts of veal stock and sauce espagnole, the latter being one of the five mother sauces of classical French cuisine.  The mixture is then simmered and reduced by half. Wish it were that simple. The process is a long one, long enough for me to encourage you to buy a good demi glace and forget about making it from scratch.  Williams Sonoma has a great product and although it is expensive, it is well worth the cost and it goes a long way.  For most sauces you will only need a tablespoon or two.  Get the veal one, it is the mother of all demi glaces. 

You can also get a less expensive demi glace through Amazon. It is the one I used in this recipe and it is excellent.  It is good for 6 servings.

This recipe is not as much trouble as it looks and most of it can be made the day before.  It is a wonderful main course for a dinner party, one in which you will surely impress your dinner guests.  I would suggest though that you make it for a group of close friends.  This is definitely not for elegant entertaining...you want to be able to get at those little morsels next to the bone and the picture won't be dainty but definitely worth the effort.  I have had quail before at a restaurant and unfortunately was not able to enjoy it to the fullest. This time, I made sure I got every bite and then some!  The stuffing is to die for and can definitely be served  with something else such as cornish hens.

This is your chance to get out your finger bowls and nobody will call you a snob.  They are much needed in a dinner like this and instead of using a pretty flower, I would go straight for a thin slice of lemon.  You will need it to wipe your dainty little fingers after you finish off those birds!

You will find quail at some grocery stores in the frozen meat bin but if you are lucky and live near Atlanta, you can find it fresh at the DeKalb Farmer's Market.  They are tiny little things, so get at least 3 per person. The market also had demi glace at a good price so I hit the jackpot!

Figs before browning

The stuffing

The sauce before the demi glace

After the demi glace...almost done!

The little quails before they went in the oven

Just out of the oven with figs in back

Printable Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

For stuffing

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

1/3 cup veal demi-glace

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon fig balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (2 oz)

2/3 cup soft dried Mission figs (1/4 lb), stems discarded and figs finely chopped

1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For figs and sauce

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

1 pt fresh figs, stems discarded and figs halved lengthwise

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup dry red wine

1 1/3 cups veal demi-glace

1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch

2 tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For quail

12 semiboneless quail

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Special equipment: kitchen string; wooden picks


Preparation

Make stuffing:

Cook onion, celery, and garlic in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 10 minutes. Add demi-glace and boil, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in tarragon, vinegar, walnuts, dried figs, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper, then spread stuffing on a plate to cool.

Prepare figs and make sauce:

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown figs, cut sides down, without stirring, about 3 minutes. Transfer figs to a bowl with a slotted spatula. Add shallot and celery to skillet and sauté, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add wine and 8 to 10 browned fig halves (reserve remainder) and boil, stirring and mashing figs, until wine is reduced to a syrup, about 5 minutes. Stir in demi-glace and bring to a boil. Stir arrowroot into vinegar until dissolved, then add to skillet, whisking to incorporate. Boil sauce 2 minutes, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart heavy saucepan, pressing on and then discarding solids. Stir in tarragon, salt, and pepper.

Prepare quail:

Discard any disposable metal skewers from cavity of each quail, then rinse quail inside and out and pat dry. Stuff 1 quail with a scant 1/4 cup stuffing, pressing and shaping it to fill out breast. Tie legs together with string and push legs up against body. Thread cavity closed with a wooden pick. Repeat with remaining quail.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Sprinkle quail all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon each butter and oil in cleaned 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown 6 quail on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to a large shallow baking pan. Wipe skillet clean and brown remaining 6 quail in same manner in remaining tablespoon each of butter and oil.

Remove strings and picks from all quail, then roast quail, breast sides up, until just cooked through (check inner thigh —, 20 minutes. Add reserved browned figs to pan for last 2 to 3 minutes of roasting.

While quail roast, return sauce to a simmer, then add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, whisking until incorporated.

Transfer quail and figs to a serving dish and pour any juices from baking pan into sauce. Serve quail with sauce.

Cooks' notes:

Stuffing can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before proceeding. Figs and sauce (without remaining 2 tablespoons butter) can be prepared 1 day ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled separately, covered. Bring sauce to a simmer before adding butter. Quail can be browned 1 hour before roasting. Keep quail, uncovered, at room temperature.

Wine: A red Burgundy or Oregon Pinot Noir such as Domaine Drouhin

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
All photos Lindaraxa

Crispy Zucchini Gratin

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When I saw this I knew it had to get made and posted...a real zucchini gratin!  Last year, I jokingly called a casserole a gratin seeing that hardly anyone ever uses that term anymore.  Well, whatever you want to call it, this recipe is different and a winner. I have added some basil, onions and Parmesan Cheese to the original recipe as it seemed to need some extra flavor and these are traditional ingredients used with zucchini.  I know, I promised no more zucchini but the crop is almost over, really.

I love zucchini with fish...try it with Grilled Swordfish With Capers And Lemon Butter. 

Printable Recipe

Total time: 30 to 60 minutes

Preparation: 15 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy


Ingredients

For 4 servings

-  18 oz. zucchini

- 1 small onion sliced*

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 large or 3 small eggs

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 5 tsp. butter

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil

- (3 1/2 oz.) coarse homemade bread crumbs

- salt and pepper

- Basil (optional)*

- Parmiggiano Reggiano (optional)*


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).

2. Slice the zucchini and onion and sauté in olive oil in a skillet with the garlic and some chopped basil for about 10 minutes. When the zucchini and onion slices are lightly browned, spread them in a gratin dish. First the succhini then the onions.

3. In a bowl, beat the eggs, then mix in the cream, salt and pepper. Add a TB or 2 of Parmesan if you like. Pour over the zucchini.

4. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and dot with butter.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Adapted from The Worldwide Gourmet

*new added

A Forgotten Recipe...Stir Fried Beef With Snap Peas and Red Peppers

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A couple of weeks ago, I had enough bay scallops left over from the previous night to feed one person but definitely not enough to serve my daughter and me.  What to do, what to do. Why not something Chinese for the scallops and possibly another stir fry with beef and the snap peas in the refrigerator?

Both dishes took less than an hour to chop and prepare while the white rice steamed away.  The sauces were different enough to serve together yet complimented each other very well.  The scallops and beef a great combination....  a kind of Chinese surf and turf!

When you first read the recipe for the beef stir fry you will  think it's too complicated and shy away from it..  It is not.  Read it again.  It really takes no time at all, just a few little steps and you are done. If you cook Chinese, at least occasionally, you should have all the ingredients already in your pantry.  Just chop everything you'll need first, and prepare the sauce.  This is called  mise en place or everything in place (and ready to go) and is key to Chinese cooking. 

Give it a try, you will adore this stir fry. I'm sure you have seen it many  times on the menu of your favorite Chinese takeout. As to the scallop recipe, it is already posted in the country blog.

Serves 4 as a main dish with rice

Ingredients

 2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar plus an additional 1 teaspoon

12 ounces flank steak , cut into 2-inch wide strips with grain, then sliced across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 ounces sugar snap peas , ends trimmed and strings removed (about 4 cups)

1 medium red bell pepper , seeded and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 tablespoons water


Directions

1. Combine soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl. Add beef, toss well, and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk remaining tablespoon sugar, sherry, broth, oyster sauce, and cornstarch in medium bowl. Combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon oil in small bowl.

2. Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef in single layer, breaking up clumps. Cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to clean bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in skillet and repeat with remaining beef. Rinse skillet and dry with paper towels.

3. Add remaining tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until just smoking. Add snap peas and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add water and continue to cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Push vegetables to sides of skillet; add garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Combine garlic-ginger mixture with vegetables. Return beef and any juices to skillet and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve.

Photo Emily Sterne

I forgot to post this recipe at the time it was written hence the discrepancy in dates!

Confiture d'Ognions

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Now that we are entering hunting season, I thought I would share with you this wonderful and easy recipe for an onion jam that goes well  with game as well as  pâtés, terrines or foie gras. If you want to serve it with game, use 125 g (4 oz.) sugar.


Printable Recipe

Total time: 15 to 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy


Ingredients

- 2 Tbsp. oil

- 500 g (18 oz.) onions

- 250 ml (1 cup) red wine

- a pinch of salt

- a grinding of fresh pepper

- 75-125 g (3-4 oz.) granulated sugar

Method

Peel and halve the onions; slice into half circles.

In a saucepan, sweat the onions over low heat in 2 Tbsp. oil. They should be translucent without being browned.

Add the red wine, salt and pepper; add the sugar. Continue cooking until the wine has reduced completely.

Source: Recettes du Monde

Pumpkin Pear Soup With Coriander

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Once you discover a good recipe, stick with it.  Sure, you don't want to serve it to the same people all the time, but use it as a benchmark and only substitute when you must.  I see so many new cooks, particularly the young ones, always trying something new and never sticking with a recipe they like for long.   Don't make that mistake.  You don't need a million recipes to be a good cook.  Make and perfect a few good ones and soon enough, cooking will be a breeze.  If you are entertaining, this is not the time to try something new. Stick to the old tried and true and only experiment with  family or close friends. 

This fabulous soup is one I used to make when I entertained in Florida and it always got rave reviews.  It was my star soup of the Fall and I loved to serve it in small pumpkin shells for my Halloween dinner parties.   Somehow I forgot all about it when I moved until I found it under some papers a couple of days ago. I feel as if I've had found a relic!

The combination of the pear and the coriander seed together with the pumpkin gives it an exquisite taste.  No one will be able to guess what it is! Use coriander seed instead of powder  In this case it will make a difference.

Tell me, do you have a favorite soup for the Fall?

Printable Recipe 

yield:  8 servings

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 scallions, finely chopped

3 large shallots, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 lb fresh sugar pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 lb yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or 2 cups chicken broth mixed with 2 cups water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Freshly ground mixed or black peppercorns

1 ripe Bartlett pear

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Garnish:

finely chopped fresh cilantro and fresh chives


Directions

Heat oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook scallions, shallots, and onion, stirring, until softened but not browned. Add pumpkin, potatoes, stock, sugar, coriander, salt, and pepper to taste, then simmer, covered, until pumpkin is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While soup is simmering, peel and core pear and cut into 1-inch pieces. Stir pear into soup and remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes and pureé in a blender in batches, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids).

Return to pan and add butter. Reheat over moderate heat, stirring, until butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper and, if desired, thin soup with water to desired consistency.


Cooks' note: •Soup may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.