Good morning GUSsaints. Ok, I'm going to flat out admit it. I just didn't have the mental whatever to write a diary for the last several times. Mea culpa. I have read, commented, but just couldn't get myself to do the right thing with GUS. So now, you can forgive me for my not posting a possum recipe, of which I have several -- most from citizenx's family recipe book.
So, I've had to deal with really crazy law/client stuff. I wish I had been able to be an astronomer so as not to be forced to deal with people but just with really cool and important stuff. On top of that -- the new office dog, Chance, has an irresponsible owner who let the dog off the leash 2 x in the same day -- both times the dog took off. He's an 11 month old Black German Shepherd --aka -- goofy puppy. Thursday, after a tough day in court, I had to walk the cemetery in the snow for 40 minutes, then get picked up by the genius dog trainer (not the owner who left me there) and we drove around for 30 minutes.
Then we get the phone call that someone called animal control (who was already looking for the dog) and he had Chance -- who was happily playing with his seven year old, massive German Shepherd, Sammy. Happy reunion. Blessings for the man who took in Chance and blessings for the brilliant animal control officer -- she is stellar.
Ok, so, this started because the owner "whacked" not hard, Chance's nose when he ran away both times so the dog said, "eff it," because he's a rescue and obviously abused before. My dog trainer friend reamed the owner two or three new ones about whacking the dog (and I really mean it wasn't hard). He, who is always right about everything, was abjectly apologetic and depressed that he hurt the dog.
So, Chance is back in the office and abject guy takes me down to the pub where we drink more than necessary but it is on our block so we walk. When we return -- here is what we viewed:
Wait! Wut???? Who did this????
You!!!! No, You!!!!! No You!!!!!
SQUIRREL!!!!!!!!! I mean, POSSUM!!!!!!
A new roll of paper towels (not legal documents) shredded and tossed about multiple rooms. Ok, Chance did it but Stretch the cat was the instigator. And there was a possum in the back of the office (summer critter left over) who had to be gently extricated.
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Sooooooo, Soooooo, sorry for my absence. Here's some recipes as a penance (ok, I like the recipes).
from Cook's Illustrated
Best Chicken Stew
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
In working to make a chicken stew that could satisfy like its beef brethren, we looked to two different chicken parts: We seared well-exercised wings to provide rich chicken flavor and plenty of thickening gelatin, and then we gently simmered bite-size pieces of boneless chicken thighs for tender bites throughout the stew. To boost meatiness, we used a combination of bacon, soy sauce, and anchovy paste. Finally we took full advantage of the concentrating effect of reduction by cooking down wine, broth, and aromatics at the start and simmering the stew uncovered during its stay in the oven.
Mashed anchovy fillets (rinsed and dried before mashing) can be used instead of anchovy paste. Use small red potatoes measuring 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved crosswise and trimmed
Kosher salt and pepper
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 pound chicken wings, halved at joint
1 onion, chopped fine
1 celery rib, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine, plus extra for seasoning
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Arrange chicken thighs on baking sheet and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper; cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
2. Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and bacon browns, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to medium bowl. Add chicken wings to pot, increase heat to medium, and cook until well browned on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes; transfer wings to bowl with bacon.
3. Add onion, celery, garlic, anchovy paste, and thyme to fat in pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until dark fond forms on pan bottom, 2 to 4 minutes. Increase heat to high; stir in 1 cup broth, wine, and soy sauce, scraping up any browned bits; and bring to boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and vegetables begin to sizzle again, 12 to 15 minutes. Add butter and stir to melt; sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in remaining 4 cups broth until smooth. Stir in wings and bacon, potatoes, and carrots; bring to simmer. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.
4. Remove pot from oven. Use wooden spoon to draw gravy up sides of pot and scrape browned fond into stew. Place over high heat, add thighs, and bring to simmer. Return pot to oven, uncovered, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken offers no resistance when poked with fork and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes longer. (Stew can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
5. Discard wings and season stew with up to 2 tablespoons extra wine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
BUILDING A RICH, FLAVORFUL GRAVY
START WITH BACON AND WINGS: Brown chopped bacon, then sear halved wings in rendered fat to develop meaty depth. Set bacon and wings aside.
ENHANCE FLAVOR BASE: Sauté aromatics, thyme, and anchovy paste in fat to create rich fond. Add chicken broth, wine, and soy sauce, then boil until liquid evaporates.
COOK GRAVY: Cook reserved bacon and wings (with potatoes and carrots) in more broth. This extracts flavor from meats and body-enhancing collagen from wings (later discarded).
THIS IS FOND, TOO
We often use liquid to release the browned bits, or fond, that remain on the bottom of the pan after meat has been sautéed or pan-seared; this enables us to easily stir the fond into the dish. These bits are packed with the complex flavors that are created by the Maillard reaction and can greatly enhance the flavor of a braise or a sauce. We found that leaving the lid off our chicken stew as it cooked in the oven led to the development of fond on the sides of the Dutch oven as well. To take advantage of this flavor-packed substance, we deglazed the sides by wetting them with a bit of gravy and scraping it into the stew with a spatula. The result? A considerable flavor boost.
SCRAPE THE DARK RING INTO THE STEW
from
Cook's Country
Cheddar Olives
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Briny, salty olives wrapped in a cheesy coating sounded good, but the admittedly tasty coating melted away in the oven. Moderating the fat in the dough was key, and we landed on 2 cups of extra-sharp cheddar and 7 tablespoons of butter, combined with flour, an egg, and a splash of water. Pulsed in the food processor and wrapped around olives, the mixture baked up into a rich, biscuity coating that—thankfully—stayed put. Paprika, red and black pepper, and a few drops of Worcestershire drive home the cheese flavor.
MAKES 40 WRAPPED OLIVES
Use regular-size, not colossal or queen, cocktail olives. The cheddar olives must chill for at least 1 hour before baking.
INGREDIENTS
40 pimento-stuffed green olives, rinsed
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 7 pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Spread olives on dish towel and roll around to dry. Pulse flour, paprika, pepper, and cayenne in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses. Add cheddar and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 12 pulses. Add egg, water, and Worcestershire and process until dough ball forms, about 20 seconds.
2. Working with 2 teaspoons dough and 1 olive at a time, pat dough into 2-inch circle; place olive in center of dough; form dough around olive; and roll cheddar olive between your hands to make uniform ball. Place cheddar olives on large platter, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours (or freeze to bake later).
3. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Space cheddar olives evenly on prepared sheets. Bake until bottoms are well browned and tops are golden, 16 to 18 minutes (if baking from frozen, increase cooking time to about 25 minutes), switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer cheddar olives to wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes before serving.
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