Good morning, GUSsnowbunnies! Welp, seems like my county which is covered by NOAA's Albany office is the only one hereabouts that is still under a blizzard warning. As per usual, Frontier sucks and things are very slow and sticky. I'll grab the buddy list from one of you sane folks who have it updated.
I'm still on my old computer because I'm having software blocking issues on the new one -- I frigging hate McAfee. I can't seem to get rid of it even after deleting all the software -- something is hidden. I have tried to download Kaspersky and McAfee keeps blocking it with a crap warning block and then other crap comes up and I'm supposed to download that for updates -- and that frigging Java thing that I was told gums up the works. I need a 12 year old to put on some skis and come here to fix things.
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from America's Test Kitchen. A perfect meal for a blizzardy day if I only had a chicken!
Best Chicken Stew
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
In working to make a chicken stew that could satisfy like its beef brethren, we looked to two different chicken parts: We seared well-exercised wings to provide rich chicken flavor and plenty of thickening gelatin, and then we gently simmered bite-size pieces of boneless chicken thighs for tender bites throughout the stew. To boost meatiness, we used a combination of bacon, soy sauce, and anchovy paste. Finally we took full advantage of the concentrating effect of reduction by cooking down wine, broth, and aromatics at the start and simmering the stew uncovered during its stay in the oven.
Mashed anchovy fillets (rinsed and dried before mashing) can be used instead of anchovy paste. Use small red potatoes measuring 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved crosswise and trimmed
Kosher salt and pepper
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 pound chicken wings, halved at joint
1 onion, chopped fine
1 celery rib, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine, plus extra for seasoning
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Arrange chicken thighs on baking sheet and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper; cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
2. Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and bacon browns, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to medium bowl. Add chicken wings to pot, increase heat to medium, and cook until well browned on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes; transfer wings to bowl with bacon.
3. Add onion, celery, garlic, anchovy paste, and thyme to fat in pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until dark fond forms on pan bottom, 2 to 4 minutes. Increase heat to high; stir in 1 cup broth, wine, and soy sauce, scraping up any browned bits; and bring to boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and vegetables begin to sizzle again, 12 to 15 minutes. Add butter and stir to melt; sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in remaining 4 cups broth until smooth. Stir in wings and bacon, potatoes, and carrots; bring to simmer. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.
4. Remove pot from oven. Use wooden spoon to draw gravy up sides of pot and scrape browned fond into stew. Place over high heat, add thighs, and bring to simmer. Return pot to oven, uncovered, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken offers no resistance when poked with fork and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes longer. (Stew can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
5. Discard wings and season stew with up to 2 tablespoons extra wine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
TECHNIQUE
BUILDING A RICH, FLAVORFUL GRAVY
START WITH BACON AND WINGS: Brown chopped bacon, then sear halved wings in rendered fat to develop meaty depth. Set bacon and wings aside.
ENHANCE FLAVOR BASE: Sauté aromatics, thyme, and anchovy paste in fat to create rich fond. Add chicken broth, wine, and soy sauce, then boil until liquid evaporates.
COOK GRAVY: Cook reserved bacon and wings (with potatoes and carrots) in more broth. This extracts flavor from meats and body-enhancing collagen from wings (later discarded).
TECHNIQUE
THIS IS FOND, TOO
We often use liquid to release the browned bits, or fond, that remain on the bottom of the pan after meat has been sautéed or pan-seared; this enables us to easily stir the fond into the dish. These bits are packed with the complex flavors that are created by the Maillard reaction and can greatly enhance the flavor of a braise or a sauce. We found that leaving the lid off our chicken stew as it cooked in the oven led to the development of fond on the sides of the Dutch oven as well. To take advantage of this flavor-packed substance, we deglazed the sides by wetting them with a bit of gravy and scraping it into the stew with a spatula. The result? A considerable flavor boost.
SCRAPE THE DARK RING INTO THE STEW
from
America's Test Kitchen
Rice and Lentils with Crispy Onions (Mujaddara)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Mujaddara, the rice and beans of the Middle East, is a hearty one-dish vegetarian rice and lentil pilaf containing large brown or green lentils and crispy fried onion strings. For the pilaf, we found that precooking the lentils and soaking the rice in hot water before combining them ensured that both components cooked evenly. We pare down the typically fussy process of batch-frying onions in several cups of oil to a single batch of onions fried in just 1 1/2 cups of oil. The trick: removing a good bit of the onions’ water before frying by tossing them with salt, microwaving them for 5 minutes, and drying them thoroughly.
Do not substitute smaller French lentils for the green or brown lentils. When preparing the Crispy Onions, be sure to reserve 3 tablespoons of the onion cooking oil for cooking the rice and lentils. Huge h/t to CroneWit who discovered the recipe for these onions is not included. They utilized a video and here's the link to the Crispy Onions! (I hope)
Ok, here's the recipe I got from the video:
Crispy Onions
2 lbs yellow onions sliced into 1/4 inch slices (cut onion in half first)
Toss onions with 2 tsp. salt to get out moisture
Put onions in microwave for 5 minutes to get more moisture out -- she didn't appear to drain first but I would.
Give a quick rinse in colander to get salt off.
Pat onions dry with paper towels or kitchen towel.
Put onions in a dutch oven or heavy pan with 1 1/2 cups of cold vegetable oil.
Turn on the heat and fry for about 1/2 hour. This way the onions will fry beautifully on the outside but also cook to tender on the inside.
Remove the onions from heat, place in colander over a bowl to capture the oil. Put onions on Paper towel to remove excess oil.
The video shows the entire recipe prep and is helpful with prep and stages of cooking. It really is a brilliant video because it provides many tips that are easier to understand watching.
INGREDIENTS
YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
RICE AND LENTILS
8 1/2 ounces (1 1/4 cups) green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 cups basmati rice
1 recipe Crispy Onions, plus 3 tablespoons reserved oil (see related content)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS
1. FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Refrigerate while preparing rice and lentils.
2. FOR THE RICE AND LENTILS: Bring lentils, 4 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook until lentils are tender, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain and set aside. While lentils cook, place rice in medium bowl and cover by 2 inches with hot tap water; let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Using your hands, gently swish rice grains to release excess starch. Carefully pour off water, leaving rice in bowl. Add cold tap water to rice and pour off water. Repeat adding and pouring off cold tap water 4 to 5 times, until water runs almost clear. Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer.
4. Heat reserved onion oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne in Dutch oven over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges of rice begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups water, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Stir in lentils, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes.
5. Off heat, remove lid, fold dish towel in half, and place over pot; replace lid. Let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff rice and lentils with fork and stir in cilantro and half of crispy onions. Transfer to serving platter, top with remaining crispy onions, and serve, passing yogurt sauce separately.
TECHNIQUE
French Lentils? Non Merci.
Many lentil dishes benefit from the firm, distinct texture of the French variety known as lentilles du Puy. But in this dish, the softer (but still intact) texture of green or brown lentils is best because it pairs well with the tender grains of rice. A bonus: Green and brown lentils are also easier to find and cheaper than the French kind.
FIRM AND DISTINCT: Save small, firm French lentils for soups and salads.
from America's Test Kitchen
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
British scones are not as sweet or as rich as American scones, and that makes them more suitable for serving with butter and jam. To make the lightest, fluffiest scones, we added more than the usual amount of leavening: 2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of flour. Rather than leaving pieces of cold butter in the dry ingredients as we do for flaky biscuits, we thoroughly worked in softened butter until it was fully integrated. This protected some of the flour granules from moisture, which in turn limited gluten development and kept the crumb tender and cakey. We add currants for tiny bursts of fruit flavor and brush some reserved milk and egg on top for enhanced browning.
Makes 12 scones
We prefer whole milk in this recipe, but low-fat milk can be used. The dough will be quite soft and wet; dust your work surface and your hands liberally with flour. For a tall, even rise, use a sharp-edged biscuit cutter and push straight down; do not twist the cutter. These scones are best served fresh, but leftover scones may be stored in the freezer and reheated in a 300-degree oven for 15 minutes before serving. Serve these scones with jam as well as salted butter or clotted cream.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened
3/4 cup dried currants
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated and mixture looks like very fine crumbs with no visible butter, about 20 pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in currants.
2. Whisk milk and eggs together in second bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons milk mixture. Add remaining milk mixture to flour mixture and, using rubber spatula, fold together until almost no dry bits of flour remain.
3. Transfer dough to well-floured counter and gather into ball. With floured hands, knead until surface is smooth and free of cracks, 25 to 30 times. Press gently to form disk. Using floured rolling pin, roll disk into 9-inch round, about 1 inch thick. Using floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter, stamp out 8 rounds, recoating cutter with flour if it begins to stick. Arrange scones on prepared sheet. Gather dough scraps, form into ball, and knead gently until surface is smooth. Roll dough to 1-inch thickness and stamp out 4 rounds. Discard remaining dough.
4. Brush tops of scones with reserved milk mixture. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake scones until risen and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve scones warm or at room temperature.
TECHNIQUE
A TALE OF TWO SCONES
While rich, dense American scones are no-holds-barred, cakelike British scones show restraint.
THE AMERICAN
The American
BUTTER: 1 1/2 cups, chilled
LEAVENER: 1 tablespoon of baking powder
ADD-INS: The more the better
TOPPING: Egg wash and lots of coarse sugar
THE BRIT
The Brit
BUTTER: 1/2 cup, softened
LEAVENER: 2 tablespoons of baking powder
ADD-INS: A smattering of currants
TOPPING: Light milk-and-egg wash
TECHNIQUE
WHEN A SECOND ROLL DOESN’T PRODUCE SECOND-BEST
For many baked goods that require rolling out the dough (biscuits, pie dough), rerolling scraps produces a tougher, more squat result. This is because just as with kneading, the action of rolling creates a stronger, tighter gluten network—and too much gluten can negatively influence texture and rise. But our British-style scones offer more leeway. The butter is worked into the flour so thoroughly that it prevents many of the proteins from ever linking up to form gluten in the first place. Far from being a hazard, rerolling the second batch of dough merely encourages a little more of the proteins to link together, leading to a bit more structure and more lift in the oven.
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