Whole Lotta Bird - Episode II: The Poultry Strikes Back

Okay, so I know you're thinking two things right now. One, 'How does this guy keep coming up with such clever titles for his blog posts?" and Two, 'Wait, didn't he just post an entry about roast chicken already?'. Well, to answer the second question... yes, I did. So I'm going to keep this entry rather short because there's no point in rehashing all the same info as the last entry. You needn't do anything more than scroll down just a little to my November 15th post if you need a brush up.

The first time was very basic. The only flavours and seasoning I used was salt, pepper and fresh thyme. I did use all three of those again this time, only along with the herb I stuffed the cavity with half a lemon and a couple of crushed garlic cloves. Then I also added a generous sprinkling of cayenne pepper over the skin. So this chicken turned out to be much more fragrant and had a little more attitude than the last one. Both were delicious though.

Don't be surprised if I share yet another roast chicken in the near future. The goal is to get three chicken carcasses (I'm up to two now!), so that I can make a big batch of homemade chicken stock. That will make for a great entry because there are endless uses for chicken stock and it's a great way to see how to execute all of these techniques yourself. So please stay tuned.

In retrospect, I wish I had kept this chicken trussed (tied with string) for the photo. It would have looked more presentable. This one looks a little loosey-goosey, but don't be fooled... this bird succeeded immensely at keeping me...

Happy and fed!

B

Roast Chicken Trilogy

Yesterday I had an insatiable craving for roasted chicken all day. It was a terrible distraction at work. The thought of biting through crispy, crackly skin and into moist and juicy chicken. As my nostrils fill with the savoury aroma of all those flavours and the earthy note of thyme had my saliva glands on overdrive. The moment I was out of the office I went straight to work on it. If you've never prepared a whole chicken before, you should make a point of doing so soon. It's easy, approachable and hard to mess up. Not to mention very affordable for the amount of people you can feed from a whole chicken. 

I picked up a whole, fresh chicken from my butcher and gave it a rinse in cold water. Then I patted it dry all over with paper towels. The chicken must be dry before preparation, even all inside the cavity. I let the chicken sit out for about an hour, which wasn't enough time to bring it quite down to room temperature (ideal) but it worked none the less. I decided to keep this very simple. Both the inside of the cavity and the outside got a generous sprinkling of coarse salt and some fresh ground pepper. I also decided to use fresh thyme which was incredibly divine, but rosemary is just as good. I placed a small handful of thyme sprigs inside the cavity and sprinkled some thyme leaves over the bird too. Then I trussed the chicken (a manner of placing the bird breast side up and wrapping a piece of string around it and securing the legs, crossed, in front of the cavity). The wings also get folded behind the back so it's almost doing a pin-up bikini model pose. lol

Then I placed the prepped chicken on a wire rack, over a pan, and placed it on the middle rack of a preheated 375°F/190°C oven and let it do it's thing for thirty minutes. Then, I carefully removed the pan from the oven and flipped the bird backside up to allow the skin on that side to crisp up a bit too. Then after 20 minutes, I turned the bird onto its back again and let it cook for another 20 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken. The best way to tell if your chicken is properly cooked (without a meat thermometer) is to check if the juices run clear and the legs move easily. The only hard part of this whole process is the next bit. After you remove the chicken from the oven, you must resist the urge to tear into it and let it rest for at the very least fifteen minutes. It may be the longest fifteen minutes of your day but the juices have to settle, otherwise they'll run all over the place when you carve into your chicken.

This gives you the opportunity to make a pan jus. Remove the grease from the pan and you will find crusty bits of chicken and stuff on the bottom. The French call this a "fond" and it is packed with flavour you do not want to waste! I placed the pan on a hot stove and deglazed it with some water (you could also use stock, wine, beer or any flavourful liquid). Not only will this clean the pan but all that fond will create a fantastic sauce. Bring the liquid to a boil and let it reduce for a few minutes. I added a spoonful of a great Bordeaux mustard that I have and whisked it in. 

I also had some parboiled potatoes in my fridge so I sautéed them in a little olive oil and crushed garlic cloves until they were slightly crispy. Then, to feel less guilty about the indulgence, I wilted some spinach in the pan after removing the potatoes.

What I was left with was roasted French-cut chicken breast with a mustard pan jus served over garlicky potatoes and wilted spinach for dinner (not to mention, at least three servings of chicken to enjoy later). 

All of the bones left over I am saving in my freezer. When I get about two more carcasses I'll make a nice homemade chicken stock (which I'll be sure to post about when the times comes). 

This was oh so delicious, fun, economical and made my kitchen smell amazing. The total cost of the ingredients was less than $15.00 CAD and I had enough food to generously feed at least four people. A meal like this at a nice restaurant would cost you much more than that. It pays to learn how to cook!

I hope you guys enjoyed this entry. Get inspired to try roasting your own whole chicken. There are limitless flavour combinations (lemon, different herbs, garlic, spices, ginger, jerk marinade, etc.. etc.. etc...). It's a terrific way to enjoy home cooked comfort food.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you guys for all of the feedback and support you've given me. So far, I am pleased to say, that this blog has received over 1,300 views around the world. You guys are wonderful and I really enjoy putting this blog together. I hope you enjoy it too. Don't be shy to leave comments, ask questions, and share with your friends and family.

This concludes perhaps the longest post yet! Mad love to you guys. 

Be happy and stay fed,

B

Pizza

November 13, 2012 - Boozy Pizza

This passed weekend has been one long, celebration for my best friend, Michelle's birthday. It was also a great opportunity to see our mutual friend, Elvis, whom neither of us had seen in months. It has been such a fantastic long weekend. Today is officially day four of four consecutive days I've had off work. Wish me luck tomorrow. lol! 


Michelle has a pizza stone. A pizza stone is a flat, porous stone used to evenly distribute oven heat and more or less mimic the effects of a masonry oven. The stone must be heated for about an hour before use or the dough will stick. We also had to sprinkle a bit of cornmeal on the surface where we placed our flattened pizza dough to help to keep the dough from sticking to the stone. The three of us used to make rustic pizza in this way quite a bit a few years ago. It had been so long we decided to do it again for old times sake. Also, none of us had to be at work today so we had a few drinks throughout the process. Hence the "boozy" part of the title.

To be honest, I wasn't planning on making a blog entry about this, but decided to at the last minute. So nothing was made from scratch and there's not a whole lot of technique in this entry. This is basically just to share the experience (which was a lot of fun!) and inspire you to try some new flavour profiles or making your own pizza with friends.

We bought some scaloppine cut chicken breasts and marinated them in a little olive oil and some dry spices (paprika, cayenne, sundried tomato & herb blend, ground cardamom and salt). The chicken had to be panfried in advance as it would not have enough time to cook completely in the oven with the other ingredients. Salmonella would not make a good pizza. 

 We also got some fresh rapini. Rapini is a vegetable from the brassica family which is composed of both edible leaves and florets. The flavour is earthy, slightly bitter and aromatic. The florets are very similar to broccoli and the leaves remind me a bit of a pungent spinach. We sautéed the rapini with some minced garlic and set that aside.

We also bought jarred artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and  sun dried tomatoes. We roasted a head of garlic and thinly sliced some red onion as well. We made a few small pizzas. One with a generic, red pizza sauce, one with a basil pesto and one with the pizza sauce and some spicy Sriracha mixed in. For the cheeses we used mozzarella, havarti and some fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano. The Parm we added after it came out of the oven. 

As I mentioned, we bought everything rather than making it, including the pizza dough. Basically, you want to roll your dough out onto a floured surface so it's nice and flat. Lift the dough and sprinkle some corn meal on the surface and place the pizza over it. Spoon on a modest amount of your sauce and add your desired toppings. 

Both the oven and the stone need to be very hot so it only takes a few minutes to cook. We like our pizzas a little more on the thin crust side. We bought a commercial pizza dough which said it was for one large pizza but instead we just split it into four and made smaller, thinner versions. 

I included a lot of pictures so you get a clear idea of the process. The pictures speak for themselves. Please forgive the appearance of this entry if there's too little text and then a list of photos. I figure you all get the idea of how it works. I must admit, I took all of these photos so the skilled hands you see are of our friend Elvis. Credit is due where it belongs.

When I was in Italy in 2008 I noticed that pizzas were typically thin crust and had very little toppings. To an authentic Italian cook, I'm sure this is a disgrace. Bringing home dough from the store and loading it with several different ingredients. One risk you run with thin crust pizza is that if you put too many toppings you will increase the weight and the moisture and your pizza will be soggy instead of crisp. A hot pizza stone will aid a bit in the crisp department but otherwise it could be a little messy.

Frankly, my dear, we didn't give a damn. 

This was a low maintenance, delicious meal among good friends and nothing more. Again, to my Italian readers, I hope I've not offended any of you too deeply. I am in no way claiming that this is authentic pizza. It was just a lot of fun.

Be happy and stay fed!

B

The Perfect Autumn Salad

If you're no stranger to my blog then you know that I'm a big fan of healthy salads and taking advantage of fresh ingredients when they're at their peak season. In October I covered some of the many uses of squash/gourds and kale which are available in abundance now, everywhere in Southern Ontario where I live.  I only lightly touched on the concept of massaging kale for salads. I wanted to get into that a little deeper with you because it's a fantastic way to enjoy all of the nutritious gifts that raw kale has to offer, and in a way that is delicious. Personally, I find that this an extraordinarily healthy dish that makes you forget just how healthy it is. So I present to you, my massaged kale salad with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, dried apricots, fresh persimmon, crushed pecans and hemp seeds.

Take a bunch of kale and tear the dark, leafy green from the stalks. I don't have much use for the stalks so they usually end up discarded in my green bin (compost), but if you have a juicer that's a great way to use everything up. When you have your kale leaves, you can either tear them up for a rustic look (like I did here) or for a more refined salad you could slice them into strips. Place the kale into a large bowl and sprinkle with a little salt and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (if you like, fresh lemon juice can also be added). Then, for about two minutes, massage all of the kale with bare, clean hands. When you're done the kale will have reduced in size and be much softer.

So what's the point of massaging kale? Aside from making the texture more palatable, it does help to release the bit of bitterness that kale has while awakening all of the good flavours that it holds. The kale reacts by wilting a bit, but it does so in a way that requires no heat so none of the health benefits are compromised. After massaging the kale, you may see a bit of liquid in the bottom of the bowl. Discard that liquid as that's where the bitterness that left the kale ends up. 

Once you've done that, then you're left with endless possibilities of what you can add. Be creative! This salad is so good for you that you can afford to add salty cheese, crispy bacon or anything else your indulgent heart desires. For this particular example, I had some butternut squash that I had prepared prior to use for this. I peeled and diced a butternut squash, tossed it with some olive oil and a pinch of salt. Then bake in the oven at 400°F/205°C for 45 minutes to an hour. This particular squash roasts so nicely because its flavour gets sweet and nutty. Once it was out of the oven and cooled I put the roasted butternut squash cubes in the fridge. If you're doing this all at once, just add the squash to the kale once its cooled down to room temperature. I peeled and diced a Hachiya persimmon and added that to the mix. Then there was nothing more to it than dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, crushed pecans and hemp seeds.

Let's talk about hemp seeds for a moment. Hemp has had hundreds of uses for centuries. It's been used to make ropes, clothes, fuel, oil, moisturizer, milk substitute, animal feed, various medicines, paper, composite material, jewelry and yes... there are varieties of hemp that can be smoked for recreational purposes. That kind of hemp (referred to as cannabis) contains a potent, natural ingredient called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the element that produces the euphoric high in humans that hemp is both famous and infamous for, depending on who you talk to. Hulled, edible hemp seeds that you get at the market contain no THC whatsoever. You have my word on that. So whether that's a relief or a disappointment to you, rest assured that hemp seeds will provide the following: all 20 amino acids, fatty acids (the good kind), omega 3s, vitamin E and it's one of the densest sources of animal-based protein known to man. Hemp seeds are sensationally good for you, and get this, they have a mild buttery flavour. A perfectly sustainable ingredient with an extensive resumé of health benefits that tastes like melted, unsalted butter. You're welcome. Of course hemp seeds are optional, but they do work wonderfully in salads and this salad is no exception.

As I mentioned, there are countless ingredients you can add to a massaged kale salad. Please give this a try. Your body and bank account won't only thank you, but anybody else you make one of these bad boys for. 

Be happy, and you guess it, stay fed!

B 

November 05, 2012 - Tapas Potluck

Last Saturday I met up with my friends John and Jorge. I hadn't seen either of them in about three years. It was so nice to catch up. They are two of the first friends I made when I moved to Toronto in 2007. Jorge hosted the event in his stupendous apartment in Cabbagetown. We got to catching up about our lives, work and most importantly Jorge's new engagement! We decided to have a tapas-style potluck and each brought something to share. Jorge made coleslaw and braised ribs, John fried up some potato/salmon cakes, and I made ceviche and brought tortilla chips for scooping. 

In June of this year I shared a recipe for a halibut ceviche that I made for my hosts in London. This ceviche is similar in preparation. I bought eight fresh shrimps and six scallops from the fish monger on my street. I chopped those up and let them sit in the juice of two limes and one lemon (including their zest) for about an hour or so in the fridge. The acid denatures the fish and cooks it without any heat. The end result is fresh, citrusy and delicious. Then I diced up some tomatoes, red onion, seeded jalepeños, pineapple and cilantro. Then I drained the seafood and tossed it together with my diced fruit and veg. Then all it needed was a little salt and pepper and it was ready. It was a big hit. Ceviche is a ridiculously easy, fail-proof party pleaser. 

I hope you enjoyed this little excerpt of my weekend. Try some ceviche of your own when you can. It's cheap, nutritious, easy, versatile and a great way to experience a little bit of summer any time of the year. Cucumber, celery, avocado and all kinds of other ingredients also work great in ceviche. 

Be happy and stay fed,

B

Toronto Resto Recommendation

Sushi Marché - Queen East/Leslieville (with another location at 82 Laird Dr, just south of Eglinton East) 

Last night I was spending time with my beautiful friend and neighbour, Michelle. We both had a hankering for sushi (as if there's ever a time when we don't) and she recommended this place. I'd never tried it, and am a sushi fanatic, so I was up for it. It was tremendous! We placed our order and had it delivered. So this review is only going to be about the food, as I've not been to either location. I can't wait to go though!

So let's jump right into the food review. We ordered a Sushi Marché Dinner Special (pictured) which included 6 pieces of nigiri sushi, 10 pieces of fresh sashimi and Kamikaze roll (though you can choose a California roll if you'd prefer). We also shared a Negi Hamachi roll (yellowtail and green onion wrapped in steamed rice and nori), miso soup and salad. 

I was very impressed. Succulent, fresh cuts of chef's choice fish, clean and mildly fragrant steamed rice, refreshing vegetables, perfectly seasoned miso soup and everything was a work of art. In the very middle of the dinner special was a flower cup made from an English cucumber that presented slices of scallop sashimi crowned with Japanese mayo and pearly roe. I would absolutely eat from this place again. 

I was also just taking a look at the web-site and was enticed by an unusual offering this restaurant has: Sushi Lessons! For a fee of $200 for yourself (or $350 total as a couple) you can take a five hour Sunday class at the Queen East location. The class covers four sections: Rice, Cucumber/Avocado prep, Basic Rolls and Preparing for Easy Weekday Meals. You get to take home everything that you make in the class which has a menu value of about $200 and is enough to feed 6-8 people. I just might have to take one of these classes one of these days. In June of this year, I shared a restaurant experience for sushi dining that I had in London. I mentioned how much I loved sushi but had never learned how to make it. Could this be a sign!? Also, if you know somebody who's creative, loves sushi and lives in the Toronto area... this class could be a great holiday gift idea!

If you have the opportunity please check this place out. I was so pleased. You will be too.

Be happy and stay fed,

B

Check out their web-site!! http://sushimarche.com 

1105 Queen Street East  Toronto, ON M4M 1K7

(416) 463-0114