Phenomenal Fennel Chicken

Okay, okay, okay!  I know you've missed me.  I'm SORR-EEEEEE!  The spring got away from me....the summer got away from me...and here we are in the fall!  The kids are back to school and I KNOW you are looking for some ideas to spice up, or flavor-up the dinner table. 

Here's a good one that I have to say, I was quite reluctant to try.  It calls for an ingredient called fennel.  Fennel is similar to celery, with a licorice-like, anise-like flavor.  But PLEEEEZE don't let that scare you away.  Most people who know my food style know that I DO NOT LIKE LICORICE.  In fact, my top three NO GO foods are liver, lima beans and licorice.  That being said, fennel is something altogether different, especially when cooked.  It adds a layer of flavor that will make your tongue both think and sing. 

This delightful, sublime dish also calls for leeks.  Leeks are a milder, sweeter, wonderful member of the onion family.  Make sure you only use the white and the pale green part of the leek and WASH it very well.

The final key ingredient is cream.  The cream makes this dish luxurious.  Don't skip it. 

Here are the particulars:

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut up into pieces
1 tbs. olive oil

3 tbs. unsalted butter
1 fennel bulb (about 1 pound), cored and cut into slices small enough to fit comforably in your mouth, about 1/2  inch slices
3 leeks, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/3 cup dry white wine such as pinot grigio
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  In a large dutch oven or oven-proof saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken in batches, skin side down, until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes.  Transfer to a plate, repeat until all the chicken in browned. Add all the chicken back to the pan, cover and put in the oven until the chicken reaches 160 degrees internal temperature.  Pour the fat and pan drippings into a gravy separator or a glass measuring cup.  Let the drippings sit a few minutes and remove the fat from the top.   Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan or a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. 

Turn down the pan to medium and add the butter to the pan.  Add the fennel and stir well to coat.  Cover and cook the fennel until it softens, about 5 minutes.  Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally until the fennel is tender, about 5 minutes longer.  

Add the wine, the cream, and the pan drippings. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, about three minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the chicken, and cover with some of the fennel leek sauce.  Garnish with fennel fronds if you are so inclined.


I served this with wild rice, as you can seen in the picture.  I was looking for a contrast in color and in flavor.  You might argue that you have your veggies covered with the leeks and the fennel, but you could serve this with sauteed mushrooms or a caprese salad to add some color.  And do let me know what you think!!!

Beat the Chicken Doldrums with Tarragon Chicken

It's a challenge.  I get it.  We love chicken, but we find ourselves cooking it the same way each and every week.  And then we get tired of that which we love so dearly.  Enter Indulge Me to rescue you and the chicken (well...sort of....the chicken probably wouldn't agree!).

Chicken and tarragon pair wonderfully together.  There are a few other of my favorite ingredients:  fresh chives, proscuitto and wine. 

Here we go:


Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless breast halves
1/2 cup AP flour for dredging
2-4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. button mushrooms or white mushrooms
3 oz. proscuitto, sliced (if you don't eat pork, omit it)
1 cup dry white wine, like a Savignion Blanc or low sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs. Minced Chives

Instructions: 
Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Dust each breast with flour, shaking off the excess.  
Saute chicken in hot oil in a saute pan until lightly browned on both sides, about 5-7 minutes.    Remove chicken and set aside, covering or tenting with foil to keep warm.
Add mushrooms and proscuitto to the pan.  Cook until mushrooms soften and begin to brown, about 2-3 minutes. 
Add wine or broth and cream to the pan.  Return chicken to the pan, reduce heat and summer until sauce thickens slightly, about 7 minutes. 
Stir in tarragon,  and vinegar and cook for 1 minute.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper and garnish with chives.

Divine Chicken Piccata - It's all about the brine....

Chicken Piccata has some of my FAVORITE INGREDIENTS in it.  First off, lemon is my all around ace numero uno fave flavor.  Sarburst, Sourpatch Kids, Sweedish Fish...the lemon ones get reserved till the end so I can save the best for last!  And this savory winner packs a wonderful pucker.

Second, I have always been a sucker for pickled (now we use the word "brined") food.  Relish, pickles, olives, cornishons.  And the list goes on.  When I discovered capers, I just about lost my pickle-lovin' mind.

If you are like me, this will be one of your favorite go-to recipes.  It's not that hard to whip it up on a weeknight.  I like to reserve the seasoned dredging flour for the next time my life calls for pan-fried or fried chicken.  Have a separate one for fish, too.  Make it with the pasta, outlined below, and serve with a salad, or broccoli.  I would suggest peas, but the capers and the peas start to look alike and it doesn't quite have that visual appeal.  Enjoy!!!


Ingredients


• 2 boneless skinless boneless chicken breasts, butterflied, cut in half and flattened a little

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• All-purpose flour, for dredging and for sauce thickening.  I like to season my dredging flour with garlic powder, onion powder, a little salt and pepper.

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 1/4 cup brined capers, removed from brine.  You may rinse them if you choose.  I don't.

• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Serves 4.

Directions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When the butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When the chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, wine, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Take 4 Tbs of the pan juice out and put in a small bowl. Add 1 Tbs of AP flour and make into a paste. Add the paste back to the pan sauce and stir till combined. Check the seasoning.  Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley (optional).

Pasta Accompaniment:

1 lb. Low Carb Pasta (like Dreamfields), cooked al dente

½ stick butter

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup fresh basil, rough chopped

1 Tbs. minced garlic

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

The juice from a half of a lemon

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cook the pasta in salty water, drain and add to a skillet. Add all of the remaining ingredients, and serve with the chicken.