Saveur Cooks Authentic American - Editors Of Cook's Illustrated Magazine [38]
3. Toss Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and sage together in a bowl with remaining oil and salt and pepper; transfer to pan. Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted in chicken’s thigh reads 165°F, 25–30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter; cover loosely with foil. Return vegetables to oven; roast until very tender, about 20 minutes more. Carve chicken (following steps shown), squeeze reserved lemon over top, and serve with vegetables.
Carving a Chicken
A perfectly roasted chicken all but demands a deftly wielded knife and a sense of ceremony. The four steps below are easy to master and produce neat, elegant portions.
A Set chicken on its side with the breast away from you. Place a fork against the thigh to steady chicken and, using a carving knife, cut between the body and the leg to begin to separate the two.
B Pierce the breast with the fork to steady the chicken, and complete the separation of leg from body by working the knife through the connecting joint. Set the leg aside on the carving platter.
C Hold the breast down with the fork. Using the knife, make an incision alongside the wishbone. Make a deep cut along the breastbone to remove breast meat. Halve and set aside on carving platter.
D Separate the drumstick from the thigh by cutting through the connecting joint while holding the leg steady with the fork. Turn the chicken over and repeat preceding steps on the other side.
Thai Red Curry with Roasted Duck
Gaeng Phed
The crisp-skinned roasted duck available in Chinatowns across America makes a great shortcut ingredient for many delicious, homey dishes, including this spicy-sweet Thai curry. Ask the counterperson at your local Chinese market to cut the roasted duck into bite-size pieces, which you can then simply toss into the simmering curry sauce.
2½ cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup Thai red curry paste, such as Mae Ploy brand
½ Chinese roasted duck, cut into 2-inch pieces
10 fresh or frozen Kaffir lime leaves
1 cup fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1½ tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. Thai palm sugar
6 Thai chiles, stemmed
20 cherry tomatoes, left whole Leaves from 10 stems basil, preferably Thai basil
4 cups cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Serves 4
1. Heat 1 cup of the coconut milk in a large pot over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the curry paste and continue to simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is very aromatic, about 5 minutes more.
2. Add the cut-up duck to the curry mixture and increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the duck is heated through, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining coconut milk, lime leaves, and ¾ cup water. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring, until the flavors meld, about 2 minutes. Add the pineapple, fish sauce, palm sugar, and chiles and continue to simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pineapple is fork-tender, about 5 minutes more.
3. Skim off and discard some of the oil from the top of the curry, if you like. Stir in the tomatoes and basil and simmer the curry for about 1 minute more; the tomatoes and basil should retain their shape and bright color. Serve the curry over steamed jasmine rice.
Classic Seasonings
Deeply flavored and fragrant, curry pastes are a mainstay of Thai cuisine. A combination of varying amounts of chiles, spices, and aromatics like lemongrass and galangal that are crushed or