Food October 2009: Part 2 - Braising Chicken

As defined by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary:

Main Entry: ¹braise

Pronunciation: \ˈbrāz\

Function: transitive verb

Inflected Form(s): braised; brais·ing

Etymology: French braiser, from braise live coals, from Old French breze, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Swedish brasa fire

Date: 1797

: to cook slowly in fat and little moisture in a closed pot

Braised dishes are great recession food. Braising in fat typically means that you are cooking using the fat already in the meat and slowly rendering that fat out of the meat. Therefore, by definition, you are choosing meat cuts that are significantly lower in price than their lean counterparts. Moreover, if you make ahead of time, rendering out the fat during cooking, refrigerating and then skimming the congealed fat, you can even make this cut as healthy as its expensive brother. And then of course there is the recession perfect result - comfort food.

I promised to deliver on braised short ribs, and I will, but first there have been numerous requests for chicken braises, so here are my favs. Remember to feel free to use the comment section of the site to make these kinds of requests - they are always welcome.

Picatta Braised Chicken Thighs

This recipe is my version of Grace Parisi's from Food and Wine Magazine in 2008 - slightly less zesty. I like to serve it as the magazine did, straight in the braising pan in the center of the table. It works really well with loose polenta, mashed potatoes, or most other starches light in flavor so that you don't lose the subtle flavor of this beautiful dish. Best of all, its super easy, can be started before your guests come and thrown in the oven while you put the kids to bed, change into something less mommy, and start your first glass of wine (because though you normally wait for the guests, oops, the wine is already opened for the chicken.)

8 chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cup flour

sea salt - teaspoon

pepper - 1/2 teaspoon

1 shallot diced

2 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

fresh thyme, 5 sprigs leaves only

1/2 teaspoon herb de provence

1 tablespoon capers

1 teaspoons lemon zest

2 cups white wine - not a chard, something lighter and crisper like sauvignon blanc

1 cup chicken broth

Wash and dry the thighs and roll in the flour which is mixed with the salt and pepper. Dice the shallots and crush the garlic. Take out a skillet and put on medium heat, adding the butter and olive oil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the shallots in the pan and stir for one minute, and turn to medium-high. Brown the chicken thighs, skin side down first, roughly five to seven minutes each side, setting aside on a plate. Pour out half of the fat, keeping the bits in the pan. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to get all the shallots and chicken tasty bits off the side. Bring wine to a simmer and reduce by roughly half, (about 7 minutes) then adding the chicken broth, herbes, garlic, and capers. Let come to a simmer again and re-add the chicken and the single bay leaf. Place in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes or until the chicken passes the braising test - falling off the bone with a fork. Remove the chicken onto a dish and cover. Place braising pan on the stove top on high to reduce the liquids by a third to a glaze. Add chicken back into the pan and serve.

IPA Chicken Wings

This recipe was developed from a friends absolutely perfect red wine soy glaze chicken wings that always disappear instantly at cocktail parties. My take is a fall version that balances bitter flavor with the sweet for a more football flavor (picture the Pats playing in the dark with snow falling circa 2001). I like to use Geary's Ale from Portland, Maine or Harpoon IPA. This recipe is slightly less of a braise then above and while really simple, must be watched very carefully at the end, as they can quickly over-glaze and burn. This is a great tailgating item (for anything from football or a U2 concert) to make ahead of time and serve at room temperature later!

36 chicken wings (ask the butcher to cut the tips off)

12 oz. bottle - or 1 1/2 cups of IPA

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 clove garlic crushed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange chicken wings skin side down in a large roasting pan or baking pan with raised sides. In a saucepan, on high heat, pour the beer and bring to a simmer for about 7-10 minutes, until the beer almost boils down to half of its volume. Then add soy sauce, honey, sugar, ginger and garlic and reduce heat to medium low, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves and it begins to form a runny syrup - about another 5-7 minutes. Pour over the wings evenly - making sure that the sauce gets under the wings that are facing skin side down. Bake for 45 minutes then turn wings and bake for another 30 minutes. Check here and start watching closely for another 15-30 minutes, pulling it out when the liquid is sticky and syrupy, the meat pulls off very easily with a fork and before a crust appears on the top of the skin.

For a more Asian flavor, check out this Malaysian Glazed Wing recipe from Chef Zak Pelaccio of Fatty Crab in New York from Food and Wine 2007. It melts in your mouth leaving a small fire.

October Momma Like: Faux Flora

I'm not a big fan of the houseplant - fake or real I seem to always get it wrong. That said, who can resist a beautiful freshly cut vase of flowers? Someone on a budget - that's who. At a friend's house recently I was gaping in jealousy at her peonies when she revealed that they were not real but from Gump's San Francisco. Many of the flowers on the site were beautiful but not great on the budget - but these Japenese Maple branches come in at $18 each and can be paired with a flea market clay pitcher for great fall effect. Of course, if you have a beautiful Japenese maple or bittersweet bush, you can do it for even less.

Food: October 2009: Foliage Stews and Braising

CAUTION: If you are a veggie, or one of those women who doesn't eat red meat because of "health reasons," please stop reading. I feel about red meat how most men feel about sex... and well, red meat. So if you are a veggie, this is about to get gross. If not, read on.

Nothing says comfort food like braised beef short ribs on the side of polenta in front of football game, or Guinness lamb stew over mashed potatoes, in front of a fire, under a blanket. Braising and stew cooking can be time consuming, but they are simple recipes that have high rewards for merely the act of waiting, the perfect compliment for a day when you were not planning on leaving the house anyway.

A delicious stew or braise is dependent on two things. The first, as silly as it sounds, is the oven. As fifties retro-chic as a crock pot may appear, do not be fooled. The convection oven makes a much more consistent heat source (meaning any point in the oven is as hot as any other given point which allows for a perfect slow cook). The intention of a braise or stew is to have the meat fat rendered out of the meat in a slow melt, allowing the meat to tenderize to the point that it falls apart at the touch, and this can be best achieved with the oven.

The second necessary requirement is patience. Every person who first braises makes the classic mistake. After a couple of hours of cooking, they taste the meat, decide it is done, or even over-done, and take it out. Consequently they end up eating really tough stuff. A braise or stew cooks just beyond that point you think it should and suddenly, the meat loosens to perfection. That said, if you possess an oven and patience, these recipes are extremely forgiving.

In the recipes that follow, you will note that the stews require more prep time than the braises, because of the addition of vegetables, but that all the of recipes are remarkably similar, so once you tackle one, the rest will come easy. These are great recipes to start when your kids are in school, playing soccer, or napping, and then let cook in the oven while you play with them in the afternoon. One you do the work on the stove top, you are walking away from the oven for 3-4 hours and doing nothing but enjoying your fall. Keep in mind that these dishes are like lasagna and a great hair cut - they are even better the next day, so if you want to make them the day before and put them in the fridge overnight - GO FOR IT. Last but not least, do not go for low fat meat in these recipes. The fat is a necessary component to creating the flavor. However, the fat is not necessary in keeping the flavor, so if you are health conscious, or want to avoid a tummy ache for you and your guests, make them in advance, refrigerate for at least three hours and them skim the fat that has congealed at the top before reheating and serving.

Finally, though they make great dinners, don't be afraid to throw them in small Pyrex containers and put them in the freezer so that they can be thawed for a great packable lunch for work for mom or dad.

Part 1: The Fall Day Beef Stew: serves 6 or 8 with mashed potatoes

3 lbs. all natural chuck beef cut into 1 inch cubes (or pre-cut "stew" meat)

1/2 package bacon, nitrate free, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon or red zin

3 cups beef stock (I could say homemade, but come on)

2 vidalia onions

2 garlic cloves

1 cup flour plus 2 tablespoons

5-6 carrots, medium to large sized, chopped roughly and chunky

4 parsnips, peeled and chopped as above

1 turnip, chopped as above

10 fresh sprigs oregano, leaves only, chopped

5 sprigs sage, leaves only chopped

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons tomato paste

sea salt to taste

pepper

Step 1: 15 minutes work time: Wash, dry, and cut up beef pieces. Dice bacon. Chop all onions, crush garlic and set aside. Place the flour in a plate with high edges, or a flat bowl. Put a medium large to large stock pot that is oven safe onto the stove top and medium heat with olive oil until oil is translucent but before it starts to smoke. Add diced bacon. Cook until crispy. Remove the bacon, set aside, and pour out half of the fat in the pan, replacing it on the stove with high heat.

Add the butter to the pan and place on high heat. Take a handful of the beef and dredge it with flour in the bowl, placing it in the hot pan. Carefully watch the beef as it browns about a minute each side. Don't walk away here so you don't burn. Take the meat out and place it on a plate, keeping all the juices in the pan until all the meat is browned. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Step 2: 20-25 minutes work time:

Put the onions in the pan, adding more olive oil if necessary, with a pinch of salt and cook on medium low for about 10-12 minutes, allowing the onions to caramelize a bit. While the onions are cooking, chop the carrots, parsnips, turnip and set aside and herbs and set aside separately. When the onions are translucent and sweet, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then adding the veggies, two tablespoons flour and a pinch of salt stirring for 5 minutes allowing them to soften. Take all the veggies out of the pot but keeping the oil. Try not to over-salt here as the bacon grease will be naturally high in sodium.

With the pan still on high heat, add the 2 cups of red wine and deglaze the pan. Stir so you get all the juicy bits off the bottom of the pan and let it come to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, letting the wine reduce and the alcohol to be burned off. Add the beef stock, vegetables, meat, bacon and herbs to the pot and bring to a boil.

Step 3: 2.5 - 3 hours cook time.

Turn off the heat, placing the bay leaf in the stew, cover and put in the preheated oven. Let cook for about 2 and a half to three hours, until the meat falls apart with a fork.

Serve over mashed potatoes or just as is. (You will see I did not put potatoes in the stew as they tend to get starchy and lose their flavor punch in the broth. If you are a potato fan, the mashed potatoes are a great side to this dish).

The Half Day Ticket - Ski Day Lamb Stew:

This is so easy - just follow the above recipe and make the following substitutions: Guinness for Red Wine, Rosemary for Oregano, remove the sage and add two more crushed garlic cloves for a total of 4. I like to make this one on a ski day because not everyone likes the smell of lamb, so you can be out of the house while its cooking! (legal proviso - of course you would never leave the house with the oven on...)

Part 2: The Braised Short Rib - Coming Soon!

To Do with Kids: September- Back to School Party

Growing up, my mother always made a big deal out of the first day of school. Now that I have my own, I am starting to understand the bittersweet taste of the time that so vividly highlights their growth. You are torn between the joy of seeing them take those first steps into a new classroom and your own sadness of letting them go (and lets face it, a little relief about getting them back into their schedules!) For kids, it is also a double sided coin of excitement and nerves.

To celebrate this big day my mom always greeted us at the bus and walked us home to a party waiting for us. She would get some balloons and a sweet treat and wrap our back to school supplies, new pencil cases and lunchboxes as presents. What a perfect tradition to begin this year, when the economy dictates appreciating the little things. The school supplies are usually must haves, the treats are easy ( might I suggest cupcakes) and for the extra price of a couple of balloons, your kids will feel infinitely special.

Mamma Like July: Girl's Fashion at Any Price

If you are a mom to a little girl than surely you have made the move where you buy the most beautiful dress for your little lady and realize you've blown the budget. She wears it to preschool one day and its already worn out whereas the affordable Osh Kosh overalls you bought her won't wear out fast enough. Thanks to Target's partnership with Osh Kosh and other kids clothiers, you don't have to do that. Target has some great lines for kids - durable and really getting cuter by the day. My favorite of these is the Osh Kosh but the Cherokee lines are so sweet as well. Check out this dress above on Target.com and this great swing top from Cherokee for $6.99.

If your budget is feeling more flexible - check out the sale going on at Bambeeno cashmere. I know what your thinking... but this cashmere for kids is machine washable, stunning and especially while their summer sale is going, more than very reasonable.

Started by two roommates from Middlebury College in Vermont, these two ladies have mixed business and fashion to come up with the most amazing thing ever invented - cashmere you trust your kids to wear. Check it out at www.Bambeenocashmere.com.

Food June/July '09: The Egg Part 3: Carbonara

Marcella Hazan, the goddess of Italian cooking, in her masterpiece The Essentials of Italian Cooking passes along an Italian food history legend. American soldiers in the final days of World War II would ask local families whom they had befriended to make them a pasta sauce from a favorite American combination - eggs and bacon. The results are a disaster for my rear end but heaven for the mouth - Carbonara. This recipe is a simple version of Marcella's with a slightly different cheese flavor. Great to serve at a dinner party with fresh tagliatelle where the whole meal can be cooked in 15 minutes. On a weeknight, dried boxed spaghetti is a house fav. and it just takes a bit longer to cook dried pasta. Serve with a simple side salad of arugula - the sharpness will break up the heavy feel of the pasta.

1 pound pasta - fresh or dried

1/2 lb. aged pancetta or slab bacon

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 eggs

1/3 cup Parmesan - grated

1/4 cup Romano grated

1/4 cup Asiago grated

pepper to taste

fresh oregano to serve

Put up a pot of boiling water for your pasta. Dice three fresh garlic cloves. Slice pancetta or slab bacon into small long cubes, much like a julienne. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat, add garlic and cook stirring for 3o seconds. Raise the heat to medium high and add the pancetta, stirring frequently until slightly crispy and the fat is rendering off the pork - roughly five minutes. Turn the heat to high and add the white wine, deglazing the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get all the juicy bits off the pan. Let cook on medium low until the wine is nearly halved - essentially creating a thicker consistency reduction.

While the wine is reducing, and you are cooking the pasta, Take the bowl you are serving the pasta in and add three eggs, beating lightly, and all the three cheeses as well as fresh pepper. Drain the pasta and add to the serving bowl, pouring the bacon and wine on top and toss. I like to add fresh oregano to garnish. DO NOT salt before tasting - between the pancetta and the cheese it should already be salty.

Wine: July 2009 Carbonara Pairing

Lori, our wine expert, in Paris.

My sister, Lori, after several years in the wine business from distributing to importing and walking and biking the vineyards of Burgundy, wrote her dissertation on biodynamic wine and was awarded her masters in French Civilization from Middlebury College in Paris. While Lori is one of the country's best "winos", I am clueless about the stuff; but she always makes me feel that wine choices can be really easy if you know a few rules. Luckily, she has agreed to share some of them - this time to find a pairing for our Carbonara.

Wine 101 and a pairing for Carbonara, by Lori Varsames

One of the least well known facts about wine, is that if you like it, it is good. The second is, wine does not have to be expensive in order to taste good. Taste is personal, and while there are certain guidelines for pairing wine with food, ultimately, it does not really make a difference unless you enjoy it.

This said, the “correct” pairing of a wine with food can bring that much more enjoyment to a meal. The right pairing has been known to bring out the best in a wine and a meal, that can inspire a near-religious experience. But there is no one correct pairing for a meal…There’s nothing like a nice cut of steak with a big Bordeaux or California Cabernet, but depending on the sauces, spices and other seasonings used, you may easily consider some other options. My favorite pairings tend to include wines that counter- balance the power of the food. A great pairing includes a wine that doesn’t overwhelm the dish, but rather complements it. It takes some of the stronger ingredients of the recipe, and softens them, to bring about a harmonious marriage of flavors. And there are no set rules about white or red choices, either. While many prefer a nice, big, juicy, tannic red with steak, there are others who still prefer their favorite Chardonnay. While it may not lead me to a religious experience, it may get you there!

As for carbonara, there many elements to consider…The cheese, the eggs, the saltiness of the pork, and oil. While this may strike you more as a white wine friendly dish --- and it certainly is – you may also easily make a case for the right red wine. Whether you choose white or red, the one element that is essential in both is acidity. Wines range from very acidic to tannic. Both act as preservative agents in a wine. In practical terms, this means if you can’t finish a bottle of wine, the more acidity in a white, and the more tannin in a red, respectively, will guarantee the freshness of the wine in the days to come. Acidity, in the case of carbonara, is paramount, and is the key element that will cut through the saltiness of the pork, the heaviness of the cheese, and the fattiness of the oil. Wines with higher acidity tend to be more refreshing, and are among the easiest to pair with the largest variety of dishes. The acidity reacts in the back and along the sides of your tongue, stimulating saliva production. This type of wine before a meal, is a great aperitif, because it stimulates the appetite. With a dish like carbonara that can be heavy on its own, a more acidic wine will refresh and soften the edge of heavier flavors. But there is a case to be made for both white and red wine alike. Experiment with both to find your preference. Learning about food and wine is really only an exercise in figuring out what you really like. With this in mind, I’ve selected four wines. The first two are meant to be everyday accessible choices; wines that you can find in nearly any wine store. I call these, “Easy Picks.” The next two, which I call, “Wine Geek Picks” are meant to offer you a little more exposure to the vastness of the wine world. Best to find these in a credible wine store that focuses on wine rather than liquor. Here goes:

EASY PICKS with Carbonara:

Pinot Grigio. This white grape, also known as Pinot Gris in warmer climates like France (Alsace) or Oregon, grows in northeastern Italy. The best, most complex ones come from Trentino and the Alto Adige, or if you are in a hurry, you can easily find one from the Veneto. The ripping acidity softens exponentially when facing the carbonara, and can be very refreshing.

Beaujolais. The red grape from this idyllic, hilly region in southern Burgundy is Gamay. Fruity, soft, with racy acidity, this wine is the house wine of nearly every café and bistro in France. Throw the bottle in the fridge for about fifteen to twenty minutes before serving. The chill brings out its freshness, and is sure to be the ultimate solution for counter-acting the saltiness of the pork. For a more complex and wine-savvy choice than your average “Beaujolais Nouveau” or “Beaujolais-Villages,” look for a Julienas or a Fleurie. These two Beaujolais come from towns within the region that produce more fruity, playful and floral wines that have more complexity than your average “Beaujolais” appellation.

WINE GEEK PICKS with Carbonara:

Kabinett Riesling: The designation of “Kabinett” means the Riesling is from Germany, and is the driest – read, least sweet – of the German wines. It is crisp and clean, with bright minerality and of course, great acidity! Rieslings from the Mosel and the Rhein are build on very steep, slate hillsides that rise above these two river valleys. This lends itself to a really beautiful mineral content. Ask your local wine merchant for famous producers such as J.J. Prüm or Dr. Hermann. But above all, make sure to get a “Kabinett.” If not, you risk the wine being too sweet. Though carbonara is a traditional Italian dish, do not discount the Germans’ love of pork, cheese and noodles. For these reasons alone, the Kabinett offers a very geeky, alternative choice to a Pinot Grigio.

Rosé. Often confused with its trashy American cousin, White Zinfandel, Rosé couldn’t be any different. Fruity, dry, and refreshing, it is the ultimate summer wine because it pairs to well with so many different foods. Contrary to popular belief, rose is not sweet, and it is not made by mixing white and red wines. Rather, it is a much more complex process. Most red grapes actually have white juice; it is the exposure to the skins after the crush that can produce a red wine. However, when the skins are exposed to the juice for only a limited period of time, this produces rosé. It will be the most overlooked wine in your store, but at this time of year, it is the freshest and easiest to buy. If you are finding a bargain purchase, just be sure not to save it for the middle of winter. Most rosés, with a few minor exceptions, are meant to be consumed young. Don’t clutter your wine rack with this one; just drink it!! It’s a no-brainer with all of the complex elements of the carbonara. Look for lighter rosés in Provence (southeastern France), or for darker rosés from Sicily or Spain. Either way, you won’t be disappointed in its ability to harmonize with carbonara!

Cheers! Here’s to your wine pairing success!