Basil Chicken, Basil Corn, & Basil GG Salad Dressing – Go Basil!

This is the best grilled chicken we’ve enjoyed in a very long time.  The recipe comes from a popular restaurant in Pennsylvania called JohnJJeffries and was recently posted in the Epicurious RSS.   This flavorful dish is brined, marinated and served with a chimichurri sauce. The process is a little lengthy, but worth it.

Allow for 1 hour brining and 4 hours marinating.

Serves 4

CHICKEN:

1/4 cup fine sea salt

2 teaspoons pickling spice (buy fresh if it’s been around a long while – this brine is only as good as your pickling spice!)

2 tablespoons honey

4 1/2 pounds of chicken pieces, or whole chicken backbone removed

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil, rough chopped

1/3 cup flat parsley, rough chopped

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh flat parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 garlic clove, minced

pinch of red pepper flakes

FOR THE CHIMICHURRI SAUCE:

Put all the ingredients in a processor and puree until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate.

FOR THE CHICKEN:

If you are using a whole chicken, removing the backbone as well as spliting it in two makes handling much easier (to ‘flatty’ a chicken see previous post: Roasted Flatty Chicken with Compound Butter 7/17/2010)

Boil 2 cups of water with pickling spices and 1/4 cup of fine sea salt in a large pot.  Stir and heat through until salt has dissolved.  Let cool on stove top.  Add 6 cups water and honey stirring until combined.  Place chicken pieces in pot and let brine for an hour.

Meanwhile mix 1/2 cup olive oil, shallot, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme and garlic in a processor until finely chopped.  Place herb mixture in a 13x9x2 inch glass dish.  Rinse chicken in cold water, pat dry and place in herb mixture.  Turn all the pieces coating all sides.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or more.

Prepare barbecue for medium heat.    Remove excess marinade from chicken pieces and place on a baking sheet.  Salt and pepper all sides.  Grill the chicken covered until cooked through turning about every 30 minutes.  Watch for flare-ups!  Move the chicken to cooler locals if necessary.

Alternatively, pre-heat oven to 325°.  Bake chicken for an hour and 40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165F.  

Serve with the chimichurri sauce.

Basil Lemon Corn on the Cob

This  version comes from the September issue of Food Network magazine.  We excluded the flavored oil side, because we think the water the corn cooks in is flavorful enough.

Serves 4

1/2 cup basil, whole leaves

1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt

4 ears of corn, cleaned

Bring 4 cups water, basil, lemon, oil and a pinch of salt to a boil.  Carefully add corn and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain and enjoy!

creamy basil green goddess dressing

This salad is from Ina Garten with only a few tweaks.  The dressing is very creamy and a little goes a long way, however it tastes very herbaceous and light because of the citrus, basil and tarragon.

serves 4

1 cup mayonnaise

4-6  green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh basil, rough chopped

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons tarragon, rough chopped

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoons fresh black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 cup sour cream

2 heads of bibb or butter lettuce, cleaned and dried and chopped

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

You will likely have far more dressing than required to dress your salads, but it also works well with baja fish taco, salmon sandwich or fajita, tartar sauce substitute and countless other applications.

Place the first 9 ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth.  Add sour cream and blend briefly.  Serve with tomatoes and lettuce.  We found that fresh croutons added a much needed grounding for this very rich dressing so you may want to cube some bread up, toss it with some olive oil, salt and pepper and bake approximately 15 minutes at 350°.

Asian Inspired Flank Steak with Mandarin, Almond Salad

from Kit and Gary Maestretti

This simple dish hits on just about every flavor point, sweet and sour from the mandarin oranges and dressing, salt and savory from the flank steak, crunch from the almonds and squishy-juicy from both the fruit and the meat.

serves 4

For the Flank Steak:

1   two pound flank steak

2   garlic cloves

1    one inch chunk of fresh ginger

1    cup soy

1 1/2  cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon agave nectar

For the Mandarin, Almond Salad:

1 head of butter lettuce

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1  four inch piece of cucumber

1 fifteen ounce can of mandarin oranges, liquid reserved

1/4 cup of light oil, such as canola

1 tablespoon reserved mandarin juice from the can

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons light vinegar, such as rice or white balsamic

pinch of sugar, salt and pepper

1. For the Flank Steak: Peel the ginger with a spoon or vegetable peeler and slice into approximately 4 pieces.  Peel and smash the garlic into slightly broken cloves.  Place both ginger and garlic into a re-sealable bag.  Pour wine, soy and agave nectar into the bag.  Shake vigorously, then add the flank steak.  Marinate for about an hour.

2. Build your fire or pre-heat your gas grill.  If using  coal let the heat reduce to a 3 second hand fire (about 375°). This is a hot and fast cooking method as the flank steak has little fat and is normally fairly thin.  Grill about 3 minutes a side.  When steak has reached  145° internal temperature, slice thinly across the grain.

3. For the Salad:  Chop, rinse and dry the lettuce.  In a small pan, toast the almonds to a light brown and let cool.  Peel the cucumber and slice thinly.  Place 1 tablespoon of the reserved mandarin orange juice into a cruet or bowl.  Add the oil, vinegar, soy, sugar, salt and pepper and shake or whisk vigorously until fully incorporated.  Toss the lettuce, cucumber and mandarin oranges with the dressing and place in four bowls.  Garnish with toasted almonds.

A helpful BBQ link #mce_temp_url#

Camerons Stove Top Smoked Baby Back Ribs

This dish is more easily accomplished with a manufactured stove top smoker, although you could probably assemble something similar using cookware and foil.  The essential item for the success of the stove top smoking are the wood chips.  For both the smoker and the chips, we highly recommend Camerons #mce_temp_url#.

No, we don’t have stock in the company… but it is an idea…

specially made wood chips

This recipe is essentially from the pamphlet that comes with the smoker.

serves 2-4

3  to 4 pound rack of baby back ribs

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup barbeque sauce

2 tablespoons smoking chips, such as pecan, hickory, oak, or any combination

non-stick spray

foil

1. Cut the rack of ribs in half so that the two halves fit in your pan or smoker.  Season both sides of each rack with salt, garlic powder and pepper.  Position the base of the smoker over a burner.  Place the wood chips in the center of the smoker.

pecan and oak chips in the base

2. Wrap a sheet of foil on the drip pan (optional – for easy clean up) and slowly lower the drip pan into the base taking care not to smash the wood chips.  Put the wire rack on top of the drip pan and spray smoker interior with non-stick spray.

3. Position the ribs on the wire rack that will allow for good airflow.  Slide the lid over the ribs or seal tightly with foil.  Turn the heat to medium or medium low, depending on your stovetop.  This is another ‘low and slow’ cooking method.  High heat will over cook the meat and make it tough.  Just as the first puffs of smoke are visible (about 3 minutes), start your timer. Camerons suggests 45 minutes a pound – we opt for about 30 minutes a pound, regardless 160° internal temperature is suggested.

ready for smoking!

sneaky smoke

4. Preheat your (toaster) oven to 450°. Line a sheet pan with foil (optional) that will accommodate the ribs as well as fit in the oven. Once your ribs have smoked, place the racks on the foil lined sheet pan and baste both sides of each rack lightly with barbeque sauce.  Bake the ribs for about 12-15 minutes, just enough to get a bit of crispiness.

We served this with a fantastic Savoy Lime and Cilantro Coleslaw straight from Food Network magazine Jul/Aug 2010 – the best coleslaw I’ve eaten.  Not traditional, but very tasty! See recipe below.

Pigs have been used as livestock as far back as 5000 B.C. and are one of the most commonly consumed meats around the world.  Unlike many other livestock, the pig is omnivorous, making it easier in countries with less grazing land to farm.

According to Ann Johnson, contributor of eHow: Pork became popular around 4000 B.C., when the emperor of ancient China made a royal edict, commanding his people to breed hogs. Hernando de Soto introduced pork to North America when he brought 13 hogs to Florida in 1525 A.D. In the 1760s George Washington imported hogs for special breeding. According to historians, pork was a regular on the menu of early American Revolutionists.

Read more: About Baby-Back Ribs | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_4565099_babyback-ribs.html#ixzz0tnd0maZ3

Food Network’s Tyler Florence Savoy, Lime and Cilantro Coleslaw

serves 4-6

1 head Savoy cabbage                      1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 scallions                                         1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, torn        2 limes

1/2 cup sour cream                           Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Shave cabbage with a sharp knife or mandoline so you have thin ribbons.  Cut the scallions long and on the bias so you have pieces similar to the cabbage.  Toss the cabbage, scallions and cilantro in a large salad bowl.

2. Make dressing by combining the sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar and the zest of the limes in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and finish with a squeeze of lime juice.  Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to combine.

Hail Caesar Salad!

This is not your purist’s approach to this dish, and it is heavy on the anchovy – perhaps not a ‘First Date’ salad… unless of course you both revel in the beautiful stinkyness of tiny, salty fish.  I don’t recall how I came to start making Caesar salad this way, but it has stuck.  Hope it’s sticks in your repertoire as well.

serves 4-6

FOR THE CROUTONS:

2 cups sourdough bread or any style bread, cubed

1 teaspoon herbs de provence

1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably coarse

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

olive oil for drizzling

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 3.5 ounce jar or can of anchovy fillets in oil, drained

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup or more extra virgin olive oil (amount explained below)

1/2 cup or more lemon juice, about 1 to 2 big, juicy lemons

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 to 2 heads of Romaine lettuce

4 ounces plus Parmesan

1. Preheat your (toaster) oven to 350°.  Place the cubed bread into a bowl and drizzle the olive oil while gently stirring.  Add spices and stir again.  Spread the seasoned bread crumbs in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.  Taste

2. Drain the oil from the jar or can of anchovies (preferably not down the sink – or add to your pet’s food for a tasty treat).  Place the anchovies in a small pot and pour in olive oil just enough to cover.  I like to use a more robust oil to match the intenseness of the fish.

3. Give each garlic clove a gentle bash with the side of your chef knife.  Peel and plop the garlic into the pot.  You may choose to mince the garlic and then add it, for a more garlicy taste.   Gently simmer the oil for about 6 minutes on low.  Please do not allow the oil to boil as it will turn the anchovies into jerky. Let cool. Discard garlic cloves.

4. While the oil is simmering, chop, wash and spin your lettuce.  In a small bowl, squeeze the juice of one lemon.  Slowly pour in oil mixture into the lemon bowl while whisking vigorously.  Add more lemon juice to taste.  Salt and pepper.  Taste with crouton or piece of lettuce for seasoning.

5.  Plate the lettuce into bowls.  Using a peeler grate the Parmesan over the lettuce, add a handful of croutons and spoon enough dressing to coat making sure you scoop up anchovies with your drizzle.

The history and origin of Caesar salad is cloudy; some have even suggested it’s creation was directly related to Julius Caesar, the controversial Roman leader.  Slightly less well known, and more likely the creator of this dish was Caesar Cardini originally from Italy.  The confusion of THE real inventor doesn’t stop there.  Cardini and his business partner had a restaurant in Tijuana, MX (choosing Mexico over the U.S. to avoid the then prohibition laws).  It was at this restaurant that Cardini was said to have ‘thrown’ the salad together with great flair and with the only ingredients he had left in the kitchen when a particular group of patrons had wondered in.  The dish, and Cardini’s performance caught on rapidly.  It was then that Cardini’s business partner said that it was he who(m) invented the salad.  A few other individuals wanted their names associated with the dish, but ultimately most people are settling with Caesar Cardini as the father of Caesar salad.

for your listening pleasure (not for the faint of heart):

#mce_temp_url#