Crockpot Balsamic-Honey Chicken

Crockpot meals are really an amazing thing. Throw some ingredients in the pot before leaving for work and come home to a house that smells as though you've been cooking all day. I don't know about you, but I am almost always hungry. I am the MOST hungry when I arrive home after a long day at work and a commute home on my beloved 80 bus. This is why I love coming home to a dinner that only takes minutes to finish. I can pour myself a glass of wine and tuck into my dinner that much faster. The only bad thing about crockpot recipes is that they are rather unglamorous to photograph.  It is so hard for an amateur like me to get a nice shot into the deep recesses of the crockpot.  Oh well - it doesn't stop me from trying.  This particular variation on chicken only has a few ingredients and they blend so perfectly together to create a balanced flavor: balsamic (sharp), honey (sweet), soy (salty), and whiskey (earthy).  You get so much depth from this mix and the chicken soaks up all the amazing flavor. 

Crockpot Balsamic-Honey Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs (bone-in; skin-on)
1 onion
1/4 cup balsamic
1/4 cup whiskey
2 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
salt and pepper

1.  Coarsely chop your onion and lay it as a base in the crockpot.  Rinse and pat your chicken dry, season on both sides with salt and pepper, and set in the crockpot.. 

One important thing that is often overlooked about crockpot meals is that you still need to season your meat thoroughly, just at though you were going to sear it.  Otherwise, you meat will still be a bit bland, even after cooking all day.

2.  Mix together balsamic, soy, whiskey, and honey.  Pour over chicken.

3.  Cook on the lowest setting (mine is "Warm") for 8 hours.  It will NOT be beautiful when you get home.

4.  To crispy up the skin and make it a beauty, set the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet and put under the broiler for 6-8 minutes, until the skin is crispy.

There...that's better.

5.  Skim some of the fat off the liquid left in the crockpot so that you can use the remaining liquid as a sauce.  If you want, you can put the liquid in a pot and reduce over high heat while the chicken is broiling OR you can use it as-is.  
6.  Serve up with your favorite sides and enjoy.

One Year Ago: Rosemary Pork Chops
Two Years Ago: Chili Dusted Pork Chops
Three Years Ago: Buffalo Roasted Chicken

Crispy Chicken Nuggets with Madrigal Dipping Sauces

It has been a busy few months in our house and sadly for the blog, we've had more things cooking off the stove than on. Many weddings, babies, and other fun things have kept me away FAR too long. I was scolded by a few friends and family this past week and knew I needed to come back, but I wasn't sure when or how.  Then it hit me.  The thing that brought me back was my deep and undying love for one of the greatest TV shows of all time: Breaking Bad.  We had a viewing party for the season finale yesterday with Friends of the Blog, Alex and Josh Bard along with their buddy Jeremy.  I tried to make all our favorite foods from the show to get us in the right mindset to watch.  The episode didn't disappoint and neither did the food.  These chicken nuggets were spectacular.  Extra crispy outside with tender and juicy meat inside.  This would be a healthier way to serve chicken nuggets to a fussy young eater and really all the adults loved them too.  I can't wait for another good excuse to make them.

Crispy Chicken Nuggets with Madrigal Dipping Sauces
Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
vegetable oil (for frying)

1.  Slice the chicken breasts into about 1-inch pieces.  Try to keep them fairly uniform in size, so they cook evenly.  Place chicken in a bag or Tupperware and marinate in 1 cup buttermilk for 4 hours or up to overnight.  The longer it marinates, the more juicy and tender the chicken will be.

2.  Prepare the dry coating by mixing all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix up the egg and milk in another bowl.

3. Dip the chicken pieces in the dry mix, then wet, then dry again for a double coated, extra crispy crust.  Set the coated chicken pieces on a tray and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.  This will help the coating dry and adhere to the chicken better when frying for a very crisp nugget.

4.  Heat the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or cast iron skillet.  When hot, add chicken to pot.  Cook 3 minutes and flip the chicken.  Then another 3 minutes on the other side, for a total of 6 minutes.
Cook the chicken in batches, so you do not overcrowd the pan and cool the oil too much.  If the oil is too cold, you'll end up with greasy, soggy nuggets.  Patience is key here.

5.  Set the nuggets on a paper towel lined plate to drain some oil.

If you aren't ready to eat them right away, you can place them on a tray in a warm oven until ready to serve.

For the official Madrigal Dipping Sauces, we had Ketchup , Mesquite BBQ, Honey Mustard, Kickass Cajun, and of course...

FRANCH!  A winning combination of Ranch and French Dressings that the Madrigal staff concocted themselves.  It was delicious and I am surprised that it hasn't caught on nationwide yet.

Serve the nuggets with your dipping sauces and enjoy.

For other fun Breaking Bad inspired foods, we served Rooftop Pizza,

Crystal Blue Meth (aka. Blue Jello),

Funyuns (a Jessie Pinkman favorite),

Chocolate Chip Pancakes (for Walk Jr. Flynn.),

and, of course, no Breaking Bad party would ever be complete without Schraderbräu!

Coca Cola Chicken Thighs

These easy chicken thighs are the real deal delicious.  The have a great depth of flavor with a slight hint of sweetness and spice.  It is not an overpowering, thick saucy thigh, but rather just a very flavorful, juicy piece of chicken.  We loved it.  The marinade does have a lot going on, but it is all stuff that I normally have around the house (balsamic, soy, siracha, etc.).  If you don't have siracha, you can substitute a dash of red pepper flakes.  This really worked out well on the grill because it wasn't too sugary.  When we do a marinade that is too thick and too sweet on chicken, the skin has been getting really burnt before the meat is fully cooked.  Mark uses a charcoal grill and he heats the charcoal up with a chimney.  When the charcoal is hot, he pours all of the coals on one half of the grill to create a hot-spot for searing the meat.  Then there is no charcoal on the other side to create a place for food like chicken to cook through.  This method really works well for us and gives a great sear and crust, while not burning food before it is cooked inside. 

Coca Cola Chicken Thighs
Ingredients:
4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
2 cups Coke (NOT diet and NOT Pepsi)
4 garlic cloves, minced fine
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. siracha
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1.  To prepare the marinade, combine all of the ingredients (except the chicken) in a freezer bag or in a container with a lid.

2.  Add the chicken and refrigerate for an hour or up to overnight.

3.  When you are ready to cook, sear the thighs for 2 minutes per side on a hot grill.

4.  Move to the cooler side of the grill and continue to cook another 8 minutes per side, until cooked through.

5.  Serve with your favorite side dish and veggies.

Delicious!

One Year Ago: Gin Ginger Fizz
Two Years Ago: Pickles in a Barrel
Three Years Ago: Spinach Arugula Pesto

Extra Crispy Fried Chicken

Making fried chicken is an act of love for me.  It is Mark's favorite food so he gets extra excited for dinner when this is on the menu.  It is a labor of love because there are so many steps and because your kitchen will smell liked fried for a week.  But...if you make it just right, it is worth the effort.  I like to use legs and thighs only because I think they turn out the best, so why bother with anything else?  Also, I look for a package with small-ish legs and thighs.  Then I get to eat more pieces, but more importantly, I know that they will cook through on the inside before they burn on the outside.  This time, I fried mine up in Crisco shortening, which was magical.  You could use oil too, but shortening was an even bigger hit.  This would be a fun and comforting dinner on a cold Saturday or Sunday afternoon this winter.  While I don't advocate making this every night, I do think that all things are great in moderation and you can go ahead and treat yourself to this delicious meal every once in a while.

Extra Crispy Fried Chicken
Ingredients:
8 pieces chicken (legs and thighs)
2 cups buttermilk
3 Tbs. hot sauce
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
2 eggs
For Frying - 1 cup Crisco shortening (or vegetable, canola, or peanut oil)

1.  Wash the chicken and pat it dry with a paper towel.

2.  Add buttermilk and hot sauce to a large bowl and soak the chicken for 1 hour (up to overnight).

3.  Set up your breading station by setting up two shallow dishes (I use pie plates).  One for your wet ingredients and one for dry. 

 - Put flour, 1 Tbs. salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in one dish.

 - Put two eggs, beaten well along with another Tbs. hot sauce in the other dish. 

4.  Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and shake off excess liquid.  Dip the chicken first in the flour, then in the egg, then back in the flour.  This will double coat them and make your chicken nice and crispy. 

5.  Set the coated chicken on a rack or tray for 5 minutes, so that the breading can really adhere to the chicken.

6.  When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat Crisco (or cooking oil) over medium high heat until nice and hot.  I do this in my dutch oven, but a cast iron skillet would also work.  I prefer the dutch oven because it has the high walls.  Safety first!
7.  Add the chicken and cook for about 8 minutes per side (depending on the size of your pieces), until browned, crispy, and cooked through.

8.  Remove to a rack to cool enough so you can start chowing down.

One Year Ago: Chili Dusted Pork Chops

Two Years Ago: Stuffed Baked French Toast

Honey Herb Roasted Chicken

Ok, so this recipe is admittedly a more labor intensive way to roast a chicken than I general advocate.  You roast it for half the time breast-side-down so that all the flavor and juices permeate the white meat of the breast.  Then you flip the chicken and continue to cook breast-side-up for the rest of the roasting process.  The breast-side-down technique has the advantages that I mentioned above, but is frowned upon by some people because, while the breast meat is juicy and flavorful, this method smushes the breasts and makes the final appearance of the chicken less impressive.  This half and half method addresses both issues for a really delicious and beautiful bird.  Since it takes a while, this isn't an everyday weeknight kind of recipe.  It makes for a special, but inexpensive Sunday or Friday night dinner.

Honey Herb Roasted Chicken (Adapted from The Shiksa in the Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs.)

3 garlic cloves

1 large onion

3 fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs

salt and pepper

Basting Liquid

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. orange juice

Pan Gravy

1/2 cup white wine

3 Tbs. orange juice

2 Tbs. honey

1.  Wash and pat dry your chicken, chop the onion into large pieces, and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Whisk together olive oil, 1 Tbsp.  honey, and 1 Tbs. orange juice to make the basting liquid.

3.  Sprinkle salt and pepper inside the cavity of the chicken and 2 sprigs each fresh rosemary and thyme, garlic cloves, and some pieces of onion into the chicken.  You want to leave space in the cavity for ait to circulate, so do not stuff it completely full.

5.  Tie the legs together with twine (this is an optional, and easy step that helps cook the chicken evenly) and sprinkle the outside of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.

6.  Line your roasting pan with foil. Spread the rest of your onion and herbs in the bottom of the pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

7.  Place the chicken breast side down onto the bed of onions. Pour half of the basting mixture over the chicken, using a brush to coat it evenly.

8.  Cover the roasting pan with foil and pierce a few small vents into the outer edges of the foil with a knife.

9.  Roast for 45 minutes.
10.  Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil.  Flip the chicken to breast side up. Brush the rest of the basting mixture evenly onto the top of the chicken.

11.  Cover the roasting pan again with the vented foil. Place back into the oven for 45 minutes longer.
12.  Remove from the oven, remove the foil completely, and return the chicken to the oven.  Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and roast for another 20 minutes until the skin is brown and crisp.
Watch the chicken carefully, as it can go from brown to black very quickly.
13.  Remove chicken from the roasting pan to a cutting board and cover with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. 

14.  To make gravy, strain the pan drippings from the roasting pan into a small saucepan, let the dripping settle and skim off the fat.
15.  Add ½ cup of white wine, ¼ cup of chicken broth, and 2 tbsp of honey to the pan. Whisk to blend. 16.  Heat the sauce over medium to a light boil and let it simmer for about 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove the honey sauce from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
17.  Carve the chicken. Drizzled each serving of meat with some of the honey sauce.

One Year Ago: Fried Green Tomatoes
Two Years Ago: Cornbread Stuffing with Leeks and Mushrooms

Peruvian Roast Chicken

I am always looking for new ways to make a roast chicken. This one is seriously fantastic.  Peruvian chicken has classic, delicious flavors that are earthy and have a subtle spice.  What makes this version particularly good is that you don't need to go through a long marinating process.  The thick, vinegary spice rub sits on the chicken, permeating it with flavor while locking in the moisture.  This meal would also be made perfect for a weeknight if you used chicken pieces instead of the whole bird.  We devoured this meal and I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today!

Peruvian Roast Chicken
Ingredients:
4 lb. chicken
2 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbs. salt
1 tsp. pepper
5 garlic cloves
3 Tbs. white vinegar
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 onion
1 lemon

1.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry and set in a roasting dish.

2.  Mix together paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.  Finely chop (I used my microplane) the garlic and add to the spice mix.

3.  Add the vinegar and canola oil and mix together to form a paste.

4.  Coarsely chop the onion and lemon.  Stuff half of the onion and lemon in the cavity of the chicken and other half around in the pan.

5.  Spread the paste all over the chicken.

6.  Bake at 375 degrees for an hour.  Turn up the heat to 425 and continue to crisp up for another 30 minutes.

7.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes, slice and serve.

One Year Ago: Saucy Chicken Thighs in the Crock Pot
Two Years Ago: Sweet Potato Mini-Muffins