Tag: gluten free

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Chocolate Chicken

This past year, my assistants and I experimented with a variety of recipes.  During chocolate and romance weekend, we developed a recipe using chocolate.  We researched various recipes using the new world ingredient – chocolate – and this is what we came up- with.  It was a delightful dish with a unique flavor, similar to mole.

Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut up        
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon anise seed
1 cup almonds or hazelnuts, chopped
1.5 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ancho powder (to taste)
sesame seeds

Preparation
Brown chicken in a medium skillet in hot oil. Remove to a large (13x9x2) cake pan or baking dish. Pour oil from skillet and add the stock. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix cocoa with vegetable oil to form a paste. Add cloves, cinnamon, anise seed, and blend. Stir spice mixture into simmering stock and simmer 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Pour mixture over the chicken parts. Cover and bake in preheated 350-degree oven until chicken is tender (around 1 to 1 1/2 hours).

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Traditional Food Preservation Techniques With A Modern Twist – Part I

Part I: Smoking and Salting Meats

Smoked Pork Shoulder


A well-stocked pantry or larder has always been essential to any kitchen.  It doesn’t matter that the kitchen is in a castle, a manor house, or ship.  A good cook knew how to make food items last over journeys aboard ships or long winters.  Below I have offered a variety of techniques to keep your food longer.  Many of these techniques can be used to create fantastic dishes and wonderful gifts to your loved ones.

Smoking Meats
Smoking meats were another way of preserving them.  Unlike the salting process, smoking adds a tastier element to the meat. As a note, I feel safer eating smoked versus salted meats.  Smoking meats require a lot less time than the salting process, so the rewards come quicker. Basically it comes to hours versus days. Although salting has been around for centuries, I grew up with smoked meats and still enjoy them today.

The process is quite easy; obtain wood chips (found in the same location as the charcoal briquettes) and soak them overnight in water.  Once done, place the soaked wood chips in the bottom of the pot or tray.

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Recipe for Romance

The tales of love and romance are not a modern one. The earliest tales of romantic work can be traced to the Acritic songs from the Byzantium Empire. These songs were introduced to the French and Italian knights during the occupation after the 4th crusade and influenced their songs and stories. Similar traditions existed in Northern Europe and were in the form of great epic sagas and took place in exotic locations, usually having mythological elements and dangerous quests.

The earliest medieval romances dealt heavily with themes from folklore, which diminished over time. During the early 13th century romances were increasingly written as prose.  As these romances gained popular favor, clerical critics of the late middle ages thought that romances were harmful worldly distractions from more religious or moral works.  By the 17th century, many secular readers would agree with the religious leaders, as they felt romantic stories were trite and childish.

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Roast Quail with Dandelion Pesto with Field Mushrooms and Hazelnuts

Foraging Your Meal

Populations in urban areas have lost touch with their roots.  Not necessarily ethnic or cultural, but the understanding of where food comes from and how it arrives at the market.  The locavore movement encourages individuals to use locally raised and produced ingredients and this movement has been gaining momentum while aligning itself with the modern day “green” practices while supporting local farms, businesses, and industries. If you know what you are looking for, foraging can produce tasty snacks, salads, side dishes, and main courses for any cook. 

Before going out on your foraging adventure, it is important to study what items are edible and which are not.  Many cities offer community education courses regarding foraging and there are several books and websites available on the topic; I recommend ecosalon.com/foraging-for-food and foraging.com. Beginners should stick to easily identified items and avoid mushrooms altogether and all foraged items should be washed before eating raw or cooking.

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Whiskey Beef and Bacon Hash

This dish became very popular with my staff and our friends.  Very delicious and decadent, this dish will be very popular with your friends.  I really hope you will enjoy it. 

Ingredients
½ of a medium sized well-marbled chuck roast, cut into thin strips no longer that 2”
¾ lb. of bacon, cut up

Whiskey Beef and Bacon - 11/02/11

½ lb of red potatoes, thinly sliced
½ lb of carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, roughly diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of whiskey
1 tbsp of rosemary
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste

Heat up a large fry pan (or wok) and begin to fry the bacon with the garlic and onions.  When the bacon is about medium done, begin to add the beef to sear.   Take 1 cup of whiskey and begin to deglaze the pan with the bacon and beef and add the rosemary.  Add the potatoes and carrots and continue to stir.  Cover the pan briefly, checking and stirring every 5 minutes.  After about 15 minutes, add the rest of the whiskey to finish.  The fats from the bacon and beef combined with the whiskey makes a great and tasty glaze on the food.  While still cooking, add the black pepper.  Once the whiskey has cooked down, add salt to taste and serve heartily with some nice ale.