92 posts tagged “chicken stock”

Green Olive Couscous
Yields 6-8 servings
Good to serve with lamb

3 cups chicken stock
3 cups couscous
3/4 cup green olives, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the chicken stock in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat with a tight-fitting lid. When the liquid boils, add the couscous and give it a stir. Put the lid back on the pot, remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the olives, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fluff with a fork.

Mini Meatball Sammies
Yield 8 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion
1 small carrot
1 stalk celery
3 pinches fresh thyme
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/3 pound ground sirloin
1/3 pound ground pork
1/3 pound ground veal
1 large egg
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken stock to thin sauce
4 hot dog buns
4 slices mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a medium-size sauce pot over medium-high heat, add EVOO. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme and cook for another minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, turn heat down to low and cook for 10-15 minutes.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine meats with egg, garlic, bread crumbs, milk, grated cheese, parsley, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Form into mini meatballs. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Thin the sauce with chicken stock as the sauce thickens, or as needed.

Cut about 1/4 inch off of each end of the bun and then cut in half so you 2 mini buns. Place a couple strips of cheese on each mini bun and then place a couple meatballs on that. Top with a little sauce and enjoy!

Daube de Boeuf Provencal
Serves 6

4 fresh thyme
1 dried bay leaf
3 whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 orange zest, (2 to 3 inches each), plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
1 celery stalk, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
3 medium carrots, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 bottle (750 mL) rich red wine, such as Syrah or Shiraz
4 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought beef or chicken stock
1/2 cup nicoise olives, pitted and rinsed
Coarse salt

Make a bouquet garni: Put thyme, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, and zest on a piece of cheesecloth; tie into a bundle. Combine onion, garlic, celery, carrots, bouquet garni, and wine in a large non-reactive bowl. Add beef, and toss to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees;. Remove beef from wine mixture; pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Transfer wine mixture to a heavy pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half of the beef, turning, until deeply browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and beef. Stir tomato paste into stock; add to the skillet, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add to wine mixture. Stir in olives and beef. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Cover daube; transfer to oven. Cook 2 hours. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees; if daube starts to boil. After 2 hours, stir in orange juice. Cook until beef is very tender, about 30 minutes more.

Turkey Bolognese
Yields 8 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds lean ground turkey
2 carrots, grated
2 onions, grated or finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated
Salt and black pepper
1 bay leaf, fresh or dry
2 cups chicken stock, regular or low sodium stock
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes, regular or low sodium

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons.  Add the turkey and break up the meat into small pieces using the back of a wooden spoon.  Cook until brown, about 5-6 minutes. Add in the carrots, onion and garlic, and cook another 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, deglaze the skillet with the stock, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and add the tomatoes. Bring up to a bubble then drop the heat down to low and simmer for another 5-6 minutes more.

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole
Yields 4 servings

1 pound egg noodles
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 cups shredded or grated carrots
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely grated or chopped
1 fresh or dry bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 10-ounce box frozen peas
20 leaves basil, roughly chopped or torn
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded Italian 3-cheese mix

Preheat oven 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the egg noodles.  Once boiling, add some salt and the noodles and cook until al dente according to package directions.  Drain thoroughly. While the water is coming up to a boil for the egg noodles, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle the pan with two turns of the pan with EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the chicken pieces and brown on both side for about 4-5 minutes and remove to a plate.

To the same large skillet over medium-high heat, add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic and bay leaf, season with some salt and pepper and cook, stirring every now and then for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies start to get tender.  Scoot the veggies to the sides of the skillet and add the butter to the center of the skillet. Once the butter melts, add the flour, stir to combine and cook about 1 minute. Add the white wine, chicken stock and milk and whisk together.  Stir in the veggies, bring up to a bubble and simmer for 3-4 minutes until thick.  Remove the bay leaf and then add the peas, reserved chicken pieces, basil, parsley and drained noodles, and toss to combine. 

Transfer everything to a baking dish.  In a bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and shredded Italian 3 cheese mix, sprinkle over the casserole and transfer to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, until the top is brown. Serve with a simple green salad alongside.

Moroccan Turkey Breast
Serves 4 to 6

2 ounces finely chopped blanched almonds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 5-pound bone-in turkey breast, rinsed and patted dry
2 heaping tablespoons honey
1/2 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, plus more, if needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Orange slices, for garnish (optional)
Tomato slices, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium skillet, combine almonds and sesame seeds. Cook over medium heat, until fragrant and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, cloves, salt, and pepper. Rub over entire surface of turkey.

In a small saucepan, heat honey and stock. Place turkey, breast-side up, in a small roasting pan. Dot with butter, and pour stock mixture over turkey. Roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, basting every 20 minutes with pan juices. As the honey browns, add additional stock to avoid burning. If the pan dries out, add more stock. If turkey browns too much, cover with aluminum foil.

Remove from oven, and remove turkey from pan. Set aside. Strain pan juices into a small saucepan and return turkey to roasting pan. Stir almonds and sesame seeds into pan juices. Spread over turkey, return to oven, and continue roasting, basting every 3 to 5 minutes. Cook until skin is dark golden brown and crisp, and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat reads 165 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer turkey to a platter, and garnish with orange and tomato slices.

Steak Frites with Shallot Glaze
Serves 2

1/2 cup (about 4 medium-large) shallots, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup Homemade Chicken Stock (recipe follows)
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds shoulder blade or skirt steak, trimmed and patted dry
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Frites (French Fries) (recipe follows)

Boil shallots with red-wine vinegar in a heavy, small saucepan until the mixture is reduced to a glaze. Add wine, and boil until sauce is syrupy. Add chicken stock, garlic, and soy sauce, and boil until it has reduced and thickened to a saucelike consistency. Season with salt and pepper. (This can be prepared several hours ahead, cooled, covered, and set aside at cool room temperature, or refrigerated.)

Season steak with salt and pepper. Place a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, and film with oil. Sear both sides of steak in skillet, and place in a 300 degrees; oven, and cook until steak is medium rare. Transfer steak to a cutting board, and let it rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile add shallot glaze with butter to skillet to deglaze. Slice steak diagonally crosswise. Overlap the slices on a plate and pour the glaze over the steak. Serve immediately with frites.

Homemade Chicken Stock
Makes 5 quarts

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
6 fresh dill, or 2 teaspoons dried dill
6 fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 dried bay leaves
2 leeks, washed, white and pale-green parts only, cut into thirds
2 carrots, scrubbed, cut into thirds
2 celery, cut into thirds
1 4-pound chicken, cut into 6 pieces
1 1/2 pounds chicken wings
1 1/2 pounds chicken backs
12 cups (two 48-ounce cans) canned low-sodium chicken broth

Place peppercorns, dill, parsley, bay leaves, leeks, carrots, celery, chicken, wings, and backs into a large stockpot. Add stock and 6 cups cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a very gentle simmer, and cook for 45 minutes. Liquid should just bubble up to the surface. A skin will form on the surface of the liquid; skim this off with a slotted spoon, and discard. Repeat as needed. After 45 minutes, remove chicken from the pot, and set aside until it is cool enough to handle.

Remove the meat from the bones, set the meat aside, and return the bones to the pot. Shred the chicken, and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use. Continue to simmer the stock, on the lowest heat possible, for 3 hours, skimming as needed. The chicken bones will begin to disintegrate. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a very large bowl.
Discard the solids. Place the bowl in an ice bath, and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to airtight containers. Stock may be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 4 months. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. If storing, leave fat layer intact to the seal the stock. Before using, remove the layer of fat that has collected on the surface.

Frites (French Fries)

2 pounds (about 8 medium) russet potatoes, peeled, sliced lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-to-3/8-inch-wide sticks
Peanut oil, (about 4 Cups), for deep frying
Salt

Place potatoes in a large bowl of cold water. Change the water repeatedly to remove the potato starch until the water remains clear. (Potatoes can be prepared a few hours ahead to this point and set aside at room temperature in a bowl covered with cold water. Drain before cooking.) Dry the potatoes well in a lettuce spinner and with a clean bath towel.

Line two large baking sheets with paper towels. Heat oil to 350 degrees; in a wok or large pot. Fry potatoes in small batches without crowding until completely cooked, but barely colored, turning occasionally. Transfer to the prepared sheets in a single layer using a slotted spoon. (Potatoes can be prepared a few hours ahead to this point and set aside at room temperature.)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees;. Line another baking sheet with paper towels. Reheat oil to 350 degrees;. Fry potatoes again in small batches until crisp and golden brown, turning occasionally. Transfer cooked potatoes to the prepared sheet using a slotted spoon, and keep them warm in the oven while cooking the remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.

Seafood Paella
Serves 6

3 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
2 cups low-sodium clam juice
Pinch saffron
1 cup sugar-snap peas, tough strings removed, cut in half on the bias
2 links chicken sausage, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 squid, (about 1 pound), cleaned and cut into 1-inch rings
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks
1 pound uncooked paella rice
1 pound cockles and mussels
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Olive-oil cooking spray

Place stock, clam juice, and saffron in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

Prepare an ice bath. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, and blanch sugar snap peas until bright green and just tender, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer peas to ice bath; let cool. Drain, and set aside.

Coat a paella pan (or a 6-quart Dutch oven that measures 11 inches in diameter and 5 inches in height) with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook until well browned, turning, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 1 1/2 minutes. Add squid, and cook until opaque, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Transfer seafood and sausage to a plate, and set aside. Add onion, garlic, and bell peppers to paella pan; sauté until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add uncooked rice; sauté until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add 4 cups reserved stock mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, and cover. Cook until most liquid has been absorbed and the rice is just tender, about 10 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, place remaining cup of stock mixture, cockles, and mussels in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cover, and bring to boil. Cook until all shells have opened, 2 to 3 minutes; discard any that remain closed. Add paprika, black pepper, tomatoes, shrimp, squid, and sausage to rice mixture; combine. Add cockles, mussels, and cooking liquid to mixture, being careful to leave behind any residue in sauté pan. Stir in parsley; garnish with peas. Serve immediately.

Pasta e Fagioli
Yields 4 servings

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
4 thick slices pancetta, about half-inch thick each, diced
2 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme with several sprigs on it
1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
1 medium onion, chunked
2 small carrots, chunked
4 rib celery, chunked
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
Coarse salt and pepper
2 15-ounce cans butter beans, drained
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 box rigatoni
Grated Parmigiano or Romano cheese, for the table
Crusty bread, for mopping

Heat a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and pancetta and brown pancetta bits lightly. Add herbs, bay leaf, vegetables and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes and stock to the pot, and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid bubble and add the pasta. Reduce the heat to medium and cook soup for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is cooked to al dente, stirring occasionally.

Remove the stems and bay leaf from soup and let it rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Place the pot on a trivet on the table so the hot pot does not burn your table, then ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of cheese and another little drizzle of olive oil. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Serves 2

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic, crushed and peeled
2 shallots, crushed and peeled
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
1 1/2 cups canned low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 pound pasta, such as campanelle
1/8 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padana cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Add salt and broccoli rabe to the boiling water. Cook until just tender. Drain, and transfer to ice bath. When cool, drain, and set aside. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallots; cook until just golden. Add sausage; sauté, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until cooked through. Add broccoli rabe and stock. Cook until heated through. Into the same large pot, add pasta; cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain. Add pasta to skillet; toss to combine. Season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle with cheese; toss to combine. Serve immediately.