Chicken & Halloumi Souvlaki

We're about a week into January and I'm still eating leaner dishes, avoiding butter (mostly) and trying to be a good boy this January.

Tonight's dish is another way to kick-up the sometimes boring chicken breast. Cut it up, marinate it, grill it and pair it with something else delicious. In this case, chicken and Halloumi cheese are the elevated to "dymanic-duo" status.

Most souvlaki shacks in Greece and abroad now offer a chicken version of this skewered meat and although I often choose pork or lamb, the chicken option is great when I'm in the mood for lighter fare.

When you add Halloumi cheese into the mix, chicken souvlaki's stock immediately rises in the foodie's Bourse. For those unfamilar with Halloumi, is a firm cheese that is made in Cyprus, Lebanon and enjoyed throughout the Middle East.

It's made from a goat & sheep's milk blend and when it's chewed, it often squeaks against your teeth (which I find neat) and it's best trait, it's delicious.

The reason I've chosen Halloumi cheese here is that it's a cheese that holds up well over heat. Be it fried or grilled, Halloumi holds together and for the purpose of this take on souvlaki, it's your best bet.

This dish can be completed on your outdoor grill or one of those grilling pans you place on your stovetop. Being quite aware that there are Northern and Southern hemisphere readers of this blog, again this dish works for both!

This Chicken & Halloumi souvlaki was eaten in the context of a meze, an appetizer or part of a succession of Greek bites between sips of Tsipouro, a winter green salad tossed in a light vinaigrette, some warmed pita bread and some fruit for dessert.

The chicken breasts are cut into pieces that are the same size as your Halloumi pieces (so that they cook in the same amount of time) and the chicken is marinated for a couple of hours in flavours native to Greece, such as thyme, bay leaves, honey and red wine vinegar.

Chicken & Halloumi Souvlaki
(makes meze for 8 or 4 light main servings)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts,
cut into cubes

Marinade
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
4 Tbsp. olive oil
8 bay leaves
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 sprigs of lemon thyme
1 Tbsp. of honey
1 shot of Ouzo
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp sea salt

salt and pepper
approx. 500 gr. of Halloumi cheese,
cut into cubes
(same size as chicken pieces)
warm pita bread
wedges of lemon
wooden skewers

1. Rinse and pat dry your chicken breasts and then cut them lenghtwise in half. Now cut them across into cube-sized pieces and set aside.
2. In a zip-lock bag, all of the marinade ingredients and stir to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning and then add your pieces of chicken into the bag. Seal and squish the contents to coat all of the chicken pieces. Marinade in the fridge for 2 hours and then bring back to room temperature before grilling.
3. Cut your pieces of Halloumi cheese into pieces that are the same size as the the chicken. Strain the marinade (and discard) from your chicken pieces and alternately skewer a piece of chicken and Halloumi onto each skewer.
4. Pre-heat your outdoor grill (or indoor stove-top grill) to a medium-high heat and ensure the grill surface is free of residue and lubricated with a vegatable oil before grilling. Season your skewers with salt and pepper.
   
5. Grill your chicken and Halloumi skewers for about 2 minutes a side and serve on plates with beds of warm pita bread and wedges of lemon.

NOTE: The wooden skewers do not need to be soaked in water prior to grilling as they are not apt to burn while on the grill for such little time.


If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

Seared & Braised Breasts of Chicken

This following post is actually about a non-visit during my recent stay in New York. Despite my having a full week to sight-see, explore, eat & drink and meet folks along the way - there just wasn't enough time to patronize all the Greek restaurants of note.

Upon my return from New York, I've even received invites to "check out" some other noted Greek eateries in the NYC scene. Is New York City in my 2009 plans? We'll see.

Some of you might recall that I visited New York's famous The Strand bookstore and I was able to buy some rare and cheap cookbooks there. One such book was The Periyali Cookbook.

Periyali is a Greek restaurant in the Grammercy/Flatiron district of Manhattan and it's been around since 1988...a veteran by any restaurant's standards!

The next best thing to visiting a restaurant is buying the book, no? With over 300 pages and tons of recipes in between, the cookbook offers up an array of Greek dishes that touch upon all the food categories and it makes Greek food approachable for even some you just discovering what a wonderful cuisine we have.

Today's dish is one of those "I want a classy meal, it's a weeknight, I'm tired from work and I want that restaurant-type of dish served to me" kind of meal.

The cookbook's title for this dish is "Seared & Braised Breast of Chicken With Leeks and Lemon Cream Sauce". I had no leeks and even if I did, the leeks would be out of proportion with the chicken breasts.

I opted to sear some scallions but in hindsight, spears of asparagus would also work very well here and I'll be on the lookout for some the next time this dish is on my mind.

Another sub I made was to omit the lemon juice and use some of my flourishing lemon thyme in my indoor herb garden. The recipe has no herbage and although tarragon would have worked well here, thyme is a Greek herb and the lemon thyme gave the dish that fresh citrus flavour and the bottom-end woodsy falvour that only thyme can give.

Finally, I halved the wine, stock & cream amounts and my hunch was right...there was just enough sauce for 4 plates.

Seared & Braised Breasts of Chicken
(serves 4)

4 bunches of scallions, greens trimmed and reserved
1 cup of chicken/vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. of lemon thyme
(may sub. some lemon juice w/ thyme)
1 bay leaf
4 chicken breasts, pounded into paillards
flour for dredging
1/4 cup olive oil for frying
1/ 2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
thyme for garnish

1. Either pound out your chicken breasts into thin paillards or if you have 2 thick chicken breasts, carefully cut the breast into 2 thin chicken breasts (making 4). Rinse and pat-dry your chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper and dredge in all-purpose flour.
   
2. In a large non-stick skillet orver medium heat, add the white part of the scallions and sear on both sides until a nut-brown colour has formed. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve on a plate with absorbant paper.
   
3. Now sear and brown your chicken breasts in the same oil until golden brown (1 1/2 -2 mins.) on both sides and reserve.
4. Discard the oil and place your skillet back on medium heat and add the wine and and simmer for 1-2 minutes while scraping up the brown bits.. Now add your cream, stock, bay leaf and lemon thyme and and gently bring to a boil. Carefully add your chicken breasts back into the skillet and simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until your sauce has thickenend enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the reserved green parts of the scallions and mix into the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and discard the bay leaf.
5. Spoon some cream sauce onto the bottom of each plate and then lay a row of scallions on top, followed by the crowning chicken breast. Garnish with some lemon thyme and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Serve with some rice pilaf.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2008 Peter Minakis

Heads & Tales: Kefi in New York

During my stay in New York, my days were occupied by sightseeing (nothing too touristy) and the evenings were for dining and meeting new friends.

My stay in New York and the exploration of the Greek food scene wouldn't be complete without tasting the creations of Michael Psilakis.

Michael has appeared on Iron Chef America and he currently is part owner of Anthos and Kefi. Anthos is on the high end of the menu scale and Kefi is smaller but in no way inferior, quality-wise.

Once again, my Greek food and drink guide Konstantine suggested we meet at Kefi, located on West 79th (Upper West Side) and sample an array of the dishes.

Michael Psilakis was not here on this night but the staff accomodated us immediately with a table despite the packed lobby and lack of avaialable seating. Kefi will be moving to a new location soon and this problem should be resloved soon.

What does Kefi mean? The literal translation is "fun" but that really doesn't describe Kefi. Kefi is spirit, triumph, joy, adrenalin, the state of being aware of experiencing a good time, a celebration of being Greek, with good friends, food and drink, laughter, emotion, sentiment and finally...something only a Greek can really feel.

If you're a Greek reading this, you know what I mean and to others...go out with your Greek friends and ask them to tell you when "that moment" of Kefi has been reached...maybe then you'll understand.

From the waiting area to the farewell, Kefi's ambiance was laid-back, down-to-earth and unpretentious. The dining area is small and below street level but with such close quarters, one makes easy friends with the table beside you and conversations on food & wine can be easily engaged.

Constantine and I imbibed on a wonderful Vatistas Malagouzia and our other fave, the Pavlou P62 Syrah/Xinomavro with our parade of meze-sized dishes at Kefi.

For in New York or some of you who would like to enjoy some Greek food in the area, Kefi will offer you the greatest bang for your buck out of all the Greek establishments in Manhattan. Do not think in any way think that quality or portions are compromised.

Remember, this is a Michael Psilakis joint...the dishes were traditional but offered wonderful Greek twists with the ingredients. One dish after another was relished by Konstantine and I and a highlight of the night was the braised pulled rabbit meat tossed in hand-made pasta with a sauce reminiscent of a Rabbit (or hare) Stifado.

The first dish to arrive was the fried sweetbreads in creamy wine sauce with spinach, sage and crispy fried onions. The sweetbreads were paired wonderfully with one of Konstantine's new brands...a Vatistas Malagouzia from Monemvasia. Malagouzia is another grape varietal that's unique to Greece and I'll be touching upon this wine in a future post (it was awesome).

Next up was the grilled octopus on a bed of warm chickpea salad.

We sampled the Pork Sofrito medallions with shaved fennel, capers, olives and some orange slices.

Grilled lamb chops were ordered on the insistence of our server and boy was I glad he recommended these!

The crowning glory had to be the Pulled Braised Rabbit on a bed of homemade pasta which turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to our Pavlou P62 red.

This Syrah/Xinomavro took on a whole new aroma and taste when paired with the rabbit in a aromatic, spicy Stifado sauce. A stifado's has a noticeable presence of cinnamon and when paired with the P62, for the first time I was smelling notes of chocolate and black cherry in the wine...remarkable experience!

My evening at Kefi was a smash...wonderful food, good conversation at the table (and with the table beside us), unforgetable wine pairings with the food and laid-back but prompt and cheerful service from the staff.

This week, I had to re-experience that zen-moment when I ate the Braised Pulled Rabbit and sipped on the Pavlou Estate P62. I've recreated a dish that packs much of the flavours I experienced in Kefi's version but I used a whole chicken to make a Stifado.

A Stifado is a Greek stew that is tomato based, has the presence of red wine, an array of spices that almost always includes cinnamon and the usual suspect in the dish is rabbit or hare. Other popular stifados are made with rooster, beef or veal and octopus.

The other dominant ingredient is onions...plenty of onions which play very well when slow cooked with the meat of choice, blending with the spices to perfume your kitchen & home into something remarkably intoxicating and transporting you and your home to a Greek kitchen.

The dish I'm about to show you is usually made with a rooster but I'm no where near a farm and Stouffville Market is only open on weekends. This dish is inspired by my evening at Kefi and it's also reminiscent of a popular dish from the Greek island of Folengandros called "Matsata".

Imagine trying this dish on the island...farm fresh rooster, wild thyme from the mountains of the island, Greek red wine and spices that entered Greek cuisine from the time that Greek mariners ruled the Mediterranean and the spice trade in the area.

Finally, this may sound cliched but the pasta in this dish was homemade by myself after finally splurging on my own pasta machine. After fumbling the first few times with the machine, I finally was able to produce long, elastic ribbons of fresh egg pasta that cooked in minutes and truly heightened the dish. I may become a pasta snob!

Matsata (Ματσάτα)
(serves 4)

1/3 cup olive oil
1 whole chicken (or rooster), cut into pieces
1/2 onion, grated
1 cup of pearl onions
2 large onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 some grated nutmeg
1 heaping Tbsp. of tomato paste
2 cups of pureed plum tomatoes
1 cup of dry red wine
2 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
fresh made broad pasta
grated Kefalotyri cheese (Romano is fine)

1. In a large skillet, add your olive oil to medium high heat. Add your pearl onions and quickly saute until they have slighted caramelized. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Now season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown off your meat over medium heat and then reserve.
2. Now grate add your grated onion, sliced onions and garlic and saute over medium-low hea for about 7-10 minutes or until softened. Now add the balsamic vinegar and stir to lift up the brown bits and coat all the onions. Reduce for a minute or two.
3. Now add the bay leaves, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, tomato paste and red wine over medium heat. Now bring up to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add your tomato paste, pureed plum tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add your fresh thyme and your reserved chicken pieces, pearl onions and reduce heat, cover (slightly ajar) and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, sitrring occasionally.
   
4. At this point, you should have a thick, aromatic sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, grate some fresh nutmeg and set aside and keep warm.
5. Boil some fresh, broad pasta and when cooked to al dente, strain toss with some of the tomato sauce, tear some meat off the bone and mix in with the pasta and the sauce.
6. Place a mound of dressed pasta on each plate, place a piece of chicken on top and grate some fresh Kefalotyri cheese on top.
   
7. Serve this warm, aromatic dish with a Pavlou P62 Xinomavro-Syrah.
   

Grilled Chicken With Mustard (Ψητά κοτόπουλο με μουστάρδα)

A condiment that's been embraced by Greeks is mustard. I see it incorporated in dressings, sauces, on plates with meat or in this case - as part of a marinade.

The key to this marinade is good mustard. The mustard in Greece reminds one of a ballpark mustard but it is much milder, not as sharp nor as yellow.

I think the best way to describe it is a hybrid between a French Dijon and what we're used in North America (ballpark/hot dog mustard).

Choose any mustard you like and I'm sure this marinade will become a family favourite. Toronto's having a warm spell and the weather is prime for some more outdoor grilling.

I bought some wonderful boneless & skinless chicken breasts the other day and they were going to be my canvass for my marinade.

If you prefer other cuts of chicken - got for it. I too prefer legs and thighs but these breasts were had for a good deal and I wanted to really test this marinade on chicken breast (which needs all the flavour it can get).

This recipe is also versatile...the chicken gets seared then finished with indirect heat so outdoor grilling or cooking in the kitchen will both work here. If grilling (as I did)...sear the chicken on both sides, then finish off with indirect heat.

If you don't have a grill or it's too cold outside for you (pansies), sear your chicken with an indoor grilling skillet and finish off in the oven.

The final touch is basting your chicken with the reserved marinade you put aside when making the marinade.

Grilled Chicken With Mustard (Ψητά κοτόπουλο με μουστάρδα)
serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup sunflower oil
8 Tbsp. of mustard
2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
4 Tbsp. honey
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried Greek oregano
juice of 1 lemon

1. Rinse and pat-dry your chicken breasts. Place in a zip-lock bag & reserve. In a bowl, mix all of the marinade ingredients and whisk to emulsify. Adjust seasoning and marinade ingredients to your tastes. Pour half the marinade in the bag with the chicken and reserve the other half for basting later. Place your chicken in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. Bring back to room temperature before grilling.
2. Pre-heat your gas grill to a high heat. Brush the grill to remove any residue from your last grilling session. Using a some paper towel that's been doused in vegetable oil, brush/treat your grill surface with it to lubricate it (prevents sticking).
3. Wipe off the excess marinade from your chicken and discard the marinade in the bag (this will prevent sticking and burning).
4. Turn off the heat on one side of your grill and lace your chicken breasts on thehot side of the grill and sear both sides of your breasts for 2-3 minutes a side.
5. Place your chicken on the side of the grill with no heat and close the cover. Your chicken will now cook through using indirect heat.
6. Cook your chicken until the juices run clear or if using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature has reached 180F.
   
7. Take the chicken off the grill and brush the reserved marinade on both sides. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
8. Sprinkle dry Greek oregano over each breast, serve with some rice, grilled vegetables and a wedge of lemon.
   

Stuffed Turkey (Γαλοπούλα γεμιστή)

Here's the Main Event folks, the stuffed turkey.

I've been a big fan of brining a turkey for over a decade now. Oh, I'm sure you all have your favourite way of doing it but out there is an equal amount of people who fear, dread or avoid turkey. Usually because it ends up dry.

Brining a turkey is simply allow the bird to steep overnight (24 hrs.) in a salt water solution. What's happening here? Much like when you eat salty things, your body craves water. That's what's happening to the turkey - it's taking in moisture (water).

I've gone beyond my usual salt & water brine here and I've added some aromatics to make this turkey somethin' special for the Greek-themed Thanksgiving.

Another change I made was in how I roasted the turkey. Although I didn't use a Butterball turkey, I did refer to their website for their roasting calculator and I picked up a great roasting tip:

Roast the turkey uncovered at 325F only cover the turkey with aluminum foil after you've achieved it's desired colour. I've always done the reverse (cover for duration of roasting & uncover to brown at the end), but this Butterball method gave me a picture-perfect, moist and succulent turkey.

The other component of the turkey was the Greek stuffing. Greeks do enjoy roasting a turkey but it's usually done during the Christmas holidays. I had a wealth of reference points for a Greek stuffing and I settled on a classic which used ground meat, minced giblets, raisins, chestnuts and pine nuts.

The turkey and stuffing were an obvious hit. My guests had never seen a beautifully roasted bird before and I must admit, this one turned out pretty damn good!

The stuffing was savory with a little but of sweetness from the raisins, chestnuts and pine nuts. I don't have a decent photo of the stuffing but I can assure you my guests and myself enjoyed it alot.

Again, I was able to find a Greek wine as a pairing for the main course of the evening. Alex Pulcini of Pavlou Estates Winery recommended the Kappa P62 Xinomavro-Syrah as his choice for this turkey. I described the flavours the turkey would have and that this would be much more falvourful, aromatic and tolerant of a red wine.

Alex recommended this wine as it's a people pleaser, seems to be very popular with white and red drinkers and this wine has obvious notes of black cherry.

The P62 bottles I served did not last and I wish I had more...my guests wished they had more! I'm delighted to share with you that we collectively will be buying another case of the P62.

Earlier this year during my vacation to Greece, I was fortunate enough to enjoy a tour of the Pavlou Estates Winery (watch for my post on the winery tour, the people who make it and the wine).

Stuffed Turkey (Γαλοπούλα γεμιστή)

Brining Solution

3 bay leaves
handful of peppercorns
3 cloves of garlic
a bunch of fresh thyme
small handful of parsley
1/2 cup of Mosxato wine
handful of allspice berries
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 cup of salt
enough water to cover the turkey

Roasted Turkey
1 large turkey (5.7kgs) feeds 10
melted butter
sea salt pepper
sweet paprika
black pepper
garlic powder
combination of dried thyme, oregano and rosemary

Pre-heated 325F oven

1. To brine your turkey, you will need a large, clean pail or a large pot. Place your turkey inside and add enough water to cover the bird. Now the remove the bird and add the wine, orange juice, aromatics and the salt. Now place the container on your stove and bring the brining solution to a boil. Allow to cool before placing the turkey inside the brine. Palce the cover on and refrigerate or place outside (if cold enough for approx. 24 hours).
2. Between now and roasting the turkey, you may pre-make your stuffing (recipe below).
   
3. The next day, 1 hour before roasting, remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well and pat dry. Pre-heat your oven to 325F. Discard the brine.
   
4. Ensure your pre-made stuffing has also come to room temperature before spooning it into the cavity of the turkey. Have ready two containers of stuffing ready: one large portion with an approx. amount you think you'll require to stuff the bird and a back-up portion to replenish it (this helps eliminate cross-contamination to any leftover stuffing that does not fit in the turkey).
5. Spoon the stuffing into the main cavity and stitch with some wooden skewers to seal. Now place some stuffing in the neck area of the turkey as well (that's what all that excess neck skin is for...stuffing). Again, stitch with some wooden skewers to seal in the stuffing.
6. Place your turkey on a roasting rack and rub it all over with melted butter. Seasoning your turkey with a Mediterranean dried herb mix (I used oregano, thyme and rosemary, sea salt, black pepper, sweet paprika and garlic powder.
   
7. Place the roasting rack & turkey onto a roasting pan and add an onion, carrot and celery stick in the bottom of the pan with some water and a splash of wine. Place your turkey on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 3 1/2 hours. Monitor your turkey after about 2 hours to check for it's colour. When the desired browning has occured, tent your turkey with aluminum foil and continue to roast until the thigh meat has reached 180F (using a thermometer) and 160F in the stuffing.

Greek Turkey Stuffing

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 pork sausages, casings removed
1/2 lb. lean ground pork
1 packet of turkey giblets, finely chopped
1 bay leaf 1 tsp. dry oregano
3/4 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup wild rice
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup of Mosxato wine
1/2 cup of raisins
1 1/2 cups of turkey/vegetable stock
1 cup of chestnuts, chopped
1/2 cup of pine nuts
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. ground clove

1. In a large skillet, add your olive oil over medium heat and add your onions, garlic, celery, bay leaf and saute for about 10 minutes to soften. Now add your giblets and saute for a minute or so, followed by adding the sausage meat and ground pork. Turn the heat up and brown your meat while stirring constantly.
2. Now add rice and stir to coat and toast the rice for a couple of minutes. Now add the wine and raisins and reduce to medium-low and simmer while stirring for a couple of minutes.
3. Now add the stock, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer while stirring and most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Your rice should be just under '"al dente" and it will finish cooking as stuffing in the turkey.
4. Now add the chopped parsley, chopped chestnuts, sage and stir it. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and take off the heat. Add the pine nuts and a pinch of ground cloves and stir in. Allow to come to room temperature before placing the stuffing in the turkey (you may place in a container and refrigerate overnight).
   

Chicken With Spinach and Feta ( Κοτόπουλο με σπανάκι και φέτα)

First off, I like to thank all those who took the time to view my cooking piece and to comment, offer advice, discourage and encourage.

I see the wisdom in most of what was said but one can't be all things to all people and I think it's best for one to be themselves.

The next time I'm presented with an opportunity to film a piece, I think the best approach is to just be oneself, treat your audience as you would your house guests and everything will be fine and most importantly, have fun!

On that note, I had a joy making this easy dish of chicken breast and two of Greece's favourite ingredients: spinach and Feta.

Greek cuisine has brought you Spanakopita (spinach & cheese) pie but here, I take a similar filling and spruce-up an otherwise bland piece of meat - the chicken breast.

This meal makes for a good date offering or a snazzy weekday meal that will please adults and kids alike and...you get to sneak some good' spinach into the meal.

The is chicken with spinach and feta is easy, big on taste, easy on the wallet and simple enough to jot down on a cocktail napkin.

Chicken With Spinach and Feta
(Κοτόπουλο με σπανάκι και φέτα)
(serves 4)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of water
75 gr. crumbled Feta
75 gr. ricotta cheese
4 Tbsp. of chopped fresh chives
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 pads of unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
sweet paprika
2 Tbsp. of flour
1 clove of garlic, smashed
2 Tbsp. minced shallots
1 cup chicken/vegetable stock
1 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Trim your chicken breasts of any excess fat. Wash and pat dry and set aside. In a bowl, mix your spinach, chives, dill, Feta and ricotta and mix well with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.
2. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut a pocket into the side of the chicken breast and fill with the spinach mixture. Secure with one or two toothpicks. Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper and some sweet paprika.
   
3. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium/high heat and brown side of the chicken (3-4 minutes a side). Remove the chicken and reserve.
4. In the same skillet, add the wine to deglaze the tasty brown bits and reduce over medium heat for a couple of minutes (the wine has nearly evaporated). Now add the shallots, garlic and flour and saute for another minute or so, just enough to cook the rawness out of the flour.
   
5. Now add your chicken stock along with the chicken breasts, bring to a boil and then cover and, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes.
6. At this point your sauce should begin to coat a wooden spoon. Remove your breasts and keep warm. Add the cream to the sauce and simmer until the sauce is thick and you can draw a line into the skillet with your wooden spoon. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and add the chopped fresh parsley.
7. Cut each breast into slices, fan onto the plate, serve with your favourite rice dish and spoon the cream sauce over the sliced chicken breast. Serve immediately.
   

Papia Portokali (παπια πορτοκαλί)

Greece's cuisine also has a good roster of wild game recipes and one of the more universally enjoyed meats has to be duck.

A couple of weeks ago I seared some breasts that I carved from a whole duck. I was left with a carcass, wings, duck fat and duck legs.

When one has duck legs, it's confit time. Confit comes from the French word (to preserve) and this method of immersing a food in a substance for both flavour and preservation has ended up being a favoured method of enjoying duck legs.

To confit duck legs traditionally, one must brine or marinate the duck legs overnight, then slowly poach the duck legs in reserved duck fat.

I was prepared to go through the whole process but Jerry's (Cooking by the Seat of my Pants) quick and successful approach to confit saves time and offers instant food gratification.

Jerry's approach is simple: season your duck legs with salt, pepper and herbs of your choice (I used springs of thyme and rosemary), drizzle with olive and add a splash of stock and roast in low-heat oven for an 60-80 minutes (mine took 80), then increase the heat to 350F and roast until your duck legs are golden brown.

Jerry made a confit of chicken on a bed of spaghetti and I urge you have a look at his recipe and even delve further into the blog for more food inspiration.

Back to my duck legs. The title of this dish is Papia Portokali...or Duck a l'Orange. The French are well known for this classic but the Greeks have their own version that's true to our indigenous ingredients.

Papia Portokali shouldn't intimidate you. It's sounds elegant, has that rustic/chic look and above all, tastes fantastic.

Here are the steps needed to bring this fabulous fall/winter dish together:

• prepare your duck confit
• mise en place (organize and prep your ingredients)
• braise the accompanying lentils
• steep the raisins in orange juice mixture
• saute and reduce onions and orange sauce
• finish duck & orange sauce in the oven

Let's make some Papia Portokaki!


Papia Portokali (παπια πορτοκαλί)
(serves 4)

4 legs of duck confit (see Jerry's method here)
6 oranges
1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup orange liqueur
2 medium onions, diced
1/2 cup raisins
3 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
4-5 allspice berries
3 Tbsp. olive oil + 1/4 cup to saute onions
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Braised Lentils
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup chopped celery
3 cloves of minced garlic
1½ cups of lentils
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup vegetable cocktail (V8)
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Place oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add lentils and sauté for 1 minute. Add bay leaf and stock. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until lentils are cooked, about 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover pot for last 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain off any excess liquid. Remove bay leaf, stir in organo and balsamic viengar and adjust seasoning. Reserve lentils.
2. Into a bowl, squeeze the juice of 2 oranges and add the 3 Tbsp. of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, allspice berries and raisins and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes.
3. With the remaining oranges, trim the peel off and cut into horizontal slices and reserve.
4. In a large oven-proof skillet, add the olive oil over medium-low heat and saute your onions for about 10 minutes. Now add your mixture of orange juice and raisins in along with the stock, liqueur(pour from a cup - NOT bottle) and bring up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add your thyme sprigs and rosemary. Reduce the liquid by half or until it's thickened.
   
5. Arrange your orange slices to one side of the skillet and place the duck legs on the other. Place into your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
6. Spoon a bed of braised lentils onto each plate and lay a duck leg on top with some orange slices to the side. Spoon some orange sauce over each duck leg, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Pollo alla Cacciatora

We all know this dish as "chicken cacciatore" but it's really "cacciatora".

The origins of the dish are northern Italian and the story goes, the hunter's wife might have cooked this dish on the eve of the hunt as fuel for the chase.

I've tried many versions of this dish but I like this one best, inspired by a recipe from the glorious food mag, Saveur. This dish turned out wonderfully and it was a joy to cook with my new Kitchenaid dutch oven.

Pollo alla Cacciatora
(serves 4)

1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 Italian sausage, casing removed
1 cup dry white wine
1 can (28oz.) of plum tomatoes, hand crushed
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/3 cup diced green pepper
1 cup of Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
flour for dredging

1. Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Place a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2-3 turns of olive oil. Brown your chicken pieces and reserve.
2. Into the same cooking vessel, add your sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon and brown for a few minutes. Now add your onions, carrots, celery, peppers, mushrooms and bay leaves and rosemary and saute for 5-7 minutes or until your onions are soft and translucent.
3. Now add your parsley, tomato paste and garlic and saute for a minute. Now add the wine and reduce for about 5 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate.
   
4. Add the chicken pieces (plus juices) back in the cooking vessel along with the tomatoes and their juices and your stock. Partially cover with the lid and simmer for about 60-80 minutes or until you have a thick, chunky sauce.
5. Spoon some sauce on the bed of your plate and place a couple of chicken pieces for each serving. Serve with roast potatoes, some good bread for mopping up the sauce and a glass of red wine.
   

Chianti Chicken

I've had my eye on this dish for awhile. We're at the end of summer and here in Ontario the harvest is in full swing.

Grapes are at their peak and this next dish marries sweet with savory. As you can see, we have a show-stopper here but this ain't just another pretty dish it tastes "wicked awesome"!

Chianti chicken came to being through the well-known, entertaining, informative and most importantly, delicious blog called Jenn the Leftover Queen.

Jenn currently resides in Florida with her husband Roberto and together they cater to a us a vibrant food blog, a sister travel blog and an active food forum where several food enthusiasts can chat, discuss topics, compete in the Royal Foodie Joust or ask for some technical assistance.

Jenn was one of the first people in the blogging world who extended their hand (and smile) with positive encouragement, the support to publicize my blog's existence through the Foodie BlogRoll and to become a new friend. Isn't there always room for new friends?

The dish I'm about to show you will cement a friendship, complete that "date" or impress guests over for dinner( again, thanks Jenn).

I've added my own twists to this dish, the main one being to finish it off in the oven (rather than all on the stovetop).

My other twist was to add some aromatics to the chicken by whizzing up a blend of herbs. This time I was in the mood for lemon verbena but you may certainly used thyme or rosemary here. I placed the herb mixture between the skin the meat of the thighs.

You have two options here...go with Jenn's approach or try mine...both will yield delicious results.

I have no problem serving guests chicken, especially when it's offered up like this...chicken seared on a skillet then roasted with grapes and served up with a Chianti reduction and a bed of couscous?

I knew this dish would come together just seeing the grapes and chicken going into the oven. The presentation was going to be awesome but what would it taste like?

When the chicken came out of the oven, I tasted the pan juices and to my delight I found a sweet, syrup like sauce had been created from the juices of the grapes.

This was gonna be good...add some Chianti, low-sodium stock and reduce until thick and add some butter to tighten the sauce.

Chianti chicken's a winner and I can't wait to make this again!


Chianti Chicken
(for 4)

4 quarter chicken pieces
3 Tbsp. of butter
3 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
Approx. 1 cup of Chianti red
1 cup of chicken (or veg. stock)
4 clusters of red grapes
salt and pepper to taste

Aromatics
3 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. lemon verbena (or 1 Tbsp. dry)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Pre-heated 400F oven

1. Trim excess fat from your chicken and wash and pat dry. Now take the ingredients listing under "aromatics" and place them in food processor and pulse until blended. Adjust seasoning accordingly. Now carefully place your finger between the skin and meat of the thighs and separate the skin from the meat. Now spread the aromatic mixture under the skin with your finger and repeat for all the chicken quarters.
2. Place an oven-safe skillet (large enough to hold 4 chicken quarters) on the stovetop and bring to a medium high heat. You may now season your chicken quarters with salt and pepper. Add your olive oil and butter and as soon as the bubbling stops, add the chicken into the skillet, face down and saute until the skin has turned to a golden-brown (3-5 minutes).
3. Flip your chicken quarters and place the clusters of grapes to the side of each chicken quarter. Now place in your pre-heated oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until the juices of the chicken run clear. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and reserve the chicken and grape clusters in a tented plate. Skim any excess fat from the juices in the skillet.
   
4. Place the skillet back on the the stove-top and add your sliced onions and reduce over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Now add your wine and stock and bring to a boil. Now reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally.
5. As soon as the sauce thickens to your liking, take off the heat and swirl in a couple of pads of cold butter to tighten the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
6. Spoon some sauce on the bottom of half your plate and place a mound of couscous on the other half. Now top your dish with the quarter chicken, a cluster of grapes and serve with a side of sauteed mushrooms.

It's Duck Season!

One of the new avenues I've chosen to connect with friends and fellow food bloggers is through a program called Twitter. Here you can read up on what your friends and favourite bloggers are doing. If you're on Twitter, look me up under "Kalofagas".

One such friend is Heather from Gild the Voodoolily and we've been having a "tete a tete" a la Bugs Bunny vs. Daffy Duck. I'm sure many of you remember this famous exchange between Bugs and Daffy, don't you? To do this day, the Warner Bros. cartoons are the most entertaining of any animation out there.

I've proclaimed it "DUCK SEASON", Heather insists it's "Wabbit Season". You can take a look at her take on rabbit with a comforting, sexy rabbit ravioli.

I've had duck on my mind for awhile. This summer's been a wash-out with so much rain that some of my herbs look sick from too much rain.

I come back from Greece and the north-east has been getting pounded by the remnants of hurricanes from down South.

There's a saying about rain..."nice weather if you're a duck"! Fitting that I dispatch a duck, non?

I was left with a conundrum...duck confit or breast? After reading up on how to save money buying duck (buy the whole thing and cut it up yourself) at Eating Club Vancouver, I knew I was closer to "DUCK SEASON".

I've never cut up a whole duck before but other than the legs being a jointed a little tighter to the breasts, the task was quite easy and I saved some coin.

So, on to mission duck. I've chosen seasonal ingredients, added some Greek flavours to the dish and made what I feel is a fall classic...seared duck breast with roasted plum sauce, grilled polenta with mint and medley of wild mushrooms.

The duck breast was marinated in a blend that I will try with other meats. When I opened the zip-block and smelled the marinated duck, I though to myself this duck would taste great with just the flavours of the marinade.

Next on the plate is a side I saw Greek chef Dina Nikolaou present with her own duck. It's polenta with fresh mint and Greek yogurt in it. Make this side ahead of time as you need to allow it to cool before grilling. I simply used Tupperware as a mould then I cut the polenta into the desired shapes and grilled/seared them "a la minute". This side was a pleasant surprise and it has me gravitating towards eating polenta more!

Finally, what fall dish would be complete without a saute of mushrooms? I'm not going to lay down a recipe for mushrooms here as I simply sauteed my mushrooms in butter and olive oil with some garlic, salt and pepper and only some oregano and fresh sage to round out their earthy flavours.

Here you have it folks...DUCK SEASON and I've laid all out for your down below. Enjoy!

Seared Duck Breast with Grilled Polenta and Wild Mushrooms
( for 2)
3 duck breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. of mixed cracked peppercorns
1 tsp. of cracked coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. of minced ginger (or a inch piece)
small handful of fresh parsley
coarse sea salt
3 very ripe, sweet plums (juicy)

Sauce
1/4 cup shallots, finely diced
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup of Mavrodaphne (or other fortified wine)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
sugar to taste
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Polenta With Yogurt and Mint
2 cups of instant polenta
5 cups of stock (or water)
4 Tbsp. olive oil
half a bunch of fresh mint, chiffonade
1 cup of strained Greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

1. Trim any excess fat off the duck breasr and then score in 1 inch intervals. To a food processor, add the olive oil, garlic, thyme, parsley, ginger, coriander seeds and peppercorns and process to a coarse paste. Now place the marinade into a zip-lock bag with the duck breasts and massage the contents so that the marinade adheres to all of the meat. Seal and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.
2. Bring back to room temperature and pre-heat your oven to 400F. Season your duck breasts with some coarse sea salt and a little black pepper. Place a skillet (large enough for the three breasts) on to medium heatt and sear the breasts (fat side down) for five minutes (draining fat as it acccumulates).
3. Flip over the breasts and add your halved plums to the side. Now place the skillet in the oven and roast for another 5-7 minutes for a medium-rare duck breast. Carefully remove your skillet (hot handle) and remove your breasts and tent with foil while preparing the sauce.
4. In the same skillet (the plums stay), add your shallots and saute for a minute. Now add the stock, wine, vinegar and reduce until the sauce becomes half and thick. Adjust seasoning with some sugar and take off the heat and add your cold butter to thicken the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
5. By now your duck breasts have rested and you may now cut them into slices. Pour some sauce on the plate and fan the slices over top with some plum halves. Serve with a side of grilled polenta and sauteed mushrooms.
   

Grilled Polenta With Yogurt and Mint

1. Add your stock into a pot and bring to a boil. While stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly pour in your polenta and keep stirring to prevent burning or from lumps forming.
2. As soon as the polenta mixture starts to come away from the sides, remove from the heat.
3. Now you may add your olive oil, chopped mint and strained yogurt and mix in until blended. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Place in a container (mould) and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate into a solid.
5. To grill or sear, brush some oil on your polenta pieces and grill on high heat just to form grill marks and to warm through.
   

Tequila Chicken

There's just one more night before I head off to sunny, inviting, satiating and glorious Greece. Like anyone about to go on vacation, my days are filled with tying up loose ends at work, tidying up around the house and eating what I have left in the fridge.

To those that can look into your fridge and whip up an almost gourmet meal, I tip my hat to you! I'm faced with this challenge this week but I had all the ingredients needed for this simple marinated and grilled chicken dish.

If you take a look around the plate.....we have three flavours everyone should consider when prepping a dish.

The chicken represents heat. I don't mean by blow your head off heat but heat as in some spice. Next up is what I call an accordion potato, which represents the savoury part of the plate.

I throughly washed a whole potato and then cut the spud downwards but entirely to the bottom, thus keeping the potato in tact. I melted some butter, poured it over the potato (ensuring butter got into each crevice) and then seasoned it well with a Montreal Steak Spice mixture. Wrap her in a foil blanket at 425F for 30-40 minutes and you have a delish spud with a neat presentation.

Finally, there's a corn on the cob. If you've had corn here in the Americas, you know how naturally sweet the corn is here. This corn represents the sweet side of the plate.

I simply soaked the corn (with it's husk on) in water for a few hours and then I grill for a few minutes side, rotating the corn to grill evenly. No butter, seasonings or spices...just the natural sweetness of the corn.

Don't worry, here's the chicken recipe...it's quick marinade, it's easy and it's delicious.

The marinade makes use of some Mexican ingredients and I think my blogging amigo Ben of What's Cooking would very much approve.

Tequila....Jalapeno, citrus, cilantro. Break out the Mariachi band...we're having Mexican tonight!

Tequila Chicken

1 1/2 lbs. of chicken drums
2 good shots of Tequila
2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded & minced
2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
1/4 cup of honey
a few good splashes of hot sauce
1 heaping tsp. of ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup vegetable oil
sea salt

1. Rinse the chicken thoroughly and pat-dry.
2. Add all your marinade ingredients into a zip-lock bag and before you add the chicken, taste to make any adjustments to your marinade and reserve about 1/3 of it for basting later.
   
3. Add your chicken, seal and squish the contents so that the marinade coats all the chicken drums. Place in your fridge for at least 4 hours.
4. Bring your chicken back to room temperature and pre-heat your grill to a medium heat. Season your chicken with salt & place your drumsticks on the grill for about 10 minutes a side or until crispy. Don't forget to brush some reserved marinade on the chicken while grilling.
5. Serve immediately with your favourite summer side dishes.