Going Away Food

I made I'm-going-away food. It was the food that I wanted to remember when I was gone. It was the food I wanted to make and tuck into, escape with, stay present with. It was awesome.

Arroz Con Pollo (from smittenkitchen)

Serves 8

Chicken

3 large garlic cloves

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

4 chicken breast halves with bone, halved crosswise

4 chicken drumsticks

4 chicken thighs

Rice

3 oz. Spanish chorizo (cured sausage), skin discarded and sausage cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, preferably the hot stuff, plus more to taste

2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California

1 lb. tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 12-oz. bottle beer (not dark)

1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups long-grain white rice (14 oz.)

1/4 cup drained rinsed bottled pimiento or roasted red pepper strips

Marinate chicken: Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 2 teaspoons salt, then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in vinegar and oregano.

Remove skin and excess fat from chicken, then toss chicken with marinade until coated and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 1 hour.

Cook chicken and rice: - Cook chorizo in olive oil in a 6- to 7-quart heavy pot (12 inches wide) over medium-high heat, stirring, until some fat is rendered, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add cumin, oregano, paprika, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add chicken with marinade to chorizo mixture and cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, 10 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, beer, broth, and rice and bring to a boil, making sure rice is submerged. [Deb note: I actually had a really hard time keeping the rice underneath the chicken so that it would cook evenly. I'd suggest that you use tongs to temporarily remove the chicken from the pot, mix the rice in with the other ingredients in the pot, and then replace the chicken, pressing it into the broth a bit before going onto the next step. I will definitely do this next time.]

Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover mixture directly with a round of parchment or wax paper and cover pot with a tight fitting lid. Cook, stirring once or twice, until rice is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Discard parchment paper and bay leaves, then scatter pimiento strips over rice.

Note: Chicken can be marinated up to 2 hours.

Cooking from the New York Times Magazine

I was wondering out loud yesterday how many people's Monday night dinner is the recipe that runs in the Sunday New York Times magazine. I was inspired to make this recipe from the Times for yesterday's dinner. It was one of the few things I've made in my life that I was more effusive about than my dining companion(s). I was absolutely astounded with it.

Country Captain (from The New York Times magazine)

1⁄4 cup flour

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons butter

3 pounds (about 8) chicken thighs

4 slices bacon

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 medium green pepper, seeded and diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons curry powder

3 tablespoons currants

1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes and their juices

3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Cooked white rice.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degr

ees.

2. Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and the thyme in a bowl. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat until it foams. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, and fry, in batches if needed, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet.

3. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the bacon and fry until crispy. Transfer to a plate. Once cool, crumble and set aside.

4. Add the onion, pepper, celery, garlic, curry powder and 1 tablespoon of the currants to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until soft and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of an ovenproof casserole large enough to hold the chicken snugly in one layer. Arrange the chicken on top. Pour the remaining sauce over and around the chicken. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for 15 minutes more.

6. Top with the crumbled bacon, remaining currants and slivered almonds. Serve with cooked rice and any condiments you wish. Serves 4.

Coq Au Vin, Weightwatchers Style

Who says you can't lose weight and enjoy your food too? I spend many hours planning meals and documenting the food I've eaten. This is actually a recipe I got from the Weightwatchers website, and it's one of the few that's caught my eye so readily. It really stands out with prunes, chicken thighs, herbs, and a nice rich broth with wine. I really couldn't tell the difference between this and a traditional version made with bacon and butter. I will probably use mushrooms instead of prunes next time and I don't think it needed the pearl onions. I served it with a side of vinegary kale.

Fast and Easy Coq au Vin (from weightwatchers.com)

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray

6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 4 oz each)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup thinly sliced carrot rounds

1 cup thinly sliced celery

3/4 cup frozen pearl onions (do not thaw)

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp dried thyme

2 tsp crushed dried rosemary

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups red wine

12 pitted prunes

1 bay leaf

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Coat a large Dutch oven or a flame-safe casserole with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to pot. Brown chicken well on both sides, about 5 minutes, turning once; transfer to a plate.

Off heat, coat pot with cooking spray again if it’s dry. Add carrots, celery and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have a few brown markings, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle flour, thyme and rosemary over vegetables; stir until flour begins to dissolve and even brown a little, about 1 minute.

Pour broth into pot, stirring quickly and constantly to avoid lumps. (A whisk might work best if its mesh is tight enough to prevent vegetables from getting stuck in it.) Once sauce is smooth, stir in wine, prunes and bay leaf.

Bring to a simmer, stirring continuously. Cover pot, place in oven and bake until sauce has thickened a little and chicken is tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes.

Serving size: one chicken thigh and about 3/4 of cup sauce.