Recipe Notes: Braised Chicken with Mustard and Herbs

17 June 2019

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, March 2019

I'm almost always up for a new simple method for preparing a staple like chicken like this recipe from a recent Cook's Illustrated. Braising is not a method that I usually think of for chicken, but it is simple and usually produces a delicious sauce to go with the meat. This recipe provides details for cooking different parts of the chicken so they are all done at the same time without overcooking any. We'll see how this works out.

I purchased chicken parts approximating the quantities specified in the recipe. I had one split bone-in breast weighing 1.4 pounds (it was huge but smaller than other breasts I had to pick from) and three whole chicken legs weighing 1.754 pounds. Thighs were separated from drumsticks,  the breast cut in half crosswise, and excess fat and skin removed. The breast was cut to produce pieces of approximately equal weight: a thin, tapered end and a broad end. The chicken pieces were brined for 30 minutes then removed from the water and patted dry with paper towels. All but the tapered breast piece were browned in vegetable oil in a Dutch oven, then removed to a plate. Diced onion was then cooked in the Dutch oven until softened and minced fresh thyme, garlic, and pepper were added and cooked until fragrant. Some flour was added and cooked for about one minute. White wine and water were added and the brown bits were scraped up. Thighs and drumsticks were added to the Dutch oven, covered, and cooked on the stovetop for 8 minutes. Then the broad breast piece was added and cooked. Finally, the tapered end of the breast was added and the covered pot was transferred to a 300° oven and cooked for about 8 minutes when the broad breast piece reached a temperature of about 160°. The chicken was removed, even though the tapered end of the breast was not done. Minced fresh parsley, whole-grain mustard, and lemon juice were added to the sauce and which was simmered for a few minutes. Total time was an hour and 50 minutes.

The chicken (we had dark meat) was very good, juicy and tender. The sauce, though, was too thin but it tasted very good. It complemented the chicken well and was neither spicy nor overpowering. For leftovers the sauce was reduced to thicken and it was even better than when it was fresh. The leftover chicken pieces were placed in a covered skilled over medium-low heat; by the time the sides were ready, so was the chicken. The dark meat continued to be good as a leftover, however the white meat was dry. I can see us having this again. I would stick with legs and forgo the breast (we prefer dark meat anyway) and I would be interested in trying some of the other sauces that were published with the recipe.

Recipe Notes: Everyday French Toast

6 June 2019

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, March 2019

I have written several blog posts about French toast, trying different recipes, and I have written about its connection to my dad. I haven't made French toast in a while, but this new recipe inspired me to make some this week. The cooking method is special, this recipe allows you to cook eight slices at a time. Even when cooking dinner for two this is very attractive. But does it work and how does it taste?

The "trick" used in this recipe is to cook the French toast in the oven rather than on a griddle or skillet. A rimmed baking sheet was sprayed with cooking spray and the oven heated to 425° with a rack in the lowest position. Another rack was placed 6½ inches from the broiler element. (The recipe said it should be 5 to 6 inches but my choices were 4½ and 6½.)The custard mixture was prepared by whisking together eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Melted butter was added while whisking and finally milk (2% as that is what we usually have on hand). The egg mixture was poured into the rimmed baking sheet. Eight slices of white sandwich bread were placed on the pan and then quickly flipped. I used homemade Japanese Milk Bread. My bread slices were smaller than the store-bought slices used in the Test Kitchen and they did not soak up all of the egg mixture. I poured off the excess to make clean up easier. The bread was baked on the lower rack for about 12 minutes until the bottoms were golden brown. The rimmed baking sheet was then moved to the upper rack and the broiler was turned on. After about 2½ minutes the top side was done. Total time to prepare eight slices of French toast: 40 minutes.

Yes, it works, and it tastes great! This is a wonderful new way to make French toast. All eight slices were done at once. No cooking a few at a time then keeping them warm in the oven until all are done. No getting up from the table to return to the kitchen to tend the next batch. The toast was crispy with a nice, creamy, vanilla interior. It kept well in the refrigerator and was good after re-heating in the toaster. This is the way to go when making French toast.