Foodgasms

[Rambling Rose]

I made my boys the most amazing dinner tonight. Since I can't eat solid foods, I'm making up for it with food porn - looking through every cookbook I own and finding awesome things to make! This one is from the Williams-Sonoma Paris cookbook - I use it a lot and every recipe is a winner.

So anway, of course, I had to cheat a little so I could taste as I cooked. Hot damn it was delishhhhh! I ended up soaking some couscous with the sauce and had to stop myself from licking the damn plate.

Poulet Au Riesling

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, preferable with legs and thighs attached
Salt and Pepper
3 tbl evoo
6-8 shallots (about 1/2 lb) chopped
3 garlic gloves, chopped (I used a few more than 3)
1 bottle of dry Riesling
3 tbl small pieces dried mushrooms (I used chanterelles)
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbl coarsely chopped tarragon
3/4 cup heavy (double) cream
Few drops of lemon juice
2 tbl fresh chopped chives
1-2 tbl chopped fresh chervil

1) Preheat the oven to 350. Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, then rub with olive oil. In a large, heavy pan (I used a cast iron pan - worked beautifully) over medium-high heat, brown the chicken in batches, turning occasionally, 10-15 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter.

2) Pour off all but 2 tbl of fat from the pan and return to medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the Riesling, raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, stock and half of the tarragon. Pour the sauce into a roasting pan at least 4 inches deep and large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Arrange the chicken on the sauce.

3) Bake the chicken until opaque throughout when pierced with a knife, 35-40 minutes. Raise the heat to 400 degrees and continue baking until edges of skin are crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a deep platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

4) Spoon off any fat from the sauce. Place the roasting pan over high heat, bring the sauce to a boil and cook, stirring, until reduced by about half, 7-8 minutes. Stir in the cream and taste, adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and lemon juice. Pour sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the chives, chervil, and remaining tarragon. Serve at once.

Serve with a fragrant, dry Riesling or a crisp white wine.

That read scrumptiously. Thank you.

 

[Recidiva]

We had a change of plans last night and went to the Red Rock Canyon Grill.

Excellent food and an exceptional baked potato soup. Ulaven ordered it and after his first bite he made is "sex on a spoon" face.

The soup itself wasn't entirely white like in New England clam chowder, yellow tinged. Probably cheese.

I have some decent chowder methods, but this was all potato, cream and herbs, and there was about 1/4 cup of bacon bits, thinly sliced scallion and two types of shredded cheese just served on top to be stirred in.

I asked the server and he said they used baked potato instead of steamed or boiled and even instant potato in the mix of the soup instead of using any flour or corn starch. No roux.

This tosses out my chowder methods as I'm used to boiled potatoes and a roux and the bacon (or salt pork) being in the soup itself during preparation

Anyone have a potato soup recipe that follows that lead?

 

[leZilla]

That read scrumptiously. Thank you.

I implore you to try it and report back.


Oh and btw incidentally I didn't have any chervil so I left that out and it was still 100% mouth watering deeeeliiiiiiiiiish!

 

[MakersandIce]

We had a change of plans last night and went to the Red Rock Canyon Grill.

Excellent food and an exceptional baked potato soup. Ulaven ordered it and after his first bite he made is "sex on a spoon" face.

The soup itself wasn't entirely white like in New England clam chowder, yellow tinged. Probably cheese.

I have some decent chowder methods, but this was all potato, cream and herbs, and there was about 1/4 cup of bacon bits, thinly sliced scallion and two types of shredded cheese just served on top to be stirred in.

I asked the server and he said they used baked potato instead of steamed or boiled and even instant potato in the mix of the soup instead of using any flour or corn starch. No roux.

This tosses out my chowder methods as I'm used to boiled potatoes and a roux and the bacon (or salt pork) being in the soup itself during preparation

Anyone have a potato soup recipe that follows that lead?

How yellow--just a tinge like from day-old bakers, or deeper? If deeper, most likely a cheese sauce base for both flavor and thickener. O'Charley's uses Que Bueno nacho cheese sauce for the thickener in their loaded potato soup.

 

[Recidiva]

How yellow--just a tinge like from day-old bakers, or deeper? If deeper, most likely a cheese sauce base for both flavor and thickener. O'Charley's uses Que Bueno nacho cheese sauce for the thickener in their loaded potato soup.

Yeah, I'm thinking cheese really. Otherwise it looked like, but didn't taste like, it had a bit of saffron. Melted cheddar is the most likely.

 

[tortoise]

Yeah, I'm thinking cheese really. Otherwise it looked like, but didn't taste like, it had a bit of saffron. Melted cheddar is the most likely.

And would be in keeping with the whole baked potato theme. Very likely.

I've never made a baked potato soup, but I have made a roasted potato one (i.e. diced new potatoes versus whole russets). Mine was quite simple. Roasted potatoes, caramelized onion, horseradish, salt, pepper, olive oil, chicken broth, puree half of the soup. Probably nothing at all like the soup you had, though.

 

[Recidiva]

And would be in keeping with the whole baked potato theme. Very likely.

I've never made a baked potato soup, but I have made a roasted potato one (i.e. diced new potatoes versus whole russets). Mine was quite simple. Roasted potatoes, caramelized onion, horseradish, salt, pepper, olive oil, chicken broth, puree half of the soup. Probably nothing at all like the soup you had, though.

Yes, you're describing the soups I'm used to making. Which is probably why we're going back as often as we can...ordering a bowl of soup and a vodka/blue curacao lemonade and happily reverse engineering the recipe until I can make it at home.

I really do think that it's the dried potato flakes and the baked potato itself that's going to make the difference in the final texture of the soup. And it wasn't overly creamy - it tasted like...liquid baked potato. Not sticky like badly made mash, and not creamy like chowder.

I don't think they relied on puree for the liquid, or on cream. Some sort of perfect potato alchemy.

 

[tortoise]

Retorts, test tubes, and bunsen burners, with Mad Scientist hair.

 

[Recidiva]

Retorts, test tubes, and bunsen burners, with Mad Scientist hair.

I do think I've got it! At least for today. Potato flakes/baked potato for the soup base, diced waxy potatoes for the texture, and I've found a recipe that has hot sauce and chicken broth in the base. I think that could account for the color.

Serve 'em up tonight with salt and pepper roasted short ribs.

 

[tortoise]

Eureka!



Sounds yummy.

 

[Rambling Rose]

Pepper roasted short ribs sound unctuously decadent. Recipe?

 

[Vikingstone]

Pepper roasted short ribs sound unctuously decadent. Recipe?

YOU are unctuous, Baby.

 

[MsMuffet]

I just ordered my tastebook!



I should have checked to see if I could gift wrap it for myself.



By the way, has Marksgirl's old thread ever been mentioned in here? I know for a fact that I posted some good recipes in there.

 

[Collette]

I just ordered my tastebook!



I should have checked to see if I could gift wrap it for myself.

By the way, has Marksgirl's old thread ever been mentioned in here? I know for a fact that I posted some good recipes in there.

It comes wrapped and labeled nicely, anyway. You'll feel all warm and special when it gets there!


I'm not familiar with the thread, but I'd be interested in looking it over.

 

[Recidiva]

Pepper roasted short ribs sound unctuously decadent. Recipe?

It's just really salt and pepper. I make chicken, beef and pork this way...

Just toss with olive oil, generously salt and pepper, roast for 1 hour at 350.

It's the magic formula for anything under 3 lbs. Just add an extra 20 minutes for any additional pound.

 

[Rambling Rose]

It's just really salt and pepper. I make chicken, beef and pork this way...

Just toss with olive oil, generously salt and pepper, roast for 1 hour at 350.

It's the magic formula for anything under 3 lbs. Just add an extra 20 minutes for any additional pound.

But...but...that's too easy! *laughing*

 

[tortoise]

But...but...that's too easy! *laughing*

K.I.S.S.

 

[Recidiva]

But...but...that's too easy! *laughing*

I know, right?

But it's freakin' yummy time after time.

It's like my solution for Thanksgiving turkey - cover the thing with bacon, roast for 20 minutes per pound. No basting. No fuss. Yummy as all git out.

 

[Recidiva]

My most elaborate chicken dish for RR

Much more complicated, and yum-meee.

CHICKEN THIGHS DIJON

6 to 8 large chicken thighs
1 Tbsp coarse salt
1 Tbsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp dried leaf thyme
½ tsp crumbled marjoram
3 Tbsp sweet butter
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
¼ cup Dijon mustard
6-8 large white mushrooms
4 small white onions, peeled and trimmed
3 plump garlic cloves, peeled
1 Tbsp flour
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350

Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, thyme and marjoram and work everything well into the skin and flesh.

Heat the butter and oil gently in a large, heavy skillet. Brown the thighs slowly on both sides turning with tongs so as not to puncture them.

Place the browned thighs skin side up in a baking tray that has been lined with aluminum foil and brush them liberally with Dijon mustard. Bake them on the middle rack of the oven for 40 minutes.

Wipe, trim and slice the mushrooms in thick lengthwise slices. Quarter the onions. Slice the garlic cloves lengthwise. Dredge these sliced vegetables in the flour.

Discard half the fat from the skillet. Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic and toss them in the hot fat with a wooden spatula. Cover the skillet tightly and smother the vegetables at the lowest possible heat for 7 minutes.

Pour in the wine and stir it well into the vegetables, scraping up from the bottom any browned bits. Add the cream. Stir it in well and allow the liquid to reduce with the skillet uncovered.

When the sauce is like thick cream, remove the skillet from the fire and stir in whatever is left of the mustard.

Strain the sauce. Arrange the vegetables caught in the sieve over the bottom of a buttered baking dish that can be used as a sirving dish. Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables and carefully ladle the sauce over them. If desired, allow the dish to brown under the broiler. Serve hot.

 

[Collette]

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/funny-pictures-cat-loves-food.jpg

 

[tortoise]

Hah!

Perfect.

*nibbles you*

 

[MakersandIce]

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/funny-pictures-cat-loves-food.jpg

It's a little late in the year for squirrel.

 

[tortoise]

Certain varieties of Heirloom Squirrel are still in season.

Rodent confit. *smacks lips*

 

[Collette]

It's a little late in the year for squirrel.

Perhaps fowl?

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/funny-pictures-cat-watches-tv-bird.jpg

 

[tortoise]

*drool*