How you doin’? Get ready, this is a pop quiz. How long does it take to sous-vide a chicken breast? A few weeks ago, I shared the secrets of cooking sous vide-style. This is an open book test—refer to Cooking Lesson #8. Or, I’ll help you out here: Chicken Breasts or Thighs: 2.5 hours @ 137⁰F.
 
The main reason for sous vide cooking chicken breasts is the perfect texture you get every time. Plus, you always have some ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat-and-eat chicken in the fridge. This is one of these recipes, though you can make it with raw chicken breasts—it just take a little longer.
 
This sous vide-cooked chicken is spiced up with Southwestern spices and smothered with chopped tomatoes, green chiles, queso sauce, all topped with Cheddar (or Monterey Jack) cheese.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Bake time:  20 minutes (if using sous-vide cooked chicken breasts)
Bake time:  50 minutes (if using raw chicken breasts)
Yield:  2 servings
 
Ingredients
2 sous vide-cooked chicken breasts, skinless and boneless (or raw breasts)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 can (10-ounces) Ro•tel diced tomatoes and mild green chiles
1 cup Chile Con Queso sauce, medium (On-the Border Queso jarred sauce)
1 cup Cheddar, shredded, or Monterey Jack cheese, or Cheddar & Monterey Jack mix
1/2 Roma tomato, chopped, for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped, for garnish
 
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Pull the sous vide-cooked or raw chicken breasts from the refrigerator to temper a little before baking—pat to dry with paper towels. Cooking anything from a refrigerator-cold state, only extends the cooking time and risks over-cooking the exterior while waiting for the interior to reach safe temperature.
3. Spray a baking dish with food release.
4. Place the chicken breasts in the baking dish.
5. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, and salt over both sides of the chicken.
6. Top chicken breasts with half the Ro•tel
7. Spread Queso sauce evenly over each chicken breast.
8. Top chicken breasts with the remaining half of chopped tomatoes and canned green chiles.
9. Top chicken with shredded cheeses.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through, the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. If using raw breasts, cook for an additional 30 minutes until the chicken breasts reach 165° internal temperature.
11. Top with chopped tomato and chopped fresh cilantro, and serve.

 
ChefSecret:  

• If you are not using Ro•tel substitute with 1 cup diced tomato and 2-ounces of mild green chiles, drained and chopped.
• Make it a complete meal by starting with a layer of refried beans (1 can) or cooked rice (one pouch of Uncle Ben’s Ready Spanish Rice) in the bottom of the baking dish and then follow the directions above.
• I also like to add a 2-ounce layer of green sauce for added flavor (optional). 

#SousVide #Queso #QuesoChicken #Baked Chicken #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19

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’? The Nashvillians are coming! And that’s a good thing if you really “need” some hot fried chicken. I can’t quite remember when the invasion started in SoCal, but several restaurants popped up selling Nashville “Hot” Fried Chicken at almost the same time. This chicken is not just good, it is addictive… it has that “come back flavor” you crave. One of the best hot chicken joints I’ve found is the country-style chicken at Howlin’ Rays.
 
Growing up in Los Angeles, Johnny “Ray” Zone paid his dues. He worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens around under chefs such as Thomas Keller, Gordon Ramsay and Nobu Matsuhisa and he learned how to cook a chicken. It wasn’t until a trip to Nashville, though, that Johnny created the Howlin’ Ray’s hot chicken concept.
 
Some of the hot chicken restaurants don’t give you a choice on how hot is hot. At Ray’s you have a choice--Country, no heat; Mild, brush of heat; Medium, feel the burn; Hot, burn, baby, burn: X-Hot, you've been warned and Howlin', can't touch this 10++  
 
Now with all the time on our hands you can make your own Nashville “Hot” chicken and you can control the amount of heat yourself. Here’s how to give it a start. So, let’s get started.
 
          This recipe will yield a "Medium" hot result... adjust the spices and hot sauce to your liking.

Prep time:  20 minutes
Marinate time: overnight or up to 24 hours
Fry time: 15-20 minutes
Rest time: 15 minutes
 
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3–4-pounds), patted dry and quartered
 
To make the dry rub
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
 
To make the batter
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Peanut oil, for frying (enough so that the pieces are under the oil when frying)
 
Directions
 To marinate the chicken

1. The day before you are planning to fry up the chicken, marinate the chicken with dry rub. In a mixing bowl, combine the kosher salt, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and white pepper.
2. Toss the chicken quarters in the spice blend to make sure they are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for up to 24 hours.

To fry the chicken

1. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to fry it. You don't want to have it go from the refrigerator to the fryer directly, or it will burn on the outside and before it is cooked through.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the milk and hot sauce together.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
4. Dip the dry-rubbed chicken in the milk/hot sauce mixture; shake off any excess.
5. Then dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off any excess.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 so the chicken will be double-dipped and double-dredged.
7. Choose a large enough pan to accommodate all the pieces you are going to fry at one time. You can always cook them in batches, one or two pieces at a time. The chicken will cook more quickly if fewer pieces are cooked together in the pan.
8. Pour enough peanut oil in the pan to ensure the chicken will be under the oil while frying. Heat the peanut oil to 325ºF. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. Set a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
9. Working in batches, carefully lower the chicken pieces into the hot oil and fry until crisp; see ChefSecret for time and temperatures for doneness.
10. Cook with the lid on the pan for the first 12 minutes. Turn the pieces about mid-way through cooking.
11. Remove the chicken from the oil and transfer to the rack to drain.
12. Let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes after frying to set the juices.

 
ChefSecret:  It’s always best to use a food thermometer to check for doneness.

• Breast quarters should take about 15 to 17 minutes to reach 160ºF at their thickest point.
• Leg quarters should take about 18 to 20 minutes to reach 165ºF.
• Because the breast quarters are thicker, they will continue to cook after you remove them from the oil; that is why we suggest removing them from the pan at 160ºF. If you are concerned about under-cooking, go ahead and cook until 165ºF.

#NashvilleHotChicken #FriedChicken #Entrees #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19

How you doin’? As we continue to be glued to our televisions either watching reruns of NCIS or the Covid-19 news, we are all learning how hard all the scientists and health care providers are working to bring this war on coronavirus to an end as soon as possible. It seems it has the capacity to devastate our country men and women. The germs are relentless. We remind you to maintain social distancing (at least 6-feet) and wear a mask. We are doing our part to beat these little bastards.
 
Okay, on to today’s cooking lesson. I love green chicken enchiladas, but many times I just don’t have the time to make them—prepare the filling, fry the tortillas, grate the cheese, roll the tortilla, bake them and get them on the table. 
 
I creatively copied this simple recipe from a Mexican dish I saw at El Coyote Cafe in Los Angeles. I wanted to find a way to cut the cooking time and eliminate some of the repetitive steps. You won’t be surprised to hear that I use my trusty Instant Pot which cuts cooking time and improves the taste and texture of the filling.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes (estimated Instant Pot cooking time)
Assembly time:  10 minutes
Oven time:  20 to 25 minutes
Yield:  8 stacks
 
Ingredients
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you can use chicken breasts if you prefer white meat)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can (28-oz) green enchilada sauce, divided (I use Las Palmas brand)
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 can (4-oz.) mild chopped green chilies
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 red jalapeno peppers, chopped, more or less to taste
1/2 cup peanut oil or other stable vegetable oil for frying
16 corn tortillas, or more to taste
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
 
Directions

1. Mix the chili powder, salt and cumin together in a bowl. Rub the mixture over the chicken.
2. Chop the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
3. Pour the chicken broth and 1 cup of green enchilada sauce into an Instant Pot.
4. Add the chicken and select HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer for 5 MINUTES. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, 1 cup green enchilada sauce, green chiles, onions and jalapenos. Stir to thoroughly blend.
6. Preheat the oven to 350⁰F.  
7. Release pressure on the Instant Pot using the NATURAL RELEASE method according to manufacturer's instructions for 5 MINUTES. Release remaining pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid.
8. Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and cool for about 20 minutes. Discard the cooking liquid.
9. Transfer cooled cooked chicken to the mixing bowl with the cheese mixture. Stir until chicken mixture is blended.
10. Heat the peanut oil in a skillet. Fry the tortillas to soften them, 1 at a time, by dipping into the hot oil for 10 to 15 seconds per side. Drain the tortilla on paper towels.

To assemble the stacks

1. Lightly spray 8 individual baking dishes with food release (Pam).
2. Place 1 tablespoon of green enchilada sauce on the bottom of each baking dish.
3. Place a fried tortilla on top of the sauce.
4. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons chicken mixture onto the tortilla.
5. Place the second tortilla on top, add a little green sauce and another 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture. 
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with the remaining seven baking dishes.
7. Combine the remaining green enchilada sauce with the red enchilada sauce in a bowl and spoon it evenly over enchilada stacks in the baking dishes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese over the tops of each stack.
8. Bake the dishes in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese begins to brown.

ChefSecret: If you’re not cooking for a crew of eight, cook/finish only what you need and cover with food film the rest keep in your refrigerator or cover with food film and foil and freeze for later.

#InstantPot #GreenEnchiladas #ElCoyote #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19