Category: Entrees

My last rotisserie chicken fell a little flat, so I swiped the brine from the latest Cook’s Illustrated.

1 1/2 cups table salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 medium heads garlic , outer papery skins removed, cloves separated, unpeeled, and crushed
6 bay leaves , crumbled
1 whole chicken (6 to 8 pounds), giblets removed and discarded
Ground black pepper

Dissolve salt and sugar in 1 gallon cold water in large container. Stir in garlic and bay; immerse chicken and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 2 hours.

Rinse chicken, pat dry, and season with pepper.

Rotisserie on medium-high for 45 minutes to an hour until 165F in the breast, 170F in the leg/thigh.

From an old Real Simple.

This recipe has you make a “double batch”, then pull out the extra, add some tomato sauce & cheese, and freeze it for a casserole at a later date. If I’m going to go to the trouble of roasting vegetables I double the recipe and freeze a bunch of casseroles. A chest freezer’s a necessity in that case. I highly recommend Glad Ovenware.

1/2 c olive oil
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1.5 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 med zucchini halved lengthwise
3 med eggplant halved lengthwise
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 16 oz box ziti or penne
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs oregano
1 tbs mint
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 7-oz package feta, crumbled
freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup prepared tomato sauce (I like Barilla)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz mozzarella, shredded

Heat the broiler. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 ts of the oil with the vinegar, 1 tsp of the salt, and a few grinds of pepper and brush the mixture on the cut sides of the zucchini, eggplants, and onion. Arrange them cut-side up on a large, shallow baking pan.

Broil the vegetables 6″ from the heat for 8-10 minutes on each side, until browned and fork-tender. Slice the zucchini. Dice the eggplant into 1″ cubes. Coarsely chop the onion.

Cook the pasta. After draining add the remaining oil to the pan along with the garlic and cook over low heat until the garlic appears translucent. Stir in the oregano and mint. Add the cooked pasta, broiled vegetables, tomatoes, and feta. Set aside half the pasta (see below). Season with remaining salt, more pepper, and serve with Parmesan.

To prepare casseroles for freezer:

Combine the reserved pasta, tomato sauce, and pepper flakes. Distribute among 8″ pans: 2 for a single batch, five for a double. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down tightly. Top with pan lid. Freeze.

To cook, remove lid & plastic wrap and top with foil. Bake at 350F for one hour (or allow the pasta to thaw in the fridge overnight and bake, covered, for 30 minutes). Uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more or until the cheese is melted and golden and a knife inserted in the center for 5 seconds comes out hot.

From While the Pasta Cooks.

This one’s been a family favorite for years and is (somewhat disturbingly) one of the few dishes I no longer consult a recipe for.

1 lb pasta (I prefer shells)
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, diced into bite-size pieces
2 large tomatoes, diced
8 oz feta, crumbled
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs minced parsley
1 tbs minced basil

Cook the pasta. Add remaining ingredients, including the artichoke marinade.

3.5 to 4 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs (or a mix)
½ c Kosher salt
2 T sugar
Fresh ground pepper
1/3 c Dijon mustard
1/3 c mayonnaise
½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Remove the tenderloins from the chicken breasts for more even cooking; reserve for another use.

Combine salt, sugar, and enough water to cover. Brine the chicken for an hour or two.

Heat a gas grill to medium high.

Combine mustard, mayo, and rosemary in a large bowl.

Pat chicken dry, season with pepper. Add chicken to bowl, stir to combine and coat.

Spread the chicken out on the grill.

Cover and grill for 8-10 minutes total, flipping once. (rotate for grill marks if desired.)

With careful attention, the tenderloins can be cooked the same way, just for about half the time. I pan fried them on the stove the next day.

Inspired by a friend’s new How To Grill, tonight was a seafood extravaganza. Grilled shrimp followed by clams & mussels.

The shrimp was the best I’ve ever eaten. Perfectly cooked, not a smidge rubbery. The bacon was, well, cajun. The cookbook said to use high heat, but something a notch less than “incinerate” would have been good.

The original recipe used wooden skewers with the extra skewer over a piece of tin foil to keep it form burning. This does not work. It’s better than no tin foil, but several still went up in flames. I own 10 metal skewers but sadly was not smart enough to use them. I certainly will next time, and will soak the wooden ones (I was in a hurry tonight.)

21/25 shrimp
basil leaves
bacon

Thread each shrimp onto a skewer, holding it flat. Wrap in a basil leaf, then a strip of bacon.

Grill over medium-high heat until the bacon is done.

Part II of tonight’s seafood extravaganza. I actually grilled clams and mussels, but we were decidedly unimpressed (to the point of throwing them out, uneaten) by the clams. Dunno if it was the recipe/technique or the clams themselves (we’re far from connoisseurs) but next time I’ll make this with all mussels. Also from How To Grill.

2 oz. butter
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. sesame seeds

2 lbs mussels, picked over and scrubbed.

Melt the butter. Add parsley, garlic, and sesame seeds and cook for two minutes over low heat.

Grill the mussels over high heat until they open. Place them on the grill & pick them up carefully so as not to lose the juices. Remove the cooked mussels to a bowl then douse with the butter sauce. Eat mussels then mop up the mussel/butter sauce with crusty bread.

2 large cloves garlic
Kosher salt
3 to 4 tbs EVOO
10-12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 large lemons
12 pieces fresh rosemary sprigs
12 fresh sage leaves
freshly ground black pepper

Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a large pinch of salt to create a coarse paste. Add the oil very slowly in drops while pounding and dringing the paste, continuinguntil the mixture is thick, creamy, and emulsified.

Alternatively, throw everything in a small food processor. It doesn’t make as smooth a paste, but especially if you refrigerate it before spreading it gives the same end result.

Put the chicken in a bowl. Rub the garlic paste all over the chicken, including under the skin. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Zest (wide pieces are fine) the lemons and sprinkle in the bottom of a large shallow roasting pan. Cut remaining peel (pith) off lemons, slice and arrange in pan. Distribute herbs in pan. Set the chicken thighs, skin side up, on top; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake until the chicken’s skin is golden and the juices run clear, 45 minutes to an hour.

From Good Eats

1/3 cup canola oil, plus 2 teaspoons for sheet pan
1 side of salmon (approximately 3 pounds), pin bones removed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon whole coriander, toasted
1 tablespoon whole fennel seed, toasted
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed, toasted
1 whole star anise pod
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Rub sheet pan with the 2 teaspoons of oil and place side of salmon in pan. Salt and pepper salmon. Set aside.

Add coriander, fennel seed, cumin seed, star anise, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper to a blender. Turn blender on high and process until whole spices become powder. With blender running, pour in 1/3 cup canola oil and blend until well combined. Stop blender to brush down sides of container, if necessary.

Brush salmon with spice mixture. Allow salmon to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to the high broiler setting. Place salmon in the oven 6-inches from broiler. Cook until salmon reaches an internal temperature of 131 degrees F. This will take approximately 15 minutes, but will vary with different ovens. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes, and then serve immediately. Note that the internal temperature of the fish will a rise a little as carry-over cooking occurs.

From Good Eats

1/2 pound elbow or corkscrew macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it’s free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

From Good Eats

1/2 pound elbow or corkscrew macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.