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CHAPTER 1
Fall
After the dog days of hazy hot Washington, fall is a season that brings cooler weather, brilliant leaves, and Redskins football. The farmers' markets and vegetable gardens are bursting with beautiful ripe produce ready for picking!
This is the season I really get excited about being creative in the kitchen. Weekends mean visiting apple orchards and pumpkin patches, which is especially fun during the Indian summer of late September, when the days are warm, and the evenings are cool and crisp. My Honey-Mustard Chicken with Apples is a delicious recipe, which takes little time to make, so you can enjoy the beautiful outdoors with your friends and family and still enjoy a dish that is loaded with sweet apples, savory onions, and mustard.
And since everyone's schedule is in full swing and hectic, I created a simple Rotisserie Chicken à la King. Here in Washington, I think Wagshal's market has the best rotisserie chicken in town. They use only hormone-free chickens, and their secret for preparing these tender, juicy chickens is using the chicken drippings to baste their birds. Call ahead on the weekends and reserve your chicken because they often run out of this local favorite.
Once again it is turkey time! My daughter Sarah loves when I take leftovers from our Thanksgiving meal and prepare Turkey Tetrazzini. This classic dish is just brimming with mushrooms that I load in the center of the casserole and top with Parmesan cheese for a golden, bubbly one-dish meal. All you need to complete this supper is a beautiful spinach salad with toasted pecans, sliced pears, and crumbled gorgonzola cheese.
All the poultry recipes I share with you for this glorious season have helped to make our family feel safe, nourished, and loved.
Rotisserie Chicken à la King
ROTISSERIE QUICK SERVES 6
This was a favorite dish that my mother made when I was growing up. Here I have re-created this classic by using a rotisserie chicken that saves time and makes it more modern. Chicken à la King can be presented either as a simple family meal just spooned over toast points, or served in puff pastry shells for a more elegant meal.
6 frozen store-bought puff pastry shells
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake off the frozen puff pastry shells according to the package directions (about 20 minutes). Keep them warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, green bell pepper, roasted red bell pepper, and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and the onions have begun to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the butter and allow to melt. Add the flour and whisk together, until smooth. Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking to avoid lumps, and cook until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the sherry wine, egg yolks, and cream and stir until well combined. Fold in the chicken and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.
Remove the tops from the pastry shells. Place each shell on a serving plate, and fill with the chicken à la king mixture. Serve immediately.
Martin's Chicken Marsala
From the kitchen of Chef Billy Martin
BONELESS, SKINLESS STOVETOP FAMILY FAVORITE SERVES 4
Martin's Tavern is a Washington landmark that has been the home away from home to celebrities, movers and shakers, Hollywood stars, Broadway legends, and Georgetowners since 1933. The legendary restaurant and tavern has had the honor of serving every president from Harry Truman to George W. Bush. This is where JFK proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier and to this day, there is a booth at Martin's known as "The Proposal Booth."
Fourth-generation owner and manager, Billy Martin, invited me to lunch where he demonstrated how he prepares this delicious Chicken Marsala using their secret brown sauce. What a special treat!
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
Rinse the chicken breasts with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the flour in a shallow dish such as a glass pie plate and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour and shake off any excess.
Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate or bowl and set aside. To the same pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and brown the chicken breasts on each side, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Deglaze the pan with the Marsala wine, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes more.
Finish the sauce by adding the butter and stirring until it has melted and the sauce comes together. Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan and stir to coat well with the sauce. Simmer for another 2 minutes.
Serve the chicken on warm dinner plates on top of a mound of jasmine rice.
Tandoori Roast Chicken
GOOD FOR COMPANY SERVES 6
The Greek-style yogurt and ruby-colored spices make this chicken dish a wonderful bright golden orange color. Be sure to line your baking sheet with aluminum foil for a quick clean-up! I like to serve this family style on a large platter of basmati rice with the chicken piled on top and accompany it with my pickled cucumbers served in small individual glass bowls.
One 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, plus 1 pound chicken breasts, cut in half for a total of 12 pieces
Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken breasts in half crosswise. Put all the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, onion, garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric. Transfer the marinade to the plastic bag and coat the chicken well by turning the bag over several times. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours or overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator up to 30 minutes prior to baking and keep turning the bag to coat the chicken.
Position a rack in the lower portion of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat a roasting rack with nonstick cooking spray. Place the rack on top of the lined baking sheet.
One by one, remove the chicken pieces from the bag, letting any excess marinade drip back into the bag, and place on the prepared roasting rack, skin side up, and in a single layer. Transfer the marinade to a bowl and reserve for basting.
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast the chicken for 40 minutes, then brush with the reserved marinade. Move the baking sheet to the upper rack and continue to roast the chicken for 20 minutes more until golden. Discard the unused marinade. Remove the chicken from the oven and season with the salt to taste. Cover lightly with foil and let rest until ready to serve.
Chicken Marengo
BONELESS, SKINLESS ONE POT SERVES 4 TO 6
The classic French braised dish is traditionally made with veal. In the Wallace household, we enjoy this dish made with chicken. It is packed with mushrooms in a thick tomato-based sauce. The orange zest just adds a tasteful last note.
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
Position a rack in the middle portion of the oven, allowing enough space to hold a large Dutch oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Put the flour and salt and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag and shake to mix well. Place the chicken in the bag and shake until evenly coated with the seasoned flour.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the oil and swirl the pot to coat the bottom evenly. Add half of the chicken to the pot and cook until evenly browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl or plate. Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the pot and cook the remaining half of the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the bowl or plate.
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the same pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the basil, thyme, orange zest, and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pot and stir to combine well. Cover the pot, transfer it to the oven, and bake until the chicken is tender, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions. Drain well. While the noodles are boiling, cook the mushrooms. In a skillet over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they have softened and released their liquid, 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove the pot from the oven, uncover, and discard the zest. Add the mushrooms to the pot and stir to combine. Serve on warmed plates over the noodles, sprinkled with the parsley.
Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta and Rosemary Sauce
BONELESS, SKINLESS QUICK SERVES 4
This is a quick and simple one-dish meal that can be prepared in under 30 minutes. Not only is it delicious for dinner, but leftovers make a great lunch the next day.
8 ounces angel hair pasta
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package directions without any added salt or oil.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper, add to the pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Add the onions, white wine, and rosemary and cook 30 seconds more. Stir in the broth and cook until the chicken is done, about 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and cook for another 2 minutes.
Divide the pasta equally among four warm, wide-rimmed pasta bowls, place the chicken and sauce on top. Garnish with the scallions and chopped fresh rosemary.
Quick Chicken Stir-Fry
From the kitchen of Chantima
BONELESS, SKINLESS QUICK VEGGIE SERVES 6
Chantima (aka Jim) is our housekeeper but really much more. She is a friend and we love to cook together. I have learned so much from her about her native country Thailand and their customs and cuisine. Here is Jim's stir-fry that our whole family loves to eat!
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken into 1 ¼-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Combine 1/3 cup of the water, 1/3 cup of the oyster sauce, and the flour in a small bowl and whisk to mix well. Pour over the chicken in the bowl and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch until bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a colander, and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking.
Repeat the procedure to blanch the carrots. Set aside.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a wok or a skillet large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Add the onion and red bell peppers and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir-fry an additional 1 minute.
Add the chicken and the remaining 1/3 cup oyster sauce, toss to coat all the ingredients with the sauce, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. If the chicken is too dry, add the remaining 1/3 cup water to loosen the mixture. Stir in the reserved green beans, carrots, and the baby corn and cook for 1 minute to reheat the vegetables. Season to taste with black pepper.
Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Divide the noodles equally among six serving plates and top with the stir-fry. Garnish with the scallions and serve with a small bowl of soy sauce on the table.
Note: For a vegetarian option, replace the chicken with cut-up tofu.
Classic Chicken Pot Pie
FAMILY FAVORITE SERVES 6
If you are pressed for time or just have half of a chicken left, use a store-bought crust and roll it to top this classic dish or finish up with leftover roasted chicken to make this delicious pie.
FOR THE CRUST
To prepare the crust: Put the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the butter pieces are the size of peas, 10 to 12 pulses. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of ice cold water over the mixture and pulse until the dough forms moist crumbs that are just beginning to clump together, about 9 pulses more. Turn the crumbs out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and gather into a pile. With the heel of your hand gently smear the dough away from you until the crumbs come together. Shape the dough into a square, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Position a rack in the middle portion of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To prepare the filling: Rinse the chicken thighs with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat warm 2 tablespoons of the oil until very hot. Working in batches, brown the first chicken thighs, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Add 1 more tablespoon of the oil to cook the second batch. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch pieces. (It is fine if the chicken is not cooked through, it will continue to cook in the pie.) Put the chicken in a large bowl and set aside.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Mr. Sunday's Saturday Night Chicken"
by .
Copyright © 2012 Lorraine Wallace.
Excerpted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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