Chianti Chicken

I've had my eye on this dish for awhile. We're at the end of summer and here in Ontario the harvest is in full swing.

Grapes are at their peak and this next dish marries sweet with savory. As you can see, we have a show-stopper here but this ain't just another pretty dish it tastes "wicked awesome"!

Chianti chicken came to being through the well-known, entertaining, informative and most importantly, delicious blog called Jenn the Leftover Queen.

Jenn currently resides in Florida with her husband Roberto and together they cater to a us a vibrant food blog, a sister travel blog and an active food forum where several food enthusiasts can chat, discuss topics, compete in the Royal Foodie Joust or ask for some technical assistance.

Jenn was one of the first people in the blogging world who extended their hand (and smile) with positive encouragement, the support to publicize my blog's existence through the Foodie BlogRoll and to become a new friend. Isn't there always room for new friends?

The dish I'm about to show you will cement a friendship, complete that "date" or impress guests over for dinner( again, thanks Jenn).

I've added my own twists to this dish, the main one being to finish it off in the oven (rather than all on the stovetop).

My other twist was to add some aromatics to the chicken by whizzing up a blend of herbs. This time I was in the mood for lemon verbena but you may certainly used thyme or rosemary here. I placed the herb mixture between the skin the meat of the thighs.

You have two options here...go with Jenn's approach or try mine...both will yield delicious results.

I have no problem serving guests chicken, especially when it's offered up like this...chicken seared on a skillet then roasted with grapes and served up with a Chianti reduction and a bed of couscous?

I knew this dish would come together just seeing the grapes and chicken going into the oven. The presentation was going to be awesome but what would it taste like?

When the chicken came out of the oven, I tasted the pan juices and to my delight I found a sweet, syrup like sauce had been created from the juices of the grapes.

This was gonna be good...add some Chianti, low-sodium stock and reduce until thick and add some butter to tighten the sauce.

Chianti chicken's a winner and I can't wait to make this again!


Chianti Chicken
(for 4)

4 quarter chicken pieces
3 Tbsp. of butter
3 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
Approx. 1 cup of Chianti red
1 cup of chicken (or veg. stock)
4 clusters of red grapes
salt and pepper to taste

Aromatics
3 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. lemon verbena (or 1 Tbsp. dry)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Pre-heated 400F oven

1. Trim excess fat from your chicken and wash and pat dry. Now take the ingredients listing under "aromatics" and place them in food processor and pulse until blended. Adjust seasoning accordingly. Now carefully place your finger between the skin and meat of the thighs and separate the skin from the meat. Now spread the aromatic mixture under the skin with your finger and repeat for all the chicken quarters.
2. Place an oven-safe skillet (large enough to hold 4 chicken quarters) on the stovetop and bring to a medium high heat. You may now season your chicken quarters with salt and pepper. Add your olive oil and butter and as soon as the bubbling stops, add the chicken into the skillet, face down and saute until the skin has turned to a golden-brown (3-5 minutes).
3. Flip your chicken quarters and place the clusters of grapes to the side of each chicken quarter. Now place in your pre-heated oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until the juices of the chicken run clear. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and reserve the chicken and grape clusters in a tented plate. Skim any excess fat from the juices in the skillet.
   
4. Place the skillet back on the the stove-top and add your sliced onions and reduce over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Now add your wine and stock and bring to a boil. Now reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally.
5. As soon as the sauce thickens to your liking, take off the heat and swirl in a couple of pads of cold butter to tighten the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
6. Spoon some sauce on the bottom of half your plate and place a mound of couscous on the other half. Now top your dish with the quarter chicken, a cluster of grapes and serve with a side of sauteed mushrooms.

Garidomakaronada With Ouzo and Fresh Tomato

Now isn't this title a mouthful?

Garidomakaronada is a compound word in Greek meaning "pasta & shrimp". Garides are shrimp, makaronia is general word, like pasta.

The bounty of fresh tomatoes is here and for this very short window of time, a tomato sauce can be made from fresh tomatoes and one can actually pull off a fabulously flavourful meal.

Like most of the great pasta dishes, the ingredients are few and the produce is at it's peak. The ingredients are all used in Greek cookery and the last minute splash of Ouzo gives this dish the "je ne sais quoi".

I've chosen some larger sized shrimp for their obvious presence in the dish and more & more I'm liking them with their heads on.

I know some people are going to get all "sucky-face" with me in the comments section but I now prefer shrimp with their heads on.

The heads (and shells) give the dish added flavour and when you tear the head off the the body, stick the open-end of the shrimp's head into your mouth and suck the juices out. Try it, then tell you don't like it.

Beyond peeling the shells and deveining the shrimp, this dish comes together in the time it takes for the water to boil to the pasta becoming "al dente".

This dish is Greek, right down to the pasta choice, "Misko Makaronia Trypita no.5" or...bucantini. I chose this type of pasta as it's hollow, which allows this aromotic, seafood tinged sauce to get right into the pasta.

Celebrate garden fresh tomatoes with this quick, easy Garidomakaronada.

Garidomakaronada With Ouzo and Fresh Tomato
(for 4)

1 pkge Miskos Trypita no.5 (500gr)
16 medium sized shrimp, heads on, body shelled & deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
4 large, very ripe tomatoes, passed through a box grater
(skins discarded)
1 heaping Tbsp. of tomato paste
1 shot of Ouzo
1 tsp. of Boukovo (chili flakes)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place a large of water on the stove top to bowl. Add a good amount of salt and cook your pasta as per instructions.
2. Season your shrimp with some salt & pepper and place a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add your olive oil and quickly saute your shrimp. As soon as they turn pink, remove them with a slotted spoon and reserve.
3. In the same skillet, lower the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic and then reduce to medium-low and saute for about 10 minutes to soften and become translucent. Now add the tomato paste and grated tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer until the most of the water from the tomatoes has cooked off and you're left with a flavourful, thick sauce.
4. Add the Ouzo, stir in and turn off the heat and keep warm until your pasta has been cooked.
5. When the pasta is cooked, strain and add to the sauce along with the Boukovo (chili flakes) and your shrimp. Toss to coat the pasta and to allow the shrimp to finish cooking through (about 5 minutes).
6. Add some chopped fresh parsley and plate hot along with lots of napkins and bowls for the discarded heads and shells.
   

Fluffy Artichoke Dip

Last week I cam across a dip that was presented by Astra of Food for Laughter. The dip caught my eye because it was simple, the ingredients would allow the delicate flavour of artichoke come through and finally, easy to make.

As I told Astra, this recipe was too easy to NOT try - so here I am, presenting her artichoke dip with a few detours!

To make the dip a little leaner, I used strained Greek yogurt, I added a clove of minced garlic and I used an herbed cream cheese to give some more depth to the flavour.

The only other addition I made was to add some more artichokes, finely diced pieces that would remind you you're eating an artichoke dip with every bite.

I recently had a friend over for dinner and I served this up as a nibbly before dinner and us two Oinks wiped the plate clean. Astra, I'd say the dip was enjoyed!

Astra's Fluffy Artichoke dip can be found here but if you're looking for some lighter fare, visit Food For Laughter as Astra intersperses funny anecdotes with her straight up dishes.

It's Duck Season!

One of the new avenues I've chosen to connect with friends and fellow food bloggers is through a program called Twitter. Here you can read up on what your friends and favourite bloggers are doing. If you're on Twitter, look me up under "Kalofagas".

One such friend is Heather from Gild the Voodoolily and we've been having a "tete a tete" a la Bugs Bunny vs. Daffy Duck. I'm sure many of you remember this famous exchange between Bugs and Daffy, don't you? To do this day, the Warner Bros. cartoons are the most entertaining of any animation out there.

I've proclaimed it "DUCK SEASON", Heather insists it's "Wabbit Season". You can take a look at her take on rabbit with a comforting, sexy rabbit ravioli.

I've had duck on my mind for awhile. This summer's been a wash-out with so much rain that some of my herbs look sick from too much rain.

I come back from Greece and the north-east has been getting pounded by the remnants of hurricanes from down South.

There's a saying about rain..."nice weather if you're a duck"! Fitting that I dispatch a duck, non?

I was left with a conundrum...duck confit or breast? After reading up on how to save money buying duck (buy the whole thing and cut it up yourself) at Eating Club Vancouver, I knew I was closer to "DUCK SEASON".

I've never cut up a whole duck before but other than the legs being a jointed a little tighter to the breasts, the task was quite easy and I saved some coin.

So, on to mission duck. I've chosen seasonal ingredients, added some Greek flavours to the dish and made what I feel is a fall classic...seared duck breast with roasted plum sauce, grilled polenta with mint and medley of wild mushrooms.

The duck breast was marinated in a blend that I will try with other meats. When I opened the zip-block and smelled the marinated duck, I though to myself this duck would taste great with just the flavours of the marinade.

Next on the plate is a side I saw Greek chef Dina Nikolaou present with her own duck. It's polenta with fresh mint and Greek yogurt in it. Make this side ahead of time as you need to allow it to cool before grilling. I simply used Tupperware as a mould then I cut the polenta into the desired shapes and grilled/seared them "a la minute". This side was a pleasant surprise and it has me gravitating towards eating polenta more!

Finally, what fall dish would be complete without a saute of mushrooms? I'm not going to lay down a recipe for mushrooms here as I simply sauteed my mushrooms in butter and olive oil with some garlic, salt and pepper and only some oregano and fresh sage to round out their earthy flavours.

Here you have it folks...DUCK SEASON and I've laid all out for your down below. Enjoy!

Seared Duck Breast with Grilled Polenta and Wild Mushrooms
( for 2)
3 duck breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. of mixed cracked peppercorns
1 tsp. of cracked coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. of minced ginger (or a inch piece)
small handful of fresh parsley
coarse sea salt
3 very ripe, sweet plums (juicy)

Sauce
1/4 cup shallots, finely diced
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup of Mavrodaphne (or other fortified wine)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
sugar to taste
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Polenta With Yogurt and Mint
2 cups of instant polenta
5 cups of stock (or water)
4 Tbsp. olive oil
half a bunch of fresh mint, chiffonade
1 cup of strained Greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

1. Trim any excess fat off the duck breasr and then score in 1 inch intervals. To a food processor, add the olive oil, garlic, thyme, parsley, ginger, coriander seeds and peppercorns and process to a coarse paste. Now place the marinade into a zip-lock bag with the duck breasts and massage the contents so that the marinade adheres to all of the meat. Seal and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.
2. Bring back to room temperature and pre-heat your oven to 400F. Season your duck breasts with some coarse sea salt and a little black pepper. Place a skillet (large enough for the three breasts) on to medium heatt and sear the breasts (fat side down) for five minutes (draining fat as it acccumulates).
3. Flip over the breasts and add your halved plums to the side. Now place the skillet in the oven and roast for another 5-7 minutes for a medium-rare duck breast. Carefully remove your skillet (hot handle) and remove your breasts and tent with foil while preparing the sauce.
4. In the same skillet (the plums stay), add your shallots and saute for a minute. Now add the stock, wine, vinegar and reduce until the sauce becomes half and thick. Adjust seasoning with some sugar and take off the heat and add your cold butter to thicken the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
5. By now your duck breasts have rested and you may now cut them into slices. Pour some sauce on the plate and fan the slices over top with some plum halves. Serve with a side of grilled polenta and sauteed mushrooms.
   

Grilled Polenta With Yogurt and Mint

1. Add your stock into a pot and bring to a boil. While stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly pour in your polenta and keep stirring to prevent burning or from lumps forming.
2. As soon as the polenta mixture starts to come away from the sides, remove from the heat.
3. Now you may add your olive oil, chopped mint and strained yogurt and mix in until blended. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Place in a container (mould) and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate into a solid.
5. To grill or sear, brush some oil on your polenta pieces and grill on high heat just to form grill marks and to warm through.