Chicken Liver Pâté Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1/3 cup minced shallot
• 1 pound chicken livers
• Salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp capers
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup cream

Method

1 Trim any fat or connective tissue from the livers and discard.

2 Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat and let the butter brown, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let it burn.

3 Add the shallots and sauté for 1 minute. Add the livers. Be sure to space them well in the pan so they can brown more easily. Sprinkle salt over the livers. Flip the livers when one side browns, about 2 minutes. Once the livers have browned, add the capers, thyme, garlic, and anchovy paste if using, and sauté another minute.

4 Take the pan off the heat and add the brandy. (Be careful when you return it to the heat, as it could flame up, especially if you are using a gas range. If it does, cover the pan for a moment.) Turn the heat to high and boil down the brandy to the consistency of syrup, about 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool.

5 Put the mixture into a food processor or blender and pulse a few times to combine. Add the remaining butter and the cream and purée. The mixture will look a little loose, but it will firm up in the fridge. Pack the pâté into ramekins or a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.

The pâté will last a week or so in the fridge. If you want to preserve it for up to a month, pour a little melted lard or clarified putter on top to seal. Each time you dip into the pâté, you will need to reseal the top to preserve it.

Serve spread on crackers or baguette slices.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_liver_pate/#ixzz3aV78T4ht

Chicken Gumbo with Andouille Sausage Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/3 pound bacon, diced
• 2-3 pounds chicken thighs, skin on
• Salt
• 1-2 pounds andouille sausage
• 1/2 cup peanut or other vegetable oil
• 1 cup flour
• 2 green peppers, diced
• 4 celery stalks, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 quart water
• 1/2 to 1 pound okra, sliced into discs
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cajun spice mix

• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 2 Tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano

Method

1 Cook the diced bacon until crispy in a large stew pot set over medium heat. Remove the bacon and set aside; you'll add it back in when you serve your gumbo.

2 Once the bacon is cooked, set the chicken thighs skin side down in the bacon fat to crisp. Salt the meat side, which will be facing up in the pot. Cook the chicken, without moving, for at least 4-5 minutes before trying to turn the chicken over. Brown the other side of the chicken thighs. Incidentally, you start with skin side down to render some fat, which you will need for the roux.

3 Remove the browned chicken thighs and set aside. Brown the sausages in the fat, remove and set aside.

4 If you want, measure how much fat is in the pot; it should be about 1/2 cup. Or, do what I do and add 1/2 cup peanut oil to the pot. Let this heat up a minute or two, then stir in 1 cup flour. Stir this almost constantly for the first few minutes, then every couple minutes or so thereafter. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook this roux until it turns dark. How dark? I like my roux the color of coffee with just a tiny bit of cream. You can go all the way to chocolate brown, but be careful! If you burn your roux you will need to start over and make it again. This whole process can take 30 minutes.

5 While you are stirring and cooking the roux, bring the chicken stock and water to a boil in a separate pot.

6 Add to the roux the onion, green pepper and celery and mix well. Let this cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir again and cook for another 2 minutes. Mix in the tomato paste.

7 Using a large ladle, add the hot chicken stock to the gumbo. It will sizzle and seize up as the roux absorbs the liquid. Keep adding more stock, stirring all the time and scraping the bottom of the pot, to incorporate all the stock and all the roux. You might not need all 2 quarts, but add enough to make the gumbo slightly more watery than you want it to be at the end — remember you are going to cook this down for several hours. Stir in half the Cajun spice mix, taste the gumbo, and add more if you want.

8 Lower the heat to medium-low and add back the chicken thighs. Now you can either eat the skin while it's still crispy, or toss it into the gumbo and chop it fine later. I tend to do half-and-half. Simmer this gently, stirring from time to time, until the meat wants to fall off the bones of the chicken, about 90 minutes. Remove the chicken and let it cool a bit.

9 While the chicken is cooling, cut the andouille sausage into thick discs and drop them in the gumbo. Add the okra. Pick the chicken meat from the bones and chop it roughly. Add it back to the gumbo. At this point you can cook the gumbo for another hour, or up to several more hours, depending on how cooked down you want the final stew to be.

10 When you are ready to eat, add the green onions, parsley and bacon and stir well. Serve over rice, or with good French bread.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_gumbo_with_andouille_sausage/#ixzz3aV6xa9Z5

Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

• 12-16 ounces dried short pasta (bowties, penne, gemelli, etc)
• 4 chicken breast cutlets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total)
• Salt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped, about 1 cup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine or stock
• 8-16 ounces of fresh spinach*, washed, long stems removed and chopped
• Black pepper
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/4 cup (or more) pesto

*To wash spinach, fill up a clean sink basin with cold water and let the spinach soak in the water. Move it around a bit to loosen any dirt. Fresh spinach is usually pretty dirty, so you may need to do a couple of soakings. Remove the spinach and shake off excess water. Lay the spinach leaves down on a clean towel and pat dry.

Method

1 Bring a large pot of salted water (add enough salt so that the water tastes salty) to a boil. Add the dried pasta and cook until al dente.

2 While preparing the pasta, cook the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and brown the chicken breasts on both sides over medium-high heat. They don't need to be cooked all the way through, just browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

3 Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the onions cook, slice the chicken into strips. Put any pieces that are cooked all the way through in one pile, and put the ones that still need a little cooking in another pile.

4 When the onions are just beginning to brown, add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the white wine or stock and boil vigorously until the liquid is reduced by half.

5 Add the spinach and the undercooked pieces of chicken to the pan. Using tongs, turn them over to coat them with the juices in the pan. Continue to cook, turning and stirring often, until the spinach is wilted and the chicken cooked through, about 2 minutes.

6 Turn off the heat and add some black pepper, the pile of cooked chicken pieces and the pesto. Stir to combine. Drain the pasta put it in a large bowl. Add the cream to the saute pan and stir well to combine. Add the contents of the pan to the bowl with the pasta and mix well. Serve at once.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_florentine_pesto_pasta/#ixzz3aV6j9zNW

Chicken Fajitas Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Salt
• 2 Tbsp canola, safflower, peanut or grapeseed oil (a high smoke point oil)
• 1 large onion, sliced lengthwise (root to tip) into 1/4-inch strips
• 3 bell peppers of various colors, sliced into 1/4-inch strips

Marinade

• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Extras

• 8-12 flour tortillas
• Salsa
• Sliced avocado
• Sour cream
• Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed lightly with salt and cider vinegar

Method

 
 

1 Chicken breasts come in different sizes. If you have chicken breasts that are around a half pound each or more, you will want to slice them in half horizontally, so that the center thickness is around 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. (We do not recommend pounding the chicken breasts, doing so will not result in the right texture/consistency for fajitas.)

 

2 Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a glass or plastic container. Add the chicken, mix well, cover and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. (You can marinate them in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours, but remove them an hour before cooking so that they can come closer to room temp.)

 

3 Remove the chicken from the marinade. Wipe off most of the marinade and sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt.

 

4 Heat a large cast iron frying pan on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of canola oil (or other high smoke point oil) to the pan. As soon as the oil begins to smoke, lay the chicken breast pieces in the pan. Depending on the size of the pan, and if you have had to cut the chicken breasts, you may have to work in batches. Let the chicken cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, until you have a good sear. Once seared well on one side, turn the pieces over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until well seared on the second side.

 

5 Once seared on the second side, remove to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 5 minutes. Here's a tip. Stack the seared chicken breasts and then cover them in foil. Together they will retain heat better as you cook the peppers and onions. If you want to test for doneness, cut into one piece with the tip of a sharp knife. It should be just done, if not, you can put it back in the hot pan for a minute or two.

 

6 While the chicken is resting, cook the onions and peppers. Add another tablespoon of oil to the frying pan. Heat on high. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers to the pan. Use a metal spatula to scrape up some of the browned bits from the chicken and stir to coat the onions and peppers with the oil and brown bits. Spread the onions and peppers in an even layer in the pan. Let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. You want them to sear with some blackening. Stir the vegetables and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

7 Slice the chicken against the grain into strips. Serve at once with the peppers and onions, some warm tortillas, and sides of shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, and/or thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed with vinegar and salt.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_fajitas/#ixzz3aV6WKivl

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skins removed (about 1 3/4 lbs)
• 1 1/2 lbs tomatillos, papery husks removed, rinsed
• 4 serrano chile peppers, top cut off to expose interior and to remove stems
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 of a whole white or yellow onion
• Salt
• 1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped, stems included
• High smoke point cooking oil such as canola oil, peanut oil or grapeseed oil
• 12 corn tortillas
• 3 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 cup crumbled Mexican Cotija or Queso Fresco cheese

Method

1 Put chicken thighs in a medium sized saucepan and just cover with water. Add one clove of garlic that has been cut in half, 1/4 of an onion, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove chicken thighs to a separate bowl and let cool enough to touch.

 

2 While the chicken is cooking, put the tomatillos and 3 serrano chile peppers in a separate sauce pan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the tomatillos are cooked, and have changed color, but are not mushy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer tomatillos and serranos to a blender. Add 1/2 cup of the tomatillo cooking liquid to the blender, as well as 2 cloves of garlic, a third a cup of your chopped onion, and about 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro (packed). (Remaining chopped onion and cilantro will be used for garnish.) Add one teaspoon of salt. Purée until completely blended, 15 to 30 seconds. Taste for heat. If not spicy enough add another chile pepper (doesn't have to be cooked). Note that sour cream will eventually be added to the sauce which will cool down a lot of the spiciness. Add more salt to taste if necessary. Pour sauce into a skillet, bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes. Then remove from heat.

3 Remove the cooked chicken meat from the bones. Shred the meat with a fork or knife. Put the chicken in a bowl and add 1/3 to a 1/2 cup of the tomatillo sauce to the chicken. Taste the chicken; if it needs salt, add a little.

4 Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Add a tortilla to the pan and use a metal spatula to flip it to the other side. Place another tortilla on top of this one (to soak up the excess oil) and flip again. When the tortillas are heated through, remove them to a plate lined with paper towel. Add a little more oil to the pan, and add another couple tortillas. Continue to heat through and soften all of the tortillas. Note that if you are using just made homemade tortillas you can skip this step because the tortillas are already hot, softened, and ready to eat.

 

4 Warm the oven to 200°F. Dip a tortilla in the salsa verde tomatillo sauce and place it on an oven-proof serving dish. Scoop a spoonful of chicken into the center of the tortilla and roll up the tortilla. Place on the serving dish and repeat with all of the tortillas. Put into the warm oven to keep the enchiladas warm while you finish the sauce.

5 Heat the salsa verde sauce again until simmering, then remove from heat. Stir in the sour cream until well blended. Remove the warming enchiladas from the oven and pour salsa verde sauce over all of them. Top with chopped onion, cheese, and cilantro.

Serve immediately. Serve with extra garnishes of onion, cheese, and cilantro on the side.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_enchiladas_verdes/#ixzz3aV6JuGR5

Chicken Drumsticks, Ethiopian Style Recipe

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds chicken legs, thighs or wings
• 2 Tbsp peanut oil, or melted butter (or ghee)
• Salt
• Lemons or limes for serving

Spice Mix:

• 2 Tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 Tbsp hot paprika, or 1-2 teaspoons cayenne
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Method

1 Preheat oven to 325°. Coat the drumsticks in the peanut oil or melted butter, then sprinkle with salt.

2 Mix all the spices together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, mix half of the spice mix with the chicken, then arrange the drumsticks in a casserole dish lined with enough foil to make a package; you will be cooking these legs covered for most of the time.

3 Sprinkle more of the spice mix over the drumsticks. You can use all of the spice mix, or stop whenever you want. The more mix, the spicier the chicken. Fold over the foil to seal up the drumsticks and bake for 90 minutes.

4 At 90 minutes, open up the foil packet to let the chicken continue to cook uncovered. Continue cooking for at least another 15 minutes, and as long as you like. I like the meat to almost fall off the bone on my drumsticks, so I cook uncovered for another 30-45 minutes.

5 To serve, baste with a little of the sauce that forms at the bottom of the pan, and use the rest to flavor some rice or flatbread. Squeeze some lemon or lime juice over the chicken right before you serve it. A green salad is a good side dish, too.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_drumsticks_ethiopian_style/#ixzz3aV69sn6c

Chicken Cutlets with Caper Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 chicken breast halves, pounded very thin, and then cut in half, so that you have 4 thin cutlets
• Salt
• 1 large shallot, minced, about 2 Tbsp
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp capers, drained
• 2-3 cups arugula, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 fennel bulb, shaved thin
• 16-24 paper thin shavings of parmesan cheese

Method

1 Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a stick-free sauté pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking, about 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle salt over the pounded chicken breasts and sear them for 2-3 minutes per side in the hot pan, working in batches so that you do not crowd the pan. Remove the chicken breasts and cover with foil to keep them warm.

2 Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the shallots and cook 1 minute, stirring often. Do not let them burn, and if they begin to brown rapidly, turn the heat down. Add the garlic and cook another 45 seconds to 1 minute, stirring often.

3 Add the white wine and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the capers and red pepper flakes and boil until the wine is almost gone, about 2-4 minutes.

4 To serve, mix the arugula and shaved fennel and put some on each plate. Arrange some shaved parmesan over them. Lay a piece of chicken on each salad, then top with a little of the sauce. Serve hot.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_cutlets_with_caper_sauce/#ixzz3aV5xiEG4