Holiday Sweet Potatoes

I was asked to bring a sweet potato dish to Thanksgiving at my cousins' this year and I was quite pleased with this one.  I started with an Ellie Krieger recipe for Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes that I found on-line and changed a few things to make it more holiday-y.

4 pounds peeled sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons clarified butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of ground allspice
pinch of ground cinnamon



Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a couple of large baking dishes.  Slice the potatoes 1/4" thick using the crinkle-cut blade on a mandoline and place in a large mixing bowl.  Try to avoid giving yourself a crinkle-cut shaped wound on your index finger that takes a month to heal, like I did the first time I used my mandoline.  Melt the butter and whisk thoroughly with all the other ingredients.  Slowly drizzle the mixture over the potatoes as you toss by hand, coating thoroughly. Place potato slices on the baking dishes, slightly overlapping one another.  Roast for about 20 minutes and turn, then stir after another 20 minutes. In 20 or so more minutes they should be done.  They are best when slightly crispy with pretty carmelization.

Butter-Poached Lobster Salad

We had this at a restaurant in Culver City called Sublime and it was so good I did my best to recreate it.  What I think I changed was browning the poaching butter and putting a shallot in the vinaigrette, but I cannot be sure.  Anyway, here's my version:

The Salad
1 1-1.5 lb. lobster tail
5 oz. package of pre-washed mixed baby lettuce
1 shaved head of fennel
1 cup of grapes

The Vinaigrette
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup mandarin orange slices
1 small shallot
1 tablespoon chopped lavender petals/leaves

4 tablespoons of butter for poaching

Combine oil, mandarin oranges, minced shallot and lavender in an immersion blender.  Add salt to taste.  Set aside.  (Pretty soon I am going to try making the vinaigrette with lemon juice [or Meyer lemon juice] and tarragon instead of orange juice and lavender -- perhaps a bit cliched, but dayum I think it will taste good.  I might put some lemon zest in the salad, as well.)

Steam the lobster tail for a minute and fifteen seconds per ounce, then put on top of some ice to cool.  Heat the butter in a small saucepan.  Shave then cut the fennel into thin slices.  Cut the grapes in half.  Combine fennel and grapes with the lettuce in a large salad bowl.  Shell and cut the lobster meat into medium-sized chunks.  When the butter is just browning, add the lobster and simmer for a few minutes.  Remove the buttery lobster chunks with a slotted spoon, shake off excess butter (is there even such a thing?  When I made this the lobster seemed to soak up all of the butter!) and put into the salad, then toss with the vinaigrette.

Lemon-Herb Roasted Chicken with Giblet Gravy

Putting herbs and lemon under the skin before roasting makes this recipe somewhat labor intensive, but the end result is well worth it. 

1 4-5 lb. chicken, giblets set aside
1/4 cup fresh oregano, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh savory, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh marjoram, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large lemons (see below)
2 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Mix the herbs, garlic, olive oil, and the zest from both lemons.  Slice the lemons thinly and remove the peel by cutting in a circle with a sharp knife, then mix the lemon slices in with the herbs.  Sprinkle salt on chicken and work your fingers under the skin of the breast and thighs, loosening it from the flesh without breaking it.  Once you loosen the thigh skin, you can work your fingers under the leg skin.  Don't worry about the wing skin, but fold each wing tip under the rest of the wing.  Stuff lemon slices coated in herb mixture wherever you can.  I can usually fit two per breast, two per thigh, and one per leg.  Then add more herbs and massage everything around until it coats the flesh evenly.  Rub the remaining mixture (there should be plenty, if not I messed up and you should use more of everything) all over the outside of the chicken.  Put the lemon peels inside the cavity.  If any skin has torn stretch it back into place, layer it over the skin from which it separated, and hold fast with a toothpick or two.  This will keep the meat nice and moist.  Place the chicken on a roasting rack in a roasting pan breast side down.  Add water to the roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes, making sure to replenish the water before it evaporates.  Flip the chicken over (this required some teamwork with the Darling) and cook for another 45 minutes breast side up, making sure there is enough water.  The skin should crisp nicely.  Remove and let rest, then carve it up.  Now for the gravy:

Saute the giblets in a pan with olive oil until browned all over and sticking to the pan without burning.  Remove the neck, keep the liver and kidneys.  Deglaze with a 1/4 cup of sherry, scraping up any bits.  Add 1/2 tsp. each of garlic powder and onion powder, then a cup of chicken stock.  Stir thoroughly and simmer for about half an hour.  Cut the kidneys into small pieces and smash the liver with a fork and bring to a boil.  Add some water if necessary and stir.  Whisk in about 1/2 tsp. corn starch mixed with water until the sauce has thickened.  Keep warm in a gravy boat until ready to serve.

Roast Leg of Lamb - Variation with Rosemary, Oregano, Lemon

I just winged this last night based on the fact that I had fresh rosemary and oregano in the garden.  I often use thyme, not oregano, but I don't have fresh thyme in the garden right now (a disastrous oversight that must be corrected), and as it turns out the oregano was a welcome change.  I get my leg of lamb at Costo because it comes butterflied with a little net around it. 

5ish lb. boneless leg of lamb
5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt per your taste

The evening before your dinner party, blend the garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt, olive oil and lemon juice to a paste in a food processor.  Stab the lamb all over with a little knife.  Remove netting.  Work paste into the holes and also rub all over the inside and outside of the lamb.  Re-net the lamb and seal it in a Ziploc bag.  Refrigerate until an hour before you are ready to cook, whereupon you should remove the lamb and let it approach room temperature.  Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place still netted lamb on a roasting rack in a roasting pan, roast for 20 minutes then turn the temperature down to 325 and continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125 degrees (per the experts, and the experts are right!  [I changed the cooking temperatures and recommended final internal temperature from my last lol recipe]).  This will result in a very tender lamb (maybe the lemon juice helps?), rare in the middle of the leg and medium rare on the ends.   Serve with mushrooms au gratin and oven fried potatoes.

Mushrooms and Savory Au Gratin

This recipe was a big hit with our guests last night.  It was really easy to make and went very well with roast leg of lamb and Syrah.  Here's what you need:

1 lb. sliced cremini mushrooms (other types should work, too)
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh savory leaves (savory also goes very well with asparagus)
1/4 cup cooking sherry
Gruyere cheese
Crumbled crackers (I used Glutinos) or breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in a big skillet and saute the onions over medium heat until soft.  Add the mushrooms and saute until they give up their liquid, then add the savory and stir.  Turn up the heat, add the sherry and reduce, scraping up any bits.  Transfer everything to a 9x9 shallow baking dish.  Grate as much Gruyere as it takes to just cover the mushrooms and sprinkle cracker/breadcrumbs on top.  Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the cheese melts and the crumbs are golden.  Remove and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

California Maine Lobster Rolls

The Darling wanted lobster for her Mother's Day brunch, so I ran over to Gelson's immediately because they steam and crack the crustaceans for you at no extra charge.  I served them with drawn butter, of course, and also Chive Basil Parmesan Omelets with Rosemary Leek Pesto (recipe forthcoming).  The lobsters were pretty big, and the Precious Angel decided to eat only her omelet, so there was a lot left over.  That's where the California Maine Lobster Rolls come in.

Take about a pound of cooked, chilled lobster meat cut into bite-sized chunks and place in a mixing bowl.  Add two diced avocados and a quarter cup of loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves (just pull the leaves off the stems).  Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and season with a pinch or two of salt.  Stir it all up and scoop generously into (onto?) warm hot dog or hamburger buns.  You will be delighted.  Next time I might add some chives.

Roasted Curried Potatoes

I served this as an accompaniment to Double Cut Lamb Chops with Spicy Red Wine Gastrique and Moroccan Carrots (from May's Food & Wine, http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/double-cut-lamb-chops-with-spicy-red-wine-gastrique) and everything was so good the Darling decided to renew our vows on the spot.

6 peeled, diced medium Russet potatoes
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Spray some oil on a large, rimmed baking sheet.  Combine all the spices.  In a large mixing bowl, pour the canola oil over the potatoes and mix well by hand.  Sprinkle the spice mixture on the potatoes, mixing by hand as you go.  Spread the potatoes out evenly on the baking sheet and place on middle rack of the oven.  After about 15 minutes the house will be so fragrant you will feel faint.  Gather your strength and stir the potatoes, turning the dish around.  After another 15 minutes stir them again, then cook until nearly crunchy on the outside.  Tweak cooking time and spice mixture as needed.

Gefilte Fish with Horseradish-Beet Gelee

The Darling made this up and I love it.  If we went all out I guess we would actually encase each piece of gefilte fish in gelee, but instead we place a thin slice atop the gefilte fish, or a cube on the side.  (Obviously we buy a jar or two of gefilte fish, no carp in the bathtub for us.)

3 large beets, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

2 bottles of prepared horseradish

2-3 packets of unflavoured gelatin

Place the beets in saucepan with just enough water to cover them and cook till tender. Remove the beets and half the liquid and place in the fridge to cool. When cool, puree in a food processor.  Add 1/4 cup of cold water to the gelatin and wait till it has bloomed before using.  Place beet puree into a large bowl and add the horseradish till combined.  Place the reserved beet liquid in the saucepan and add gelatin.  Cook over low/medium flame till the gelatin is melted.  Add resulting beet gelatin to the horseradish-beet puree and mix well.  Pour into lightly oiled molds and chill till set.  If you prefer a firmer gelee use 3 packets, a softer consistency use 2.

Mango Salsa (or Salad)

This recipe works as a salsa or salad.  It goes very well on top of or next to grilled boneless/skinless chicken breast or grilled mahi mahi.  I served it this weekend with steamed rice and a fish we never tried before, pink snapper, that I pan fried in a little olive oil with lemon and salt (our grill went kaput).  It was a total disaster, the fish was tough and weird.  I think I should have coated it with flour or breadcrumbs first, or maybe I should have baked it with some lemon and butter on top.  Or maybe I got stuck with a bad piece of fish.  The Darling and Precious Angel skipped the fish and enjoyed the salsa with the rice.  Anyway, here's how you make the salsa:

Dice three ripe mangoes, dice one large avocado, chop one red bell pepper into pieces about half the size of the diced mango or avocado, mince a quarter of a white onion, finely chop enough fresh cilantro to yield 1/4 to 1/3 cup depending on how much you like cilantro, stir it all together, add the juice from one lime and a pinch of salt, stir it all again, cover it up and let it sit in fridge for about an hour so the flavors can mingle.  It is colorful and pretty and it tastes delicious.

Sauteed Chicken with Lemon-Mint-Cilantro "Chimichurri"

An old F&W recipe from Tom Douglas inspired this dish.  (http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chicken-skewers-with-lemon-mint-vinaigrette).  Since our grill went kaput I sauteed the chicken breast instead of grilling it, and since we had cilantro on hand I substituted it for the parsley.  It actually ended up being delicious, I'll make it again.

First make the vinaigrette, which in this case turns out to be more like a chimichurri (except no parsley).  In a handy tiny Cuisinart mince enough fresh mint and fresh cilantro (separately) so you have 5 tablespoons and 4 tablespoons respectively, then mince 4 garlic cloves.  Stir all that into 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  Whisk in 4 teaspoons of grated lemon zest and 4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and a couple of pinches of salt and let the concoction sit at room temperature while you make the chicken.

Pat dry four large boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut into medium chunks, about 2".  Coat with a mixture of 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt.  In a cast iron skillet, saute a chopped, medium white onion in a combo of extra virgin olive oil and canola oil.  Once tender, push the onions to the side, tilt the pan and squeeze out the oil, add more oil if necessary, and saute the chicken.  Deglaze the pan with about 1/4 cup white wine, scrape up any bits of chicken fat or spices, stir the chicken and onions together, then cover and cook over low heat for about half an hour.  Uncover to reduce the liquid until there is just enough left that nothing sticks to the pan, remove from heat and stir.

Serve with steamed white rice and baby arugula.  When you plate this put the chicken on top of the arugula and drizzle some "chimichurri" on the chicken and the rice.  This pairs well with a nice, light vinho verde.

Grandma's Stuffed Cabbage

Just in time for Passover, here's my grandma's hallowed stuffed cabbage recipe.  One bit of advice is to freeze the cabbage first.  When you are ready to go just defrost it and the leaves will peel off quite easily and be very pliable.

1 head of cabbage (or more if you need it)
1 lb. ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 beaten egg

Salt and pepper to taste (At one point like 20 years ago Grandpa decided he had high blood pressure so Grandma stopped cooking with salt.  After she passed away my mother took Grandpa and his outrageously large assortment of medications to the doctor to see if they could somehow reduce his daily pill intake.  I believe some tests revealed that he actually had low blood pressure.  And also that he was not diabetic, as he had thought.  So the guy went like 20 years without salt or sugar in his food for no good reason.  He always says he never really cared about food, and I can see why.  But it's also a shame, because my grandmother was a great cook.)

1/4 cup matzoh meal

1 large can Rokeach tomato and mushroom sauce (As one can't always find this, I think a can of plain tomato sauce would do provided it does not have any herbs and spices in it, in which case you'd also need to saute some sliced white mushrooms, which shouldn't be such a big deal.)

1/2 can water (using can above)

1 large minced white onion

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice (I squeeze fresh ones)

Sultana raisins (optional, the Darling hates raisins so I have to avoid them)

 

I'm pretty sure Grandma put the onion in the sauce only, but I actually saute the onion in a little canola oil first then put half in the sauce and half in the meat mixture.  One time I also considered putting garlic in there but got too nervous.  In the future I might use a little chicken stock instead of water, I think that would enhance the flavor.  Don't be mad, Grandma probably got into the habit of avoiding chicken stock because of the salt, in those pre-reduced sodium days! 

 

In a saucepan combine the tomato sauce, water, onion, brown sugar, lemon juice and raisins.  Bring to a boil then simmer for a while.

 

Combine the ground meat, egg, matzoh meal, half the onion, and some salt and pepper.  Place a sort of fat- sausage-shaped palmful of the mixture on the edge of each leaf and roll it up, folding the ends in.  Maybe it would be a good idea to hold each piece together with a toothpick.  Place all the pieces in an adequately sized saute pan and pour the sauce over them.  Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, basting and adding water as needed.  I have a vague recollection that Grandma's delight in preparing the stuffed cabbage was always tempered by the fact that they were always in danger of burning at any moment, so be careful.  I might prepare more sauce than you think you need and go low and slow for a little longer than 1 1/2 hours, just to be on the safe side.  Although they will never be as good as the ones Grandma made, I know you will enjoy them.

Chicken Scaloppine with Wilted Parsley and Lemon

This is a variation of a recipe in the April, 2011 issue of Food & Wine (my favorite magazine, by the way): http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/veal-scaloppine-with-wilted-parsley-lemon-and-sesame

I made it with chicken breast instead of veal (I pounded it to about 1/4" thick), and I didn't have sesame seeds, and it was still amazing.  I never had parsley prepared in a way I liked better than this. I used a combo of canola and olive oil to fry the chicken, just a splash of the olive oil adds so much flavor. Lastly, I don't think I will use so much butter next time, I think half the recommended amount would be more than adequate.  The Precious Angel is into spinach lately, so I sauteed some in olive oil and added lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic powder and salt.  If you are thinking that two wilted leafy vegetables on one plate is a culinary faux pas, you are horribly wrong.

Simple Roast Leg of Lamb with Mint Sauce

Make things easy on yourself, buy a 5-6 lb. boneless leg of lamb at Costco with the elastic netting around it.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and stab (!) it all over with a paring knife.  Slice about six garlic cloves very thin and stuff the slivers into the holes, and also in the cavity where the bone was.  Take a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and stuff them in the cavity, too, then take fresh rosemary leaves and stuff the holes that don't have garlic in them.  Rub the lamb with olive oil and season with Kosher salt.  Place fat side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan with enough water in it so that it is just below the lamb.  Cook for about half an hour then reduce the tempearture to 375.  Use a meat thermometer to determine when it is done -- I go with about 135 for rare.  Should take about an hour and a half, but check it.  Also, you may need to add more water as it roasts.  The steam keeps everything very moist and also makes cleaning the pan easier.  The fat should get a bit crispy.  Let the lamb rest under foil for about fifteen minutes before slicing.  You are going to love it, I promise.

Now, for the mint sauce, this is a simplified variation of something I read in F&W or Epicurious at some point.  Soak about 3/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves and a minced shallot in a quarter cup of vinegar, with a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in it, for a few hours.  Place on high heat and add two cups of low sodium beef broth, bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced by half.  Strain the sauce and place over high heat.  Dissolve a teaspoon of corn starch in two teaspoons of water and whisk that into the sauce, which will thicken quickly.  Add water if it gets too thick.  Remove from the heat and stir in about 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves.  Put the sauce in a gravy boat and pour a little over the lamb when you serve it.

We enjoyed the lamb with plain white rice and spinach sauteed in garlic and butter with a squeeze of lemon juice (oh, I put some lemon zest in the spinach, too).

New York restaurant recommendations for my friend going to New York soon (April 2011)

Barney Greengrass, Upper West Side.  Jewish Deli breakfast.  Simply the best smoked fish anywhere, ever.  Expensive (for breakfast, at least).  http://www.barneygreengrass.com/restMenu.php?list=all&cID=12

BLT Market, Central Park South: market fresh New American sometimes w/Asian flourishes.  Menu changes with the season but I had amazing cucumber wrapped peekytoe crab, hamachi w/avocado puree, pistachio crusted venison loin, Dover sole w/marcona almond ragout.  Expensive.   http://www.bltmarket.com/

Bouley, Tribeca: New American/French.  Ate at original location years ago and it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.  Chilled asparagus soup w/lump crab meat, lamb chops w/fennel, duck breast w/honey, warm chocolate brioche w/maple, Armagnac, chocolate fudge ice cream.  Very expensive.  http://www.davidbouley.com/

Corton, Tribeca:  whimsical, meticulous, inventive, delicious “modern French” cuisine, in a most elegant setting.  Menu changes often but I had unforgettable foie gras w/hibiscus-beet gelee, so expect things like that.  Very expensive.  http://www.cortonnyc.com/

Dominick’s, Arthur Avenue, The Bronx.  Italian.  Cash only, no menu.  They tell you what’s good and you eat it.  And you like it.  Eventually the bill comes, handwritten on a post-it, and you pay it.  Worth the trip.  Moderate.  http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/dominicks-restaurant/

Great New York Noodletown, Chinatown.  Great Chinese food.  Baby bok choy, bbq baby pig, roast duck.  Inexpensive.  http://www.yelp.com/biz/great-ny-noodle-town-new-york

Johnny’s Pizzeria, Mount Vernon.  Pizza.  Not in NYC, but one of my favorite thin-crust pizzas.  There, I said it.  http://www.yelp.com/biz/johnnys-pizzeria-mount-vernon

Louie and Ernie’s Pizza, The Bronx.  Pizza.  My favorite pizza in the Bronx.  That being said, if you make one pilgrimage to the Bronx it should be to Dominick’s (see above).  http://www.yelp.com/biz/louie-and-ernies-pizza-bronx-2

Katz’s Deli, on Houston Street.  Jewish Deli lunch.  The best corned beef sandwich on the planet.  Inexpensive.  http://www.katzdeli.com/

Kefi, Upper West Side:  stellar Greek tavern food.  Grilled octopus w/bean salad, meatballs, selection of spreads w/pita, grilled branzino.  Moderate.   http://www.kefirestaurant.com/

Osteria Morini, Tribeca: Emilia-Romagna Italian.  Enjoyed fegatini (duck liver mousse), fresh creste pasta, mare salad, brodetto.  Moderate-Expensive.  http://osteriamorini.com/

Pylos, East Village: amazing “rustic Greek home cooking.”  Haloumi, giant bean puree, grilled octopus, honey-braised lamb shank.  Moderate.  http://www.pylosrestaurant.com/

Sakagura, Midtown East:  fantastic Japanese tapas.  Grilled eggplant with three sauces, agedashi tofu, fried chicken.  Moderate-Expensive.  http://www.sakagura.com/

I hope this takes care of some of your eating needs for this trip.  For breakfast, aside from Barney Greengrass, any Greek diner should suffice.

Portuguese lamb stew

We went to Portugal in 2010 and it was awesome.  Please visit and help their struggling economy, it will be worth your while.  Anyway, this recipe is based on lamb stew(s) I had in Estremoz and Evora.  I'm just winging it based on what I remember.  Simple and delicious.  Go buy about three pounds of lamb (well, you should have three after you trim some fat off whatever cuts you buy).  I recommend throwing in some shoulder, shank, and boneless leg.  Put a little canola and olive oil in a Dutch oven and heat it up good on the stove.  Season the lamb chunks with salt, brown them thoroughly, then put them in a bowl on the side.  Take a large white onion, chop the hell out of it in a food processor, and saute it in the lamb juices (add some more olive oil if necessary).  While the onion is cooking, take eight garlic cloves (I ain't lyin') and chop the hell out of them in a food processor.  When the onion is very soft stir in the garlic and saute for a couple of minutes, then add a quarter cup of red wine.  Stir it around until the wine is rather reduced, then add two cups of water and two tablespoons of beef bullion (or two cups of beef stock -- don't bother using the low-salt variety, this dish requires salt).  Stir that up and add a quarter teaspoon of ground cloves.  You can add half a teaspoon, but a little cloves go a long way and the Darling is averse to over-cloving.  What can I do?  Now bring everything to a boil, stir up the bullion so it is all mixed in, then add the lamb and simmer for a couple of hours, uncovering as needed to thicken the liquid.  Add about three pounds of peeled Russet potatoes cut into 2" chunks, stir them in nicely, put the cover on tight and keep simmering until the potatoes are tender.  Do not freak out if you have a lot of gravy, the idea is to serve this atop a thick slice of peasant bread.  The Portuguese give the French and Italians a run for their money when it comes to bread, but Portuguese bread will be hard to come by stateside.  I suggest Pugliese.  You will enjoy this.

Barbecued chicken a la Jeff

My friend Jeff is the barbecue Obi-Wan Kenobi to my Luke Skywalker. Here's his simple barbecued chicken recipe that will dazzle and amaze you. Go to Costco and get yourself an enormous package of chicken thighs and a case of beer. Head home and drink beer until the chicken defrosts. Add like a cup of paprika and a cup of brown sugar to a giant bowl and blend thoroughly with your hands. If you're feeling adventurous you could add garlic powder and even cayenne pepper to the mix, but it's not necessary, it's just my way of asserting my independence. Hopefully you have a large gas grill outside with multiple burners. Go out and turn every burner up to 11. When it's all nice and hot scrape the grill clean and turn half the burners off and the others to medium-high. Go inside and pat the thighs with paper towels so they're not wet, then dredge each piece in the spice mixture until fully coated. Place skin side up on the grill, but over the burners that are not on. Cook covered with indirect heat until some of the spice mixture starts to melt/stick together on the skin. Then turn pieces over and cook through. The sugar on the skin will carmelize, making a "built-in" sauce. When the chicken is almost done turn all the burners on and crisp up the skin, making sure you and the chicken don't catch fire. This whole process could take over an hour, but that's what the beer is for. Also, you could be grilling other things at the same time.  Best...chicken...ever.

Asparagus with balsamic vinegar and savory

Wash some fresh asparagus spears then cut off the bottoms of the stalks. "Shave" the remaining lower stalks with a vegetable peeler.  Saute the asparagus in a little olive oil until just tender. Shake in a generous amount of balsamic vinegar. Then sprinkle on crushed dried savory as if it is salt, add some freshly ground pepper, and Kosher salt, and a stir it all around until done. It's pretty good, savory is underrated and seems to go quite well with asparagus.  Just sayin'. 

Oven fried potatoes

This is a riff on a recipe from my favorite magazine, Food & Wine.  Or it could be the same recipe.  I don't know, I've had a lot of Alentejo wine.  Dice a bunch of peeled Russett potatoes (yeah, the baking potatoes, don't get freaked out, it's not all about Yukon Gold) into small (1/4"?) dice. Rub all over with a little extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh or dried thyme and fresh or dried rosemary leaves, ground fennel seeds or ground caraway seeds (you need a mortar and pestle, sucker!) and plenty of Kosher salt. Bake on a baking sheet in a 425 degree oven until crispy/golden brown.  You will never eat french fries again.  For realsies.  You can also do this recipe with curry powder instead of aforementioned ingredients and it will be equally awesome.

Instant paella

Go to Valencia (Spain) and get yourself some saffron. It's much cheaper over there. Pack your saffron in your suitcase and go out for some paella at a non-touristy restaurant. It will be amazing. Return home to the US and have some paella at a local Spanish restaurant. It may be excellent, but it won't be nearly as good as what you had in Valencia. Buy a paella pan and the proper kind of rice and cook paella in your house using a recipe from a book about Spanish cooking. It may be excellent, but it will take a long time and won't be nearly as good as what you had in Valencia. That's why I came up with this recipe I call "instant paella." It's much easier to make than real paella and it's pretty good, as long as you accept the fact that it won't be nearly as good as what you had in Valencia, or as good as real paella. So here goes. (Purists should shut down their computers immediately.)

Put a couple of cups of rice in a good rice cooker. Instead of water, use chicken stock or shrimp stock, preferably low sodium. Then sprinkle in about half a teaspoon of saffron threads, stir it all around, and cook the rice. When it is done add a bunch of frozen, pre-cooked shrimp and peas and stir it around. Keep the rice cooker plugged in on "warm" until the shrimp heat through. Meanwhile, cook some sausages - lamb sausages are good, and chicken or turkey links work well, too. I'm not a big fan of sage-heavy sausages in this recipe. You could also saute some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in olive oil. Put the rice/shrimp mixure in a big bowl and stir in the sausage and chicken. If you really want to go crazy get a lobster steamed and cleaned at the market and throw in some lobster meat. Serve with warm bread. Think of all the money you saved by buying saffron in Spain.

Chicken with yummy sauce

The Precious Angel loves this dish.  Pat some boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry. Sprinkle with pepper (no salt) and fry in a skillet with a bit of olive oil until golden. Put in an oven-safe pot or pyrex-type dish. Add enough red wine to reach the halfway mark on the chicken breasts. Take a medium yellow onion and slice off the bottom root. Chop into quarters, keeping enough of the top to maintain the integrity of the quarters. Plop them into the pot. Smash and peel four garlic cloves, throw them in the pot. Add about six sprigs of fresh thyme or a teaspoon of ground thyme. Add a half cup or so of chicken stock (if you're using bullion that's why you don't need salt on the chicken breasts, if you're using very low sodium or homemade stock, add salt to taste above). The stock should just cover the chicken. Cook in a 350 degree oven for a couple of hours. Strain out liquid and reduce by half in sauce pan, then thicken with corn starch. Plate and pour generous amount of sauce on chicken. You can cook this longer for more tender chicken, or cut the chicken into smaller pieces.

Baked filet of sole with fennel

My grandmother made the best filet of sole. She dipped the filets in egg, dredged them in breadcrumbs and salt, then fried them in butter. Served with lemon wedges. Perfection. However, I'm trying to avoid fried foods, so I used a new cooking method the other night that I thought turned out pretty good. The Darling hated it, because she said the fish tasted funky. I disagreed. The Precious Angel had about five bites and said, "Oh, Daddy, that's yummy." I don't think she was lying to make me feel better, but who knows. Hopefully if you do this recipe with a decent piece of fish both you and your spouse or significant other and children will enjoy it immensely. So, preheat the oven to 450. Take the filets (I used about a pound and had to layer a couple of pieces) and just lay them down in a large, shallow pyrex-type baking dish. Sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt and a little fresh pepper. Crush some fennel seeds in a mortar until the lovely aroma is released (each seed should be in a few pieces but not totally demolished). I probably used about a teaspoon after crushing. Sprinkle that onto the fish. Then melt yourself about a tablespoon of butter, add a shot or two of white wine, then the juice of one lemon. Simmer for a minute and pour over the fish and place in the oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes. You can't really overcook the fish because it's kinda getting poached so it'll stay moist, but make sure you don't undercook it because then you might poison everyone. Rumor has it that the flake test tells you when it's cooked, i.e. the fish flakes easily with a fork and looks pleasantly pearly inside. I served it with my oven fried potatoes and some salad and it worked out quite nicely, at least for me and the Precious Angel.

Fennel and mint salad with mustard shallot vinaigrette

Take two large fennel bulbs, cut off the stems and cut out the cores, cut each bulb in half lengthwise then slice very thin.  Place the sliced fennel in an adequately sized bowl.  Add washed and chopped mint leaves from one of those organic herb packages they sell at the market.  Add the zest of one lemon.  Mix all that up.  Take the juice of the lemon and pour it into a small bowl.  Add a finely chopped medium shallot, a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (I like Spanish olive oil best), and a heaping teaspoon of Grey Poupon mustard.  Mix all that up to form a delightful emulsion.  Let the flavors mingle for a while then toss the dressing with the salad.  Sprinkle on salt to taste and enjoy.