As the kids have gotten older, we have had a bunch of food and they and their friends just come and go. I don't mind, at least I know where they are.
I usually end up overdoing it: hors d'oeuvres, dinner, then more hors d'oeuvres and munchies, topped off by some sparkling something and a few sweets.
This year, hopefully I will keep it to a reasonable amount of food...we'll see!
So...on the menu for tonight we have:
Chips and Queso
Bean Dip
Pico de Salsa
Brie and Crackers
Brie puff pastry
Fresh Fruit
Fresh Veggies
Cheese Ball w/Crostini
and possibly Wings.
Martinelli's Sparkling Cider
Random stuff I have wanted to mention:
When I lived in Argentina, a big celebratory meal was an Asado or barbecue as we refer to it here. Just meat, some rock salt and the grill over hot coals...basic, but spectacular. Part of the experience was the sauce they use with the fresh grilled meat...Chimichurri (plus, it's fun to say). I found a recipe that's pretty damn close to what I remember...
Chimichurri
Yield: Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Puree all ingredients in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and serve. Can be made 2
hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. If refrigerated between uses, which isn't necessary, let sit at room temp until the olive oil has thawed and it looks normal.Probably won't use that tonight, but who knows...
The following two recipes are #3 and #1 on Epicurious' website for 2013 Recipes. I have a variation of these, but I really like the technique used, and the commentary of Thomas Keller:
Pan Roasted Chicken
Thighs
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
6 skin-on, bone-in
chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds)
Kosher salt and
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable
oil
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12" cast-iron or heavy
nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Nestle chicken in
skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high; continue
cooking skin side down, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating
pan to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown,
about 10 minutes.
Transfer skillet to oven
and cook 12 more minutes. Flip chicken; continue cooking until skin crisps and
meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; let rest 5
minutes before serving.
My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken
Thomas Keller - Bouchon
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients
One 2- to
3-pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt and
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons
minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted butter
Preparation
Preheat the oven
to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, dry it very well with paper towels, inside and
out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.
Salt and pepper
the cavity, then truss the bird.
Trussing is not
difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel
comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the
body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from
drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a
more beautiful roasted bird.
Now, salt the
chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform
coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 Tbsp.) When
it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp
skin. Season to taste with pepper.
Place the chicken
in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the
chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you
can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it
until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme,
if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it
rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
Remove the twine.
Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and
thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two
succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm
cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand
why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip—until one day I got the
crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the
middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each.
The preparation is not meant to be super elegant. Slather the meat with fresh
butter. Serve with a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork,
but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.
See what I mean, love the part about eating the wing immediately and sharing the oysters...only someone who truly loves food will understand.
I'll post my Beer Can Chicken as the weather warms up, it's a grill item.
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