Chicken Sammy with Prosciutto, Garlic Spinach and Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese

Posted on | February 28, 2010 | No Comments

meyer-chicken-sandwich

Obviously, I’m on a bit of a Meyer Lemon kick these days.

I’ll write this one equally as quickly as it came to me. While thinking of lunch yesterday, and, yes, thinking of what to do with my remaining Meyer Lemons, something occurred to me: perhaps the light citrus and floral notes of Meyer zest would carry well through a subtle goat cheese. This, friends, is how most of my recipes begin – thinking of single experience, matching it against an ingredient, and building outward from there.

So, it all started with Meyer Lemon goat cheese. So then what? I looked in the fridge and knew I had some nice pieces of brined chicken breast that I’d included in my batch from the night before (my “don’t steal my bike!” baked meyer lemon chicken).

I also knew I had a handful of washed and dried spinach from my CSA and one slice of prosciutto remaining from my last trip to Marcayk fine foods here in Denver.

Last but not least, I had one remaining onion roll from Turkish lamb burgers we’d made a week ago.

Add it up: Chicken, Prosciutto, Spinach, Meyer Lemon goat cheese. As Emeril might say….bam.

I first pan seared the chicken breasts, which moments before I’d flattened ever so slightly. I despite biting into a chicken sandwich only to be rewarded by an inch-and-a-half of chicken. In sandwiches, I’m a believer in most ingredients playing equal roles and being of equal proportion.

After searing the chicken breasts for several minute per side (probably about 4-5), I removed and tented with foil. Next – and for no particular reason – I turned to the goat cheese. I plopped two heaping tablespoons of the cheese in a bowl and then, with zester in hand, zested about 1 heaping tablespoon of lemon zest. I added a pinch of pepper and folded all the ingredients together before setting the mixture aside.

Next, I smashed one clove of garlic and set in the chicken saute pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the garlic started to turn golden, I removed it and added the spinach, wilting it down with a pinch of salt over medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes before removing to a plat.

Next, I tossed in the oblong slice of prosciutto and toasted it ever so slightly.

Lastly, I toasted the onion bun, spread the goat cheese mixture on the bottom bun and added the remaining ingredients: chicken breast, prosciutto, garlic spinach.

Et voila. A fabulous lunch in 15 minutes. The goat cheese mixture, though, was the real standout. If you like the idea of this, but aren’t in the mood for the sandwich, you might try the mixture tossed with pasta and crumbled pancetta, or spread on a piece of prosciutto and rolled up for an appetizer.

Enjoy.

Category: Comfort Food, Snacks

“Don’t Steal My Bike!” Baked Meyer-Lemon Chicken

Posted on | February 25, 2010 | 1 Comment

chicken-meyer

This afternoon, a man stole a bike from our back yard. It wasn’t our back, and well, it is a shared back yard. But the fact of the matter is that when faced with troubling domestic situations, I feel the need for comfort food. As I spoke with the local police officer, who showed up 45 minutes later, I couldn’t help but think of the brined chicken quarters in my fridge, and the meyer lemons lounging in the kitchen window.

Were Meyer Lemons people, I’m quite sure they would be sunbathing at expensive hotels in the Riviera, sipping on spring water and anxiously awaiting the afternoon spa treatment. They always seem to me, somehow, out of my league. I am mostly careful in their use – pulling together vinaigrette and salsas, or pairing them with fresh herbs, briny olives and white cheese.

But after the bike incident, I wanted to get rough with the Meyers, and so I zested one their brethren and threw the flesh in  blender with garlic, olive oil and fresh parsley and a 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar.

While that heaven-scented remained in the bowl, I turned my attention to the chicken. After washing and drying the quarters, I added them to a smoking hot cast iron skillet and browned them for a few minutes on each side.

Removing the chicken and skillet from the heat, and letting them cool their tempers, I then added a half cup of chicken stock to the bowl and mixed with a wooden spoon.

A minute later I added the mixture to the skillet and let it bubble away off the heat before covering it and shoving it into a 375 oven for 45 minutes.

Remove the cover, and turn the broiler on high for four minutes until the chicken starts to brown and crisp.

Remove and let sit tented with foil. Add some chopped parsley and a last bit of meyer lemon juice, and then….thank your lucky stars for bike locks.

Category: Comfort Food

Broiled scallops with Japanese Five Spice Mayo

Posted on | January 27, 2010 | 2 Comments

scallops

Spicy Crunchy Deliciousness

The Back Story

I first had this dish during a snow storm in a small Japanese restaurant in Burlington, Vermont. I’d been to the establishment before, but on this visit I discovered new ownership and a new philosophy.  The Japanese man who’d bought the restaurant had vowed to move beyond sushi and Teriyaki and serve more traditional, yet lesser known dishes. The first item on the specials list was Broiled Scallops with Japanese Five Spice Mayo. I was hooked. I was slightly concerned about the richness of scallops and mayonnaise, but the addition of the Five Spice, sometimes called Sancho (though this usually refers only to a ground pepper).

I’d had this in my journal ever since, and last night seemed the proper time to break it out. While we’re without snow, it’s cold here in Denver – I wanted something comforting and warming. This dish is both. I presumed it was simple to make without the aid of a recipe. I also envisioned the addition of green onions and Panko to the top of the dish to provide some crunch and acid.

What I used

First, I set about making the mayo. I used:

  • 3/4 cup mayo
  • 1 heaping tsp of five spice

Mix the mayo thoroughly with the spice, cover and let sit in the fridge.

I used 1 and 1/2 cups of petite scallops. Petites are probably about the diameter of a quarter, and a quarter inch thick — I like them for a few reasons:

1. The cook evenly and quickly

2. Each time you bite into one, you’re consuming an entire scallop.

How I Prepared Them

I gave the scallops a quick rinse under water and then dried them thoroughly. I then heated up a cast-iron skillet and added to medium high and added a small pat of butter. When the pan is hot in the butter is golden brown, toss in the scallops to give them a quick sear on each side – probably about a minute in total depending on the heat of your pan. You don’t want to cook them entirely at this stage.

Remove the scallops and whack the broiler on to HIGH. I arranged the scallops into  two, small Le Creuset oven terrines.

Next, I added the scallops to a bowl and then added the mayo from the fridge. I gave the scallops and mayo a quick toss to coat and then spooned the creamy mixture into the terrines.

Next, I covered the scallop mixture with Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and chopped green onions.

I added the scallops to the oven and broiled them until the Panko was turning brown and the mayo had started to bubble every so slightly.

Now, I served the dish alongside sushi rice, but I think it would be far better to serve the scallops atop the rice. The combination of the crunchy Panko, spicy sancho, creamy mayo and the ever so slightly briny scallops is amazing. The sticky rice cuts the richness of the dish ever so slightly and the green onions provide a gorgeous bit of vegetale acid on the end.

This is a fun dish, and super easy to make. If anyone out there has any variations, I’d love to hear them.

Enjoy.

Will

Category: Comfort Food, World Cuisine

Cast Iron Sambal Wings – The Best Spicy Chicken Wings in History

Posted on | January 11, 2010 | 3 Comments

Best-Chicken-Wings-in-History 1

There is something uncanny about the call of chicken wings in January. Whether it’s the Pavlovian combination of football, beer, and long bouts of time holed up in the house, or the warming comfort of spicy wings – as well as the effort to eat them – the dog days of Winter is the ideal time to perfect the oft-bastardized art of The Wing.

I’m not typically one for hyperbole, but if you’re a wing fan, and especially if you’re a spicy wing fan, the following recipe is the one to end all recipes. I shouldn’t recount it in detail, here; I should bottle it and sell it  at county fairs.

Why, you might ask, do they deserve this distinction?

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Category: Snacks

Thai-style Crispy Pork Shoulder with Kaffir Lime Chili Milk Sauce

Posted on | December 11, 2009 | 1 Comment

As with most recipes on this site, this dish started with a single ingredient and a dream. In this case, the ingredient in question was  Kaffir Lime Leaves. I bought them at my favorite spice store in the country – Savory Spice here in Colorado. Kaffir lime leaves, for those of you who aren’t familiar, provide a faint floral-herbal sweetness that acts as an incredible base for sauces. I’d bought a few recently (with no other intention in mind then having them on hand) and, after my move to Denver, opened the cupboard to see them staring back at me on a cold winter day. A mere two shelves up sat a can of coconut milk. I had my start. Coconut milk and kaffir lime sauce. I wanted some heat as well, though, so I looked to my growing chili collection and found Korean red chili threads, which I’ve found provide a subtle and balanced heat without much chili flavor. Perfect.

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Category: Snacks
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