Recently in Poultry Category
"The Good Wife's Chicken" has a number of names. The base dish has been around since antebellum days. Local restaurants have created their own variations on the dish, such as Chicken Clemenceau at Antoine's or Tujague's, or Chicken Pontalba at Brennan's.
I did a podcast on Chicken Bonne Femme back in 2005, but didn't accompany it with any photos at that time. My firstborn, home for the summer from the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been regularly requesting that I cook classic Creole dishes for the family, since he doesn't get much of that in Atlanta.
The Ingredients:
(Full recipe is at the bottom.) The classic recipe calls for two whole chickens, cut up. When I make this dish for just wife and I, that's how I do it. She'll eat the white meat pieces, I'll go for the dark. The boys complicate this, though, because they're also white meat people. For this meal, I went with "chicken breast tenders." Zuppardo's Supermarket sells not only boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but they also cut them up into tender-sized pieces. This has some pluses and minuses. On the plus side, there's less fat in the dish this way, but that fat is also part of the flavoring. I also cheated by using diced-up ham, the kind you buy for omlettes and such. That helped speed things up in cooking.
The starch in Chicken Bonne Femme is fried potatoes. We call them Brabant Potatoes when served as a side course. The usual way to cook the potatoes is to cube and deep-fry them. Rather than deep-frying in vegetable oil, I usually convection-bake the potatoes in a bit of olive oil. This way, I don't have to pull out my deep-fryer, which makes the house smell like a fast-food restaurant for a day or two.
Cut up bacon into small pieces and fry. When cooked, remove bacon and reserve the fat for cooking the chicken.
Lightly dust the chicken with flour and fry in the bacon fat. I usually add a bit of ground thyme and creole seasoning to the flour.
Saute the onions and green onions until they are translucent. Add the ham, mushrooms, Tabasco, worcestershire and wine. Simmer for a few minutes. Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the potatoes. Sauce is ready to serve when the potatoes absorb the liquid.
Melt the stick of butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat, skim off foam, and add chopped or pressed garlic.
To serve, spoon some of the sauce onto a plate, Place the chicken on top of sauce, then drizzle garlic butter over chicken. Top with bacon crumbles:
Some variations of the dish will call for placing toast or a Holland rusk on the plate first, then the sauce. This helps absorb some of the sauce if the dish is a bit runny.
Congratulations, you've cooked Creole!
The formal recipe:
Ingredients
4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch squares
2 chickens, about 3 1/2 lbs., quartered
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 cup ham, cut into tiny dice
1 cups chopped green onion tops
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup dry white wine
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. Tabasco
2 lbs. white potatoes, peeled and diced
Vegetable oil for frying
1 stick butter
8 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, then remove. Drain excess fat, leaving about a teaspoon.
2. Dust (don't dredge) chicken quarters lightly with flour. Raise the heat to high and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces and keep warm.
3. In the same pan saute the ham, green onions, and yellow onions until the latter turn translucent. Add mushrooms, wine, Worcestershire, and Tabasco, and bring it up to a boil. After a minute, lower to a simmer.
4. In a separate skillet, fry the potatoes in 390-degree oil until very lightly browned. Drain them well and add to the ham, onions, etc. (The bonne femme garnish.)
5. Continue simmering sauce until all of the liquid is absorbed; lightly stir to distribute ingredients. Remove from heat.
6. Heat the butter in a small saucepan until it starts bubbling. Lower the heat, skim the foam off, and add the garlic. Cook the garlic in the hot butter for about a minute.
7. Put the chicken pieces in a broiling pan. Spoon the bonne femme garnish over and between the chicken pieces. Spoon the garlic butter over and salt and pepper the lot. Crumble the bacon over the top.
8. Put the pan into a preheated 400-degree oven and cook for 7-12 minutes. Turn the pieces, redistribute the sauce, and bake for another 5-7 minutes. If the white meat is cooked, remove it from the pan and keep warm. Continue cooking the leg quarters until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced. Return the breasts to the mixture, and serve with lots of the garnish. Serves four.
We all have those nights where the world rushes by too fast for us to get overly creative and/or fancy in the kitchen. In our house, Tuesdays are usually "no-cook" night, because my son's boy scout troop meets at 7:30pm. Tomorrow evening, however, the Brother Martin High School Jazz Band (which counts my boy as its only 8th grade member, adds the proud dad) has its spring concert. Not wanting to go out twice on weeknights meant cooking last night.
OK, it's easy to cook something, but hey, this is New Orleans. If I can, I want to give family a classy meal.
Enter Mosca's Chicken Grande mix.
Mosca's Restaurant is located across the river, on US 90, where Westwego becomes Avondale. Legend has it that reputed mob boss Carlos Marcello took an interest in the culinary career of Provino Mosca in the 1940s after the war. Needing a place way off the beaten path where his business conversations would go unobserved by law enforcement, Marcello set up Mosca in business. Whether that's true or not really doesn't matter, because the Moscas know how to make Chicken a la Grande.
Nick Mosca's product line includes seasoning blends for both Chicken a la Grande and the other famous dish from the restaurant, Shrimp Mosca. Cooking the chicken is really simple, roast it in the right mix of white wine, olive oil, herbs and spices. The trick is the combinations, of course, and this product does a pretty good job of it.
The restaurant uses cut-up chicken pieces, but I cheated and used boned chicken breasts. They were on the large size, so I cut them up before cooking, browning them on each side in a bit of olive oil, then pour a bit of white wine over them to deglaze the pan:
Add the seasoning mix. The spices smell good right out of the jar:
If you're wondering where my most-awesome cast iron frying pan is, it sat this dinner out. I needed a pan with a solid cover for simmering:
Simmer the chicken for a while. Last night, it was over an hour before wife got home, so the smells of garlic and rosemary were everywhere. Look at the rosemary that comes up just from stirring the sauce:
Dinner! The yummy chicken, along with some angel hair pasta and Green Giant cauliflower with cheese sauce. Not much more work than a pan of Manwich, and infinitely better.
There's no easier way to cook a fantastic chicken than to make Chicken Grande, using Chef Nick Mosca's seasoning. I looked for it on the web, but I don't see Mosca's products available on-line.
Mosca's Chicken Grande seasoning is a 4-oz bottle of olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning. The instructions say to saute chicken in the seasoning with a little white wine.
It's awesome and easy. I used boneless chicken breasts tonight. I also had some sliced mushrooms I tossed in. The chicken's served with angel hair pasta and a salad of field greens, along with some Cavit Pinot Grigio.
Hopefully our kitchen stuff arrives this week (Quality brand cabinets, Cathedral style, "champagne" finish, for those of you who know such things), because this cooking without a kitchen is getting old. Dinner tonight was grilled chicken basted with Emeril's "sesame asian" stuff-in-a-bottle.
First, sprinkle with a bit of Zatarain's Creole Seasoning:
Now, coat with the marinade:
Hot off the grill:
Plated. The rice is a Green Giant frozen rice pilaf thingy--the microwave survived the flood, since it was above the range. The bread is a small loaf from Zuppardo's grocery. I figure I rate somewhere above a typical Bobby Flay presentation. I'll do better once I have plates again, but wife doesn't allow me to use them until the sink is re-installed. *droll grin*
We're back after vacation! Technical difficulties forced us to cancel the podcast last week (mainly because we were in Boston and the internet connection was problematic). But we're home and hot, so it's time for more cooling Summer Creole Recipes:
Marinated Shrimp
1/2 cup olive oil or salad oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1-2 clove garlic, peeled and halved
1/2 sweet red pepper, cored,seeded and cut into short fine strips
1 teaspoon drained capers, chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced crosswise
2 lbs cooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 lettuce leaves (optional)
1. Combine the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, salt, peppers and cayenne in mixing bowl.
2. Lightly beat together with a wire whisk.
3. Add the scallions, garlic, sweet peppers, capers and celery and stir to mix.
4. Fold in the shrimp.
5. Cover closely and marinate in the refrigerator for atleast 3 hours.
6. Discard the garlic before serving (unless you can eat garlic like I can).
7. If desired, serve in lettuce leaf cups.
Poached lemon chicken
Makes 12 servings
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into one-inch-wide strips
3 leeks, washed, trimmed and cut lengthwise in half
2 to 3 cups chicken broth
Salt, cayenne and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Put the chicken breasts, leeks and broth in a large saucepan. Cover with chicken broth and season with salt, cayenne and black pepper. Simmer until tender. Cool. Pack in an airtight container with some of the broth to keep the chicken from drying out.
Serve with crème fraiche flavored with fresh lemon juice and chopped fresh dill, or this curry mayonnaise.
Curry mayonnaise
Makes about 1 cup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder (try the Madras curry powder if you can find it)
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon minced onions
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk to blend well. Store in an ice chest until ready to serve.
Double or triple the next recipe, store it in an airtight container and bury it in ice in an ice chest.
Shrimp and orzo salad
Makes 4 servings
6 cups water
2 teaspoons (or more to taste) salt
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne
2 pounds large shrimp, deheaded
½ cup orzo pasta
2 cups mayonnaise
¼ cup Creole mustard
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ pint cherry tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce to taste (optional)
Put the water, salt and cayenne in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp, allow water to come back to a boil and cook for three to five minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pot and spread the shrimp on a large platter to cool.
Add the orzo to the water in the pot and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool.
Shell and devein the shrimp, and cut into bite-size pieces. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, dill, parsley and lemon juice in a large bowl and whisk to blend.
Fold in the shrimp, the orzo and the cherry tomatoes. Season with more salt if needed, the black pepper and the hot sauce if using. Store in an airtight container and chill.
Barbecued Shrimp Tangipahoa
Ingredients:
36 (16–20 count) shrimp, head-on
½ pound butter
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup minced garlic
¼ cup minced purple shallots
½ cup sliced green onions
3 tbsps chopped basil
3 tbsps chopped oregano
3 tbsps chopped rosemary
2 tbsps chopped thyme
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beer
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Creole seasoning to taste
Louisiana hot sauce to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 13" x 9” baking dish with a 2-inch lip, spread shrimp out evenly. In a 1-quart saucepot, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shallots, green onions, basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Sauté 3–5 minutes to flavor butter with herb mixture. Blend in Worcestershire and beer. Pour hot mixture over shrimp. Season with salt, pepper, Creole seasoning and hot sauce. Overseason because shells will prevent meat from absorbing most flavors. Place in oven and stir shrimp once during cooking. Cook 15 minutes or until shrimp are pink and curled. Do not overcook, as shrimp will become hard to peel. Place 6 shrimp in each of 6 soup bowls and top with equal portions of herbed-butter sauce. Serve with New Orleans French Bread.
Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake with Praline Sauce
Makes One 9” cheesecake
½ lb Butter
4 C Graham cracker crumbs
2 ½ lbs Cream cheese
8 oz Creole cream cheese (*must be made 3-4 days in advance)
6 ea Eggs
2 C Sugar
2 T Vanilla
2 C Pecans
2 C Praline liqueur
1 ½ C Dark karo syrup
½ lb Butter
½ C Corn starch
1 ½ C Water
1 T Vanilla
Pinch of salt
To make Graham Cracker Crust:
Melt butter and allow to slightly cool. Pour melted butter over graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl. Mix butter and graham cracker crumbs with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Spoon graham cracker mixture into a 9” spring form cheesecake pan. Firmly press the mixture across the entire bottom of the pan and about half way up the sides of the pan. Use a small measuring cup or juice glass to tightly pack the crust against the pan if necessary. Crust should be about ¼” thick to avoid crumbling.
To make Creole Cream Cheese Filling:
Preheat oven to 300°. Mix cream cheese, Creole cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla in food processor until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of processor bowl to ensure that ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to do this in two batches. Spoon filling into graham cracker crust lined pan. Bake for 2 hours, or until set. Chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, before cutting to serve.
To make Praline Topping:
Evenly spread pecans on a sheet pan and lightly toast in a 300° oven. Bring praline liqueur, karo syrup and butter to a simmer. Make a slurry (culinary term for a thin paste) with cornstarch and water. Temper slurry with a small amount of the hot liqueur, syrup and butter, then add the slurry to the remaining hot liquid, whisking continuously. Continue cooking until mixture begins to thicken. Add toasted pecans, vanilla and salt. Allow topping to cool to room temperature. Spoon over each slice of cheesecake immediately before serving.
Chicken Bonne Femme is a classic Creole dish that dates back to the 19th century. The basic idea is chicken served with fried potatoes. Over time, chefs in New Orleans developed variations on the basic theme, such as Chicken Clemenceau at Galatoire's, Tujagues or Antoine's, or Chicken Pontalba from Brennan's on Royal Street.
The Recipes: Chicken Bonne Femme, Chicken Clemenceau Delmonico, Chicken Pontalba
Chicken Bonne Femme
Recipe from Tom Fitzmorris, this one is representative of the dish as served at Antoine's or Tujagues. Add more garlic to accurately represent the Tujagues version.
Ingredients 4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch squares
2 chickens, about 3 1/2 lbs., quartered
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 cup ham, cut into tiny dice
1 cups chopped green onion tops
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup dry white wine
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. Tabasco
2 lbs. white potatoes, peeled and diced
Vegetable oil for frying
1 stick butter
8 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, then remove. Drain excess fat, leaving about a teaspoon. 2. Dust (don't dredge) chicken quarters lightly with flour. Raise the heat to high and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces and keep warm. 3. In the same pan saute the ham, green onions, and yellow onions until the latter turn translucent. Add mushrooms, wine, Worcestershire, and Tabasco, and bring it up to a boil. After a minute, lower to a simmer. 4. In a separate skillet, fry the potatoes in 390-degree oil until very lightly browned. Drain them well and add to the ham, onions, etc. (The bonne femme garnish.) 5. Continue simmering sauce until all of the liquid is absorbed; lightly stir to distribute ingredients. Remove from heat. 6. Heat the butter in a small saucepan until it starts bubbling. Lower the heat, skim the foam off, and add the garlic. Cook the garlic in the hot butter for about a minute. 7. Put the chicken pieces in a broiling pan. Spoon the bonne femme garnish over and between the chicken pieces. Spoon the garlic butter over and salt and pepper the lot. Crumble the bacon over the top. 8. Put the pan into a preheated 400-degree oven and cook for 7-12 minutes. Turn the pieces, redistribute the sauce, and bake for another 5-7 minutes. If the white meat is cooked, remove it from the pan and keep warm. Continue cooking the leg quarters until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced. Return the breasts to the mixture, and serve with lots of the garnish. Serves four.
Chicken Clemenceau Delmonico
From Emeril's Delmonico on St. Charles Avenue
* 1 fryer, about 3 1/2 pounds
* Drizzle of olive oil
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 pound Smithfield Ham, julienned
* 1/2 cup minced onions
* 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
* 1/2 pound assorted Exotic mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and sliced
* 1/2 pound green peas
* 1/2 pound brabant potatoes (small diced blanched potatoes that are fried until golden)
* 3 tablespoons white vinegar
* 3 tablespoons white wine
* 10 peppercorns, crusted
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
* 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
* 3 egg yolks
* 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season the chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and continue to cook for 30 minutes. In a large saute pan, melt the butter. Add the ham and saute for 2 minutes. Add the onions. Saute for 1 minute. Add the garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the peas and potatoes. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, wine, peppercorns, shallots, and tarragon. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to 1 tablespoon. Add 1 tablespoon of water. Add the egg yolks and whisk, over low heat, until frothy, about 3 to 4 minutes. In a steady stream, add the butter until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce through a chinois and set aside. Remove the chicken from the oven and carve into 4 pieces (2 breast and 2 leg/thigh). To serve, spoon the potato mixture on the bottom of each plate. Lay the individual chicken portions on top of the potatoes. Spoon the Bernaise Sauce over the chicken and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Chicken Pontalba
The Brennan's recipe, via www.gumbopages.com
* 2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup butter
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* Dash of pepper
* Water for poaching
* 8 chicken breasts, boned, skinned and halved
* 4 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
* 2 cups white onions, chopped
* 2 cups green onions, chopped
* 1-1/2 cups boiled ham, chopped
* 2 cups mushroom, sliced
* 1-1/2 cups diced potatoes, deep fried about 2 minutes
* 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
* 3/4 cup white wine
* 3 cups Bearnaise sauce
In a large saute pan or skillet put in the 2 tablespoons butter, salt, pepper, and add about 1/4 inch water to the pan. Bring this poaching liquid to the boil, add breasts, cover, lower heat and simmer 15 minutes or until the breasts are done. With a slotted spoon remove the breasts and keep warm in 175 degree oven. Discard the poaching liquid.
In another sautepan or skillet, melt the remaining butter and saute the garlic, onions, ham and mushrooms until they are brown. Add the wine and reduce by one-third. Add fried potatoes and parsley and cook 2 minutes. Remove and keep warm in the oven.
To assemble the Pontalba, put 1/8 of the potato/ham mixture in the center of the plate. Place on each side of the mixture one half of a chicken breast. Top each breast with a generous amount of Bearnaise sauce.
Yield: 8 servings.
