You’ll likely spend more effort looking for the key ingredient than preparing this simple grilled chicken (see below for a substitution suggestion). The original recipe mentions Fox & Obel, a Chicago grocer that makes Whole Foods seem like Cheap Eats Galore by comparison, as the only source for Espelette peppers around here ($17.99 for 45 grams).

Fox & Obel is a last resort for me because I can drive myself into serious debt just by getting a few ounces of this and that. Groceries aren’t supposed to be a threat to my measly credit limit, but good judgment flies out the window after a few minutes of walking around that tasty-sexy food haven. I wonder what the employee discount is like.

Espelette peppers are coarsely ground dried chiles with a brick red hue. It has AOC status, so the peppers are exclusively sourced from specific French communes and follow strict production methods. It is an essential ingredient in classic Basque dishes such as Pipérade and Poulet Basquaise.

A suitable substitute is paprika with a pinch of cayenne, as suggested in Anne Willan’s The Country Cooking of France. This approximates the distinctive mix of sweetness and mild heat in Espelette peppers.

recipe adapted from The Publican via Time Out Chicago
Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Prof. Kitty

The Publican’s Grilled Chicken with Espelette Pepper and Oregano

makes about 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, preferably freshly squeezed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon espelette pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 whole chicken or 2 cornish hens (about 3 lbs), spatchcocked

Notes:

• Never spatchcocked poultry before? Here’s a helpful video of Alton Brown spatchcocking a cornish hen.

Directions:

1. Mix together all of the seasonings in a container big enough to contain the chicken.
2. Add the spatchcocked chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate to marinade for at least one hour and up to overnight.
3. If using a charcoal or gas grill: Heat charcoals on one side of the grill or light half of a gas grill. Grill the chicken skin-side down over indirect heat while covered.
   If using an oven: Preheat a lightly oiled cast iron skillet in a 350ºF / 175ºC oven. Place the chicken skin-side down in the hot skillet and return to the oven.
4. Grill or roast for about 30 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut into the chicken. If using a digital thermometer, the temperature in the thickest part of the thighs should reach 170ºF / 77ºC.
5. Remove the chicken from the grill or oven and let rest for about five minutes before carving.
6. Serve with lemon halves. Grill or roast the lemon halves for a few minutes if you feel like it.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Grilled Chicken with Espelette Pepper

Similar Posts:

1. Steamed Lemon Chicken
2. Croque Madame – Grilled Cheese, Ham, and Egg Sandwich
3. Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk
4. Chinese White Cut Chicken
5. Sumac Chicken – Roasted over Onions and Pita Bread
6. Chicken Braised with Ancho Chiles

White-cut chicken is a traditional Chinese preparation that calls for poaching, cutting on the bone, chilling, and serving with a flavorful dipping sauce. Chicken doesn’t have to be fried, crisp, or golden brown to be delicious. When it comes to Chinese dishes, “traditional” usually implies “old as hell” and “bajillions served,” so they must be eating something right. If you’re still not convinced after trying this recipe (highly unlikely), here’s another example of pale but tasty steamed chicken.

recipe adapted from Eileen Yin-fei Lo’s The Chinese Kitchen and The Chinese Chicken Cookbook

白切雞 (Bai Qie Ji)
White Cut Chicken
With Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce

makes 4 to 6 servings

3 1/2-pound chicken
1/4 cup kosher salt

For the Poaching Liquid:

10 cups water
6 scallions, trimmed and cut in thirds
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar

1-inch piece of fresh ginger, smashed (optional)
1/2 cup fresh coriander / cilantro, stalks cut in half (optional)
1/4 cup Chinese white rice wine (optional)

For the Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chicken stock or reserved poaching liquid
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions, white parts only
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Equipment:

• A heavy pot, preferably a dutch oven

Notes:

• This recipe is based on two versions from the same author. The list of optional ingredients is the difference between the two.
• Also try this ginger-scallion dipping sauce recipe.

To Wash the Chicken:

1. Wash the chicken under cold running water. Remove any excess fat and rub with about 1/4 cup of kosher salt. Rinse again under cold running water and drain.

To Poach the Chicken:

1. In a heavy pot or dutch oven, add all of the poaching liquid ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes.
2. Place the chicken in the pot and add just enough water to cover the chicken. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook while covered for about 30 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and let the chicken cool to room temperature in the poaching liquid.
4. Remove the chicken from the pot, drain well, and cut into bite-sized pieces. The chicken can also be chilled — refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving. Reserve at least 2 tablespoons of the poaching liquid for the ginger-soy dipping sauce if chicken stock isn’t available.

To Serve:

Mix all of the ginger-soy dipping sauce ingredients and spoon into individual small dishes. Serve the sliced chicken slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Links about Chinese White Cut Chicken:

• Kits Chow
• Sunday Nite Dinner

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Chinese White Cut Chicken

Similar Posts:

1. Steamed Lemon Chicken
2. Chinese Crab and Corn Soup
3. Chicken in Red Sesame Seed Sauce
4. Chicken Braised with Ancho Chiles
5. Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk
6. Sumac Chicken – Roasted over Onions and Pita Bread

“Traditional” and “simple” rarely belong in the same breath when it comes to Mexican recipes, but if you can find ancho chiles, this braised chicken recipe makes great weeknight fare without being light on flavor. It’s the antithesis to festive Mexican dishes that have several sub-recipes — you only need a few spices, pantry staples, and fresh tortillas.

When selecting ancho chiles, look for pliability and a shiny dark exterior. Holding it up against light will reveal a reddish-brown hue. Since poblano chiles are naturally mild and sweet, its dried version in ancho chiles lend a similar quality to sauces and moles.

recipe adapted from Diana Kennedy’s Essential Cuisines of Mexico

Pollo en Ajo-Comino
Chicken Braised in Ancho Chiles, Garlic, and Cumin

makes 6 to 8 servings

4 ancho chiles, veins and seeds removed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
12 black peppercorns
1 whole clove
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
4 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 1/2-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces

Equipment:

• A molcajete and tejolote (mortar and pestle)
• A blender
• A heavy pot

Instructions:

1. In a small skillet, cover the ancho chiles with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then soak for another 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Using a molcajete or mortar, grind the cumin, black peppercorns, clove, salt, and garlic. Add about 1/4 cup of water to form a thin paste.
3. Blend the soaked ancho chiles with 3/4 cup of water until smooth.
4. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt.
5. In a heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Fry the chicken pieces until pale gold, about 5-6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
6. Immediately add the cumin and garlic mixture to the pot and cook for about 3 minutes while stirring constantly.
7. Add the pureed ancho chiles and cook for another 3 minutes while scraping the bottom of the pot constantly.
8. Add 2 1/2 cups of water and return the browned chicken pieces to the pot. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Braise while uncovered for about 45 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally.
9. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

To Serve:

Serve warm with freshly made tortillas.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Chicken Braised with Ancho Chiles

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1. Chicken in Red Sesame Seed Sauce
2. Pork Shoulder Braised with Oranges – Puerco en Naranja
3. Afelia – Pork Braised with Red Wine and Coriander Seeds
4. Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk
5. Pork Belly Recipe – Braised in Soy and Dashi
6. Grilled Chicken with Espelette Pepper

This recipe for sumac-dusted roast chicken is not only easy to prepare, but is also an excellent introduction to the spice called sumac, and by extension, the charming simplicity of Lebanese cookery. The purple-maroon spice is used extensively in this cuisine; canisters of ground sumac take the place of ground pepper in most Lebanese restaurants I’ve visited.

A sour spice ground from dried shrub berries to a gritty consistency, sumac is used much like vinegar, lemon juice, or tamarind. It has a pleasant tanginess similar to tart apples, making it seem less harsh than the other aforementioned souring agents. Sumac is probably best known as an essential component in the savory spice blend Zaatar, where it is mixed with thyme and toasted sesame seeds.

Sprinkled with sumac and olive oil, the chicken is roasted over a bed of slivered onions and pita bread. The outer edges of the pita bread will crisp, contrasting sharply against the moist center soaked with olive oil and juices from the roasting chicken. The pita bread essentially turns into a Lebanese take on stuffing, but with a bit of crunch.

Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Zorra of Kochtopf

recipe adapted from Mary Laird Hamady’s Lebanese Mountain Cookery

Djaj Bi Summak
Chicken with Sumac, Roasted over Onions and Pita Bread

makes 4 servings

4 loaves pita bread (6 to 8 inch round), or any flatbread
1 onion, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
Salt and pepper, to taste
5 tablespoons ground sumac
4 chicken leg quarters, or 1 3-pound chicken cut into serving pieces
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Notes:

• The original recipe calls for tearing the bread into smaller pieces but I prefer to keep the pita whole. Each pita loaf can serve as a serving platform for the chicken. Just lift and plate.
• If using stale or dry pita bread, spray or sprinkle both sides with water before using in the recipe.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F/232°C.

Drizzle the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish lightly with olive oil. Stagger the pita bread loaves on the baking dish and top each loaf with the thinly sliced onions. Season the pita bread loaves with salt and pepper and dust with about 3 tablespoons of the ground sumac.

Trim any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Place the chicken leg quarters on each of the pita bread loaves and season liberally with salt and pepper. Dust with the remaining 2 tablespoons of ground sumac. Drizzle the bread and chicken with about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.

Bake at 450°F/232°C for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking every 15 minutes to ensure that the pita bread does not burn. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil if the pita bread is browning too quickly.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Sumac Chicken – Roasted over Onions and Pita Bread

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1. Whole Wheat Pita Bread – How to Get Pockets
2. Steamed Lemon Chicken
3. Grilled Chicken with Espelette Pepper
4. Chicken in Red Sesame Seed Sauce
5. Chinese White Cut Chicken
6. Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk

Ancho chiles, the most commonly used dried capsicum in Mexican cookery, give this thick and earthy dish its characteristic maroon color. The muted red hues of pipián rojo hides its complexity — toasted sesame seeds meld with Mexican herbs and spices to create an intense sauce with a consistency similar to mole.

There are two distinct steps in preparing pollo en pipián rojo. The chicken is first poached in an aromatic broth to season and cook the meat. The red sauce is then created separately. It will be used to poach the chicken a second time.

To make the pipián rojo, the ancho chiles and sesame seeds are toasted and combined with spices and garlic to create a paste. The chicken broth from the first poaching is used to thin the ancho-sesame paste, only to be thickened again to further deepen the flavors of the sauce.

Lasang Pinoy Sundays – Red hosted by SpiCes

recipe adapted from Diana Kennedy’s Essential Cuisines of Mexico

Chicken in Red Sesame Seed Sauce
Pollo en Pipián Rojo

makes 6 servings

For Simmering the Chicken:

1/2 white onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
1 Mexican bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
salt, to taste

chicken giblets (optional)
A 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces

For the Ancho Chile and Sesame Seed Sauce:

6 Ancho chiles, seeded and deveined (reserve 1 tablespoon of the seeds)
1/2-inch piece of Mexican cinnamon (canela)
3 whole cloves
5 peppercorns
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1 garlic clove
3 tablespoons lard or olive oil
salt, to taste

Notes:

• If you already have some chicken broth on hand, the red sesame seed sauce can be prepared in advance. Make double batches of the sauce and use it as a condiment for other meats — it will freeze well.

To Simmer the Chicken:

Combine the onion, garlic cloves, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and salt in a heavy pot. Add the giblets (if using), and cover with water, about 4 to 5 cups. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, then simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add the chicken pieces and cook over low heat for about 25 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and set aside. Strain the chicken broth and reserve.

To Prepare the Ancho Chile and Sesame Seed Sauce:

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Toast the ancho chiles lightly by flattening and pressing the chiles for no more than 5 seconds, inside down, using a metal spatula. In a large bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and soak for about 10 minutes.

Toast the reserved ancho chile seeds until golden brown. Set the seeds aside to cool. Once cooled, add the seeds to the cinnamon stick, cloves, and peppercorns in a spice grinder, food processor, or mortar and pestle. Grind the spices to a fine powder.

Toast the sesame seeds until aromatic and lightly browned. Set the seeds aside to cool before grinding to a fine texture.

Transfer the soaked ancho chiles to a blender. Add the garlic clove and 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth. Blend to a smooth puree.

Heat a skillet or saucepan over low heat. Fry the ground seeds and spices over low heat for 3 minutes while constantly stirring.

Add the blended chiles to the fried spices and cook for about 5 minutes while constantly stirring.

Add 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the reserved chicken broth and cook the sauce for about 20 minutes until thickened. Season the ancho chile and sesame seed sauce to taste.

To Serve:

Add the cooked chicken pieces to the ancho chile and sesame seed sauce and heat until the sauce and chicken are heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serve with warm tortillas.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Chicken in Red Sesame Seed Sauce

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2. Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk
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4. Chinese White Cut Chicken
5. Grilled Chicken with Espelette Pepper
6. Steamed Lemon Chicken

Growing up in the Philippines, I was a really picky eater. There are foods that I absolutely would not touch and I was, quite frankly, a pain in the ass to cook for. Some things in the fairly long list are atchara (pickled shredded papaya), anything with ampalaya (bitter melon), tutong (the burnt rice at the bottom of the pot), and our embarrassingly hacked up interpretation of spaghetti, cloyingly sweet and studded with neon-red hotdog slices.

We do, indeed, put hotdogs instead of meatballs in our spaghetti.

It’s kind of funny how one ends up longing for foods avoided as a child. I still can’t get over the sugary spaghetti sauce, though. Like any good Filipino brat, I merely picked out the Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog slices, leaving the clumpy starch behind before running off with friends to play sipa.

Others things I wouldn’t touch fall under the category of “leftovers.” If it was cooked yesterday then I’m not having it. No exceptions. I couldn’t stand it when told that such-and-such is best made a day ahead. It didn’t make sense to me at all.

Now that I know better, it turns out that there was no conspiracy to use me as a means to get rid of leftovers.

This chicken adobo recipe, as is true of most braised or stewed dishes, is best made a day ahead. The use of coconut milk is not traditional but adds richness that plays well with the acidity in the sauce. From Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan of Cendrillon, a Filipino restaurant in New York, it’s slowly changing my perception of what adobo should be.

recipe adapted from Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan’s Memories of Philippine Kitchens

Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk
Adobong Manok sa Gata

makes 6 servings

For the Marinade:

1 1/2 cups rice vinegar
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
12 whole garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

6 chicken leg quarters, approximately 3 to 4 pounds

dried or fresh chiles, to taste (optional)

Notes:

• As with short ribs adobo, the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground pepper. I used whole berries and doubled the amount to reduce the grittiness of the broth.
• I sometimes add habanero and chile de arbol chiles to the sauce for a spicier adobo.

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together. Add the chicken pieces and turn in the marinade to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

In a wide heavy pot or dutch oven, bring the marinade and chicken to a boil over high heat, arranging the chicken in a single layer if possible. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a tight lid and braise for 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and tender.

If serving the next day, let cool to room temperature while uncovered before storing in the refrigerator.

To Serve:

Prepare a grill or preheat a broiler. Transfer the chicken to a large plate, ensuring that the peppercorns and bay leaves stay in the pot. Add the chiles to the sauce (if using) and reduce over medium-high heat until thickened to the consistency of heavy cream. While the sauce is reducing, grill or broil the chicken until heated through and slightly charred.

Strain the sauce to remove the whole peppercorns and bay leaves. Pour the sauce over the grilled or broiled chicken and serve with rice.

Related Links:

• A lukewarm review of the recipe at Burnt Lumpia.
• A detailed step-by-step at [eatingclub] Vancouver.
• The Amateur Gourmet likes the chicken adobo at Cendrillon.
• Recipe and video of Romy Dorotan cooking adobo with Martha Stewart.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk

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Family recipes are great, especially if they’re not from my own. Having said that, my food-obsessed relatives are sure to disown me, so I’m going to explain myself in case my grandmother finds this while googling my name in search of my Twitter account.

I’ll never get tired of the foods of my childhood and will always have a Ratatouille moment each time I have Pinakbet. The thing is, I’ve had such dishes so many times already and would rather have something completely new. It’s like having that first awkward bite of sushi and thinking, “Where have you been all my life?” Thinking that wasabi was some sort of minty candy, my first memories of sushi actually involved shooting white nostril heat and gushing tears, but you know what I mean.

Regardless of cultural provenance, other people’s family recipes will always be appealing to me because it’s often a confluence of several good things:

• It will be easy to make
• It will be easy to like
• It will be affordable

Take this recipe for steamed lemon chicken, for instance. From Eileen Yin-fei Lo’s The Chinese Kitchen, my favorite thing about the book is the wide array of family recipes in addition to well-known regional Chinese classics. She points out that this specific preparation will not be found anywhere else, yet one look at the ingredient list and it seems instantly familiar and accessible.

recipe adapted from Eileen Yin-fei Lo’s The Chinese Kitchen

Steamed Lemon Chicken
Ling Mung Jing Gai

makes 4 servings

4 chicken leg quarters
kosher salt
1 lemon

For the marinade:

one-inch slice of fresh ginger, peeled
1 tablespoon Chinese white rice wine
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
a pinch of ground pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)

For garnishing:

scallions, thinly sliced
lemons, thinly sliced

Notes:

• Cornstarch can turn into a gluey substance while in the steamer so I listed it as an optional ingredient. I can’t recommend adding it to the marinade.

Rub the chicken leg quarters with kosher salt. Rinse under cold running water then dry thoroughly with paper towels. Squeeze the lemon juice over chicken legs and set aside.

Grate or finely mince the fresh ginger. Press it through a fine strainer to extract the juice, about one teaspoon. In a bowl, add the ginger to the rest of the marinade ingredients and whisk until the salt and sugar are thoroughly dissolved. Let the chicken and marinade rest for at least 30 minutes.

Place the chicken legs in a steam-proof dish. Stir the marinade briefly before pouring over the chicken. Using the steaming implement of your choice, steam the chicken legs over high heat for about 30 minutes.

Lemon chicken steaming in an aluminum steamer

To Serve:

Garnish with the sliced scallions and lemons. Serve with cooked rice.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Steamed Lemon Chicken

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5. Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk
6. Sumac Chicken – Roasted over Onions and Pita Bread