Whole Tuscan Chicken

Whole Tuscan Chicken

An Italian variation of a very popular recipe on my blog The Little Kitchen, this meal is super-quick to put together. Since you broil the chicken after it's done cooking in the slow cooker, it will be like you roasted awhole chicken, Tuscan-style!

• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 8 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 1½ pounds small red potatoes, larger ones halved or quartered
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then into quarters
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3½ to 4½ pounds whole roasting or fryer chicken
• 1 lemon, quartered

Put salt, paprika, thyme, garlic salt, rosemary, oregano and black pepper in a small bowl and mix
together. Set aside. Add the lemon zest and half of the minced garlic cloves to the bowl of seasonings and mix again.
Add the potatoes, onions and carrots to the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on top the vegetables and mix to coat. Add the other half of the minced garlic cloves on top of the vegetables.
Wipe the chicken dry with a paper towel. Fold the wings down. Separate the skin from the breast and drumsticks with your fingers, but be careful not to rip the skin. Place some of the seasonings under the skin.
Rub chicken with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Add the seasoning inside and all over the chicken. Add quartered lemons to the inside of the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Place the chicken
on top of the vegetables inside the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 9 hours. (Cook until the internal temperature of the leg
is at 160 degrees F.)
Remove the chicken using turkey lifters and place in a roasting pan or oven-safe glass dish. Broil in your oven at 550 degrees F (or the highest your oven broiler will go) for 5 to 10 minutes. (Be careful and watch it to ensure it doesn't burn.) Serve chicken with vegetables from the slow cooker.

Cooking a Pan Seared Striped Bass over Leek Fondue

Pan Seared Striped Bass over Leek

Fondue with a Red Wine Reduction

and Crispy Potatoes

Pan Seared Striped Bass

• 4 PA striped bass fillets, 4 oz. each,skin-on, descaled and deboned
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 oz. all-purpose flour (for dredging)
• 4 oz. blended olive oil

Score the skin on the striped bass fillets three times, just enough to get through the skin but not piercing the flesh (this will prevent the fish from “curling up in the pan”). Season the fillets with salt and pepper before dredging and shake off any excess flour. Heat the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan (with plenty of surface area) until it just reaches the smoking point. Sear the fish skin side down until golden. Flip the fish over and cook in a 400˚F oven for 5 minutes, until reaching an internal temperature of 135˚F. Remove the fish from the oven and allow to rest on a sheet tray lined with paper towels.

Leek Fondue

• 8 oz. leeks, medium dice, whites only,well rinsed
• 2 oz. butter
• 6 large thyme sprigs, picked clean and rough chopped
• 8 oz. Meyer Dairy heavy cream
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Melt the butter with the thyme sprigs over medium heat in a saucepan.Add the leeks and cook until soft, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and reduce until thick. When completely reduced, adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper.

Red Wine Reduction

• 4 oz. onion, large dice
• 2 oz. carrot, large dice
• 2 oz. celery, large dice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 oz. olive oil
• ½ 750-ml bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
• 4 oz. roasted chicken stock
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 5 peppercorns
• 2 oz. cold butter
• Salt to taste

Brown the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil over high heat in a saucepan until browned. Deglaze with the chicken stock and red wine scraping the sides and bottom. Reduce the heat to low and add the aromatics. Reduce the sauce to about 8 ounces of liquid and strain. If too thick, add a little leftover wine (if it hasn’t been drunk yet). Finish by stirring in the butter and adjusting the seasoning with salt.

Crispy Potatoes

• 1 PA russet potato, scrubbed clean
• 16 oz. vegetable oil
• Fine kosher salt, to taste

Heat the oil in a high-sided pot to 365˚F. While the oil is heating,
julienne potatoes with a mandoline and rinse in water (to remove the excess starch). Remove the potatoes from the water and dry (bone dry to reduce the amount of splatter from the oil). Fry the potatoes until golden brown and crisp. Remove and allow to drain on a paper towel and finish with salt.

Plating

• 1 oz. chives, matchsticks

In the center of the plate, place 4 ounces of the leek fondue. Place the fish directly on top of the fondue. Drizzle around the plate with the red wine reduction. Top with the crispy potatoes and chive matchsticks.

How to make Potato Gnocchi with a Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Potato Gnocchi with a Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Gnocchi

• 1 lb. PA russet potatoes
• Kosher salt, as needed
• 3-4 egg yolks
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
• Pinch of black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup all-purpose flour with extra for dusting

Preheat an oven to 425˚F. Wash the potatoes under cold water and place them on a bed of kosher salt on a sheet tray. Bake for 50 minutes or until very soft throughout. Let the potatoes stand until they cool just long enough to be held in your hand. Scoop all of the potato from the skins into a ricer or grate on a box grater. In a mixing bowl, add the potatoes, egg yolks, cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and fold together with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix! Add the flour and gently combine but do not knead. Once combined, let the dough rest for 10 minutes, covered with a dry towel.

Cut a small chunk of dough off and begin rolling in a fashion that will create a long round cylinder, with the width about the size of nickel. Once the dough is evenly distributed, begin cutting at about ¾”- 1” lengths and dusting with flour. Have a pot of salted water standing by to cook them almost immediately. Poach the gnocchi for about 2 minutes. Cool them in a refrigerator for later use or place them directly in your sauce.

Sage Brown Butter Sauce

• 1 cup whole butter
• 2 oz. chicken stock or water
• 5-10 fresh sage leaves, torn in half

Place the butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Continue to swirl the butter around until the solids begin to brown and a nutty aroma comes out of the butter. Remove it from the heat. Place your sage leaves into the butter for 3-5 seconds and then add the chicken stock or water.Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plating

• Fresh Parmesan, to taste

Toss the gnocchi in the sauce and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with fresh shaved Parmesan.

How to make Rainbow Trout Brandade with Fermented Fennel and Pine Nut Crème Fraîche

Rainbow Trout Brandade with Fermented Fennel and Pine Nut Crème Fraîche

Trout Brandade

Salt Cured Trout

• 1 whole PA trout
• 2 lbs. salt

Rinse the trout, pat dry, and pack in salt on non-reactive tray. Cover with plastic wrap, top with a weight, and refrigerate for 3 days.

Trout Brandade

• 1 salt cured trout, bones removed,rinsed of salt and patted dry
• 2 PA russet potatoes
• 1 oz. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Woodchips, as needed for smoking

Smoke or bake the trout until cooked. In this case we will be smoking the trout for a deeper flavor. Peel the potatoes and boil until soft. Pass through a ricer and cool. Flake the trout into the potatoes and add the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and store.



Trout Brandade and Potato Roulade

• 1 large PA white potato, sliced 1
• ⁄8-inch
• thin longwise
• Brandade mix from above
• 2 oz. butter

Shingle 5 potato slices in a line. Pipe or pack the brandade down the middle, then roll like a crêpe. Brown in butter in a sauté pan on all sides until the inside is hot and the outside is crisp . Alternatively, large batches can be baked in an oven at 400˚F basted with butter for 10 minutes. Rest on paper towels to remove the grease and serve.

Fermented Fennel

• 6 bulbs fennel, julienne
• 1 knuckle ginger, minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp. fennel seed
• 12 oz. salt

Combine all the ingredients. Rub the salt in vigorously. Place in a glass jar. Pack down until the juices rise just above the ingredients; add water if necessary. Cover the jar with cheese cloth and rest up to two weeks. Rinse before using if too salty.

Pine Nut Crème Fraiche

• 1 cup toasted pine nuts
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 cups heavy cream

Combine all the ingredients and purée. Rest in a glass jar covered with cheese cloth for 48 hours. Refrigerate until needed.
Garnish the dish with sliced black radish and trout roe if available.

Pennsylvania Dutch Grated Potato Pancakes

• 2 cups grated PA potatoes
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 4 Tbsp. flour
• 2 eggs, beaten slightly
• ½ tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Crisco, more as needed
• Optional garnishes: sour cream,applesauce, black caviar

Add the potatoes, onions, eggs, flour, sugar, baking powder, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix well. In an iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of Crisco until hot. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of the mixture in a skillet (enough to do a 3-inch round thin pancake). Do as many as will fit in the pan. Cook the pancakes until the edges are crispy and the center bubbles. Flip and  cook until crisp and brown on the outher side. Repeat, adding Crisco if needed, until all the batter is used. Serve on a platter, topping some with the sour cream, some with applesauce, and the remaining with the caviar. 

Crab and Potato Manicotti

Crab and Potato Manicotti

Potato crêpe batter

• 1¼ lbs. PA russet potatoes
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 2⁄3 cup whole milk
• 1½ tsp. dry mustard
• 1½ Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1 oz. finely chopped scallions
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Peel and cut the potatoes; simmer in salted water until tender. Drain,mash, and cool. In an electric mixer, combine the cooled mashed potatoes, egg yolks, egg, milk, and seasonings. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the flour and scallions and mix until the batter is consistent. Heat a 10-inch nonstick Teflon omelet pan to medium hot and spray with nonstick food release spray. Using a 4 ounce ladle, portion the batter into the center of the pan and rotate in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly on to bottom of pan. Cook for 1½ minutes. Flip the crêpe and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat the procedure until all the batter is used.

Crab Ricotta Filling

• 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
• ½ tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 2 whole eggs
• ½ lb. jumbo lump crabmeat, squeezed dry

Using a wire whip, combine all ingredients except for the crabmeat in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Carefully fold in the crabmeat, trying not to break up the lumps.

Tomato Shallot Cream Sauce

• 3 cups crab stock
• ½ oz. finely diced shallots
• 2 oz. tomato paste
• 1 oz. cornstarch
• 4 oz. heavy cream

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the crab stock, shallots, and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Combine the corn starch and cream together until well blended. Add the cream mixture to the boiling stock and cook for 1 minute. Hold warm for service.

To Prepare the Crab Stuffed Crêpes

Fill each crêpe with 3 ounces of the crab ricotta mixture. Spread out the filling lengthwise and roll the crêpe into a cigar shape. Place the filled crêpe, seam side down, in a baking pan that has been sprayed with a food release. Cover and cook for 25 minutes at 350˚F or until the internal temperature is 165˚F. Remove the cover from the pan and garnish the crêpes with half of the tomato sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side. Optionally garnish with a sour cream rosette and freshly chopped parsley