Chicken Thighs with Pineau

Chicken Thighs With Pineau de Charentes (aka Chicken on Fire!)

All of my notes through this recipe are in italics.

-J.D.

Pineau de Charentes is a delicious, yet tricky to find, fortified French wine.  Paula suggests using white wine with some cognac (brandy) stirred into it if you can't find the stuff.  I have done it both ways, and the substitution works just fine.

The sauce here is “short,” meaning there isn't much of it, but it's strong and aromatic, and every drop—just like the Pineau—is downright luscious.

INGREDIENTS

   * ½ ounce dried French cèpes or Italian porcini

   * 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

   * 2 pounds chicken thighs, 6 to 8 pieces, preferably from free-range chickens (I cook this recipe with 8 boneless skinless thighs.)

   * Salt and freshly ground pepper

   * 1 cup Pineau de Charentes, or substitute 2 tablespoons Armagnac or Cognac mixed with 1 cup semisweet white wine(The substitution works great.)

   * 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots

   * ½ pound fresh cremini or white mushrooms, quartered

   * ½ cup heavy cream

   * 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

   * 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat‐leaf parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Crumble the cèpes or porcini into a strainer and rinse well under cold running water. Put in a bowl and cover with 1 cup hot water. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. Drain the cèpes into a sieve lined with a paper coffee filter or several layers of damp cheesecloth set over a small bowl; reserve the cèpes and soaking liquid separately.

  2. Set a heavy 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter; as soon as it sizzles, add the chicken thighs, skin side down (smooth side if using skinless.)Season with salt and pepper and cook without turning just until browned, about 5 minutes. Tilt the skillet and remove almost all the fat. Add the Pineau and, using a long kitchen match and averting your face, carefully ignite the liquid while it is still warm; the flames will flare quite high. When the flames subside, add the shallots and continue cooking, stirring, for l minute. Turn the chicken over, cover the skillet, and continue cooking over moderate heat until the juices from the thighs run clear when pricked and the pan juices are reduced to a glaze, about 25 minutes. Turn the chicken over and glaze the skin, then transfer the contents of the skillet to a platter. Wipe out the skillet.

  3. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over moderate heat. Add the cèpes and fresh mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the reserved soaking liquid and cook until reduced to a glaze, about 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream and boil until reduced to a sauce consistency, about 5 minutes.

  4. Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side up, partially cover, and gently reheat. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve at once with a dusting of parsley and chives.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

A favorite recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks (see below.)

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 6-8 ( This made way more  like 10 rich servings)

Topping:

4 slices white sandwich bread torn into quarters

2 T unsalted butter melted

Mac & Cheese:

salt

1 pound elbow macaroni

1 med garlic clove minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

6 T all purpose flour

1 3/4 cups low sodiem chicken broth

3 1/2 cups whole milk

16 ounces colby cheese shredded about 5 1/3 cups

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded about 2 2/3 cups

Ground black pepper

1. For the topping: Process the bread and butter in a food processoor fitted with a steel blade until coarsley ground, about 6 1 second pulses. Set aside.

2. For the Mac & Cheese: Adjust oven rack to middle and heat oven to 400. Boil 4 quarts water in a dutch oven over high heat,. Stir in 1 T salt and macaroni. Cook til al dente about 5 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander, set aside.

3. Wipe pot dry. Add butter and return to medium heat until melted. Add the garlic, mustard and cayenne pepper: cook until fragrent about 30 seconds. Add the flour nad cook, stirring constantly until golden brouwn about 1 minute. SLowly whish in chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook. whisking often, until large bubbles form on the surface and the mixture is slightly thickened about 5-8 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the cheeses gradually until completely melted. Season w/ salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and stir. Pour into a 9 X 13 baking dish or shallow casserole of similar size. Sprinkle with bread topping and bake until golden brown and bubbling around the edges. 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Planning ahead: Assemble casserole as directed in step 4 but do not sprinkle with bread topping or bake. Wrap dish tightly.- Refriderate for up to 3 days or freeze for 2 months.

Allow casserole to sit at room temp for 1 hour before baking. Wrap dish with foil and bake until casserole is moderately hot 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until 

bread crumbs are brown 25 minutes longer. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Skillet Lasagna

The first episode I ever did.  Still a favorite dish to make!

Skillet Lasagna 

I couldn’t find the mafalda pasta they use.  I did find something called lasagnette at Corti Brothers in Sacramento that worked perfectly.   I’ve also used broken regular lasagna noodles with great success as well.

Taken from Cook's Illustrated's Cover & Bake, p. 238

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, removed from it's casing (I usually can find this at my grocer uncased, and if you are ever in a pinch ground beef with Italian Seasoning tastes good)

1 medium onion, chopped medium

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped medium

2 medium garlic cloves minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp Ground black pepper

3 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained and reserve the juice, and add enough water to measure 2 1/2 cups

1/2 lb. mafalda pasta, broken into 2-inch lengths (I have yet to find this pasta, so I substitute lasagna noodles broken into 2-inch pieces or campanella which are curly pasta noodles)

4 ounces shredded mozzarella (about 1 1/3 cup)

8 ounces ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)

3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (I usually sprinkle dried basil over the top)

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sausage, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook until it loses its raw color bust has not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.

2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; cook until the bell pepper begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, and pasta; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the mozzarella, and sausage. Dot with heaping tablespoons of ricotta, cover and let stand off the heat for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with basil, then serve.