Category: Poultry and Fowl

Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons

Time: 1 hour, plus 3 to 4 hours marinating
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, pulverized
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 chicken, cut in 8 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium onions, sliced thin
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 8 calamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 8 cracked green olives, pitted and halved
  • 1 large or 3 small preserved lemons
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Mix garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric together. If not using kosher chicken, add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add pepper to taste. Rub chicken with mixture, cover, refrigerate and marinate 3 to 4 hours.

Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken, and brown on all sides. Remove to platter. Add onions to skillet, and cook over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to tagine, if you are using one, or leave in skillet. Add cinnamon stick.

Put chicken on onions. Scatter with olives. Quarter the lemons, remove pulp and cut skin in strips. Scatter over chicken. Mix stock and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.

Cover tagine or skillet. Place over low heat, and cook about 30 minutes, until chicken is done. Scatter parsley on top, and serve.

Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken

A delicious and aromatic chicken stew using middle eastern flavors of saffron, olives and preserved lemons.

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken thighs (retain as large pieces)
  • 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp ground ginger (or fresh grated ginger)
  • 2 inch piece long cinnamon stick
  • 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika or Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 large preserved lemon, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup pitted green olives (rinsed in water to remove the salt)
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 4-6 strands of saffron
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp ghee

Directions

Add all the ingredients to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Do not cut the chicken thighs into smaller pieces. Stir to mix and place in the Instant Pot and close the lid.

Turn valve to sealing position.

Press ‘Pressure Cook’ button and set timer to 8 mins.

After the timer goes off, let pressure release naturally. Then open the lid and stir carefully. Gently break the large chicken pieces into smaller pieces using a spatula.

If you like the stew to be thicker, press the ‘Saute’ button and cook for 5-10 mins on medium heat until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.

Chorizo Stuffed Turkey

Ingredients:

  • turkey – crown, roughly 5kg, washed and patted dry

1-2 days prior to serving:
Under the skin

  • 60 grams good chorizo (not too spicy)
  • 3-4 tablespoons softened butter
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons chopped thyme and rosemary
  • 2-3 toes chopped garlic

Day of:

  • 3 large carrots, quartered lengthwise
  • 8 shallots, quartered
  • 3 lemons, quartered
  • garlic cloves, skinned and whole
  • handful of rosemary
  • handful of thyme sprigs
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil

For outside of the skin:

  • 2 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon of sweet smoked paprika
  • 2 cups of dry white wine
  • chicken or turkey gravy

Directions:

1-2 days prior to cooking:
Rinse turkey with cold water and pat dry with paper toweling.

In a blender, mix together chorizo, herbs, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Gently tuck mixture under the skin over the turkey breast.

Day of cooking:
Let turkey stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven in CONVECTION ROAST at 300°F (150°C).

Cut carrots, onions and lemons into quarters. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, herbs, olive oil, 5 slices of chorizo and 1 cup of water. Add to roasting pan.

Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack on the roasting pan over the vegetables. Mix 2-3 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of paprika. Spread all over outside of turkey. Insert temperature probe into the turkey thigh and set for 180°F (82°C). Pour 1 cup of white wine over turkey.

Basting turkey every 20-30 minutes, roast until temperature probe chimes the temperature has been reached. Remove the probe and insert it into the other thigh to double check the internal temperature has reached 180°F. Remove turkey from oven and allow to rest uncovered for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Cooking time in CONVECTION ROAST mode will be approximately 15 minutes per pound, though the actual time depends on many variables, including the weight and temperature of the turkey before cooking.

Drain juices from solids,. Set solids aside for turkey presentation.

Add 1 cup of white wine to roast pan. Stir and scrape up browned bits from bottom. Pout into gravy along with residual juices. Whisk. Set aside in refrigerator allowing for fat to be more easily skimmed.

Once fat as been skimmed, simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve with turkey.

S&E’s Pepperoni-Butter Turkey and Gravy

Ingredients:

  • Turkey breast with skin in tact OR 12- to 14-lb. turkey (thawed if frozen); giblets removed and discarded, neck reserved
  • 6 ounces pepperoni, sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives
  • 1/4 stick butter, softened
  • 3 large carrots, quartered lengthwise
  • 2 large yellow onions
  • 4 lemons
  • 4-6 potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • olive oil
  • ½ cup dry white wine

    • For the gravy:

  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups chicken or turkey stock
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1-2 days prior to serving:

Wash and pat turkey dry with paper towels.
In a blender or food processor, mix the pepperoni, butter and 2/3 of herbs, until finely chopped.

With turkey breast facing up, slide fingers under skin to loosen and lift until you reach the end of the breast, being careful not to tear or totally detach skin. Gently place pepperoni, butter and Hern mixture under the skin. Repeat with thighs and legs, if using a whole turkey. Try to not get the mixture outside the turkey as it will burn when cooking. Place in fridge until ready to cook.

Day of cooking turkey:

Let turkey stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450°F.

Coarsely chop carrots, lemons, potatoes and onions. Squeeze lemons. Mix vegetables (including lemons) with juice, genres amount of olive oil, a pinch of salt, pepper (to liking) and residual 1/3 of herbs. Put mixture in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place turkey, breast side up, on top.

If using a whole turkey, place some of the onions and lemons inside the cavity of the turkey. Tuck wing tips underneath body and, if desired, tie legs together using kitchen twine for a neater bird.

Pour white wine over turkey. Put turnkey in the oven. Each 10-15 minutes, pour juices over turkey. Roast until skin is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Pour 2 cups water into roasting pan and Keep with method of pouring juices over turkey every 20 minutes or so. Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of thigh registers 165°F , about 1 hour and 30 minutes for a 12-pound turkey.turkey to a cutting board.

Let rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

Make the gravy: While turkey rests, pour pan juices into a fat separator or through a wire-mesh strainer set over a bowl; discard solids. Let juices stand for 10 minutes. Skim fat from surface and discard. Set aside juices (you should have about 1½ cups).

Place empty roasting pan over 2 burners on stovetop over medium-high. Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from bottom, for about 3 minutes. Add butter and whisk until melted. Gradually whisk in flour and cook, whisking all around pan, until golden, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in stock, then whisk in strained juices. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in salt and pepper. Serve with turkey.

Maldives Butter Chicken

We had this delicious Indian classic at Constance Halaveli in the Maldives. Butter Chicken is one of our go-tos whenever we crave Indian food and this recipe is the best version of it that we had ever tasted. Absolutely divine!

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade

  • 1 kg chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 2 teaspoon fenugreek dry
  • 3 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
  • 3 teaspoons mustard oil

    • Sauce

  • 2 teaspoons cashew paste
  • 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
  • 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili (non-spicy)
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (fenugreek seed)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons cream
  • 50 mL butter
  • 1L tomato peeled
  • 20 mL oil
  • tomato paste

    • Directions:

    Preparation of chicken marinade

    Preheat oven at 200C.
    Skin and clean the chicken. Make incisions with a sharp knife if using breast meat.
    Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
    Put the marinated chicken in oven at 200 C for 10 minutes.

    Preparation of sauce

    Blend the peeled tomato so that it becomes purée.
    Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the tomato paste, cashew paste, ginger paste, Kashmiri chili, kasuri methi, honey, blended tomato purée and simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
    Add cooked chicken in pieces. Simmer for 5 minutes and then add butter and cream.
    Serve hot with naan or partha or rice.

Gabriel’s Perfect Roast Chicken for Two

Our friend Gabriel has successfully opened seven restaurants in New York’s West Village, all under the age of 30. Gabriel loves food as much as we do – possibly more. This is one of his favorite recipes. It is easy to prepare and the flavors burst in your mouth.

Oh Gabriel, how do you love your chicken? Let us count the ways…

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