Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [52]
1 teaspoon mild paprika
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium parsnip, thinly sliced
1 leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, washed carefully of any sand, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
1. To concentrate the flavors without having to simmer the sauce for hours, bring the stock to a boil in a small saucepan set over high heat. Continue boiling for about 3 minutes, or until reduced to 1¼ cups. Set aside.
2. Mix ½ cup of the flour, the baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, the dry mustard, and nutmeg in a medium bowl until uniform. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the milk to make a dough. Make six dumpling balls about the size of Ping-Pong balls; cover with a dry towel and set aside. Season the chicken pieces with the paprika, pepper, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt; set aside as well.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the parsnip and leek. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the leek is limp, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of flour evenly over the vegetables, cook for just 10 seconds, then stir well to incorporate. Add the chicken pieces and their juices to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle in the parsley and thyme, then pour the reduced stock over the entire mixture. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
4. Lightly set the prepared dumplings on top of the simmering chicken mixture. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the dumplings are tender. If the stew starts to stick to the pan, reduce the heat even further. Once the chicken is cooked through, take the pan off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.
OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN makes 4 pieces of oven-fried chicken
Buttermilk gives this low-fat version of fried chicken the tang of the Southern classic. Panko are Japanese bread crumbs, excellent for any fried coating because they cook up exceedingly crisp. They’re found in most Asian markets and gourmet stores, or in the Asian section of some supermarkets. If you can’t find panko, use fresh bread crumbs made from two large slices of stale white bread, crusts removed. Purchased dried bread crumbs will burn in the oven.
¼ cup buttermilk (regular, low-fat, or nonfat)
1 cup panko (see headnote)
1 tablespoon canola or other vegetable oil
½ teaspoon mild paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each)
2 chicken legs (about 6 ounces each), skin removed
1. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl, preferably a large, shallow soup bowl; set aside. Combine the panko, oil, paprika, salt, and pepper in a second large bowl.
2. Dip the chicken pieces first into the buttermilk, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, then into the panko mixture, coating all sides. Place the coated chicken pieces on a nonstick baking sheet, or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or a silicon baking sheet.
3. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through but juicy. Serve at once.
CHICKEN TIKKA makes 2 skewers
One caveat before you make this easy Indian kabob: don’t marinate the chicken for more than 2 hours because of bacterial growth associated with chicken and yogurt. For best results, use 8-inch metal skewers: they cook the chicken quickly by heating it from the inside while it broils on the outside. Serve this dish with jasmine rice and a salad of sliced cucumbers and radishes, dressed in lemon juice and olive oil with a pinch of sugar and salt.
cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mango chutney
1 teaspoon mild paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon