My Perfect Roast Chicken

". . . I knew then I couldn't call myself a chef just because I ran a kitchen.  In the end, of course, the importance of trussing a chicken meant far more than actually trussing a chicken." - Thomas Keller

Trussing a chicken, in the words of the great TK, makes the bird.  It cooks more evenly, and it protects the thinnest part of the breast, which is usually what's overcooked.  It provides for a bit more area near the darker sections, where the chicken is habitually undercooked.  Here's how you truss a chicken:

"Position the chicken so that its cavity faces you.  Place the center of a 2-foot-long piece of butcher's string beneath the chicken's tail, the little triangle at the bottom of the cavity.  Lift the string up outside each leg and pull it down between the legs, reversing the direction of each end so that they cross.  Pull the strong over the thighs (the drum sticks should squeeze together at this point) and the wings.  Maintaining tension on the string, turn the chicken on its side, wind the ends of the string over the neck, and tie securely." - The French Laundry Cookbook, p. 171.

Some caveats.  I used cotton string, because Target isn't exactly the end-all for cooking supplies.  My chickens didn't have the neck (I know, I know), so instead I tied a fairly tight knot where the neck would be.

Roast Chicken


1 Chicken, as fresh as possible.  Mine was approximately 3.5 lbs.
2 tsp White Truffle Oil
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tblspoon thyme.

Clean the chicken and pat it dry, removing any extraneous feathers.  Coat the cavity in salt, pepper, and thyme.  Truss the bird.  Place the chicken in a roasting pan, breast-side up, and with your hand, rub in the truffle oil, coating the skin as completely as possible.  I did it tsp by tsp, so as to enhance the surface area rubbed in and (to hopefully) rub more into the places that need it.  Coat with sea salt and pepper.  I go a bit heavier on these, preferring to see the individual crystals.  Cook at a high temperature--425-450--until the thigh meat, at its deepest point, hits 165.  Like TK says, the sooner the dark meat is done, the moister the breast will be.

I used the drippings and made a simple reduction.  Add about a tablespoon of dijon mustard, a tablespoon of thyme, a tablespoon of old bay/baltimore spice (thanks Art!), a bit of water (I usually do a cup per 2 cups of drippings), and reduce by half.  Serve over a piece of bread, with a generous amount of sauce.  I prefer the sauce to be a bit liquidy for chicken; I'm not sure why, other than I used to get freaked out by jellied sauces on my Thanksgiving turkey early on in life, so the habit has just stuck to make them a bit "loose."

Disclaimer: some like cooking chicken to about 150 or 160.  You can do that, just keep an eye on the dark meat and make sure that it's done.  More often than not, it's the last to finish and it will be undercooked if you take it out when the breast hits 160.  So be careful!

1 chicken serves 2-4.  For tonight, I have 2 chickens.  Simple meal, with simple flavors, done right.  Does it get better than this?

Enjoy.

Tasting Menus--What Say You?

So, in the middle of a shit ton of school work, I'm attempting to put together a tasting menu for a close friend of mine (check out her ridiculously good fashion blog-The Queen of Hearts).  Some people seem to go either way with tasting menus.  Some believe them to be nothing more than an excuse not to prepare a lot of food or a "proper" meal; others seem to love the fact that you grab the persons attention and never let go, never letting them meet the "law of diminishing returns or flavors" head on.  I think I'm in the latter group, but honestly, I've never done one.  My true opinion will have to wait . . .

That being said, here are some ideas.  5 courses, nothing too big, but with a decent amount of variety.  Here's what I have in mind thus far:

1. Tomato "Bisque":  the idea for this course came around the time I was opining about guilty pleasures.  This will be my first use of tomato on this menu, but in reality, I need to be using it more.  I grew up eating tomatoes whole, or cut in half with a healthy dose of salt on them.  If you have wonderfully fresh, garden variety tomatoes, the skies the limit--you just need to not be afraid of their acidity.  I'm keeping this one underwraps until it's been tested, but for the sake of conversation, it may or may not include a ravioli, a basil/cream emulsion, and some . . . well . . . "coarse" salt.
2. Salmon Tartare with Gruyere over Leeks and Spinach:  this takes inspiration from a recent dish I did for a school-function, and it consisted of a ravioli stuffed with salmon mousse, green onion, and swiss cheese.  I thought the combination was amazing; the sharp, tanginess of the swiss really set off the flavors of the salmon nicely.  I'd like to bring the salmon flavor to perhaps a cleaner forefront (hence the tartare preparation), but I think that to offset it, a basic "salad" would work well to give it some balance and textural comparison.  
3. Butter-Poached Lobster with Rosemary, Beurre Monte, and Tomato Confit:  this will be my second preparation of Keller's butter-poaching method, the first being a pretty decent smash.  This is another dish where I really think the powers of the tomato can help out; the acidity should be offset by the beurre monte, and it should all wrap together very nicely.  Lobster needs some acidity; hence the vinegar in the water while steeping.  Add a bit more to finish, and it should be a nice pairing.  And just to reiterate, rosemary, when it's not overpowering and at the forefront of the flavors, may be the most delectable spice to use with lobster.
4. Braised Lamb Chop with Asparagus and Wild Mushrooms:  lamb may be my favorite red meat; when done right, I can't help but literally suck the marrow out of the bone.  I prepared lamb for Valentine's Day, and I think it went over really well.  Asparagus seems to get a bad rap (or is it wrap?  I guess it depends on how you're using it [the asparagus, that is?]), but the main task when preparing asparagus is to remove the bitterness.  I like how mushrooms will contrast with that bitterness, and I think the earthiness really helps the lamb nicely.  I'm not a fan of doing a lot to lamb; it's flavor is so rich that really, it stands on its own, and for my dish, it'll be at the forefront.
5. Lemon Tart:  simply put, this is a tribute to Marco Pierre White.  I'll be adding my own twist, but the classic taste should remain the same.  The structure, on the other hand . . .

I'll obviously be charting the progress of these dishes, that evening, and any possible changes.  Your feedback is, as always, more than welcome!

Thomas Keller Appreciation Night

Butter-Poached Lobster with Zucchini, Portobellos, and Rosemary-Infused Rice.

4 Lobster Tails, ~5oz a piece
1 Medium Zucchini
3 Portobello Caps, sliced to about 3/8" thick (2 slices per plate)
1.5C Rice, long grain.
4 Sprigs fresh Rosemary.
Butter (I used 6 sticks; it depends on how big your pot is)
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Serves 4.

For the beurre monte.
In order to get to the heart of Thomas Keller's famous butter-poached lobster, one must make a beurre monte.  Put your lobster tails in a pot, and cover with water so that you have about 1/4" between the water and the tops of the tails.  Drain and measure the water.  That's the amount of butter you will need.  I needed ~6 sticks (I needed roughly 4C, but I like to be sure and I wanted a bit more beurre monte).  Boil 1 tablespoon of water in a pot, and then incorporate chunks of butter, whisking constantly.  This will allow the butter to maintain its emulsified state; without that water, it'll break up and clarify.  DO NOT let it reach above 200 degrees (or to boil).  It will break, and then you're fucked.  Set this aside (you have about an hour, so relax, and keep it on very low).  (once you're done poaching, you can also keep it frozen).

Removing the lobster shells.
Boil about 2 quarts water with 1/8C white distilled vinegar.  Turn it to half, wait until the bubbles stop appearing, and pop the tails in there.  Steep for 3 minutes.  Remove them from the water, and then take the shells off (save them for stock!).  Set aside, covered.

For the rice.
Create a tea with 3 sprigs of rosemary and 4 cups of water.  Steep for 10 minutes (at least, more if more flavor is desired).  Let it boil down to about 3.5C, add the rice, and constantly check on it.  Rice is a tricky bitch, and you can always add a tad more water to make sure it cooks through.  But once it's overcooked, it's game over, so watch out and keep your eye on it.  Mine took ~20 minutes tops.

For the zucchini.
I put about a cup of water in the bottom of pot, and place the slices (roughly 3/8" thick) in there clockwise.  Season with salt/pepper, and steam for about 10 minutes; wait until the centers start to become translucent, and immediately remove them from heat, set aside.

For the portobellos.
Place the ports in about 2 tablespoons butter and 1tablespoon olive oil, season with salt/pepper, and saute until each side is getting a bit brown.  Roughly 4-5 a side, depending on your heat (I prefer to cook ports at lower temps, right around medium, to enrich their flavor--remember folks, browning seals in NOTHING).

For the butter-poached lobster.
Put the tails in the beurre monte.  You want to make sure it is no higher than 180 degrees (170-175 is preferable).  I used a little $20 kettle that has much more precise temp control than my stove.  Again, always check the temp.  Always, always, always.  Cook for about 7-9 minutes, depending upon size and how deep the beurre monte is.  The deeper it is, the more likely for temp fluctuation (unless you have a sweet circulator; if you do, well, fuck you, and please send me one!).  I sprinkled some rosemary on the top; whether or not it did anything is debatable, but I like to think it did. (and yes, there are bubbles, but I took this right after doing a stir and dropping them in; I assure you it did not boil!)

For presentation.
Start with a spoonful of rice; I kept the rosemary in the rice for taste and presentation purposes.  You can remove it if you like.  Put the zucchini next to it, 3 slices per plate, and then place the lobster on top.  Put 2 slices of port per plate, and drizzle with the lobster-steeped beurre monte.  Sprinkle parsley, and serve.   I did about 4 different ones, but pictures of the fourth suck.  My bad.

It's all about finesse- Thomas Keller

Enjoy.

If you're snowed in (or even if you aren't)...

It always helps to have something to dream about.