Poultry

Cooking Shirley Balboa's Christmas Goose- A Holiday Tale

24 Dec 2011
goose in the oven

I can be an old softie when it comes to holiday traditions. One tradition I like to keep is the sharing of stories. Last year I presented this story Cooking Shirley Balboa's Christmas Goose. I had intended to write another new piece of holiday short fiction for this space this year. But in the end I decided that part of the allure of the Christmas story is the tradition of telling the same stories year after year.

So I am bringing back my personal holiday heroine for another year of Christmas Goose. I hope you will read, enjoy and share this story. Merry Christmas to you. GREG


Cooking Shirley Balboa's Christmas Goose

Go straight to recipe or read the story here:

Shirley Balboa lays on the bright, freshly waxed linoleum floor looking straight up, past the pitted chrome handles of her old gas stove and directly at the ceiling stained with the grease of Christmases long past. She wonders what she should do. The goose she had just placed in the oven is nowhere near done. Normally her thoughts would have gone to the Christmas goose first. But until you can smell it, there is no reason to think about it. She never, ever bastes until she gets that first fatty fragrance. No aroma means Shirley is free to think about the problem at hand. The problem of course being that she has fallen and cannot get up.

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Tom Kha Gai- Thai Chicken Soup in Coconut Milk Broth

Tom Kha Gai
By jgreghenry Published December 12, 2011
Prep time: 20
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 q chicken stock
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, white & pale green parts only, cut on the diagonol into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 thai chilies, thinly sliced
  • 2 clv garlic, crushed
  • 3 fresh or dried kaffir lime leaves
  • 1 3-inch pieces ginger, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 3 T asian fish sauce
  • 1 t sugar
  • 1 (8-ounce) can straw mushrooms, rinsed
  • 5 limes, juice only
  • 2 c boneless, skinless chciken thighs, cut into 1-inch chuncks
  • 3 long beans, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pn each salt and pepper
  • 1 t thai curry paste
  • 0.25 c thai basil, leaves only optional
  • 0.25 c cilantro, leaves only optional

Directions

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat bring the chicken stock to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, chilies, and garlic. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.

Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, lime juice, long bean pieces, and chicken pieces. Simmer for 8 minutes to cook the chicken through; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the thai curry paste and add basil and cilantro leaves if using. Ladle the soup into a large soup bowl or individual serving bowls.

Get to Know Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate Relish & Tahini Yogurt

03 Dec 2011
Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate Relish and Tahini Yogurt

Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate Relish and Tahini Yogurt

I got this recipe for Middle-Eastern spiced chicken skewers from Bon Appetit magazine sometime last year. I didn't save the magazine so I don't know what they thought about this recipe. So you're stuck with hearing what I think about it.

I think it's terrific. Pretty too. Pomegranate seeds make everything pretty. Which is similar to the way that tahini makes everything delicious and yogurt makes everything healthy. Making this recipe terrifically pretty and healthy too. I'd say this was a fresh, modern interpretation of Middle Eastern cuisine. It features an interesting mix of seasonings known in Turkey as Bahārāt, which includes cumin, oregano, and dried mint. Bahārāt is the Arabic word for 'spices'. So you might get confused when you Google around for the word. What makes this version typically Turkish is the addition of mint into the mixture.

So that's what I think (and know) about this recipe.

What do you think?

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Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate Relish and Tahini Yogurt

Chicken Skewer with Pomegranate
By jgreghenry Published November 29, 2011
Prep time: 90
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 T freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 T dried mint
  • 1 T dried oregano
  • 1 t ground cinnamon
  • 1 t ground cumin
  • 1 t ground nutmeg
  • 6 T freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
  • 1 clv garlic, finely minced
  • 0.5 c greek yogurt
  • 0.25 c tahini
  • 1 c pomegranate seeds
  • 1 c pistachio, shelled, toasted and roughly chopped
  • 0.5 c flat leafed parsley, roughly chopped
  • 4 T olive oil, divided
  • 1 onion, peeled and grated
  • 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 6 whole pita breads, warmed in the oven

Directions

Make the spice mix: Using mortar and pestle grind black pepper, dried mint, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, and ground nutmeg for 2 to 3 minutes. May be made 1 week ahead. Cover to store.

Make the tahini yogurt: Combine 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the spice mix you just made, and garlic in medium bowl; stir to blend. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in yogurt and tahini. Season tahini yogurt to taste with salt. May be made up to 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Make the pomegranate relish: Mix pomegranate seeds, pistachios, parsley, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. May be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Make the chicken: Whisk grated onion, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining spice mix in large bowl. Add chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Marinate at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Preheat broiler. Divide the chicken chunks between 6 skewer, threading them with out packing them too tightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on small rimmed baking sheet. Broil chicken until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Arrange kebabs on platter. Serve with tahini yogurt, pomegranate relish, and warm pita breads.

Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit

Braise This! Cider Vinegar Chicken Thighs & Legs

21 Oct 2011
braised chicken thighs and legs
Are you listening? Because I am going to tell you what to do. Cider Vinegar Braised Chicken Thighs & Legs with Onions and Raisins. Isn't it great when someone tells you just what to do? I feel qualified to do the telling because the weather calls for braising.

Braising is a cooking technique we should all master. It's not difficult and the results will make you look like an accomplished chef (not that you aren't...). This simple process has just a few foolproof steps. The end result is rich and flavorful.

The concept behind braising is this: the main ingredient is seared, or browned in fat. It is then simmered in liquid on low-heat in a covered pot for a very long time.  You can choose to braise in the oven or on the top of the stove. I may be telling you what to do but I'll leave some wiggle room here for you to make this dish your own. Because, either way you will be proud of the food you bring to the table. This method of cooking is often used as a way to cook less expensive, tough cuts of meat.

Now don't tune out. "Less expensive and tough" are not ways to describe the final product of your braising magic. Because braising makes tough, leathery meat– tender. Really! I promise.

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