Cornish Hens with Grapes in Vermouth

September 15, 2016 Tangie Holifield

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(Poules Cornish aux Raisins au Vermouth)

Traditionally, this classic French dish is made with tender poussins. Poussin is a butcher’s term for a young chicken, less than 28 days old at slaughter and usually weighing under a pound. In the United States, poussin is an alternative name for a small-sized cross-breed chicken called Rock Cornish game hen, developed in the late 1950s, which is twice as old and twice as large as the typical French poussin.

The aromatic herbs and the grapes combine to flavor the vermouth, which makes a beautiful sauce that accompanies these tiny birds.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
Four 1-pound oven ready Cornish hens
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for basting
2 small lemons, cut in halves
2 shallots, chopped
2 whole cloves garlic, lightly crushed
4 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1/2 pound seedless sweet white grapes
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons pine nuts

Directions:
Preheat the oven at 375°F.

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake , stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

Wash and dry the hens. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons the softened butter all over the hens. Add the remaining butter to a small bowl and stir in the shallot,garlic, parsley, thyme,tarragon and chives.

Place a quarter of the shallot mixture and 1/2 of one lemon into the cavity of each hen. Using kitchen twine, truss the hens up and place them in a shallow roasting pan. Add about 1/4 cup of water to pan. Roast the hens, basting often with butter , for 45 to 55 minutes , or until the juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced and temperature on instant read thermometer reads 180°F. Transfer to warmed serving platter, cover and keep warm.

Skim off most of the fat from the pan. Add the grapes and vermouth. Place the pan over low heat for a minutes to warm the grapes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the grapes and sprinkle them around the hens. Stir the cornstarch into the cream. Add the pan juices. Cook over gentle heat for a few minutes, stirring until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Pour the sauce around the hens. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Cook’s Notes:
This dish serves 4 if the hens are left intact. To serve a party of 6, simply split the hens in half and serve with the sauce and grapes, accordingly

In place of parsley and tarragon, other herbs such as chervil, sage or oregano. For another variation, sliced peaches or apricots, diced zucchini , asparagus or peas.

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Zuppa Toscana

April 19, 2016 Tangie Holifield

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I love the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana.

I loved it so much I decided only recently to make it home. This creamy concoction has Italian sausage, hearty potatoes and just a hint of heat with the crushed red pepper flakes. The ingredients are a perfect combination if there ever was one, not to mention the velvety-rich broth that warms us from the inside out. The ingredients list is budget-friendly and, while it tastes indulgent, there is also a hefty amount of leafy greens, making this soup one of the healthiest dishes out there.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into wedges then halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large white onion, finely chopped
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups kale or Swiss chard or baby spinach, rinsed, tough stems removed, roughly chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove an drain on paper towels and set aside.

Leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the sausage in the bottom of the Dutch oven, stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven over the onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the kale into the soup just before serving. Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Lobster Stuffed Chicken Cushions

January 25, 2016 Tangie Holifield

The culinary history of chicken cushions have yet to be thoroughly researched, but it is believed that are French in origin.

The closest cousin of this culinary creation may have been “Paupiettes of Veal” which were made from thin slices of veal approximately 5 in (12 cm) long by 2 inches (5 cm) wide cut from either the cushion or under cushion. After having lightly flattened and trimmed the slices, cover them with a layer of forcemeat in keeping with their preparation, roll up into the shape of a cork, wrap in a thin layer of salt pork fat and tie them round with thread so that they keep their shape while cooking.

The description of the veal recipe was written by Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846 – 1935) a French chef,restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. He is a legendary figure among chefs and gourmets, and was one of the most important leaders in the development of modern French cuisine. Le Guide culinaire was Escoffier’s attempt to codify and streamline the French restaurant food of the day.The first edition was printed in 1903 in French. The second edition, an abridged English translation was published in 1907 as A Guide to Modern Cookery. By 1912, the third edition and the current fourth edition were published in 1921, respectively. This usage of the book still holds today; many culinary schools still use it as their culinary textbook.

In any event, I discovered these chicken cushions while on holiday in London and was complete taken by them. My first experience with a chicken cushion was chicken breast, stuffed with a bread filling and neatly wrapped in a slice of bacon. It was amazing.

With this recipe, I experimented a bit using a lobster stuffing which had spectacular results. It is the perfect dish that you can use to impress your friends and family at your next dinner party.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 steamed lobster (1 1/2 pounds)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
6 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
A Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 ounces fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
8 boneless chicken leg and thigh quarters, with skin
8 slices bacon
Olive oil

Special Equipment:
Meat mallet
Kitchen twine

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Position rack in center.

Remove all the meat from the lobster and roughly chop. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add scallions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add lobster meat and wine, stir quickly to combine over high heat. Drain mixture, reserving the liquid. Set lobster and scallion mixture aside. Melt remaining better in another skillet. Add flour and cook slowly to make blonde roux, without deep brown coloring or for about 5 minutes. Add reserved liquid to the cream. Cook, constantly stirring until mixture begins to thicken. Stir lobster meat back into the roux, add cayenne and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to cool completely. Add the breadcrumbs and egg yolk; mix with a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and place the lobster filling in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Rinse chicken quarters and pat dry. Put the de-boned chicken quarters on a large chopping board with the skin downwards. Trim any fat from around the edges. Place the quarters, 1 at a time, between two sheets of waxed paper and gently pound with a meat mallet until about 3/8-inch thick. Remove wax paper and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the lobster filling from the refrigerator.

Spoon the filling in the center of the chicken. Fold the chicken so that the stuffing is enclosed. Take a slice of bacon and wrap around the circumference of the bundle. Tie with string, like the spokes of a wheel, adjusting the string and patting the chicken into shape to form a round cushion.

Lightly oil a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Place the cushions skin side up in the baking pan. Brush with the oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast in a preheated oven, at 375°F for 20 to 35 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes and baste the chicken once or twice with pan juices until a deep golden brown and cooked when tested.

Allow the cushions to cool, remove the string and cut into wedges and serve with your favorite side dishes.