I have to relate this, not to praise myself for doing a good deed, but because it made me think really, really hard about food in general. I am amazingly blessed with the money and knowledge needed to buy and make great food. I am grateful for it everyday. I also have a family that supports me all the time, and also highly values a good meal. But today reminded me that there are so many people teetering on the edge of hunger, or worse. This blog seems selfish in many ways because it glorifies what many people can't achieve on a daily basis. It is a hard reminder that while you're enjoying something delicious, someone else is barely scraping by.
It is a good reminder....at least for me. I try to do what I can for people when they ask. There are so many homeless in Portland, and I try, when I can, to give them some cash. But it is even better to be able to buy them food. It's really the least that I can do. And after today, I'm even more committed to finding better ways of helping those who are hungry.
It is a good reminder, too, because it helps me to be even more grateful for the things that I have. I'm thrilled that I can cook a great meal for my husband and family. I'm blessed to have the skills and knowledge to make food delicious. I'm so excited that I get to share it on this blog. Once I realize that I'm happy with the things that I have, life seems pretty darn great.
I know that I recommend most of what I put on this blog, but this dish really got to me. It is richly flavored, but so comforting. I adapted it from a recipe we made in European Cuisine. I really didn't need to adapt it because most of what we made in that class was delicious. Europeans really got things right. But I can't resist putting my own flair into my food!
My favorite addition to this dish was olives. What is Mediterranean food without olives, after all? In this case, I used about 1/4 cup of kalamata olives, but I would have put more in...about 1/2 to 1 cup. I also added in mushrooms and zucchini which turned out well. Also, this recipe concentrated on braising the chicken in a thinner sauce that contained a lot of chicken stock, but I replaced most of the stock with tomatoes because I like a thicker, richer sauce. The first recipe is the one we used in class, and it is very good, too. The second is my version.
Mediterranean Braised Chicken
Recipe inspired by Chef Suzanne Goin of Lucques in LA
Serves 2-4
4 chicken pieces, legs and thighs with skin on
2 TB coriander seeds
1 TB plus 1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves garlic
1 TB thyme leaves
2 TB flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp dried red chile flake or crushed whole chile
2 tsp paprika
olive oil
1 cup julienne onion
1 cup julienne fennel
1/4 cup tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
Use steps from my version. This version was served over chickpeas/garbanzo beans and couscous.
The Experimental Alchemist's Version of Mediterranean Braised Chicken
serves 2
Marinade:
2 chicken legs with thighs and skin on
1 TB coriander seed
2 tsp cumin seed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flat-leaf (or Italian) parsley leaves, chopped
2 tsp red chile flakes
1 tsp paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1. In a small skillet on high heat, add coriander and cumin seeds. While stirring or shaking the pan constantly, toast seeds until they are fragrant and slightly browned. Pour immediately into a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind until smooth.
2. Place all ingredients in a gallon plastic bag and rub chicken with marinade thoroughly.
3. Place in refrigerator and marinate at least 4 hours or overnight.
NOTE: Is marinating the chicken really necessary in this recipe? I was wondering that after I made this dish because the braising sauce was so fully flavored. It does, of course, lend a lot of flavor to the chicken, which may be why it came out so well. However, I don't feel that this dish would be any less delicious if you just used the marinade mixture as seasoning in the sauce instead of just on the chicken. If you decide not to marinate the chicken, just sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and saute it as described below.
Braising Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cup fennel, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, rough chop
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB marinade mixture
28 oz can organic tomatoes
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped, with brine (about 1/4 cup)
2 cups chick stock
1 cup zucchini, medium dice
salt and pepper to taste
1. Take out chicken and bring to room temperature (I just left it out while I prepped the other ingredients)
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| Fennel |
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| I used my mandolin to get a very thin slice on the onions and fennel. |
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| This is the safety guard for my mandolin. Very necessary! |
2. In a large skillet or soup pot, heat olive oil on medium high heat until shimmery and almost smoking. Wipe off most of the marinade from the chicken (or it will burn), and place them skin side down in the oil. Fry until golden brown, then flip over and repeat on the other side. Take chicken out and set aside.
3. Pour off about 1/2 the fat from the pan (you can add it back in as needed), place it back on the heat, and add in onions, fennel, and mushrooms with a sprinkle of salt. Saute until onions and fennel are slightly caramelized (about 5-8 minutes). Add in garlic and marinade mixture and saute 1 minute or until fragrant.
4. Add in tomatoes, olives with brine, chicken stock, and about 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to combine. Nestle chicken legs in sauce. Liquid should just cover chicken.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer uncovered, and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and tender and sauce is reduced. Taste and season as necessary. Turn off heat and add in zucchini. Let rest for about 10 minutes (residual heat will cook zucchini...if you put it in too early, it will overcook and fall apart. It should be soft, but firm).
5. Serve chicken and sauce over rice, bulgar, or couscous.
Enjoy! :)
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