Bouillabaisse de Poulet - French Chicken Stew with Fennel and Saffron - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Fall is wonderful in its abundance. In a scant few weeks prices will again begin to rise, but for now, the fruits and vegetables with which I love to cook are affordable and encourage generosity in the kitchen. Once our first rains fall, I put away the recipes of summer and replace them with those that speak to cooler weather. It's time for robust soups and stews and casseroles. It is especially time for bouillabaisse. Most of us think of bouillabaisse as a heady Mediterranean stew that's made with fish and served with grilled bread and thickened with rouille, a red pepper mayonnaise. Julia Child and Patricia Wells both take the elements of that classic bouillabaise, but replace the fish with chicken and make what they call a "bouillabaisse de poulet." The results are delicious, perfect for family and friends who enjoy checkered tablecloth fare. The dish should be assembled a full 24 hours before serving. It takes that long for the flavors of the Pernod and fennel to permeate the chicken. The good news is that all the work is done the day before the dish is cooked and you really are free to enjoy the company of your family and friends. Like many old French recipes, this one, designated peasant fare, requires the purse of a prince to assemble. Pernod, fennel bulbs and saffron come dear, but they are absolutely necessary for the success of this dish. For what it's worth, this is one of my ten favorite meals. If you decide to make this, your mindset must be "in for a penny, in for a pound." You will not regret it. Here's the recipe. Bon appetit!

Bouillabaisse de Poulet...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Marie-Louise Auteli and Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
4 tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 large onions, quartered
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 large fennel bulbs with feathery leaves attached, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Pernod or other licorice-flavored aperitif
Generous pinch of saffron
Small handful of fresh thyme, or several teaspoons dried thyme
4 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken legs with thighs attached, skin removed
1 pound waxy potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:
1) One full day before serving, combine tomatoes, onions, garlic, fennel, olive oil, Pernod, saffron, herbs, and seasonings in a nonreactive large covered casserole or Dutch oven. Stir to blend. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours to blend seasonings.
2) One hour before cooking, remove chicken from refrigerator. Stew chicken in its marinade, covered, over medium heat, stirring from time to time, for about 30 minutes. Add potatoes and chicken broth and simmer until potatoes are cooked, an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Serve in warmed shallow soup bowls. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Savoury Chicken Hot Pot - The English Kitchen
Chicken Stew with Dumplings - Whine and Dine
Daring Cooks: Brunswick Stew - Tasty Eats at Home
Kerala Chicken Stew - Mishmash!
Tomatillo Chicken Stew - Simply Recipes
Cazuela Gaucho: Argentine Chicken Stew - 5 Star Foodie
Braised Chicken with Riesling - One Perfect Bite
Coq au Vin: Recipes to Rival - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Asian-Style Chicken and Water Chestnut Rissoles

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Dinner tonight was based on a family meal we had in Thailand. While it hints of the Orient, it is a better example of fusion rather than Asian cooking. My family, young and old, enjoyed the rissoles which I served over a gingered noodle salad. Many will question why I used the food processor to chop the chicken when it can be purchased already ground. It has to do with the texture of the finished patties. Rissoles made from ground chicken offer little resistance to the tooth. Texture can be controlled when you chop your own meat. This recipe was designed to use ingredients that can be found in any large grocery chain. So, you'll find that the heat in the patties comes from jalapeno peppers rather than bird chilies, and that water chestnuts rather than Daikon radish provide the surprising crispness. This is a wonderfully inexpensive meal to feed a gang. If you have time, or are into spearing food, the patties can be formed into small meatballs and threaded onto skewers. I prefer not to do that and, instead, make small patties and simply place them on top of the salad. I have ,in my long life, seen too many sword fights that result from the over-active imaginations of the very young who have bamboo skewers at their disposal. The patties, which are pan-fried, have wonderful color. I cheat to get that. I fry them in a mixture of ghee and canola oil, which allows me to cook the patties at a higher temperature for better color. I have a friend who lightly dusts the patties with an instant-blending flour to get the same affect. You'll notice that no binder is used in this recipe. The patties will hold together without one, but they'll be easier to form if you keep your hands wet as you shape them. Turn these only once. If the bottom side is golden brown the patties can be safely flipped without falling apart. If you have a food processor, these are simple to make and can be in the pan in less than 15 minutes. To be honest, I wouldn't bother with this recipe if I had to do the chopping by hand. I've become spoiled. Here's the recipe for those of you who are tempted to give these a try. I know you'll like them. I'll feature the salad tomorrow.

Asian-Style Chicken and Water Chestnut Rissoles...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 (8-oz.) can water chestnuts, rinsed and drained in several changes of water
1 cup chopped scallions, white and tender green
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh minced jalapeno chile, including seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ghee or butter

Directions:
1) Working in 2 batches, pulse chicken cubes in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer chicken to a large bowl. Add water chestnuts, scallions and jalapeno to bowl of processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add to chicken along with cilantro and salt. Stir together, using your hands, until just combined.
2) Use a 1/4-cup measure or ice cream scoop to form 12 patties. Transfer patties to a baking sheet.
3) Heat oil and butter or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat until it is hot. Working in batches, add patties to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Spanish Chicken Kebabs - Deb's Kitchen
Shish Taouk: Grilled Chicken Kebabs - Chicho's Kitchen
Chicken Kebab Burger - Pham Fatale
Turkish Ground Chicken Kebabs - The Garden Web
Low Fat Chicken Kebabs - One Life to Eat
Grilled Chicken Kebabs - The Parsley Thief

Green Curry Turkey Burgers with Asian-Style Cucumber Relish - Outdoor Wednesday

Blue River Oregon

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This was intended to be a competition burger but our travel plans assure that, even if chosen, we'll be no where near the Napa Valley when the Build a Better Burger cook-off is held. A person younger than myself might decide to save the recipe for another year, but I've reached an age where that doesn't make a lot of sense, and I'd rather share it with you now than see it sit in limbo for another year. This is really easy to do. While the relish is best made several hours before assembling the burgers, their actual construction takes minutes and uses ingredients that can be found in any large grocery store. While the burgers look all-American , they are really Thai-inspired and capture the hot, sweet, sour and salty tastes that are the hallmark of Thai cooking. I have fudged a bit here and have used a range of measures for the green curry paste that's used to flavor the sauce and add heat to the burgers. Commercially made curry paste tends to be very hot and can kill the taste buds very quickly. If you are not familiar with it, start with the smaller amount and taste carefully as you go along. The goal here is a warming heat, not fire. The burgers can be cooked stovetop or on a grill. They should be turned only once. They are moist burgers and will fall part if you play with them too much. I usually serve these on a brioche-type roll, but any bread with a soft crust can be used. I think you'll like these burgers. Here's the recipe.

Green Curry Turkey Burgers with Asian-Style Cucumber Relish...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 large English cucumber, cut in 1/4 to 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh hot green chilies
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt, divided use
1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 3 teaspoons Thai-style green curry paste
1-1/4 pounds ground turkey meat (I prefer thighs)
4 lightly toasted brioche-style rolls
Garnish: Cilantro sprigs

Directions:
1) Combine vinegar, water, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium sauce pan and cook, stirring occasionally, over moderate heat until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2) Combine cucumbers, onions and chiles in a small bowl. Cover with cooled dressing and chill for several hours.
3) Combine mayonnaise, green curry paste and reserved 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Mix well. Remove 1/4 cup of sauce to another small bowl and stir 1/2 cup drained cucumber relish into it.
4) Add relish mixture to ground turkey and mix just until combined. Shape into 4 patties. In a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat, cook patties for 4 minutes on each side. Spread reserved mayonnaise mixture on top and bottom of warm rolls. Place a pattie on bottom half of each roll and cover with relish and sprigs of cilantro. Set roll tops in place and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes;
Salmon Burgers with Chipotle Aioli and Pineapple Salsa - One Perfect Bite
Grilled Pork Burgers Indochine - One Perfect Bite
Chimichurri Turkey Burgers - One Perfect Bite

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Coq au Vin - Recipes to Rival

What Les Halles is the Recipes to Rival challenge of the month? It's Anthony Bourdain's version of coq au vin. He describes this dish as "an old, tough bird that you have to drown in wine to get to taste good." Unfortunately, there's more to it than that. There are several disparate steps to this recipe. There is, of course, the braising of the chicken, but the completed dish is enhanced by separate preparations of onions and mushrooms that require special care. The end product can be quite lovely. My problem? My culinary skills, whatever they are, were honed in the 70's and early 80's of the last century. That means I've made a lot of coq au vin and have some very firm opinions as to how it should be prepared. The hard part was keeping my changes to a minimum and preparing the recipe as it was written. I think I did fairly well. Change number one; the recipe called for a stewing hen. Local butchers laughed at me, so I used a 3-1/2 pound free range chicken. Change number two; I substituted a good shiraz for the burgundy wine that's normally used because I prefer to drink shiraz. Change number three; I added a quantity of thick (almost jelly-like) chicken stock to cover the chicken as it braised. Change number four; I increased the amount of bacon used in the recipe to 6-ounces, but blanched the lardons before adding them to the pot. Change number five; I used thawed, frozen pearl onions instead of fresh. My family can deftly move onions from one side of the plate to another before burying them under chicken bones, so the onions are just for show and I refuse to kill myself preparing them. Change number six; I added 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to kill the purple color of the wine that caused the chicken to look black and blue. I also reduce the sauce by half before napping the chicken and vegetables. Technically, when a young chicken is used to replace the stewing hen the dish should be called braised chicken, not coq au vin. I'll never forget how the use of a young bird offended Andre Soltner when he judged a Top Chef episode. If you have time and would like to prepare coq au vin in the classical manner, you'll love this recipe. It is delicious, but it does take time that includes a 24 hour marination. My changes can be identified by red print. The original recipe can be found at Recipes to Rival. This months challenge is being hosted by founders Temperance of High on the Hog and Lori of Lipsmacking Goodness.

Coq au Vin from the Les Halles Cookbook, by Anthony Bourdain

Ingredients:
1 bottle/1 liter plus 1 cup/225 ml of red wine - I used Rosemont shiraz
1 onion, cut into a 1-inch/2.5 cm dice
1 carrot, cut into ¼-inch/6-mm slices
1 celery rib, cut into ½ inch/1-cm slices
4 whole cloves
1 tbs/14 g whole black peppercorns
1 bouquet garni - a bay leaf, 3 sprigs of thyme and 4 sprigs parsley tied in a large coffee filter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 to 3 cups reduced chicken stock
1 whole chicken, about 3.5 lb/1.35 kg, “trimmed” – meaning guts, wing tips and neckbone removed

salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbs/28 ml olive oil
6 tbs/75 g butter, softened
1 tbs/14 g flour
¼ lb/112 g lardons - I used 6-oz. blanched lardons
½ lb/ 225 g small, white button mushrooms, stems removed
12 pearl onions, peeled - I used 1 cup thawed, frozen pearl onions
pinch of sugar

Directions:
1) The day before beginning to cook, combine the bottle of red wine, the diced onion, sliced carrots, celery, cloves, peppercorns, and bouquet garni in a large deep bowl. Add the chicken and submerge it in the liquid so that all of it is covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. Put it aside. Strain the marinade through the fine strainer, reserving the liquids and solids separately. Season the chicken with salt and pepper inside and out. In the large Dutch oven, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter until almost smoking, and then sear the chicken, turning it with the tongs to evenly brown it. Once browned, it should be removed from the pot and set it aside again. Add the reserved onions, celery, and carrot to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix well with the wooden spoon so that the vegetables are coated. Now stir in the reserved strained marinade. Stir in tomato paste. Put the chicken back in the pot, along with the bouquet garni. Add thick chicken broth to cover chicken. Bring to a simmer; cover pot and bake for 1 hour and ten minutes.
3) While chicken braises in oven, cook the bacon lardons in the small sauté pan over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it on paper towels, making sure to keep about 1 tablespoon/14 g of fat in the pan. Saute the mushroom tops in the bacon fat until golden brown. Set them aside. Now, in the small saucepan, combine the pearl onions, the pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 2tablespoons/28 g of butter. Add just enough water to just cover the onions; then cover the pan with the parchment paper trimmed to the same size of the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the water has evaporated. Keep a close eye on it. Remove the paper cover and continue to cook until the onions are golden brown. Set the onions aside and add the remaining cup/225 ml of red wine along with salt and pepper and reduce over medium-high heat until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
4) When the chicken is cooked through – meaning tender, the juice from the thigh running clear when pricked – carefully remove from the liquid, cut into quarters, and arrange on the deep serving platter. Strain the cooking liquid (again). Return to a pan and cook until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Add reduced red wine. Add the bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons/28 g of butter. Pour sauce over the chicken. Yield: 4 servings.