Smokey Chicken Stoup

My Smokey Chicken Stoup

The days have been cooling, the fog in San Francisco has returned, and the drizzle is heavy many nights. My body seems to have an inner culinary alarm clock, ringing in my mind that it is time for nice hot pot of stoup (thick soup). Follow me on last night's Smokey Chicken Stoup. You and your family will love the aromas as it simmers, your tummies will thank you and your family will crave it at least once per winter month!

Let's get to it, shall we?

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts, cubed

1 32oz box Chicken Stock

1 large yellow or white onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped

fresh sage, thyme, oregano and rosemary 

(or dried)

1 can beer (I used Japanese beer)

1 cup rice (I used pre-cooked white rice)

1 package smoked thick cut bacon

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

Smoked Sweet Paprika

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon Herbs De Provence

1 rounded tablespoon 

1 tablespoon Poultry seasoning

1 pinch saffron

1 pound baby Yukon potatoes, halved or quartered

Place a large pot on the stove top over high heat. Slice the bacon into one-inch squares and add them to to the pot immediately. Man, that smokey aroma is going to hit you like a ton of happy bricks. Turn the hood fan on because the smokey bacon aroma will overwhelm you in the best of ways. 😋

As the bacon renders its fat, add heaping tablespoon of Smoked Sweet Paprika and a sprig of rosemary.  Be ready for the next onslaught of aromas!

After about ten minutes, add the potatoes to the bacon and add a little more rosemary. Stir every two or three minutes to coat the potatoes with the bacon fat.  See,  Rosemary and Saffron are the stars of this dish!  After another ten minutes, as the potatoes have begun to get some color on them and absorb that delicious bacon and rosemary flavor, add the next set of ingredients.  

Add the chicken to the pot along with torn fresh sage and thyme, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Stir to coat everything with the bacon rendering. Mmmm! Add the red wine vinegar and stir vigorously to incorporate.  Divine!💚

Next, add the onion, celery and garlic. Stir to incorporate and try not to float when those aromas hit your senses!

Finally, add a good pinch of saffron.  Stir to incorporate all of these amazing herbs and spices. You'll be glad you did!  😁

Now add the entire can of beer (okay, take a swig!+) to the pot and stir to calm the fizz.  Keep the heat on high. Next, add the box of stock and stir every three or so minutes until the liquid begins to boil. Add the pre-cooked rice. Stirring keeps the chicken and potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Again, when the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium-low or low (depending on the settings on your stove top).  Stir about every five minutes for fifteen minutes, then let it simmer for one hour.  Then, set the heat to low after that first hour. You want to simmer low and slow so as not to turn the chicken to shoe leather. 

Add fresh thyme as a flavorful garnish when your serve.

Slice some hard bread to sop up the intensely flavorful soup liquid. The bread will practically melt. I used a lovely Sourdough loaf Perfect.  Last night and the night before were foggy and chilly, and it was the perfect, balanced meal on those chilly nights.  

As always, I am grateful for your visit.  Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love! ❤

~Martin

In-House Cook

Foley says Go Start Cooking for your loved ones and friends!

 

 

Chicken Milanese and Garlic Cheesy Potato Stacks

 

Chicken Milanese and Garlic Cheesy Potato Stacks

It is no secret that I have been craving fried chicken these days. 😁  I blogged "gently fried chicken" earlier today and now I am blogging another fried chicken dinner that I love even more: Chicken Milanese, a beloved Italian dish that has been around for well over one hundred years. The early preparation being known as "cotoletta alla milanese", is very similar to the Austrian/German Schnitzel. Along with the milanese, I made what I call potato stacks. I will describe that and a recycled potato side dish later on.  This is such a fantastic meal.  Let's get to it, shall we?

Ingredients

2 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts (one per person) 

1 cup flour

3 eggs

1 rounded teaspoon salt and black pepper

1 rounded tablespoon dry Italian seasoning+

1 teaspoon (and some extra) dry oregano, rosemary, thyme and sage+ more for the potato stacks

1 cup vegetable oil, or grape seed oil or canola oil

Ingredients for Potato Stacks

1 large russet potato (to make four, two per person)

4 slices of Provolone or mozzarella

2 tablespoon granulated garlic

pinch salt and black pepper per potato stack

+ extra dry Italian seasonings

cooking spray (such as PAM)

To start, preheat the oven to 375-degrees. Next, create and set up a dredging station for the chicken.  In addition, prepare a separate cutting board for the chicken breasts.  For your dredging station, add the flour to a dish, and stir in the seasonings, including the salt and pepper.  Crack the eggs in a separate dish, break the yolks and briskly stir the egg whites and yolks together with a pinch of salt and pepper.  

On the other cutting board, lay out the chicken breasts.  Using a sharp chef's or culinary knife, starting on the thinner side, slice the chicken about three-fourths of the way and open it up like a book. Repeat with the second chicken breast, and more if you are feeding a few people.  Place some plastic wrap (such as cling wrap) over the chicken breasts. Now take a meat mallet or medium sized skillet and pound the chicken breasts into fairly flat uniform shapes. Now, add the oil to a large skillet over high heat.  

Steps for the Dredging Station

1. Place the chicken in the flour dish and thoroughly coat the flattened breasts with the seasoned flour. 

   2.  Place the floured breasts in the egg                                wash,completely coating them with the wash. 

   3.  Place each breast back into the flour and again, fully coat the breast with the seasoned flour. 

*******************************************

The oil should be rippling by this time, meaning it is ready to fry the chicken. Fry one breast at a time so as  not to crowd the skillet. Fry the chicken four minutes per side; that should suffice, but use a thermometer or cut it open slightly to make sure the thicker part is done. Place the finished chicken on a wire rack or, onto a plate covered with paper towels. 

Hold that thought for a couple of minutes!  😃

Let me start off by saying that the potatoes should actually be prepped first, as they take about 40 minutes to bake in the oven.  🍳🍳  That'd give you Plenty of time, then, to work on the chicken.  

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. 

Wash the russet potato thoroughly. This next step takes patience and a little skill.  You work it out however it suits you. 😊  You will want to have a standard muffin pan ready.  Spray four+ muffin bun pits that are easily accessible with cooking spray (not baking spray). Now, using a sharp culinary knife, trim the potato down all around until a circular potato round fits in the pit. Now slice the potato into thin discs, or, chips. You will want four or five discs per muffin pit, or, cup. Do NOT throw away the potato scraps!  Set them aside. Afterward, use a biscuit cutter or round ravioli stamp and make four or five cheese discs out of the cheese of your choice. I used a ravioli stamp which made the perfect size out of provolone. Before you begin to assemble the stacks, have some of the dried herbs (mentioned in the ingredients section, above) ready to use.  Place a disc at the bottom of each sprayed cup, or, pit.  Let's just call them a cup. Sprinkle a pinch of granulated garlic over the disc, then add a cheese disc.  By-the-way, do not throw out the cheese scraps!  Use them in the stacks!  Add dried herbs wherever you like throughout the construction of the stacks; the same applies to the granulated onion! When completed, sprinkle finely grated Parmesan on the top of each stack. Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. When done, remove the pan and use a knife and spoon (I used a knife only) to scoop the stacks out.  Plate immediately alongside the chicken, which should be done by now if you begin with the stacks first, as I belatedly mentioned. 

Now, on to the potato scraps.  There is hot oil in the skillet.  Take the potato peelings and scraps and fry them up!  This takes maybe 4 minutes, max, over high heat.  Season as you wish and the kids or guests can enjoy them, too!

Potato Scraps

Chicken Milanese with Garlic Cheesy Potato Stacks

As ALWAYS, Thank You for your visit, your time and consideration.  I am so grateful for your time. ❤✌❤

Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!  If you make any recipe in this blog, drop me a line (Facebook, IG, X (Twitter) or TikTok) and say hello!  I'd be grateful!

~Martin

In-House Cook

Gently Fried Chicken with Herb Crusted Potatoes

 

Gently Fried Chicken with Herb Crusted Potatoes

There are times when you crave something so much but you just cannot take the time to go out to eat.  I think I have the answer right here.  Everyone who knows me KNOWS I ❤❤❤ Fried Chicken.  When I lived in Virginia for eight months recently, while I did not frequent fried chicken joints, when I did, I was gloriously happy.  They KNOW how to make fried chicken Right in the South!  Ok, my ted talk is over.  Let's get to my "Gently" fried chicken.  I call it that because it is not deep fried and not baked. I use the good old dredging station - much like milanese - but with good old southern spices, and I fry the boneless/skinless thighs a bit gently until it just turns golden.  

Ingredients

1 package of 4 large or 6 medium-sized boneless and skinless chicken thighs

1 cup flour

1+1 teaspoons salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon smoked Paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano+, and 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon granulated onion

1 tablespoon Old Bay spice

 3 eggs

1 cup of vegetable, canola or grape seed oil

Add the cup of flour to a dish with an elevated rim, along with the spices. In another dish, add the three eggs and use a spoon to break the yolks and vigorously stir to mix the yolks with the egg whites. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the eggs. Add the oil to a skillet over high heat.  As the oil heats up, place two or three boneless-skinless chicken thighs to the flour. Coat the chicken well with the flour, then, add them to the egg wash.  Coat all sides well and then, repeat step one, back to the flour. 

Step 1. Coat the chicken well with seasoned flour.

Step 2. Coat the chicken with egg wash. 

Step 3.  Coat the chicken with the flour Again. 

When the oil begins to ripple, that means the oil is ready for frying.  Add the first chicken thighs to the oil. It should begin sizzling at once.  Repeat the steps again until all of the chicken has been prepped for frying. 

Fry the chicken gently, meaning, do not let it burn; you want a lightly golden color.  The thighs will cook very quickly, about three minutes per side. The spice's aroma will make your senses seriously happy. Trust me. When finished frying, place the chicken on a wire rack or, on a dish covered with paper towels. 

Meanwhile, since there is seasoned flour and hot oil in the skillet remaining, I dust the potatoes (I sliced baby Yukon golds into discs for this) with the flour and place them in the skillet.  This entire meal will be a bit crispy!  I love that!  Don't you?

I love crispy potatoes!

Plate simply, garnish with your favorite herb, add a green vegetable or corn to the dish, and enjoy!  Stay tuned for another fry up dish in my next blog post coming soon! 

Thank You for your time and consideration, and as always, I am grateful for your visit!  Now, you know what's coming, Go Cook For Someone You Love❤

~ Martin

In-House Cook