Category Archives: Poultry

CORNISH HENS WITH YOGURT-MACE MARINADE

Posted in clay pot cooking, Poultry by

Best if made in a clay pot, but will work if you adapt the temperature and cooking times for regular roasting. I was intrigued by the use of mace, that ingredient that sits in the pantry feeling neglected until a rare recipe calls for it. It works wonders in this preparation, so consider bringing that little bottle to shine in your kitchen.

CORNISH HENS WITH SPICED YOGURT MARINADE
(inspired by 660 Curries)

2 Cornish game hens, cut in half lengthwise
¾ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup slivered blanched almond
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground mace
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional, I omitted this time)
a few small potatoes

To make the marinade, combine the yogurt, almonds, salt, turmeric, nutmeg, and mace in a blender or food processor. Puree, transfer to a bowl and fold the cilantro leaves. Pour the marinade over the hens, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Soak your clay pot. Add potatoes to the clay pot then place the hens with a bit of the marinade still clinging to them over the potatoes. Place the covered pot in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 450F.

Roast covered for 1 hour, remove the lid and roast further until the skin is nicely browned. If your oven heats too slowly, roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes covered then remove the lid.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve made this recipe three times in the past couple of months. Tying the legs together makes for a nicer presentation, but it is optional. The marinade is perfect, and will also work on chicken, either whole or cut in pieces. I’ve been using ground almonds in marinades often, and it does add a nice substance to it. The book 660 Curries is one of my favorites. It is rare that I love a cookbook with no photos, but the narrative and variety of recipes makes up for it. Plus, everything I cooked from it has been fantastic. A great recommendation from my future daughter-in-law, Courtnie.

Full disclosure: I wrote this post and set to publish. Tweaked it 5 or 6 times after that. Before going to bed I decided to take one final look, and there it was, in the very last paragraph:

It is rare that I love a cookbook with no recipes…..

Glad I caught it… but could not resist sharing the boo-boo.

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BUTTERMILK ROAST CHICKEN

Posted in Poultry by

This could go into the Incredibly Simple files but because it does take 24 hours marinating, I will treat it as a “regular” recipe. I cannot quite believe how easy it was and how gorgeous the skin looked (and tasted) at the end of roasting. I bet this will work great with chicken pieces also, but it’s hard to beat the wow-factor of bringing a whole bird to the table.

BUTTERMILK ROASTED CHICKEN
(adapted from Cooking Classy)

4 to 4.5 lb whole chicken
2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Remove the neck and any giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Freeze for a later use or discard. Place the chicken in a gallon size resealable freezer bag in a large bowl then place the chicken in the bag with the legs toward the opening of the bag.

Make the buttermilk brine by whisking together buttermilk, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme until well mixed. Pour the mixture over the chicken while also pouring some into the rib cavity of the chicken. Seal bag while pressing out as much excess air as possible. Rub marinade over chicken. Transfer to fridge and let marinate at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

Heat the oven to 400F. Remove chicken from marinade and scrape off buttermilk mixture. Transfer to a small roasting pan. Adjust wings, optionally tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Roast chicken for 40 minutes, then rotate the pan and continue to roast until the chicken is cooked through about 30 to 45 minutes longer (internal temp should be 160F for the breasts and 175F for the thighs. If the skin starts browning too much, tent with foil. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, rest 15 minutes then carve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: OMG for the color of that skin! The meat turned out tender and juicy, with very nice flavor from all the herbs. I intend to use the exact same marinade on spatchcocked chicken, and perhaps on chicken thighs. Make sure you use a thermometer to check the temperature, I find very hard to judge by any other method, and there’s nothing worse than undercooked chicken. We will be re-visiting this recipe very soon!

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TURKEY-BISON JALAPENO CHILI

Posted in Beef, Poultry by

This was made in a pressure cooker, but if you don’t own one, no problem. Follow my modifications for a stove-top version. I often make chili exclusively with ground turkey but this version with 50% bison won our seal of approval. Not that much additional fat, but definitely a more complex flavor.

TURKEY-BISON JALAPENO CHILI
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 jalapeños, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
2 large sweet potatoes, diced
1 pound ground chicken
1 pound ground bison meat
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or other red pepper of your choice)
1 can (28 ounce) whole tomatoes
garnishes of your choice

Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker. Sautee the shallot, bell pepper and jalapeños with a little salt and pepper. When fragrant, add the two kinds of meat and saute for a few minutes. Add all other ingredients, close the pressure cooker and bring to full pressure.

Reduce heat, cook for 25 minutes. Release the pressure quickly according to the method recommended for your pan. Simmer the chili gently for a few more minutes and serve. Adjust consistency with water or by reducing it further. Serve with toppings of your choice. If making in a regular pan, simmer gently for 1 hour, adding more liquid if needed during cooking.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: As you may know, we cook with leftovers in mind, and chili is one of the perfect recipes to enjoy in subsequent days, it gets better and better. Bison meat is widely available where we live, but any ground beef will work, although the fat amount will be higher with most other cuts. We love the mixture of the two types of meat. If you have pickled jalapeños hanging around, they are a nice topping idea also. We used guacamole and yogurt seasoned with salt and lime juice.

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GRILLED CHICKEN WITH SESAME ROASTED CARROTS

Posted in Poultry by

This is a complete meal, with main protein, veggie and salad served together in total harmony. It might very well go into the Hall of Fame of the Bewitching Kitchen because we both gave it enthusiastic two thumbs way way up. Two small details took the meal to Nirvana: high proportion of vinegar to marinate the chicken, and sesame oil to roast the carrots. Inspired by The Flavor Equation and Skinnytaste: One and Done.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH SESAME ROASTED CARROTS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

for the chicken:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
amchur to taste for serving

for the carrots:
6 large carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs sesame oil
2 tsp black sesame seeds
Urfa pepper and salt to taste
Fine sea salt

for the dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp agave nectar
salt to taste

lettuce and tomatoes for salad

Marinate the chicken. Mix all the ingredients except the amchur, whisk well. Add to the pieces of chicken and leave for 4 hours or more. Remove from the marinade, grill until done, about 8 minutes per side on a hot grill. Cut in small pieces to serve.

Make the carrots. Mix the two oils together, coat the carrots with the mixture, add sesame seeds and spices. Roast in 425F oven until golden brown at the edges.

Make the dressing by whisking all ingredients together. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce and tomatoes with some of the dressing. Place carrots and chicken on top, still warm, drizzle a little additional dressing, and sprinkle amchur over the chicken pieces. Serve right away.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was delicious, I truly urge you to give this recipe a try. As you may have noticed, I am in a phase of enjoying contrast of hot and cold, and this will go into our rotation for sure. I think a shredded cabbage salad will go particularly well with it too. Amchur is optional, but it adds a nice brightness without any additional liquid. It does the job of a lemon, more or less, but in dry format. You could add some lime zest instead. Sesame oil to roast veggies is a new thing to me. For some reason I never thought it would work but here I am to admit I was wrong. I’ve been using it on cauliflower, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and every time it adds a wonderful flavor.

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TURKEY TACO SALAD

Posted in Poultry, Salads by

When we go to Mexican restaurants, my default request is taco salad, in part because most other offerings are pretty heavy and the portions huge. At least when I have a salad the risk of getting into a food coma are a bit lower. The inspiration for this version came from many sources, and I must say I’m pretty happy with it. What made it special for me was the inclusion of red cabbage and jicama. Full disclosure: julienning the jicama was not particularly pleasant. A small price to pay.

TURKEY TACO SALAD
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

for the dressing:
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro (no need for precision here)
1 tablespoon agave nectar
juice from 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup grape seed oil

for the salad component:
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
3 cups shredded red cabbage
3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 large jicama, peeled and julienned

Make the dressing: combine all ingredients in a blender or small food processor and puree until as smooth as possible.

Add the red cabbage to a large bowl and add half of the dressing to it. Leave it in the fridge for an hour or so.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, add the turkey and salt, and cook for a few minutes. Add the chili, cumin, mix, and drizzle about 1/4 cup of water to the pan. Cover, simmer gently for a few minutes, the remove the lid and allow most of the water to evaporate. Reserve.

Assemble the salad: Place the cabbage (already seasoned) on a serving platter, add the lettuce, jicama, toss gently. Add the cooked meat on top, and the additional reserved dressing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you want to turn this into a vegetarian meal, omit the turkey and add roasted garbanzo beans instead. Or maybe sweet potatoes. The red cabbage gives it a very nice texture, and the jicama also contributes a lot. I just wish there was an easy way to deal with jicama, I am always afraid I’ll lose one or two fingers whenever I prepare it. But it has such a nice, fresh flavor. Totally worth the trouble.

I love this dressing. Definitely not for the cilantro-haters out there. Finally, what makes this perfect for me is the contrast of hot and cold. I’ve been planning many meals now with this in mind. We had a very small amount leftover and as usual, I was the lucky one who enjoyed it the following day. My husband is a real gentleman.

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