Peruvian Roast Chicken

This recipe is one of our favorites. I've never had Peruvian food, so cannot vouch for its authenticity, but I can vouch for its deliciousness. Don't skip the mayonnaise, which should really be called a dip or sauce. The chicken is very good in general, but is wonderful with the sauce. The chicken cooks a little slower than the recipe, possibly because we buy large chickens. It came from the March edition of Cook's Illustrated.

Peruvian Roast Chicken with Garlic and Lime

SERVES 4

This recipe calls for a vertical poultry roaster. If you don’t have one, substitute a 12-ounce can of beer. Open the beer and pour out (or drink) about half of the liquid. Spray the can lightly with nonstick cooking spray and proceed with the recipe. If the top of the chicken is becoming too dark during roasting in step 3, place a 7-inch-square piece of foil over the neck and wingtips. If habanero chiles are unavailable, 1 tablespoon of minced serrano chile can be substituted. Wear gloves when working with hot chiles.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons kosher salt

6 medium garlic cloves , peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons finely grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 2 limes

1 teaspoon minced habanero chile (see note)

1 (3 1/2-to 4-pound) whole chicken

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Process all ingredients except chicken in blender until smooth paste forms, 10 to 20 seconds. Using fingers or handle of wooden spoon, carefully loosen skin over thighs and breast and remove any excess fat. Rub half of paste beneath skin of chicken. Spread entire exterior surface of chicken with remaining paste. Tuck wingtips underneath chicken. Place chicken in gallon-size zipper-lock bag and refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.

2.     Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place vertical roaster on rimmed baking sheet. Slide chicken onto vertical roaster so chicken stands upright and breast is perpendicular to bottom of pan. Roast until skin just begins to turn golden and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 140 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes. Carefully remove chicken and pan from oven and increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.

3.     When oven is heated to 500 degrees, place 1 cup water in bottom of pan and return pan to oven. Roast until entire skin is browned and crisp and instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees inserted in thickest part of breast and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, about 20 minutes (replenish water as necessary to keep pan from smoking), rotating bird 180 degrees halfway through cooking.

4.     Carefully remove chicken from oven and let rest, still on vertical roaster, 20 minutes. Using kitchen towel, carefully lift chicken off vertical roaster and onto platter or cutting board. Carve chicken and serve, passing Spicy Mayonnaise separately.

Spicy Mayonnaise

Makes About 1 Cup

If you have concerns about consuming raw eggs, 1/4 cup of an egg substitute can be used in place of the egg.

INGREDIENTS

1 large egg (see note)

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon canned pickled jalapeño pepper , minced

1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

 Process all ingredients except oil in food processor until finely chopped, about 5 seconds. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil in steady stream until mayonnaise-like consistency is reached, scraping down bowl as necessary.

Carnitas

This is a great recipe for Carnitas from Cook's Illustrated. It's very easy and comes out perfect. Just like the carnitas you would get from a good quality Mexican restaurant. We've always used vegetable oil. That much peanut oil would be pricey.

Carnitas

1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder roast (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt

4 cups peanut oil*

¼ cup water or Coca-Cola

2 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

1 lime, halved

Ground black pepper

Garnishes

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Fresh cilantro sprigs

Sour cream

Minced white or red onion

Lime wedges

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat the pork dry with paper towels, season with the cumin and 1 teaspoon salt, and transfer to a large Dutch oven. Add the oil, water, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Juice the lime directly into the pot, then add the spent lime halves.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, then transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, until the edges of the pork are well browned and the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2½ hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a colander set over a bowl; let drain about 10 minutes (discard the oil). Shred the pork using two forks and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with war corn tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, onion, and lime wedges.

*Vegetable oil can be substituted for the peanut oil, but peanut has better flavor

Pizza Sauce

We're having pizza for Christmas Eve, as we do every year. Ryan will be making the pizzas, so they will be awesome. You won't be able to recreate his crusts unless you are as good a baker as he is, but here's the sauce recipe we use. It came from Allrecipes.com under the name Exquisite Pizza Sauce. The link on Allrecipes didn't work when I clicked on it last week. But here's the recipe. We've never used the anchovy paste.

Exquisite Pizza Sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

6 fluid ounces warm water (110° F)

3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)

¾ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried marjoram

¼ teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, water, Parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, anchovy paste, onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt; mix together, breaking up any clumps of cheese.

Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors; spread over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.

French Toast

We had French Toast for dinner tonight. We make it with Ryan's delicious Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread, but this recipe would be good with any bread (it is amazing with the Raisin Walnut bread). The recipe we use is from Cook's Illustrated.


French Toast

Serves 4.  

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

To come up with a French toast recipe that would be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with rich custardlike flavor, we dried hearty white sandwich bread in the oven before dunking it in a yolks-only soaking liquid enriched with melted butter. Drying out the bread gave our French toast recipe the pillowy interior we were looking for; eliminating egg whites (which contain sulfur compounds that make eggs taste eggy) gave it richness without a scrambled egg flavor; and adding melted butter gave the French toast recipe a delicious, nutty flavor.

For best results, choose a good challah or a firm, high-quality sandwich bread, such as Arnold Country Classics White or Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White. Thomas’ English Muffin Toasting Bread also works well. If you purchase an unsliced loaf, cut the bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices. To prevent the butter from clumping during mixing, warm the milk in a microwave or small saucepan until warm to the touch (about 80 degrees). The French toast can be cooked all at once on an electric griddle, but may take an extra 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set the griddle temperature to 350 degrees and use the entire amount of butter for cooking.

INGREDIENTS

• 8large slices hearty white sandwich bread or good-quality challah (see note)
• 1 1/2cups whole milk , warmed (see note)
• 3large egg yolks
• 3tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, plus 2 tablespoons for cooking
• 1/4teaspoon table salt
• 1tablespoon vanilla extract
• Maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Place bread on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread until almost dry throughout (center should remain slightly moist), about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees.
2. 2. Whisk milk, yolks, sugar, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Transfer mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking pan.
3. 3. Soak bread in milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart, 20 seconds per side. Using firm slotted spatula, pick up bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off; repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter.
4. 4. Heat ½ tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. When foaming subsides, use slotted spatula to transfer 2 slices soaked bread to skillet and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. (If toast is cooking too quickly, reduce temperature slightly.) Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Repeat cooking with remaining bread, 2 pieces at a time, adding ½ tablespoon of butter for each batch. Serve warm, passing maple syrup separately.

Carmelized Onion Risotto

This is Ryan's recipe. One of our favorite risottos. Had it for dinner yesterday night.

Caramelized Onion Risotto
5 cups chicken broth
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
8-12 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped (I generally shoot for 10, but at those quantities it hardly matters if you use one more or less).
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cup Arborio Rice
3/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
scant 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Heat the broth in a large covered saucepan until it reaches a low boil, then reduce heat to low. (You can start heating the broth and continue with the recipe--it will be close enough to ready  by the time you need it).

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat, until the butter is melted and the pan is hot. Sauté onion, garlic and shallot in butter until the onion is tender and starting to brown. Mix together brown sugar and vinegar in a small bowl, and add to the pan. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the vinegar has boiled off. Add rice and stir to coat, then add the wine, salt and pepper.

Cook for about a minute, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Start adding the chicken broth, about a half cup at a time (1-2 ladles-full is my rule of thumb), allowing the liquid to be absorbed each time before adding more. Be sure to stir and scrape the bottom every minute or two. Once all the broth has been added, add the cream. Once the cream has been absorbed, stir in the cayenne, remove from heat and serve.