Cherry Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 TB   Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TB   Shallot (minced – onion works as a replacement)
• 4         Chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
• 3 TB  Lucini Cherry Infused Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 C  Stock (chicken, vegetable – homemade is superior, if canned use low-sodium)
• 1 C      Lucini Organic Tuscan Tomatoes
• 1 TB   Lucini Garlic Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes.  Raise the heat to medium-high, add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes per side, until it is cooked through and the juices run clear.  Remove the chicken and set aside.  Return the heat back to medium and add the stock to the pan and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Add the cherry balsamic vinegar and tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes.  Spoon the sauce over the chicken, top with the garlic olive oil and serve.

Braised Red Cabbage

Ingredients:

• 1             Red Cabbage (outer leaves and core removed, chopped coarsely)
• 2 TB       Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• 1              Onion (sweet, sliced thin)
• 2              Apples (sweet, chopped coarsely)
• 1/4 tsp  Allspice (ground)
• 2 tsp       Fennel Seeds
• 1/2 C     Lucini Cherry Infused Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/4 LB   Bacon (smoked, high quality, cut into thin strips, optional – can substitute 2 tsp Smoked Paprika)

Preparation:

Pour the olive oil into a saucepan, heat on medium high, then add the bacon (or smoked paprika) and fennel seeds.  Cook until golden then add the onion and continue to cook, with the lid on, for a few more minutes until golden and sticky.  Add the apple, followed by the cabbage chunks, salt and pepper and the vinegar.  Stir everything together well.  Put the lid back on and continue to cook on a low heat for an hour, checking and stirring every so often.

• 1 red cabbage, sliced 1/4 inches thick
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 sweet apples, quartered and sliced thin
• 6 allspice berries, lightly crushed, wrapped in cheesecloth and tied
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup molasses or cane syrup (the cane syrup is lighter in color)

Spinach and Pomegranate Salad

This simple and colorful dish will look and taste great on your Rosh Hashanah table and matches well with these recipes for brisket and green beans.  The pomegranate, turmeric and olive oil provide a  powerful antioxidant combination.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 C     Lucini Pinot Noir Vinegar
• 1              Onion (sweet, small, thinly sliced)
• 1/4 tsp  Paprika (smoked or sweet, optional)
• 1/4 tsp  Turmeric (optional)
• 1/2 tsp  Sea Salt (kosher salt will work in a pinch)
• 1/2 tsp  Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• 1/2 C      Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 TB        Lucini Garlic Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 C           fresh Spinach (baby spinach or chopped large)
• 1 C           Walnuts (chopped coarsely)
• 1/2 C      Pomegranate seeds
• 2              Eggs (hard boiled, sliced, optional)

Preparation:

In a small skillet over low heat, toast the walnuts until fragrant – 5-7 minutes.  Allow the walnuts to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, onion, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper.  In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the oils until emulsified. Adjust the ingredients to fit your taste.

Coat the spinach with the vinaigrette, mixing well for even distribution.  Sprinkle with the toasted nuts and pomegranate seeds, then toss again, making sure the pomegranate and nuts don’t collect at the bottom of your bowl.  Garnish with the egg slices, if using.

Slow Braised Short Ribs

This easy to prepare, but time consuming, dish was inspired by a wonderful meal at Daniel, where the short ribs are braised for 8 hours!  I keep it down to around 5, and the ribs ain’t Daniel’s, but the final product is melt-in-your-mouth good.  The fig vinegar adds a wonderful dimension to the dish, as the sweetness highlights a similar flavor in the meat.

5 hour Braised Ribs

Ingredients:

• 4             Short Ribs (about 1/2 LB each)
• 4 TB       Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3/4 tsp Salt (high quality)
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper (fresh ground)
• 1 tsp      Smoked Paprika
• 2             Carrots (about 1 C, coarsely chopped)
• 1             Onion (about 1 C, coarsely chopped)
• 4             Garlic cloves (2-3 TB, finely chopped)
• 1 C          Lucini Organic Plum Tomatoes (about 1/2 jar, finely chopped)
• 3 C          Red Wine (preferably full bodied, definitely not sweet)
• 4 C          Stock (beef or poultry)
• 2              Bay Leaves
• 3 TB       Lucini Fig Infused Balsamic Vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Pat wash the ribs and dry well.  Season the ribs all over with the salt, ground pepper and paprika and then dust with flour.  Add 12 TB oil to a heavy, oven-safe pot and sear the ribs on all sides until well-browned (about 7-10 minutes).   Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 TB olive oil and add the carrots, onion and garlic. Cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add wine and boil again, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by half, about 8 minutes.

Add wine, stock, bay leaves, 2 TB vinegar, and remaining salt and pepper to sauce and bring to a simmer.   Skim fat from surface, then add beef along with any juices accumulated on plate and cover pot with a tight-fitting lid. Transfer to oven and braise until beef is very tender, 4 to 5 hours.  Every 30 minutes, skim and discard fat from the surface.

Pour sauce through a medium-mesh sieve into a large bowl and then skim fat from sauce.  Boil sauce, if necessary, until thickened and reduced to 2-3 cups.  Drizzle with remaining TB of fig vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve the sauce with the ribs.

• 4 (8-ounce) pieces bone-in beef short ribs
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice, puréed in a blender with juice
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 4 cups brown veal stock or 1/2 cup Demi-Glace Gold concentrate (concentrate requires a dilution ratio of 1:8; 1/2 cup concentrate to 4 cups water)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon Banyuls vinegar or red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Maple Chicken recipe – Vermont

Maple Chicken is a traditional chicken preparation in Vermont.  Of course, maple syrup is the culinary pride of the state and I find it pairs well with chicken and pork.  The combination of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar may seem like it will be too sweet, but here the balsamic actually cuts the bright, sugary syrup, adding a sour note to the sauce.  Sometimes I use the balsamic in more traditional savory sauces and gravy and there it contributes more sweetness.

I love paring this dish with broccoli rabe, because its slight bitterness makes a nice counterpoint to the sweet maple sauce, and mushrooms for their earthy, umami quality.

Ready to eat

Ingredients:

• 1              Chicken (whole, cut up into quarters)
• 1 tsp       Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp  Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• 1/2 tsp  Smoked Paprika (optional)
• 1/4 tsp  Cayenne Pepper (optional)
• 1 TB        Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TB        Maple Syrup (pure Vermont, of course!)
• 2 TB        Lucini 10-Year Gran Riserva Balsamico
• 1 TB        Lucini Delicate Lemon-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Wash and dry the chicken parts well, then season with the salt, pepper and, if using,  paprika/cayenne pepper.  Allow the chicken to sit for 10 minutes.  While the chicken sits, make the sauce by heating the maple syrup over medium flame for 1 minute and then add the balsamic.  Simmer until the syrup ‘melts’ and the sauce has an even color.

Place the chicken in a well-oiled baking dish and then top with half of the sauce.  Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes, until the internal temperature of the breast is 160 degrees.  Drizzle the chicken with the lemon oil, turn down the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes – the chicken should have a deep brown color, but not black.  Remove from the oven, top with the remaining sauce and serve.

Quick Tip – Grilling Chicken

Just sharing a couple quick tips for those of you grilling chicken this weekend – some favorite brines, rubs, sauces and marinades and lessons I have learned from many years of chicken grilling.  Happy Holiday!!

Be sure to brine for an hour or less!

• The first step is to brine, rub and/or marinate your chicken before grilling.  Chicken is a relatively light flavored meat, so you will want to add flavor before serving.  Here are some of my favorite chicken brines, rubs, sauces and marinades:
  • Ad Hoc Restaurant Brine
    
  • Art Smith’s Brine & Marinade Process & Recipe
  • Big Bad Bob’s BBQ Brine and White Sauce
  • Bobby Flay Spicy Paprika Rub and Mint Sauce
  • Brine with Juniper
  • Dean Fearing Texas Barbecue Sauce
  • Eastern Carolina Vinegar Sauce
  • Emeril Chicken Thigh Marinade
  • Hestor Blumenthal Brine & Rub
  • Jerk Rub
  • Rick Bayless Garlic and Ancho Rub
• It is fun to play around with brine, rub marinade recipes, adding some local flavor or just adjusting spices to better fit your eaters.  I prefer brines, which do not contain oil, to marinades, as the fats block the liquid water-holding capacity in the meat, thus inhibiting the addition of flavor.  Chicken should brine for a much shorter time than other meats – only 30 minutes to an hour.  I do like marinades for chicken pieces, and if I’m feeling particularly energetic, will sometimes combine a brine with a rub.
• Remove the chicken and allow it to reach room temperature before grilling – do not allow meat, particularly chicken, to sit unrefrigerated for too long however – an hour at most.
• I setup my grill with all of the charcoal distributed only half of the grill.  This way you can place the chicken over the half without coals, allowing the chicken to cook slowly over indirect heat.
• To test for doneness, prick a thigh and make sure the juices run clear.
• For whole chicken, the entire cooking process takes place over indirect heat.  For cut-up chicken pieces, I start the pieces over the coals and cook them about 2 minutes on each side, until you get those nice grill marks.  Then, move the pieces to the other, cooler side of the grill to finish.  Again, check to make sure the juices run clear to ensure the chicken is fully cooked.
• Grill temperatures ran fluctuate broadly, so you have to pay close attention when grilling a whole chicken.  Unlike beef, you do NOT want to serve chicken rare or even medium rare.
• Be sure to lightly oil the part of the grill that will be holding the chicken and the chicken itself.  Without lubrication your chicken may stick to the grill – particularly if you place it over direct heat.
• Allow your chicken to rest for 3-5 minutes for pieces and 10-12 minutes for whole chicken before serving.  This allows juices to redistribute to the external portions of the meat.

Rest for 5-10 minutes.

If you’re looking for a smashing (but simple) dessert, try these Gingersnap Cookies.

Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette – salad dressing, marinade, sauce & more

This simple recipe creates an adaptable vinaigrette that tastes great on salads, steamed vegetables, grains and even steak or chicken breast!

Ingredients:

1/3 C      Lucini Fig Infused Balsamic

1 tsp       fresh Garlic, minced

1 tsp       Salt

1/4 tsp  Black pepper

1/2 tsp  Lemon Peel, grated fine

1/2 C     Lucini Basil – Infused Extra Virgin

Preparation:

In a bowl, whisk together fig balsamic, garlic, salt and black pepper.  Add garlic and lemon peel and stir.

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil (VERY slowly at first) while whisking constantly to emulsifiy.  If  you have time, refrigerate until serving; this seems to make the flavor more consistent throughout the vinaigrette.

Burgeoning Balsamic Cocktails

Perhaps the change in the weather, the hope of “green shoots” sprouting in the economy or an over abundance of sweet drinks I have become intrigued by “savory” cocktails. Some of the tastiest feature balsamic.  In my own experimentation I found that the quality of the vinegar really needed to be “top-shelf” to avoid a bad acid taste. With the ever changing menu it is hard to know what will be available when you visit but one of my favorite NYC experimental bar menus is a WD-50.

Since many of these featured cocktails in bars include fruit you might want to do your own tests with some fruit-infused balsamics.

Here is a simple recipe to get you started:

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin or Vodka
6 diced strawberries (need to be ripe with flavor)
1/4 oz of Lucini 10-Year Gran Balsamico
Drizzle of sugar syrup to taste
Twist of lime (or basil)

Directions:
1. Muddle the chopped strawberries and dump into shaker
2. Add the other ingredients and ice, shake vigorously.
3. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh crushed ice.
4. Add garnish

Beef Brisket

I love serving this brisket dish for Rosh Hashanah and other holiday meals and it goes great with this salad and braised red cabbage or these green beans.  None of the steps are complicated and the low and slow roast allows time to socialize with your guests.  Do keep an eye on the brisket as overcooking eventually leads to dried out meat.

The recipe was inspired by one found in Art Smith’s Back to the Table, which I first followed for Thanksgiving 2001.  There are many great recipes in this book and I cannot recommend it (and his other books) more highly – I refer to some of the recipes so often it has started falling apart!  His love of food and recognition of the important place it holds in all of our lives is inspirational.

A splash of Lucini Fig Infused Balsamic or Lucini Cherry Infused Balsamic and a 1/2 cup of dried fruit added just before serving brings  a brightness that balances well with the robust umami of the beef and the red wine.

Ingredients:

• 3-4   lb     Beef Brisket
• 1       Tb     Salt
• 1       tsp    Pepper
• 2       tsp    Smoked Paprika
• 1/2  tsp    Brown Sugar
• 1       tsp    Chili powder
• 2       Tb    Lucini Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1                 large Onion, large dice
• 1                 Carrot, thick slices
• 1                 Celery stalk, thick slices
• 5                Garlic cloves
• 1/2  C       dry Red wine
• 2       C       Stock (Beef is best, but chicken and mushroom work well; homemade HIGHLY recommended)
• 3                 Bay leaves
• 1/2  C       Shittake Mushrooms (large chop, stems removed)
• 4       tsp   Arrowroot dissolved in water (about 1 Tb)
• Lucini Fig Infused Balsamic or Lucini Cherry Infused Balsamic (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Combine salt, pepper, paprika and chili powder.   Season the brisket evenly with this mixture and allow to sit for 30 minutes (I do 15 minutes refrigerated, then 15 minutes at room temperature out of the reach of meat-loving children or pets).

Heat a large, non-stick, oven-safe cooking vessel over medium-high heat.   Add olive oil and brown the brisket on both sides (about 3 minutes per side, but definitely browned, not gray).  Remove brisket to a plate.  Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute until the onions become translucent and the carrots begin to soften.

Add red wine and deglaze the pan – dissolving all the browned beef and veggie tastiness off the bottom of the pan and into the wine (about 5 minutes).  Add bay leaves and stock and bring to boil.  Place your browned brisket on top of the vegetables; cover and place in oven.

Bake for about 2 hours at 300F – remove when the meat is tender when prodded with a fork.   Allow the brisket and to rest for 10-15 minutes.  Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and set aside.

While the meat rests, add the mushrooms to the liquid in the pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce for 5 minutes.  Turn temperature down to low and add arrowroot slurry.  Stir immediately and thoroughly until you achieve gravy consistency.

Carve the brisket across the grain.  I serve this with the gravy, vegetables from the pan, mashed potatoes and braised red cabbage.  For an added dimension of flavor, add a splash of  Lucini Fig Infused Balsamic or Lucini Cherry Infused Balsamic on top of the brisket just before serving.

Cherry Tomato Chutney

I love the complex flavor of this chutney, delivered by a variety of spices and vegetables.  The Lucini Cherry Infused Balsamic adds a rich sweetness, a bit of sour and actually helps to thicken the chutney.  After trying a number of different vegetables to compliment the cherry tomatoes, i finally decided on fennel, which keeps some crunch despite the 30 minute simmer.  The chilis and anchovies are optional, but I recommend both, as each helps fill out the complexity that makes this chutney so much fun.  I use it as a sandwich spread (particularly turkey breast or roasted vegetable), an accompaniment to Indian takeout and a quick jazz to any bare vegetable preparation such as  green beans or roasted brussel sprouts or .  The recipe is easy to follow and requires a minimum of effort, but the simmer should be at least 30 minutes long.

Ingredients:

1 pint Fresh (preferrably organic) cherry tomatoes (approximately 5 oz.)
1 small Onion, minced
1/4 cup Fresh fennel chopped small (any bruised or discolored stalks removed)
2  Garlic cloves
4 small  Dried chilis (adjust to fit your own heat tolerance; 4 provides a noticeable bite, but no roar)
4 Coriander seeds
2 Black peppercorns
2 Cloves
1/2  tsp Cumin seeds
1/8  tsp Nutmeg (cinammon works in a pich)
2 Tb Lucini Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2/3 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup Lucini Cherry Infused Balsamic
4 Anchovies (optional)

Preparation:

Saute the onion, fennel and garlic in the olive oil.  Meanwhile, heat the chilis and other spices (coriander, peppercorns, cloves, cumin and nutmeg)  in a pan until you can smell the fragrence start to be released.  Grind the chilis and spices in a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder.  Add this mixture to the onion/fennel and stir well.  Continue to cook until the onion is translucent.  Add the tomatoes (washed) and anchovies (thoroughly rinsed).  Stir well.  Add the sugar, Cherry Infused Balsamic and salt and pepper to taste.  Raise the heat to medium and cook until mixture reaches a boil, then turn down to low and simmer for 30 minutes.   The tomatoes should be fully broken down and the chutney should be thick with a consistent reddish-brown tint.  The chutney will be ready to go, but refrigerate any that you do not plan to serve immediately.  A small splash of Lucini Chili – Infused Extra Virgin adds yet another facet to the flavor profile.

The chutney will keep for a month in your refrigerator.

I was inspired to make this dish when I noticed that Indian restaurants in my neighborhood seemed to be watering down their mango chutney well past the range of usefulness.