Curried Maple-Mustard Chicken Breasts

I'm a picky eater, an curry freaks me out. The title of this recipe freaks me out, actually.

But shit damn, is this delicious.

I may change my ways.

(Adapted from Molly Chester)
Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2. 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3. 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
4. 1 tablespoon mild or hot curry powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
6. 1/2 c. dark beer or beef broth
7. Kosher salt
8. Pepper
9. Four 12-ounce, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a 9-by-13-inch ceramic baking dish, combine the butter with the maple syrup, mustard, curry powder, beer, and cayenne. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the butter is melted. Whisk in a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and let cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the baking dish and turn to coat with the sauce. Carefully spoon some 
of the sauce over the chicken. 
3. Bake for about 40 minutes, basting occasionally, until the chicken is glazed and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165°. Transfer the chicken to a work surface and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Slice the chicken and transfer to plates. Whisk the pan sauce and spoon over the chicken. 
5. Serve with rice, passing additional sauce at the table.

Grilled Chicken and Corn with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing

(Adapted from Dan Kluger)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

JALAPEÑO-LIME DRESSING

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced jalapeños (with seeds)
• 1 1/4 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

SALAD

• 4 ears of corn
• 2 bunches scallions, halved
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Four 6-ounce boneless, skin-on chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, chopped
• 1 pint Sun Gold tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil
• Chopped chives and finely grated lime zest, for garnish

Directions:

MAKE THE DRESSING 

1. In a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients.

MAKE THE SALAD 

1. Light a grill. Remove all but the last layer of green husk from the corn. In a bowl, soak the corn in water for 10 minutes, then drain.
2. In a bowl, toss the scallions with 2 tablespoons of the oil; season with salt and pepper.
3. In another bowl, coat the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the rosemary; season with salt and pepper.
4. Grill the corn, scallions and chicken over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until the corn and scallions are lightly charred and the chicken is cooked through, 5 minutes for the scallions and 15 minutes for the corn and chicken.
5. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then thinly slice across the grain.
6. Chop the scallions into 1-inch pieces.
7. Remove the husks and cut the corn kernels off of the cobs.
8. Transfer the scallions and corn to a large bowl; add the tomatoes, basil and half of the dressing and toss.
9. Transfer the salad to a platter. Top with the chicken and garnish with chives and lime zest. Serve the remaining dressing at the table.

Vietnamese Chicken Sandwiches

(Adapted from Marcia Kiesel)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, plus more for spreading
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 cup pickled cocktail onions, halved, plus 1/4 cup of the pickling liquid from the jar
• One 10-ounce baguette, split lengthwise and toasted, or four mini baguettes or rolls
• Sriracha or other hot sauce, for spreading
• 1 Kirby cucumber, very thinly sliced lengthwise
• Cilantro sprigs

Directions:

1. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and the shallot. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix the carrots with the pickled onions and their liquid and let stand for 1 hour.   
   
3. Heat a grill pan. Grill the chicken and shallot slices over high heat until charred and the chicken is just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

1. Spread mayonnaise on the cut sides of the baguette, then spread with Sriracha.
2. On the bottom half, layer the carrots, onions and cucumber, then top with the chicken and shallots.
3. Lay cilantro sprigs over the chicken and close the sandwich. Cut crosswise into 6 pieces and serve.

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Remoulade and Shaved Lemon

(Adapted from Annie Miller)

Ingredients:

• 4 thin chicken cutlets (1 1/4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 slices cut from a round loaf of semolina bread, or 4 mini baguettes
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cornichons
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon capers, drained and chopped
• 1/2 lemon, sliced paper thin, plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 bunch watercress (6 ounces), large stems discarded

Directions:

1. Light a grill or preheat the broiler.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the orange juice and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, brush both sides of the bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and grill until toasted, turning once.
4. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the parsley, cornichons, mustard, scallion, garlic, capers and lemon juice.
5. Grill the chicken over high heat until lightly charred and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
6. Spread the remoulade on the toast.
7. Top with the chicken, a few slices of lemon and the watercress. Close the sandwiches, cut in half and serve.

Tangy Sort-of Jerk Chicken

(Adapted from Steven Brown)

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• Kosher salt
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 1 small habanero, stemmed
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon sugar1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Coke
• 1/4 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)
• 1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for brushing

Directions:

1. Arrange the chicken on a large baking sheet and season generously with salt. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Rinse the chicken and pat dry.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the onion, scallions, habanero, garlic and ginger until chunky. Add the allspice, thyme, sugar, cayenne, black pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon and puree until very smooth.
3. Transfer the puree to a large bowl and whisk in the vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, Coke and liquid smoke, then whisk in the 1/4 cup of oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight (I have also done the marinade for two hours, and it worked just fine!).
4. Light a grill and brush the grates with oil.
5. Transfer the chicken to a large plate.
6. Transfer the marinade to a medium saucepan and boil until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
7. Brush the chicken with oil and grill over moderate heat for 25 minutes, until lightly charred and cooked through. 
   
8. Brush the chicken with some of the marinade and grill for 1 minute. Serve the chicken with the remaining reduced marinade.

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Fricassee

Somehow Andrew Carmellini figured out a healthy way to make a cream sauce.

That's fine by me!

Ingredients:

• One 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup celery leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.
2. Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, on a rack set on a large rimmed baking sheet; season generously with salt and pepper. 
   
3. Roast the chicken in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes, until cooked through and the skin is crisp. 
   
4. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until just softened, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the mushrooms, raise the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
7. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, about 5 minutes.
8. Add the chicken stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
9. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sour cream and yogurt. Discard the bay leaves.
10. Add the chicken to the sauce, skin side up, and simmer until heated through. 
    
11. Stir in the celery leaves. Transfer the chicken to plates, spoon the sauce on top and serve.

Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon (The OMG OGB Turkey)

I cannot possibly explain to you the epic deliciousness of this turkey.

It was genius.

It was miraculous.

It was life-changing.

It was bacon.

Turkey is scary for a few different reasons:

Number one, it is usually associated with forced awkward family gatherings that require a lot of wine to maintain sanity (for me, at least).

Number 2, turkey is a damn intimidating, huge fucking bird (Or reptile, if you're an animal nerd, like me).

And number 3, turkey has a huge tendency to come out dry and flavorless. Turkey is the bird from which holiday dinner nightmares come. 

Unfortunately, the first two issues are pretty impossible to resolve. BUT….I've acquired a handy trick for combatting the awful, nightmarish dry/flavorlessness of this typical holiday main dish.

Brining. Brining is the answer. And brining will change your life.

(And let's be honest. So will bacon.)

I give you….the Oh My God Onion Gravy Bacon Turkey.

(Adapted from Grace Parisi)


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 8 bay leaves 
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 2 onions, cut into thick wedges
• 1 pound slab bacon, skin removed and meat sliced 1/3 inch thick
• Six 12-ounce bottles Guinness stout
• One 12- to 14-pound turkey
• 1 cup turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

The Brine:

1. In a very large pot, combine the mustard seeds, peppercorns and bay leaves and toast over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
   
2. Add the brown sugar and salt and remove from the heat. Add 4 cups of water and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved; let cool completely.
3. Pour the brine into a lidded container large enough to hold the turkey and the brine, and small enough to fit in your fridge. We were able to use a small file storage bin and it worked perfectly.  
   
4. Add the onions, bacon, Guinness and 16 cups of cold water to the pot.
5. Add the turkey to the brine, breast side down, and top with a heavy lid to keep it submerged. 
   
6. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

The Baking: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and position a rack on the bottom shelf.
2. Lift the turkey from the brine, pick off any peppercorns, mustard seeds and bay leaves and pat dry.
3. Transfer the turkey to a large roasting pan, breast side up.
4. Scatter the onion wedges in the pan and add 1 cup of water.
5. Using toothpicks, secure the bacon slices over the breast.
6. Roast the turkey for about 2 hours, turning the pan occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted deep into the turkey thighs registers 150°.
7. Remove the bacon and return the turkey to the oven. Roast for about 1 hour longer, until the breast is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 170°.
8. Transfer the turkey to a carving board to rest.
9. Pour the pan juices and onion wedges into a saucepan and boil until reduced to 3 cups, about 5 minutes.
10. Add the turkey stock and return to a boil.
11. In a small bowl, mash the butter to a paste with the flour.
12. Whisk the paste into the gravy and boil until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.**
13. Meanwhile, cut the bacon crosswise 1/2 inch thick.
14. In a large skillet, fry the bacon over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes.
15. Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy and bacon.

**If gravy is too salty, add some half and half or heavy cream and reduce until you reach your desired consistency.