How you doin’? Now that we’re in the summer season, salads of all kinds are abundant. I like complex salads—just plain lettuce and tomatoes need not apply here. I sent you the Chilled Couscous Salad a few weeks ago… it’s one of my favorites. Today I want to share a Classic Curry Chicken Salad recipe like the one we created for The Haven in San Francisco.
 
So, who invented the chicken salad?...someone had to. The first documented American form of chicken salad was served by Town Meats in Wakefield, Rhode Island, in 1863 (right in the middle of the Civil War). The original owner, Liam Gray, mixed his leftover chicken with mayonnaise, tarragon, and grapes. This became such a popular item that Mr. Gray turned his meat market into a delicatessen.
 
I’ve spiced mine up a bit with curry. My Curry Chicken Salad is an easy cut-and-toss mixture of celery, green onion and red or green grapes held together with a mayonnaise, mustard and curry dressing. It is a cacophony of textures, spices, sweet and tart flavors. I like it just on a plate as is, but this salad is great on top of greens, in a sandwich or a wrap.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Alternative 80 / 90 minutes for cooling (if you are cooking the chicken from scratch)
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grainy mustard (I prefer Maille - Old Style Grain Mustard)  
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I prefer Maille – Original Dijon Mustard)  
3/4 cup small-diced celery
1/4 cup chopped green onion tops
1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade cut*
1-1/2-pounds cooked boneless medium diced chicken—breasts or thighs or a combination of both
1 cup red or green grapes, cut in halve
1 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoons fresh coarsely ground black pepper or to taste,
 
Directions

1. This is the perfect recipe for left over cold chicken.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustards, celery, green onions and curry; stir to combine.
3. Add the chicken and mix together with the mayo mixture.
4. Fold in the cut grapes being careful not to break them up.
5. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
6. Serve as a topper or a green salad, a sandwich or wrap.
7. Store leftover chicken salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

ChefSecret: 

• Chiffonade is a fancy word for the very simple process of slicing basil or any other delicate herb or leafy greens into very thin ribbons. The word sounds as light and airy as the spirals of basil themselves. Here's all you need to know about making a chiffonade of basil—stack, roll, thin slice.
• Don’t have any leftover chicken? Make it fresh. Preheat an oven to 375°F. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Place them on a sheet pan and bake for 18- to 20-minutes. Use an instant thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Allow the chicken to cool completely in the refrigerator, about 60 to 70-minutes before mixing the chicken salad.
• If you are looking for a more traditional chicken salad, cut the curry powder and add 1/2 teaspoon of tarragon instead. Either way you can’t go wrong.

#Salad #ChickenSalad #Curry #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19

How you doin’? One of my favorite dinners is roasted chicken. When you have some extra time on your hands this is the perfect way to feed a family of 4 to 6 with very little effort. I don’t like to roast pieces and I don’t have the time or the inclination to mess around with a whole bird—so I ask my butcher to spatchcock it for me. No, I’m not talking dirty to you. It’s a difficult word to say with a straight face, I know.
 
No one can say for sure where this strange word came from—I checked it out. In The Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson explains (in my best English accent), “The theory is that the word is an abbreviation of ‘dispatch the cock,’ a phrase used to indicate a summary way of grilling a bird after splitting it open down the back and spreading the two halves out flat.” Davidson further speculates that the word is Irish in origin, having seen the term in Irish cookbooks that date back to the 18th century. But go ahead call it “butterflied” chicken if that helps reduce the giggle factor.
 
I buy my poultry at Farmer’s Market Poultry at the Original Los Angeles Farmer’s Market. These guys will cut up poultry any way I (or you) like. I ask them to spatchcock the bird, leaving the wing tips on, removing the ribs and back. I want to bag up all the trim to freeze for when I want to make stock.
 
Prep time:  10-15 minutes
Brine time:  1-2 hours
Wet Rub time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  80-85 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients:
For the brine
1-gallon cold water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sriracha (or other hot sauce)
1 3- to 4-pound chicken
 
For the wet rub
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar  
4 tablespoons minced garlic salt
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dry sage
1/2 teaspoon dry rubbed rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
 
For the sheet pan prep
2 lemons sliced into rounds
1 large yellow onion sliced into ringlets
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
 
For the baste
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
 
Directions:

1. Marinade the chicken in the brine made with water, salt and sriracha for an hour or two.
2. Prepare the wet rub by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Preheat your oven to 400⁰ F.
4. Pull the chicken from the brine; do not rinse it. Pat the chicken skin dry. Rub the whole chicken with the wet rub and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
5. Line a sheet pan with foil, add the lemon slices and onion ringlets, and drizzle everything with olive oil and lemon juice.
6. Place the prepared sheet pan in the oven to cook the onions.

To roast the chicken

1. After the wet-rubbed chicken has rested for 30 minutes, and being careful handling the hot sheet pan, place the chicken on the area of the sheet pan that is covered with sliced onion rings and lemon slices—push all the onions and lemons under the chicken. Tuck the wingtips under the chicken breast.
2. Roast the chicken at 400ºF for about 40 minutes. Rotate the pan every 15 minutes to ensure even roasting; baste the chicken with butter and lemon juice each time.
3. After 40 minutes cook time, increase the oven temperature to 450ºF and roast for about an additional 15 minutes to further crisp the skin.

Use a meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone, to check the temperature. It should be 165ºF when ready.

1. Remove the chicken to a platter or cutting board and loosely tent it with foil. If the foil tent is too tight, the steam will not escape and the skin will not be crispy. The internal temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees.

ChefSecret: Every oven and every chicken cooks differently, so be sure to check the internal temperature at the thigh to prevent over- or under-cooking.
If you’re buying packaged chicken at a supermarket, follow these directions to spatchcock it:

• Turn the chicken over, breast-side down.
• Using a pair of sharp heavy-duty kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone. Repeat on the other side of the backbone.
• Remove the ribs.
• Reserve the all the trimmings for making stock for gravy.
• Flatten the chicken further, press down firmly on both sides of the breastbone until you hear a cracking sound. Try to get the chicken as flat as you can.

#Spatchcock #Chicken #OvenRoastedChicken #Entrees #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19

How you doin’? Guess what day it is!... It’s Happy Hour Friday! When I was over in Scotland, I found this little inn in Inverness where it was okay to stay long and sip a few drams of Scotch whisky every night.
 
Sometimes it’s just “neat” to have Scotch NEAT! There are few drinking experiences as pure and joyful as two fingers of Chivas in a darkened pub at the end of a busy and bustling day. But that doesn’t mean the spirit should be relegated to a life of just neat pours or over-the-rocks drinks. Bartenders around the world are celebrating with Scotch’s many personalities, creating some of the most exciting cocktails. While not all are new—some may be new to you—give them a try.
 
The Penicillin Cocktail
Quick, think of a Scotch cocktail! It’s hard, isn’t it? Scotch, although a formidable spirit in its own right, doesn’t often appear in cocktails, because its smokiness presents a challenge. Gentler whiskeys, like rye and bourbon, pair better with other ingredients. But if there’s one Scotch cocktail worth knowing, it’s the Penicillin. This Scotch-based whiskey sour—made with both blended and peaty Scotch—is a true modern classic. This version has ginger, spice and everything nice. It won’t cure all that ails you, but it will come close
 
Ingredients
2 oz blended Scotch
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz honey-ginger syrup*
1/4 oz Islay single-malt Scotch (or your favorite single-malt)
Garnish: 1-piece candied ginger
 
Directions

1. Add the blended scotch, lemon juice and syrup to a shaker with ice; shake well.
2. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice cubes.
3. Top with the single-malt scotch.
4. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger.

ChefSecret:  Here’s how to make honey-ginger syrup—combine 1 cup honey, 1 6” piece of peeled and thinly sliced ginger and 1 cup water in a saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to steep overnight. Strain with a cheesecloth.
 
The Presbyterian Cocktail
If you treat your scotch like a religion, try this simple and classic cocktail. Be sure to use a spicy ginger ale so you get the most out of the three-part combo. Not a fan of Scotch? The Presbyterian is also delicious with a measure of American bourbon.
 
Ingredients
2 oz Scotch
Spicy ginger ale
Club soda
 
Directions

1. Add the scotch to a Collins glass over ice (that’s a tall, slender, straight glass)
2. Fill with equal amounts of ginger ale and soda.

 
The Godfather Cocktail
I’ll make you a drink you can’t refuse. This cocktail was named after the popular 1970s-era film "The Godfather." It is often made with equal parts of Scotch and Amaretto, but this version, I find a tad too sweet so I dialed back the Amaretto.
 
Ingredients
2 oz blended Scotch or Bourbon
1/4 oz Amaretto
 
Directions

1. Fill a mixing glass 2/3 full of ice, add the ingredients, and stir until chilled.
2. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

 
The Rusty Nail Cocktail
Bold and brown, the Rusty Nail is the kind of cocktail your grandfather might’ve sipped before dinner. It was invented in 1937 for a British trade show. The two-ingredient classic highlights Drambuie, a Scotch-based liqueur flavored with honey, herbs and spices; the precise formulation still remains a closely guarded secret. It was sometimes aged by wealthy ship-owners in the holds of sailing ships. What we do know is that the word Drambuie is derived from Gaelic, meaning "the drink that satisfies." The same thing could be said about the Rusty Nail Cocktail itself.
 
Ingredients
1-1/2 oz Scotch
3/4 oz Drambuie
 
Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a rocks glass with ice and lightly stir.

 
The Rob Roy Cocktail
Rob Roy, (Robert MacGregor) was an infamous Highland outlaw in the 1600’s whose reputation as a Scottish Robin Hood was exaggerated in Sir Walter Scott ’s novel Rob Roy (1818). You can celebrate the Scottish folk hero tonight with the classic Scotch-based Rob Roy cocktail. This recipe is like a Manhattan, but uses Scotch instead of Rye and Angostura bitters instead of aromatic bitters. The difference is delicious—try it for yourself.
 
Ingredients
2 oz Scotch
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Garnish: 2 brandied cherries
 
Directions

1. Add all the ingredients, except the garnish, into a mixing glass over ice and stir.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with 2 speared brandied cherries.

 
ChefSecret: Here is a list of the best cocktail-making Scotch liquors under $50:
Aberfeldy 12-Year ($43)

• Glenmorangie Original 10-Year ($46)
• Dewar’s White Label ($26)
• The Famous Grouse ($28)
• Johnnie Walker Black ($36)

 This list is not organized by importance or quality. Prices are averages—subject to change—and can vary from state to state.

#ScotchCocktails #Single-Malt #Cocktails #RobRoy #RustyNail #HappyHour #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #Chivas #Glenmorangie #JohnnieWalker

How you doin’? I was feeling a little nostalgic today… thinking about the good old days in NorCal. Perspectives offices were in San Francisco at California and Sansome Streets right across the street from Tadich’s Grill. The food at Tadich’s was so damn good my partners and I wound up there almost 3 times a week for lunch and nightly for drinks.
 
The original Tadich’s opened in 1849 as a coffee stand on Clay Street in San Francisco. It is the oldest restaurant in California and the third oldest in the United States. Can you imagine the history with this restaurant, from the Gold Rush to the current pandemic? 
 
In 1928 the Buich family purchased the restaurant from John Tadich; they continue to own the restaurant today. In 1967 the restaurant moved to its present location at 240 California Street; this was after Wells Fargo bought the Clay Street location for redevelopment. They have been open for business at that location ever since.
 
On a sad note, they had to close their doors in mid-March by order of Mayor London Breed, but on a happier note, they’ve recently re-opened with curbside pickup and delivery. We all hope they will be able to reopen the dining room soon.
 
I had three everyday menu favorites… Petrale Sole, Sand Dabs and The Crab Louie. The Cioppino and Lobster Thermidor are also spectacular, but not for every day. Louies are a great spring and summer salad.
 
The Shrimp Louie was invented in San Francisco in the early 1900’s. It’s made with large chilled shrimp, lettuce, hard cooked egg, sliced avocado and tomato wedges. The Louie dressing is similar to Thousand Island dressing and is made with mayonnaise, ketchup, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion, salt and pepper. A variation on the salad is cracked local Dungeness crab and is known as Crab Louie—my favorite.
 
You should only use the freshest local Dungeness crab possible. Crab season usually begins in mid-November and, technically, runs to June or July, depending on the location. It takes a little time to put this salad together, but for an elegant meal it’s a showstopper!
 
Prep time:  40 minutes
Yield:  Serves 4 people
 
Ingredients
For the dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon chili sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
 
For the salad
12 asparagus spears, trimmed
Two 6-ounce romaine hearts, torn crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 6-ounce seedless cucumber, cut into spears
4 large red radishes, shredded
4 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 hard-cooked eggs, cut into wedges
1 avocado, quartered and sliced
1-pound crabmeat, preferably Dungeness (1/4-pound per plate)
 
Directions
How to assemble the Crab Louie

1. Make the dressing fresh. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the ketchup, chili sauce, lemon juice, garlic, relish, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to let it come up to room temperature; about 15 minutes. Salad dressings are always best served at room temperature.
2. In a medium saucepan, boil the asparagus in boiling salted water, cook the asparagus until just tender; about 3 minutes. Drain and cool immediately in ice water to set the color.
3. Divide the ingredients into 4 portions. Arrange the romaine, cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, eggs and asparagus on a platter. Top with large chunks of the crabmeat and serve the dressing on the side.

ChefSecret:  Never cut the Romaine—it will wilt and discolor! Tear the romaine into pieces and it will remain crisp and green.

#Crab #LouieSalad #CrabLouie #ShrimpLouie #Entrees #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19

How you doin’? I hope life is improving in your area and that your family is healthy and well. We’re hanging in there here in Los Angeles. It seems like there are changes every hour… never a dull moment!
 
I’ve been reading a lot about English cooking and potatoes as comfort foods. I started oven-roasting bakers for 2 hours at 400⁰ and found them to be the best baked potatoes ever—with a crisp, snappy skin and a light fluffy interior. Load it up with butter and cheese (or chili or vegetables and cheese) and it’s a meal-in-itself.
 
After discovering the English bakers I’ve been scouring sources for other great textured potato recipes— English or otherwise. The latest one I’ve seen is from a relative who lives in London. She claims that they are neat, crispy, roasted potatoes. The recipe promises crispy, lightly  browned potatoes with creamy insides with few ingredients and that’s good enough for me.
 
The recipe is as simple as any other roasted potato recipe, except this one has a couple of secrets—not Harry Potter secrets, but chef secrets. It’s more than chunks of boiled potatoes in oil, roasted in a hot oven—it’s much more.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Boil time:  8-9 minutes
Bake time:  45-60 minutes
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients
1/3 cup light olive oil
3 to 5 quarts of boiling water
3 tablespoons table salt
3 to 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)
 
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400⁰F.
2. While the oven is preheating, place a rimmed sheet pan on the middle shelf of the oven with 1/3 cup of olive oil spread over the surface.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. When the boiling starts, add the table salt.
4. Add the potato chunks and boil for 8 to 9 minutes, until just fork tender.
5. Using a colander, drain the potatoes well.
6. Put the drained potatoes back into the pot, put the lid on and “shake, shake, shake” to rough-up the edges of the potatoes a little—creating more surface area for browning and crispiness while keeping the insides sweet and creamy.
7. Transferred the potatoes to a rack set over a sheet pan to cool off and dry out for about 10 minutes (not the sheet pan from the oven).
8. Toss the potatoes onto the pre-heated, oil slick sheet pan. Cook the potatoes until browned and crisp about 45 to 60 minutes. Using a wide spatula, gently turn the potatoes occasionally while roasting until they are golden-brown and crisp on all sides.
9. After carefully removing the hot sheet pan from the oven, finish the potatoes by sprinkling with 2 teaspoons flaky salt and a tablespoon of minced parsley.

ChefSecret:  Don’t be a helicopter cook (don’t hover over your food), flip the potatoes only after 35 to 40 minutes after the bottoms are starting to brown. If they are not brow enough for you, continue to cook for another 15 minutes or so.

#EnglishRoastedPotatoes #Potatoes #OvenRoastedPotatoes #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19