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Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken

4/26/2019

Sometimes the single picture is worth the thousand words. Just look at this reddish bronzed skin! The BF often tells me that he loves the simplest roasted chicken dishes, and this one couldn't be easier. Adapted from Samin Nosrat's Salt Fat Acid Heat, this recipe encompasses two whole ingredients. Three, if you count salt. Genius.

The buttermilk and salt work like a brine, tenderizing the meat to yield an unbelievably juicy chicken with crispy, gorgeously intense-colored skin. Be sure to leave 24 hours for marinating. I streamlined the recipe a bit, as well as decreased the amount of salt in the marinade.

One of the best things about roast chicken is that you can serve it with anything. Try it with these side dishes:

Adapted from Samin Nosrat's Salt Fat Acid Heat blog and Netflix special of same name.
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients

3 ½ to 4-pound whole chicken
2 tablespoons kosher salt
About 2 cups buttermilk (full fat was used here)

Directions

The day prior to cooking, sprinkle the chicken inside and out with 1 tablespoon of salt.
Stir 1 tablespoon of kosher salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in buttermilk.
Seal it, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 24 hours. If so inclined, rotate the bag over the next 24 hours so every part of the chicken gets marinated.
Let chicken come to room temperature [Ed. note: ROOM TEMPERATURE should take about an hour, ackshually] before roasting.
Preheat the oven to 425 °F, with a rack set one rung below center.
Remove chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can. Tightly tie together the legs of the chicken with a piece of butcher’s twine and tuck the wings under the bird. Place the chicken breast side UP in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
Slide chicken into the oven, legs toward the back. Roast for 50-60 minutes until brown all over and the legs don't resist when you jiggle them. Also, you can cut into the thigh, and if juices run clear, it's done.
If chicken gets too brown before it's done, tent a piece of foil over the top.
When chicken is done, remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

10 Comments

Lamb Shoulder Chops with Mint Vinaigrette

4/16/2019

2 Comments

So the NBA playoffs are here, and I ain't no basketball widow—I love my Golden State Warriors and Portland Trailblazers. For game one of the round-one series between the Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, we hosted a pizza party with a close high-school friend of the BF, his lovely wife and twins (boy and girl), who are now finishing up their HS-freshman year. [Ed. note: Time flies! Is April really halfway done?]

We also for the first time met a previously social-media-only acquaintance, a young man who shares the BF's love of San Francisco bay area sports teams. Always better to meet in person! Together, we all enjoyed an emphatic game-one Warriors victory. [Ed. note: Since the Warriors somehow managed to blow a 31-point lead in game two, we now must have pizza parties for all future games. Hey I don't make the rules. :-\ ]

Note to self: make lamb shoulder chops more often. Inexpensive, take little-to-no time to cook (6-10 minutes!) and go with almost anything. Being that it is spring, lamb goes very well with mint, carrots, and potatoes, all of which are are in season.

This beautiful meal will grace our Passover table and will be served as Easter dinner to one client family as well.

NOTES:

Lamb shoulder chops are not the same as lamb rib chops, which are more expensive.
Many side dishes go well with lamb, but may I kindly suggest roasted rainbow carrots from January. (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/roasted-carrot-lentil-salad-with-radishes-and-tahini-dressing).
Totally optional, but I added pomegranate seeds and spiced yogurt.
The mint vinaigrette is very versatile—drizzle over meats, seafood, carrots, potatoes, etc.

PS: One year ago, the BF and I fought off a seriously pesky bug [Ed. note: NOT fun.] and I made white chocolate bark with strawberries and pistachios (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/white-chocolate-bark-with-strawberries-pistachios).

Adapted from: Jessica Seinfeld
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients
Mint Vinaigrette

2 teaspoons honey
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Lamb

4 lamb shoulder chops, 1-inch thick (about 2 pounds)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Optional Toppings

Pomegranates
Greek yogurt (add to taste: ground cumin, fennel, dill & garlic, salt, squeeze of lemon)

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper (roughly about 6 turns on pepper mill). Chop the shallot and add to the bowl. Pick the mint leaves from their stems and mince. Add to bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with the salt and pepper. Place a large skillet on the stove and turn heat on to medium-high. Add the oil and heat until it shimmers (about 1 minute). Add the lamb to the skillet and cook to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
Drizzle with mint vinaigrette and top with pomegranate seeds and yogurt, if using.

2 Comments

Vegetarian Mushroom Pizza with Havarti, Fresh Herbs, & White Truffle Oil

4/3/2019

4 Comments

I professed my love of mushrooms earlier this year with the help of The Bruce Dickinson and his cowbell (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/mushroom-risotto), and wasn't lying. If I could only have one kind of pizza the rest of my life, this is it. Havarti and fontina cheese, sautéed shiitake and baby bella mushrooms, fresh rosemary and thyme, and a little drizzle of white truffle oil make this pizza wonderfully rich and completely addicting.

Truffle oil is a bit too rich for the BF [Ed. note: I'm already fungus drunk!], so I just drizzled it on half of the pizza. Honestly, this doesn't need it as it's very rich on it's own, but it definitely gives the pizza a wow factor.

I added thinly sliced red onion and minced serrano peppers. Entirely optional, but I thought it balanced the spices and richness of the cheese and truffle oil.

NOTES:

If you don't have truffle oil or dislike the taste (like the BF), simply leave it off, or only drizzle on one half the pizza as I did.
Don't have time to make your own pizza crust? Use store bought. I won't tell.
You do not have to make a perfectly round pizza. See mine below.

PS: One year ago, a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime [Ed. note: well hopefully not] family reunion permeated the roasted beet salad with orange and avocado recipe (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/roasted-beet-salad-with-orange-and-avocado).

Adapted from: A Beautiful Plate
Number of Servings: Makes one 10-11 inch pizza

Ingredients
Pizza Dough

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup + 3 tablespoons warm water (105-115 °F)
1 ½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Cornmeal, for dusting

Toppings

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced into ¼-inch slices
4 ounces baby bella mushrooms, stems removed and sliced into ¼-inch slices
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh rosemary (1-2 sprigs)
2 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves (3-4 sprigs)
2 tablespoons dry sherry
5 ounces Havarti Cheese, grated
3 ounces fontina cheese, grated
Red onion, thinly sliced
1-2 serrano peppers, seeded, minced (optional), added after baking
White truffle oil, for drizzling (2 teaspoons roughly)

Directions
Pizza Dough

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add the warm water, and stir mixture with a wooden spoon until the dough just begins to come together. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it for three minutes, or until it is smooth and slightly elastic. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise at room temperature [Ed. note: ROOM TEMPERATURE] for 2 hours or until double in size.

Mushrooms

Heat very large (more surface area = better) skillet over very high heat. Add olive oil, followed by the sliced mushrooms, and spread into a single layer with a wooden spoon. Continue to sauté for 5-6 minutes (mushrooms will quickly begin to release their moisture); keep cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the chopped garlic and continue to sauté, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. De-glaze the pan with dry sherry. Place back on the heat, add chopped rosemary and thyme, and continue to cook over medium-high heat until all sherry has evaporated. Set aside mushrooms to cool.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 500 °F. If you have one, preheat a baking or pizza stone (alternatively, you can use a baking sheet) for at least 20-30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll or stretch the dough until it forms a rough 10-inch circle. The dough will be thin. Transfer it to a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal (or the baking sheet, if using).
Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the pizza, leaving a ¾-inch border on the edges. Spoon mushrooms and distribute evenly on top of the cheese. Top with sliced red onion. Slide pizza gently onto baking stone (or place baking sheet in oven) and bake for 8-10 minutes (it will take slightly longer if you are using a baking sheet) or until the dough is golden and cheese is melted and bubbly.
Immediately drizzle the top of pizza with white truffle oil, and garnish with minced serrano pepper (if using), additional rosemary sprigs or thyme leaves, if desired. Slice and serve.

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Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken

Lamb Shoulder Chops with Mint Vinaigrette

Vegetarian Mushroom Pizza with Havarti, Fresh Herbs, & White Truffle Oil

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