Here are two recipes that I recently tried that are good and hearty, especially on a cold winter evening. Enjoy!
My husband, Rich, showed me this recipe in a recent Wall Street Journal. Their weekend edition usually has some great food and wine articles as well as some tasty recipes. I served this with some veal and a simple radish salad.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND BACON GRATIN
The flavors of bacon and Parmesan intermingle to irresistible effect in this hearty winter dish. Ideal as a side to accompany almost any roast or grilled meat or poultry.
The Wall Street Journal 1/28/12
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus 15 minutes to rest Serves: 8
Ingredients
2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, outer leaf layers removed, sprout ends sliced off, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 pound slab of bacon cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Topping Ingredients
1½ cup fresh breadcrumbs or 1 cup dried breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage (parsley or chives can be substituted)
What To Do
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place rack on highest level. Toss Brussels sprouts with melted butter, bacon, salt and pepper. Arrange in a shallow baking dish just large enough for a generous single layer with a little overlap (sprouts will shrink some during cooking). Roast for 25 minutes, stirring two or three times during cooking.
2. While sprouts are roasting, in a medium bowl mix together all of the topping ingredients. Set aside.
3. When spouts are ready, toss with cream. Arrange sprouts back in a single layer. Sprinkle the topping evenly over all. Return to oven and roast until gratin is bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
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I grew up in Georgia, so I know good fried chicken, but I’m always willing to try a new recipe. This one is definitely a keeper! I know I am not supposed to (and it’s not the Southern way to do it!), but I take the skin off my chicken. If you do that, be careful when you turn the chicken so the crust won’t fall off. As you can see from the nutritional information at the bottom, this is NOT a low-calorie recipe, so removing the skin will help cut the calories just a little!
Skillet-Fried Chicken
4 SERVINGS
RECIPE BY The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen
FEBRUARY 2012
INGREDIENTS
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 3–4-lb. chicken (not kosher), cut into 10 pieces, backbone and wing tips removed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Peanut oil (for frying)
• SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
A deep-fry thermometer (Note: I didn’t use one.)
PREPARATION
• Whisk 1 Tbsp. salt, 2 tsp. black pepper, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Season chicken with spices. (Note: I rubbed the spice mixture all over the pieces of chicken, just like you would with a dry rub on ribs.) Place chicken in a medium bowl, cover, and chill overnight.
• Let chicken stand covered at room temperature for 1 hour. Whisk buttermilk, egg, and 1/2 cup water in a medium bowl. Whisk flour, cornstarch, remaining 1 Tbsp. salt, and remaining 1 Tbsp. pepper in a 9x13x2" baking dish. (Note: I used self-rising flour so I eliminated the cornstarch and salt in the flour.)
• Pour oil into a 10"–12" cast-iron skillet or other heavy straight-sided skillet (not nonstick) to a depth of 3/4". Prop deep-fry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°. Meanwhile, set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet.
• Working with 1 piece at a time (use 1 hand for wet ingredients and the other for dry ingredients), dip chicken in buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge in flour mixture; tap against bowl to shake off excess. Place 5 pieces of chicken in skillet. Fry chicken, turning with tongs every 1–2 minutes and adjusting heat to maintain a steady temperature of 300°–325°, until skin is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°, about 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for thighs, legs, and breasts. (Note: When I cooked this, the breasts I had were very big. If you are working with big pieces of chicken, it will take longer to cook the meat thoroughly. I would recommend a lower temperature and a longer cook-time.)
• Using tongs, remove chicken from skillet, allowing excess oil to drip back into skillet; transfer chicken to prepared rack.
• Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
• NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
1 serving contains:
• Calories (kcal) 616.0
• %Calories from Fat 50.4
• Fat (g) 35.0
• Saturated Fat (g) 8.6
• Cholesterol (mg) 180.9
• Carbohydrates (g) 23.9
• Dietary Fiber (g) 0.6
• Total Sugars (g) 2.6
• Net Carbs (g) 23.3
• Protein (g) 49.5
• Sodium (mg) 613.4
