The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (58 page)

SERVES 6

3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split (about 2 pounds)

Basic Marinade (Basics)

3 heads Belgian endive, halved lengthwise

2 large heads radicchio, each cut in 6 wedges

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

3 lemons, cut in half crosswise

Rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Thyme sprigs, for garnish

1.
Cut open two sides of a resealable plastic bag. Place 1 chicken breast half in the bag; pound to ¼-inch thickness using a meat pounder. Transfer to a nonmetal container. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Add the marinade. Chill for 2 hours.

2.
Brush the endive and radicchio with the olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper; set aside. Brush the cut sides of the lemons with olive oil.

3.
Heat a grill or grill pan. Remove the chicken from the marinade; grill until browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a serving platter.

4.
Grill the endive, radicchio, and lemons until nicely browned, about 3 minutes; turn as needed. Serve on the platter with the chicken, garnished with rosemary and thyme.

barbecued chicken kabobs with potatoes and summer squash

MAKES 8

The potatoes must be parboiled so they will be done at the same time as the chicken.

1½ chicken breasts (3 halves), cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cups Barbecue Sauce (Poultry), or good-quality store-bought

1 cup water

1½ tablespoons coarse salt

1¼ pounds new or baby fingerling potatoes

¾ pound green or yellow summer squash (about 2), cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1.
Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the barbecue sauce; toss. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

2.
Place the water in a large saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer until the potatoes are almost tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain; halve. Set aside.

3.
Thread 4 cubes of chicken, alternating with potatoes and squash, on each of 8 skewers. Gently brush the vegetables with some oil. Season with the remaining ½ tablespoon salt and the pepper.

4.
Arrange the skewers, off direct heat, on a medium-hot grill. Grill, rotating the skewers and brushing with olive oil as necessary to prevent sticking, until cooked through, about 12 minutes depending on the heat of the grill. The vegetables should be soft and slightly charred.

chicken enchiladas

SERVES 6 TO 8

These can be made up to 1 day ahead or frozen up to 1 month ahead. Bring to room temperature before baking.

1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds)

2 quarts homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, halved, cut into ¼-inch slices

2 green or red bell peppers, seeded and cut into ¼-inch strips

Enchilada Sauce (recipe follows)

12 6-inch corn tortillas

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 6 ounces)

2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

Sour cream (optional)

1.
Place the chicken in a large pot, and pour the chicken stock over it. Add enough water to cover if necessary. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is cooked through and very tender, about 1 hour. Transfer to a bowl to cool, and reserve the stock to use for the enchilada sauce, if desired. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, and shred; set aside.

2.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until the slices start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers, and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

3.
When ready to assemble, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, dip the tortillas into the sauce, one at a time, to soften, and place side by side on 2 baking sheets. Divide the shredded chicken and pepper mixture among the tortillas. Place the cheeses in a bowl, and toss to combine. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons grated cheese. Roll up the tortillas, and place snugly, seam side down, in a 9 × 13-inch ovenproof baking dish. Top them with the remaining enchilada sauce and with the remaining grated cheese. Bake until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

enchilada sauce

MAKES 4 CUPS

To tone down the sauce for little mouths, omit some of the chiles.

5 long fresh red chiles

1 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

2 cups water

4 large tomatoes

1 small poblano chile

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 white onion, cut into ½-inch dice

2 scallions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1.
Cut the chiles in half lengthwise; remove and discard the seeds and ribs. Set aside. In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock and the water to a simmer. Add the chiles; simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Fill a medium saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Cut an X in the tomato bottoms; add to the boiling water one at a time. Simmer until the skin begins to peel. Transfer the tomatoes to the ice bath immediately; cool. When cool, peel and discard skins; chop, and set aside.

2.
Place the poblano pepper directly on the trivet of a gas stove over high heat. Turn the pepper with tongs as each side blackens. (You may also place the pepper on a baking pan and broil in the oven, turning as each side becomes charred.) Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam for about 15 minutes. Peel off the blackened skin; discard. Cut the pepper in half; discard the seeds. Roughly chop the pepper, and set aside along with any juices that have collected in the bowl.

3.
Heat the olive oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, scallions, and garlic; sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, red chiles and liquid, poblanos and liquid, cumin, oregano, and salt. Stir to combine. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Transfer to the jar of a blender or a food processor; puree until smooth. Return to the pan; keep hot if assembling enchiladas, or refrigerate up to 4 days.

normandy-style chicken and leeks with crème fraîche

SERVES 4

Hard cider has been fermented, so it contains alcohol. It is a traditional ingredient in Normandy, France, but you can substitute dry white wine.

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces (each breast half cut in half crosswise), rinsed well and patted dry

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 small leeks (about 1 pound), white and pale-green parts only, cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces, rinsed well

1 cup good-quality hard apple cider

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves

½ cup Crème Fraîche (recipe follows; or use store-bought)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter with the oil in a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just bubbling. Add half the chicken pieces, skin sides down; cook, turning once, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken pieces to a plate; set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; add to plate. Remove pot from heat; let cool slightly.

2.
Return pot to medium-low heat, and add leeks. Cook, stirring frequently, until leeks begin to soften and are pale golden, about 3 minutes. Add hard cider and thyme. Move leeks to edges of pot, and add all the chicken pieces to pot, skin sides down. Arrange leeks over chicken. Cover, and cook 15 minutes (if liquid is bubbling rapidly, reduce heat to low). Turn chicken pieces, and cook until breasts are cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

3.
Transfer chicken breasts to a plate, and cover to keep warm. Adjust leeks so they are submerged in liquid. Cook, uncovered, until the remaining chicken pieces are tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

4.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer all of the chicken to a warm serving platter. Remove leeks from pot, and arrange the leeks around chicken. Cover with foil, and set aside. Return pot to medium heat. Cook, uncovered, until liquid has reduced by about half (to a scant
²
/
₃
cup), 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in the crème fraîche and parsley. Ladle pan sauce over chicken and leeks. Serve immediately.

crème fraîche

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

Leftover crème fraîche makes a delicious accompaniment to fruit desserts.

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk

Stir together cream and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature, partially covered, until thick, about 12 hours. Stir; cover, and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 weeks.

lemon-thyme chicken paillards

SERVES 6

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds total)

6 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise

3 lemons, 2 halved crosswise, 1 cut into wedges

6 sprigs fresh thyme

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Arugula Salad (recipe follows)

1.
Lay a chicken breast on parchment paper. Starting on 1 long side, cut horizontally into breast but not completely through. Open cut breast like a book. Top with another sheet of parchment. Flatten to an even thickness, about
¹
/
₃
inch thick. Repeat with remaining breasts.

2.
Rub both sides of each breast with garlic; transfer chicken and garlic to a large resealable plastic bag. Squeeze 2 lemon halves over chicken; add rinds to bag. Thinly slice remaining lemon halves crosswise. Top each breast with a lemon slice and thyme sprig; season with pepper. Drizzle chicken with oil. Marinate in the refrigerator, flipping occasionally, at least 2 hours (up to overnight).

3.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to high. Discard marinade, lemon, and thyme. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill, flipping once, until cooked through, 2 minutes per side. Serve chicken warm, at room temperature, or cold. Top each breast with salad, dividing evenly; serve with lemon wedges.

arugula salad

SERVES 6

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 bunches baby arugula (about 6 cups)

1 head radicchio, torn into pieces (about 3 cups)

2 cups mâche (about 1 ounce) or 2 endives, leaves separated

1 cup grape tomatoes, thinly sliced

1.
Whisk lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually add oil, whisking constantly until emulsified

2.
To serve, toss arugula, radicchio, mâche, and tomatoes in a large, chilled bowl with just enough dressing to lightly coat.

barbecued chicken wings

SERVES 12

You can bake the chicken wings a day ahead and store them, covered, in the refrigerator; bring them to room temperature before grilling.

24 whole chicken wings

3 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Pierre’s Barbecue Sauce (Meat)

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Divide wings between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle each sheet with 4½ teaspoons oil. Season each with ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper; toss to combine. Bake until cooked through, about 30 minutes.

2.
Preheat a grill to medium-high (if you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 3 to 4 seconds). Brush wings with barbecue sauce. Grill, turning and brushing with sauce occasionally, until heated through and marked by grill, 6 to 7 minutes. Serve immediately.

curried chicken with toasted almonds

SERVES 8

14 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 3¾ pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces

Coarse salt

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

1 small cinnamon stick

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1¼ cups heavy cream

2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken or vegetable stock

2 Granny Smith apples, cored, quartered

½ teaspoon finely grated lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)