Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic (Barefoot Contessa)

Rated: 5 stars out of 285 Reviews
Cook Time

1 hr 5 min
*
Level

Intermediate
*
Yield

6 servings

Ingredients


* 3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
* 2 (3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
* 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Skirt Steak Tacos with Roasted Poblano Rajas

These are soooooo good and easy to make. Do yourself a favor and use corn tortillas. Stack a dozen in a steamer basket lined with a heavy kitchen towel. Steam the tortillas for 1 minute then turn the heat off and let the tortillas sit with the lid on for 15 minutes. Keep the basket over the hot water to keep the tortillas warm for 30-45 minutes.

For grilled beef tacos, skirt steak is a great choice. A simple marinade of lime juice, garlic and cumin enlivens a very beefy tasting cut that’s perfect with grilled chile strips.

Makes 12 tacos, serving 4 as a light meal

3 medium white onions, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (keep the rounds intact for easy grilling)

3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin, preferably freshly ground

Salt

1 pound skirt steak, trimmed of surface fat as well as the thin white membrane called “silver skin"

4 medium (about 9 ounces total) fresh poblano chiles

Vegetable or olive oil for brushing or spritzing the onions and meat

A small bowlful of lime wedges for serving

12 fresh, warm corn tortillas

1. Marinating the meat. In a food processor or blender, combine 1/4 of the onion, the garlic, lime juice, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process to a smooth puree. Using a spoon, smear the marinade over both sides of the skirt steak. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

2. Making the grilled chile-and-onion rajas. Turn the burner(s) in the center of the grill to medium-low. Now, lay the chiles on the hottest part of the grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until the skin is blistered and blackened uniformly all over, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to char the flesh, only the skin. Remove the chiles from the grill and place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Brush or spray the remaining onion slices with oil, and lay the whole rounds of onions on the grill in a cooler spot than you chose for the chiles. When they’re starting to soften and are browned, about 10 minutes, use a spatula to flip them and brown the other side. Transfer to an ovenproof serving dish and break the rings apart Rub the blackened skin off the outside of the chiles, then pull out the stems and seed pods. Rinse briefly to remove stray seeds and bits of skin. Slice into 1/4-inch strips and stir into the onions. Taste the mixture and season it with salt, usually about 1/4 teaspoon. Keep warm in the oven.

3. Grilling the meat. Remove the steak from the marinade and gently shake off the excess. Oil the steak well on both sides, and lay it over the hottest part of the grill. Grill, turning once, until richly browned and done to your liking, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side for medium-rare.

4. Serving the tacos. Cut the long piece of skirt steak into 3- to 4-inch sections, then cut each section into thin strips across the grain (that is, in line with the full length of the skirt steak). Mix with the chiles and onions, season with a little salt and set on the table, along with the lime wedges and hot tortillas, for your guests to make into soft tacos.


Working Ahead: Thin steaks like skirt, taste best with a shorter tour in the marinade–1 to 8 hours. Leave them longer and the marinade flavor overpowers and saps the rosy color of the meat. The poblano-and-onion rajas can be made several hours ahead and left at room temperature; rewarm before serving. The steak, of course, must be grilled when you’re ready to eat.

From Mexico–One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless (Scribner 2000).

Orange Vinaigrette (from the Four Seasons in Palm Beach, FL)

1 cup Orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Champagne or white wine vinegar
1 cup Salad Oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil (plain, not toasted)
Water to adjust thickness
S&P to taste

Blend orange juice, mustard and vinegar. Slowly drizzle in 2/3 salad oil to emulsify. Check seasoning and if needed add more mustard, vinegar, and add salt and pepper. Add sesame oil and re-check seasoning.

The chef served this drizzled over red snapper which was garnished with a fruit salad (mango, pineapple, papaya, etc.) This is also great to dress some simple greens as a side dish, on over a fruit salad, or brushed/drizzled over grilled chicken or fish.

Fast Chinese Butter Chicken

6-8 chicken thighs (skinless and boneless)
1 tablespoon grated ginger or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 large clove of garlic grated or minced or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar (lightly packed0
1/8 teaspoon sambal (garlic chili paste)
few dashes of dark sesame oil
1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup)
a few green onions sliced thinly on the bias

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place chicken thighs in a 9X13 baking dish. Mix soy, garlic, ginger, sambal, and sesame oil in a cup or small bowl. Evenly distribute the brown sugar over chicken, pour sauce over the top, and place a pat of butter on each chicken thigh. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until the centers reach 165 degrees.

Sprinkle the dish with the chopped green onions and serve with rice and your favorite vegetable. The sauce is really good over broccoli.

(Adapted from Carolyn's Chicken in the Jackson family Cookbook)

Basic Baked Fish

Salmon:
1 (2-pound) center-cut, skin-on, salmon fillet (steelhead works beautifully too)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh dill, for garnish


Place the salmon on a large baking sheet skin-side down. Drizzle salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes until flaky. OR You may cook 1 lb. for 17 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

This recipe renders the fat so the fish melts in your mouth. The skin easily comes off when you transfer the fish using a spatula or chefs knife.

Easy Lemony Hollandaise

Lemony Hollandaise:

*3 egg yolks
1/2 lemon, zested
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
3 tablespoons water
Pinch cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

Put the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, water, salt and pepper, to taste, into a blender. Blend together and then slowly start pouring in the melted butter with the blender running. Stop the blender when all the butter has been incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Thin the hollandaise with a little water, if it is too thick.

Tyler Florence

Carrot Graham or Bran Muffins

The flavor and texture of these muffins are unsurpassed. I love the full flavor of whole wheat and graham flour plus complex flavor of the molasses. These are outrageously healthy and great for getting some good nutrition (and fiber) into any child or adult for that matter. Our Stella loves them (without nuts of course).

3 medium carrots (processed in a food processor until minced finely)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups graham flour or oat bran
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

Pulse the flours, salt, and soda together in a food processor. Remove, fold in carrots, and set aside. Add eggs and oil to processor and blend for 3-5 seconds. Combine milk, vinegar, molasses, vanilla and honey. Add liquid to egg mixture and blend. Add the nuts to the dry ingredients and add all of the dry mixture. Pulse just until blended. Do not over mix.

Spray muffin tin with vegetable spray and fill 2/3 full. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack.

Parsley Butter for Weeknight Meals

This is a seriously easy and tasty way to make many weeknight dinners in a flash. Make this butter and keep it on hand in the freezer. Some ideas are:

- Place butter under the skin of chicken breasts or a whole chicken and roast for dinner or a flavorful staple you can use for many meals during the week.

- finish a grilled steak with a pat of butter. Yummy!

- Rub it on a pork tenderloin and roast.

- Toss with pasta, lemon juice, chicken or shrimp, and parmesan.

- Add it to rice before you cook it. Toss with potatoes or stir into mashed potatoes

- Saute shrimp with salt, pepper, and olive oil and top with a knob of butter for a quick sauce. (add some white wine, soy sauce, or even hot chili paste to mix things up)Delish!)

Parsley Butter:

* 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature or softened
* 1 cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
* 1 lemon, juiced
zest from 1/2 of the lemon
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Process in a food processor, scoop butter out onto parchment or plastic wrap and shape into a log. Place in the refrigerator or freezer until set. Slice off slabs as you need them. ***If you use salted butter remember to leave out the 1/2 t. salt.*** Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Bars

These are so incredibly delicious and so easy to make. They taste like peanut butter cups but as they are homemade they are so much better.

Filling:
3/4 cups butter (melted)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve)
1 1/4 cups crunchy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar

Topping:
4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups high quality chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)

Melt butter in microwave in a small bowl. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until they become crumbs. Add melted butter, chunky peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Pulse until combined and mixed well. Spread into a 9X13 pan. Rap on the counter to settle the filling.

Melt chocolate with creamy peanut butter for 30 seconds in the microwave. Stir and repeat until ALMOST completely melted. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. I did mine for a total of 90 seconds. Stir until residual heat melts remaining chocolate. Add vanilla and stir. Using an off-set spatula spread chocolate/peanut butter on top of filling.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes and then cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Refrigerate for another 30-45 minutes or until set. Enjoy!

Creamy Coleslaw

* 1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
* 2 large carrots, finely shredded (or 1 bag pre cut coleslaw)
* 3/4 cup best-quality mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons sour cream
* 1 tablespoon grated onion, or to taste (make sure it is a mild onion)
* 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
* 2 tablespoons white vinegar
* 1 tablespoon dry mustard
* 2 teaspoons celery salt
* Salt and freshly ground pepper


Directions

Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.
Bobby Flay revised by Charity