The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (50 page)
Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Chicken paprikash should be an easy-to-make braise with succulent chicken; a balance of heat, spice, and aromatics; and a rich, flavorful sauce with paprika at center stage. To get to this goal, we pared down the usual mile-long ingredient list. After browning chicken thighs, we ditched the skin so the sauce wouldn’t become greasy. Sautéing a handful of aromatics and vegetables in the fond led to a rich base for our sauce, which we enhanced with paprika twice: once while sautéing the vegetables to let its flavor bloom, then once again after adding sour cream to finish the dish and instill it with spicy richness.
SERVES 4
Rice, mashed potatoes, and buttered egg noodles all make good accompaniments.
8 | (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed |
Salt and pepper | |
1 | teaspoon vegetable oil |
1 | large onion, halved and sliced thin |
1 | large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, halved widthwise, and cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, halved widthwise, and cut into ¹⁄ |
3¹⁄ | tablespoons paprika |
1 | tablespoon all-purpose flour |
¹⁄ | teaspoon dried marjoram |
¹⁄ | cup dry white wine |
1 | (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained |
¹⁄ | cup sour cream |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh parsley |
1.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 4 chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook without moving until skin is crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer; transfer to large plate. Repeat with remaining 4 chicken thighs and transfer to plate; set aside. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.
2.
Add onion to fat left in Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned and peppers are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons paprika, flour, and marjoram and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot; stir in tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Add chicken and any accumulated juices, submerging them in vegetables; bring to a simmer, then cover and place pot in oven. Cook until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from oven. (At this point, stew can be cooled to room temperature, then refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to simmer over medium-low heat before proceeding.)
3.
Combine sour cream and remaining ¹⁄
2
tablespoon paprika in small bowl. Place chicken on individual plates. Stir a few tablespoons of hot sauce into sour cream to temper, then stir mixture back into sauce in pot. Spoon sauce and peppers over chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Chicken canzanese is a regional Italian braised chicken dish that transforms tough old birds into a moist and tender meal. For an interpretation that offered tender and juicy meat, we opted for chicken thighs, which contain more connective tissue than breasts. Sautéed prosciutto and garlic formed a rich flavor base, which we simmered in white wine and chicken broth to concentrate the flavors. We then returned the chicken to the pan and cooked it in the oven uncovered, which allowed our sauce to reduce and also preserved the chicken’s crisp skin. To round out the sauce, we added a quick squeeze of lemon, a generous pat of butter, and a sprinkling of chopped rosemary.
SERVES 4 TO 6
When seasoning the dish at the end, be mindful that the prosciutto adds a fair amount of salt. It is important to use a piece of thickly sliced prosciutto in this recipe; thin strips will become tough and stringy. Serve the chicken with boiled potatoes, noodles, or polenta to absorb the extra sauce.
1 | tablespoon olive oil |
2 | ounces prosciutto (¹⁄ |
4 | garlic cloves, sliced thin |
8 | (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | teaspoons all-purpose flour |
2 | cups dry white wine |
1 | cup low-sodium chicken broth |
12 | whole fresh sage leaves |
1 | sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and minced fine, stem reserved |
4 | whole cloves |
2 | bay leaves |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 | tablespoon lemon juice |
1.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring frequently, until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic slices and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is golden brown, about 1¹⁄
2
minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic and prosciutto to small bowl and set aside. Do not rinse pan.
2.
Increase heat to medium-high; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and heat until just smoking. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until well browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate.
3.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan. Sprinkle flour over fat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly add wine and broth; bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced, 3 minutes. Stir in sage leaves, rosemary stem, cloves, bay leaves, pepper flakes, and reserved prosciutto and garlic. Nestle chicken into liquid, skin side up (skin should be above surface of liquid), and bake, uncovered, until fork slips easily in and out meat, but meat is not falling off bones, about 1¹⁄
4
hours. (Check chicken after 15 minutes; broth should be barely bubbling. If bubbling vigorously, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.)
4.
Transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with aluminum foil. Remove and discard sage leaves, rosemary stem, cloves, and bay leaves. Place skillet over high heat and bring sauce to boil. Cook until sauce is reduced to 1¹⁄
4
cups, 2 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in minced rosemary, butter, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce around chicken and serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Time-consuming techniques and esoteric ingredients make cooking authentic Moroccan chicken a daunting proposition. We wanted a recipe that was ready in an hour and relied on supermarket staples. For depth and flavor, we used a mix of white and dark chicken and browned the meat first. After removing the chicken from the pot, we sautéed onion, strips of lemon zest, garlic, and a spice blend in the leftover brown bits and some oil; this ensured that no flavor went to waste. A number of everyday spices were necessary to recreate the authentic notes in Moroccan chicken, including paprika, cumin, cayenne, ginger, coriander, and cinnamon; honey contributed a missing sweetness. Greek green olives provided the meatiness and piquant flavor of hard-to-find Moroccan olives. Chopped cilantro, stirred in right before serving, was the perfect finishing touch to our exotic dinner.
SERVES 4
Bone-in chicken parts can be substituted for the whole chicken. For best results, use four chicken thighs and two chicken breasts, each breast split in half; the dark meat contributes valuable flavor to the broth and should not be omitted. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon before juicing it. Make sure to trim any white pith from the zest, as it can impart bitter flavor. If the olives are particularly salty, give them a rinse. Serve with couscous.
1¹⁄ | teaspoons paprika |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground cumin |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground ginger |
¹⁄ | teaspoon cayenne pepper |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground coriander |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground cinnamon |
3 | (2-inch) strips lemon zest |
5 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | (3¹⁄ |
Salt and pepper | |
1 | tablespoon olive oil |
1 | large onion, halved and sliced ¹⁄ |
1³⁄ | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | tablespoon honey |
2 | carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ¹⁄ |
1 | cup cracked green olives, pitted and halved |
3 | tablespoons lemon juice |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro |
1.
Combine paprika, cumin, ginger, cayenne, coriander, and cinnamon in small bowl and set aside. Mince 1 strip lemon zest and combine with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and mince together until reduced to fine paste; set aside.
2.
Season both sides of chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook without moving until skin is deep golden, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken pieces and brown on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate; when cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.
3.
Add onion and 2 remaining lemon zest strips to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion slices have browned at edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add 1 tablespoon water if pan gets too dark). Add remaining 4 teaspoons garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spices and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened and very fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in broth and honey, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Add thighs and drumsticks, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes.
4.
Add carrots and breast pieces with any accumulated juices to pot, arranging breast pieces in single layer on top of carrots. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until breast pieces register 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.
5.
Transfer chicken to plate and tent with aluminum foil. Add olives to pot; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until liquid has thickened slightly and carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Return chicken to pot and stir in garlic mixture, lemon juice, and cilantro; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Replace 1 carrot with 1 cup dried apricots, halved, and replace olives with one 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed.