Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken

Super Moist, Crispy, Juicy Panko Baked Chicken, is one of my families favorite salad toppers, and starter to many an amazing, deeply enticing, winter feasts.

Have you heard of panko?  It's a Japanese bread crumb that is so amazing in retaining a light crispy coating! It uses very little, and still seems to coat the entire portion.  I use it exclusively now on fish, seafood and chicken.  It's available in most grocers, but I like to find ones with bulk food sections (read Winco) as it can be pretty spendy in specialty aisles.




Oven-Fried Panko Chicken
30-40 minutes

1 1/2-2 cups panko
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 stick (8 tbs) butter
1 chicken, 3-4 lbs, cut into pieces such as breasts, thighs, legs, etc.
OR
6 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together panko, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Whole Chicken pieces- Rub butter all over chicken pieces, dip in panko pressing firmly into to help them adhere.  Transfer skin up into baking dish or cast iron pan. Using a meat thermometer in deepest part of thigh, bake until 170 degrees or juices run clear, around 30-40 minutes

Breasts- Melt butter, dip chicken in butter and then coat thoroughly in bread crumbs. Place in baking dish or cast iron pan. Bake until browned about 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes and serve.

Ganache Series- Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart

This is a remarkable alternative to the Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Tart...  Oh my Caramel. You are kind of my favorite.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart

Crust

1- 9 oz box Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers finely crushed
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted- 1 stick

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 11-inch loose bottomed tart pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Hand crush or process the cookies in a food processor, until finely crushed. Add melted butter and pulse in processor or mix until combined.
Pat the crust into prepared tart pan using a flat bottomed glass to build up the sides to 1/4 inch high. Bake for 12-15 minutes and let cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

Ganache
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finally chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

Caramel

For the Caramel
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 Tablespoons water
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
6 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon crème fraîche ( a mixture of cream and buttermilk)

Flaked Sea Salt for Garnish- Should be Flaked for a light taste

Caramel-In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Cook, without stirring, until it reaches 350º F on a candy thermometer or until amber in color. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, cream, and crème fraîche (the mixture will bubble vigorously) until smooth. Return the caramel to a low heat and stir until any hard crystals melt. Pour the caramel into the cooled tart shell and cool slightly; refrigerate until firm, about 4-5 hours.

Ganache-Place chocolate in a heat proof bowl and bring cream to boil over medium heat. Pour over chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes then whisk together until smooth. Cool the ganache about a half hour at room temperature. 

Pour ganache evenly over caramel and refrigerate until set, about 4-5 hours. Allow tart to set at room temperature for 15-20 minutes (depending on how warm your kitchen is) before serving. Sprinkle the tart with flaked sea salt, slice, and serve chilled. Enjoy!

Adapted from a recipe by The Galley Gourmet

Giant, Oven Pancake with Simple, Fresh Blueberry Sauce

My mother served me this easy recipe as a child knowing it was going to receive a welcomed squeal every time, very much like my children when it came out of the oven this morning! Truly a light, delicate pancake, yet a delicious, custard"y" texture! Some people might know this as Dutch Baby or German Pancake.  If this is not new to you try the Blueberry sauce or some other variation. 


Giant Oven Pancake with Blueberry Sauce

1/3 cup butter (6 tbs, or 3/4 stick)

4 eggs

1 Cup each milk and all-purpose flour

Powdered sugar

Lemon wedges

Place butter in a 3 to 4 quart round or oval shallow baking dish or casserole or my favorite cast iron pan and set oven to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile in a blender or food processor, ship eggs at high speed for 1 minute. With motor running; gradually pour in milk, then slowly add flour; continue to whirl for 30 seconds more.

When butter is melted, remove pan from oven and quickly poor in batter. Return pan to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, (try not to open the oven door much like you would a souffle) or until pancake is puffy and well browned. Cut in wedges and serve immediately. Serve with fresh lemon juice and sprinkled with powdered sugar. 

Simple Blueberry Sauce

2 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh

1 tbs lemon juice

¼ - ½ cup sugar

1 tsp. corn starch

Combine blueberries, lemon juice, and sugar in pan on medium high heat. Bring to low boil and  reduce to medium heat, juicing and reducing blueberries. (Needs very minimal stirring) Mix a teaspoon of corn starch in a small dish with some of the blueberry juice from pan. Mix well and then add to blueberries sauce. Will thicken just right.

Alternatives- Works well with any other fruit as well. Try fresh fruits when in season like strawberries or raspberries, the Cinnamon Apple Compote (with is more like Caramelled Apple Sauce, YUM!), or a make a warm sauce of any of your frozen berries. Of course with syrup if you please.  No butter needed.  Not Kidding.  This is so buttery and custardy, you will love it!  

Loin of Pork with Fennel Stuffing, Cinnamon Apple Compote and Roasted New Potatoes

Pork Loin with Fennel with Apple Compote 

and Roasted New Potatoes

Good organic olive oil (I prefer a nice Sonoma Valley, Ca over any, anymore) 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions)
2 cups sliced fennel (1 large bulb)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 large cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon white wine
1/2-1 cups fresh bread crumbs (can be omitted)
1 (3 1/2-pound) loin of pork, butterflied (just ask your butcher at the grocery store)


8-10 New Potatoes (around two per guest), tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

For the stuffing, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. Add the onions and fennel with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook over low to medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions and fennel are tender and lightly browned. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook for another minute, deglazing the pan. Cool slightly.


Add the bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon of salt to the stuffing mixture. Lay the pork on a board fat side down, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing evenly on the pork and roll up lengthwise, ending with the fat on the top of the roll. Tie with kitchen string, rub with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.


Place the rolled pork loin on a baking rack on a sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes. Remove and cover with the Apple Compote Mixture below. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F and roast for another 30-50 minutes, until the interior of the pork is 137 degrees F. (If the thermometer hits stuffing rather than pork, it will register a higher temperature, so test the meat in several places.) Remove from the oven and cover  with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Put new potatoes back in the oven if not fork tender and allow to cook for the another 15-30 minutes. Remove the strings, slice thickly, and serve.


About butterflying a Pork Loin: Its really quite simple.  Lay the pork loin, I suggest a decent size one,  on a cutting board and  slice lengthwise along the top third.  Do NOT cut all the way through but leaving an uncut portion like a spine the same thickness as your 1/3 cut.  Flip loin over and cut another 1/3 of the way down ensuring that you do not cut all the way through and the loin will open flat! Its so wonderful for all sorts of stuffing, rolls, and your friends and family will love the look! 

Cinnamon Apple Compote

2-3 medium tart apples, peeled, and sliced or cubed (Jonathan's if possible)

4 tsp butter (divided, 2tsp and 1 tsp and 1 tsp)

3 teaspoon lemon juice and zest
Pinch of salt

1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)
3/4-1 cup water/ apple cider

1 tsp apple Brandy (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

                                                      1/2 tsp vanilla extract
                                                      1 teaspoon corn starch

As soon as 2 tsp of butter melts, place apples lemon zest and juice in a skillet and stir 2 minutes over medium heat.
In a medium saucepan, add 1 tsp butter and other ingredients and stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. About 3 minutes. Add a bit of mixture to a small bowl and add cornstarch, mix and return to pan, boiling on medium for two more minutes. 

Lower heat, and simmer all ingredients until the mixture becomes thick and the apples are soft. Transfer to bowl and serve warm! (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Stir over medium heat until heated through.) Add the last pat of butter to any sauce to make a glossy luster.

Additional uses: Add to steel cut oats, German Pancakes, ice cream, waffles, pancakes, and many other ways! 

Peach compote: Same as apple compote, but use peaches instead of apples and a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of allspice, instead of cinnamon.

.:In Season:. Apples

Taken at Prey's Fruit Stand- Leavenworth, Wa. 

How I have longed for the last few months, for apples that aren't last years freezer mush.  I happen to live in the best state for apples, but like all good things there is a time and a season.  Now that they are in, I just can't get enough! The limited life Honeycrisp is like tangy candy; Fujis make the best caramelled apples on a sunny, golden Autumn afternoon watching Breakfast at Tiffany's with my favorite little blonds. 

Courtesy of Leavenworth.org

Recently, my best girlfriend and I made a trip to the alpine Bavarian village of Leavenworth for Oktoberfest, and I found bushels of freshly picked Jonathon apples. My favorite apple for baking, and has nearly a year long lasting capacity! Time to cook!