Chicken with Butternut Squash and Lime

A certain one of the two people who inhabit this apartment would like the other one of us to make chicken more often, where the certain one of us is not me, and more often is every day. Alas, we can't always get what we want, if we're not the ones who do the cooking.

But lucky for her, two of our friends had babies in last two weeks, and the holidays have had everyone out of the office, leaving me with loads of downtime and plenty of reasons to cook. So last week, I made a big, tasty mess in the kitchen. I mixed and rolled and baked and oops! ate too many of three batches of cookies, and I made enough mujaddara to feed a medium-sized army, and because the elf on the shelf was watching, I made a big pot of chicken with enough for our friends and D. The best part? It's chicken that smells and tastes like an involved weekend project but comes together like a quick weeknight dinner. Just in time for your New Year's resolution to cook more at home. We know each other well.

1-DSC_0266

I started with a recipe for butternut squash khoresh (stew) from Food of Life, a Persian cookbook whose recipes my Persian friends swear by. Tweak tweak, etc etc. I wound up with something simpler and less fussy: browned chicken, soft butternut squash, and plenty of tang from lime juice and a bit of julienned lime zest. If I hadn't been making it for families with young kids, I might have added some diced fresh red chile. Still, the dish works great as is.

1-DSC_0272

These drumsticks made great dinner one night. The second night, I took the meat off the last two drumsticks and tossed them with some rice and greens for dinner #2. The bones went straight into the freezer, waiting for the weekend to become stock - which I used to cook more of that butternut squash with a little coconut milk. That's stowed away in the freezer for a day not in January where the laziness has set in.

1-DSC_0311

1-DSC_0324

*

I've never been big on New Years resolutions (which is good since it turns out, people rarely keep them). However, I do see this time of year as an opportunity to recommit myself to small but important things I value. For example, over the next few weeks, I'll be bringing Tamar Adler back into my kitchen. I love the way Adler cooks and prepares several basic components in advance, and combines them in different quantities and styles over the course of the week to make eating diversely and excitingly at home a stress-free proposition. If you missed her elegant, dare I say sexy? video on the topic from a couple years ago, it's worth a quick watch. That's my grand plan for Jan.

And then, because we all need a bit of inspiration and aspiration, I've refreshed my Kitchen Resolutions with a bit of a wish list for 2014. If you're up for crossing any of them off my list along with me, let me know. Maybe there's a group project lurking in there somewhere.

January: Let's do this thing, shall we?

More great January fare:

One year ago: Fasolakia, Greek-Braised Green Beans Two years ago: Mujadarra with Spiced Yogurt Three years ago: Mushroom-Pea Curry Four years ago: Crispy Kale Chips (remember when these were brand new?) Five years ago: White Beans with Caramelized Sweet Potatoes Six years ago: Whole Wheat Sables

Chicken with Butternut Squash and Limeinspired by a khoresh recipe from Food of Life serves 6

I made this in a big roasting pan and loved how easy it was to brown the chicken and cook off the stew all in one place, without having to brown the chicken in batches. That said, a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven would work well here, too, as long as you make sure to brown the chicken in batches to ensure caramelization.

2 1/2 lbs. drumsticks or other chicken pieces 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or substitute canola or olive) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon tumeric 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 red or yellow onion, halved and sliced juice of 3 limes (about 1/4 cup) zest of 1 lime 1 cup water 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey 6 cups of cubed butternut or kabocha squash (about 1 1/3 lbs.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add oil to a roaster, a heavy-bottomed pot, or a dutch oven, and set over medium-high heat.

Combine cinnamon, tumeric, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pat chicken dry and set on a clean plate in a single layer. Sprinkle spice mixture all over chicken.

Brown chicken in a single layer (in batches, if necessary) for about 3 minutes per side, until golden and starting to crisp. If using a pot or dutch oven, remove browned chicken to a plate while you brown the remaining pieces.

If you're using a pot, once you've browned all the chicken, add onions to the pot, toss to coat with drippings, and cook 5 minutes, until some pieces have started to brown. If using a roaster, it's fine to add the onions in once you've flipped the chicken and brown them simultaneously.

Add chicken back to the pot/roaster. Add lime juice and zest, brown sugar/honey, water, and squash. Stir once or twice to combine everything. Cover pot/pan, transfer to the oven, and cook covered with foil for 20 minutes, then another 25-30 minutes uncovered, until everything is cooked through and juices are bubbling.

Serve immediately, or reheat in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Dry-Brined Deep-Fried Turkey Leg

By now, surely you’ve heard the news: Thanksgiving and the first night of Hanukkah are one and the same. Once-in-a-lifetime doesn’t quite capture the specialness of this event: Thanksgivukkah happens only once every 79,000 years. To us cooks, that means one thing: better make that meal unforgettable.

I knew immediately that no matter what else graced our Thanksgivukkah table, there would be turkey-fat-fried latkes. In truth, I supplemented what little turkey fat I managed to render with some schmaltz from the freezer, but my taste testers were none the wiser. I also knew that these latkes would contain both potatoes and sweet potatoes, and I knew I’d be topping them with cranberry applesauce – the clear no-brainer of the menu. I briefly considered adding some toasted marshmallows overtop, but that seemed like overkill. (Instead, we’ll be topping our butternut squash soup with toasted marshmallows. They’ve got to go somewhere.)

I briefly dreamed of one monster dish, a sandwich of latkes, cranberry apple sauce, roasted turkey, and gravy piled high and eaten with plenty of napkins. But Thanksgiving is a time for refined fare; we’ll save the Thanksgivukkah sandwich for Black Friday. (Fortunately, Food52 took care of the details here.)

Most Thanksgiving meals feature a whole bird as the piece de resistance. I'm still debating whether or not to bother: breast and leg simply do not cook at the same rate, so why not cook the parts separately and make each as delicious as possible?

Beautiful as a whole bird is, the great appeal of cooking the turkey in pieces is that it allows us home cooks to make something previously relegated to those willing to cook Thanksgiving dinner in a flame-resistant body suit: deep-fried turkey.

Whole, deep-fried turkey is not only challenging, it’s dangerous. Most of the DIY turkey-fryer kits I’ve seen include long gloves, and some even include goggles. It’s the definition of “don’t try this at home.” But if you’re willing to cut up the turkey, the leg is a very manageable piece of meat to fry, and much, much less scary. What better way to commemorate the oil lasting for 8 nights than to take (way more than) 8 nights’ worth of oil and crisp up a drumstick?

1-spices

1-spices_2

Even better, I dry-brined the turkey before deep-frying it. God, did it burst with flavor. The dry brine, borrowed from Bon Appetit, is by far the best I've had.

1-spices_3

No surprise here: deep-fried turkey leg is delicious. It cooks more evenly than roasted leg, and the meat within stays ultra-tender and juicy. If you time things right, you’ll also get skin so crispy, you can eat it like a chip.

1-turkey sliced_2

And just as many southerners swear by day-old fried chicken straight from the fridge, this deep-fried turkey leg may actually improve with age.

It’s a Thanksgivukkah miracle.

Dry-Brined, Deep-Fried Turkey LegDry brine adapted slightly from Bon Appetit

Dry brine flavors your bird without requiring a huge pot and a mess in your fridge. Like a dry rub, you rub it all over the bird and then let it rest uncovered in the fridge for a couple of days to soak up the flavor. Then you rinse it off, dry up those legs, and fry (or roast!) them into awesomeness.

Seriously, I roasted a leg to test it as well. It was every bit as delicious as the deep-fried version, and I think I liked the caramelized flavor it developed better than the super-even-throughout thing the deep-fried leg had going on. Roast at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, maybe more, until the meat closest to the bone registers 165 degrees. Set on a plate and tent with foil to rest for 5 or so minutes before eating. Perfection.

Dry-Brined Deep-Fried Turkey Inspired by Bon Appetit’s dry-brined turkey Serves 4

Special equipment: digital thermometer (optional, but very helpful) ¼ cup kosher salt 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or maple sugar, if you have it) 1 teaspoon chile flakes 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 3 whole star anise (or 1 ½ tablespoons of star anise pieces) 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried) 4 turkey legs 1 gallon vegetable oil (canola, peanut, or grapeseed will work, too)

In a small pan, toast anise and fennel over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder or mortar along with chile flakes, and grind until mostly smooth. Pour into a bowl and add salt, brown sugar, and thyme. Stir to combine.

Wipe turkey legs with a damp paper towel and set on a large plate. Rub dry brine all over turkey. Then transfer the plate to the refrigerator and chill, uncovered, for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.

Pour the oil into a very large stock pot or other large pot. (A 21-quart canning pot works very well, but my largest stock pot also worked perfectly.) Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring the oil to 300 degrees. (The thermometer typically lags the oil temperature a bit, so when the thermometer reads 300, the oil is probably hotter; that said, once you add the turkey legs, the heat will drop significantly, so don’t worry too much about small fluctuations in temperature.

While the oil heats up, rinse the dry brine off your turkey and dry very, very thoroughly. Any liquid that remains on the turkey will splatter when it hits the oil, so be sure to wipe the turkey legs several times (using paper towels) until they are bone-dry. Set the legs on a clean plate. You’ll be cooking them two at a time.

Stick the heat-safe end of your digital thermometer into the largest of your turkey legs. Starting with that leg, carefully add it to the pot: hold the leg by its thin end, and set it gently into the oil, round end first. While I found gloves unnecessary, you definitely want an apron, and you might consider long sleeves. If your legs are dry, the oil will sizzle a bit, but it will not splatter.

Add a second turkey leg to the pot. Then set your digital thermometer to notify you when the turkey legs have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. In my pot, that took about 20 minutes. If you’re nervous about undercooking, 22-23 minutes should definitely do the trick.

When the turkey legs are done, carefully remove them from the oil using long, heatsafe tongs. Transfer the finished legs to yet another clean plate and allow them to rest for at least 3-5 minutes before digging in. Cook the remaining legs in the same manner.

Serve with turkey fat-fried latkes and cranberry applesauce. Happy Thanksgivukkah!

Tunisian Salmon with Spicy Green Sauce

Inexplicably, I woke up Friday morning with a serious craving for spicy green sauce. Of what variety? No clue. What would go in this sauce? Again, couldn't tell you. But I wanted a sauce, thick and green, spicy and fresh, to eat with salmon. And since there's only one cook in this house (D being capable of excellent cleaning and eating but really no cooking whatsoever, seriously), my craving was my command.

I typed "spicy green sauce" into Google, and, you know, 16 MILLION results came back. So this spicy green sauce that I totally made up? It's a real thing. 16 million real things, to be precise.

And then, because I'm terribly indecisive, I made three spicy green sauces. Hey - a craving is a craving, non?

9 chilies and two bunches of cilantro later, I found two versions that I really like. One I'll save for another time; the other is a perfect accompaniment to this simply roasted salmon.

1-DSC_0350

All the recipes I found varied on a basic theme: green chilies, cilantro and occasionally some parsley, garlic and/or onion, lemons or limes, and plenty of olive oil. If you were feeling creative, you could probably riff on the formula and create a sauce of your own.

The one I made for the salmon was inspired by a Tunisian sauce called chermoula. The recipe came from David Tanis, who wrote one of the loveliest cookbooks on my shelf: A Platter of Figs. Its secret ingredient is preserved lemon, which imparts a floral note and plenty of brininess. We loved it on the salmon.

By the way, about that salmon: After many years of relying on wet, soggy marinades to do my flavoring, I've recently come around to the benefits -- and there are so many! -- of dry rub. First, who wants wet when you're dealing with raw chicken or a big slab of fish? It sounds like it'll get everywhere, and it does. Plus, even if you manage to keep the marinade contained, you're still left with a few cups of good liquid that you probably will just pour down the drain. Second, my sense is that marinades don't get much further than skin deep unless you leave them to do their work for several days, and by then -- at least according to Harold McGee -- you've actually altered the structure of the protein, which sounds scary and also not delicious.

I'm not just a marinade naysayer, friends. I actually love dry rubs and I've been using them in all sorts of recipes lately. They're easy to make and remarkably economical. And since you apply the spices directly to the protein, you get a big hit of flavor from a relatively small volume of seasoning. If you play your cards correctly, as with this salmon, you get a nice, crunchy crust of seasoning on the outside of the fish, which really pushes things over the top. I used Tanis' mixture of coriander, cumin, caraway, and cayenne; the caraway is so unexpected and wonderful that I made a second batch of the spice rub (leaving the spices whole to preserve their flavor), and tucked it away for later use.

1-DSC_0353

The small bit of extra spice rub leftover from the salmon found its way onto eggplant, which I sliced, brushed with olive oil, and roasted in a 400-degree oven for 35 minutes until tender.  The next day, I shmeared two slices of my sourdough bread with some of the leftover chermoula, piled on the spice-rubbed eggplant and some roasted cauliflower, and topped the vegetables with some feta cheese. A few minutes on the cast iron pan weighed down with the tea kettle (so MacGyver, right?), and we had ourselves a killer panino. If I'd had any leftover salmon, I'd have added it to the sandwich in lieu of feta. The chermoula and spice rub are versatile components that I can see using in so many different ways. Both will definitely become part of the regular lunch rotation.

NDP Turns Six! Another year has passed, and now Not Derby Pie is six. Starting first grade - that's so old! Some of you have been around since the wee beginning: thank you. To newer friends, welcome. Thanks for reading, commenting, and sharing tips. I love hearing about what's in your kitchen, and I hope you'll continue to share all that's delicious. In honor of the birthday, I'm going to start posting links to recipes I made on or near the day of each post in each of the five previous years of NDP. The bottom line? Hopefully we'll all come away from each post with even more ideas for food to get us through the week. Cheers, and happy cooking. xo -R

One year ago:Fresh Salmon Cakes with Ginger and LimeTwo years ago:Easy Eggplant CurryThree years ago:All Sorts of PicklesFour years ago:Crostini with Radish and FavasFive years ago:Cherry Almond Tea CakesSix years ago:Île flottante, still among the most elegant desserts I've ever made

Tunisian Salmon with Spicy Green SauceRub and Sauce adapted from David Tanis'  recipe in the New York TimesServes 4-6

Use pre-ground spices if needed; you'll wind up with slightly more spice rub, but no biggie.

For the salmon: 2-lb. side of wild salmon 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed 1/2 teaspoon caraway seed 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the sauce:1 preserved lemon (available at Middle Eastern groceries) or the grated zest of 1 lemon Salt to taste 1 garlic clove, smashed 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, de-seeded (use less for a milder sauce) 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems3 scallions, chopped 1/3 cup olive oil, more to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a spice grinder or a mortar, grind the coriander, cumin, caraway, and cayenne to make a mostly-fine spice rub. Don't fret if little bits of whole spices remain.

Place the salmon skin-side down on a large baking sheet and sprinkle all over with salt. Then sprinkle the spice rub over the top of the fish, and use your finger tips to distribute the rub all over the fish. Don't be shy.

Drizzle the fish with the olive oil, and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes. (If your salmon is particularly thick, which mine was not, you may need to leave the fish in a bit longer. Err on the side of undercooking rather than overcooking.)

While the fish cooks, make the sauce: combine all ingredients except olive oil in a blender. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until everything emulsifies into a mostly-smooth sauce. Salt to taste. Transfer to a container and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Either serve the salmon immediately, or refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (about 2 hours) and serve cold.

Cumin-Rubbed Lamb Chops with Dates

1-DSC_0738

I've wanted to write about lamb for the longest time. Though we don't eat much meat around here, lamb is one of my favorites, and several months ago, I treated us to a big package of individually-wrapped grassfed lamb chops. Made two, tucked the rest in the freezer for a special occasion.

1-DSC_0647

1-DSC_0680

Then Friday night rolled around, and we found ourselves with no dinner plans and a fantastic bottle of pinot in need of drinking. It's been a tough month for us, but now it's not July anymore. It's August, we have (less than!) one month left of summer, and I want to drink it from the fire hose, make it last. Who needs a special occasion? Lamb is the special occasion.

1-DSC_0733

1-DSC_0774

We uncorked the pinot around 6. Why wait for dinner to get our weekend started? We sipped as I cooked. D set the table for two. While the spice-rubbed lamb sizzled under the broiler, I cut up a couple nice tomatoes, sliced them into wedges, and dressed them simply with olive oil, maldon salt, and chives. Some green beans went into a big skillet with a bit of diced shallot and some hazelnut picada leftover from a cooking experiment. And then there was the sauce, an effortless mix of beer and dates that reduced to a glaze, the dates sticky and soft, that we used to finish the lamb. I pulled a leftover challah from the freezer, tossed it in the oven, and when it was nice and hot, we sat down to a simple, delicious summer dinner.

1-DSC_0746

1-DSC_0809

If you've got the funds, this is a great dish to make for company. Plan for about 2 chops per person. While it's still warm out, serve with a nice salad and some fresh green or shelling beans. But this dish can carry you right into fall. I'm already looking forward to serving it with mashed sweet potatoes over the holidays. Is it too early to talk about the end of summer? Probably. So pretend I never said anything, and serve these up on the porch, basking in the summer light. Happy August, friends.

Cumin-Rubbed Lamb Chops with DatesInspired by this recipe from Gourmet Live Serves 2

4 individual lamb rib chops 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 4 cloves, ground (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves) 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup pale or amber beer 1 tablespoon date syrup or brown sugar 8 dates, halved lengthwise and pitted 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the lamb chops: Preheat the broiler.  Combine cumin, coriander, cloves, and salt in a small bowl. Place chops on a rimmed baking sheet lined with tin foil, and liberally sprinkle both sides of each chop with the spice mix. Transfer chops to the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes on each side; 3 minutes for medium-rare, 4 minutes for medium. They should emerge sizzling.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Pour the beer into a wide saucepan set over medium heat. Add date syrup or brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and cook about 3 minutes. Then add dates in a single layer. Cook the sauce for 3-4 more minutes, watching it carefully to ensure that it doesn't burn. This will depend on the size of your flame, so really do watch it carefully; beer evaporates pretty quickly. By the time the beer has reduced to a glaze, the dates will be soft and sticky. Turn off the heat.

When lamb chops are finished, remove the chops to a plate and pour the accumulated lamb juices into the pan with the glaze. In my case, the chops finished almost exactly when the glaze finished, so I added the juices and cooked the mixture for a couple more minutes, to thicken it a bit. If you like a thinner sauce, no need to continue the cooking. Either way, once you've added the juices, taste the sauce and adjust salt and/or sweetness as necessary. If the mixture is too salty, add a tablespoon or two of water.

To serve: Plate the lamb chops, 2 per person. Drizzle the glaze overtop, and divide dates between the two plates. Serve immediately.

Tips: If the glaze reduces too quickly and the chops aren't ready, add a tablespoon of water to the glaze to give it some more time. If the chops finish too quickly, set them on a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. The chops can also be reheated in a very low (200-degree) oven for 5 minutes prior to serving.