Tinga de Pollo y Papas

Rick Bayless...who knew you were such a nebbish?

Last week I had my first chance to watch a few episodes of Mexico-One Plate at a Time on a DVD that a friend lent me and discovered that, although you're a seriously talented and passionate chef, on your show, when you're not cooking, you're kind of awkward and well...dorky.

But who cares!
Your recipes are brilliant and I've loved every single one that I've ever attempted.
Especially, as I like to call them, the knock-you-on-your-ass Margarita recipe that you so innocently call the Top of the Line Margarita. The night I made a pitcher for myself and three of my friends was the infamous evening that will forever be known as "the night we danced with the chihuahua and danced on the dining room chairs until one of us fell off."
It's an excellent recipe. Go ahead, try it. You'll see.
Then, if you remember anything the next day, let me know what you thought.

Mr Bayless, you've done more for my appreciation of the complexity and uniqueness of Mexican cuisine than a hundred trips to Mexico could have done. And I thank you for that.

So, you're kind of a nebbish. So what.
I find it endearing.



The following is taken from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen


Smoky Shredded Chicken and Potatoes with Roasted Tomatoes
Tinga de Pollo y Papas
serves 4 as a light main dish (with about 4 cups of finished tinga)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 medium (1 ½ pounds total) chicken thighs, skin removed
• 4 medium boiling potatoes (like the red-skin ones)
• 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• Salt, about ¾ teaspoon
• 1/3 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco or pressed, salted farmer's cheese
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 3/8-inch dice
• 1 recipe Essential Quick-Cooked Tomato Chipotle Sauce (recipe below)
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. The chicken and potatoes -- Nestle the skinless thighs into the sauce, cover, and set over medium-low heat. Cook for about 25 minutes, until the meat is thoroughly tender. Remove the chicken to a plate, leaving as much sauce as possible in the pan. Cool, then pull the meat from the bones in large shreds; there will be about 2 cups.
2. With a food processor or hand grater, coarsely shred the potatoes. Squeeze between your hands to remove as much water as possible.
3. Finishing the dish -- Heat the remaining I tablespoon of the oil over medium-high in a large (10- to 12-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet. Add the onion and potatoes and cook, stirring and scraping up any sticking bits, until well browned, about 15 minutes. Scrape in the sauce and oregano, bring to a boil, stir in the chicken, and heat through, about 2 minutes.
4. Taste and season with salt.
5. Scoop the mixture into a warm, deep, decorative serving dish. Sprinkle with cheese, strew with avocado and serve without hesitation.

Advance Preparation: The tinga can be finished a day ahead, cover and refrigerate. Warm in a 400-degree oven, covered with foil, garnish with avocado and cheese, and serve.

Shortcuts: A drained 15-ounce can of tomatoes can replace the roasted fresh ones.

Essential Quick-Cooked Tomato Chipotle Sauce
makes 1 cup

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 stemmed, dried chipotle chiles or canned chipotle chiles en adobo
• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 12 ounces (2 medium-small round or 4 to 6 plum) ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. For dried chiles, toast them on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, turning regularly and pressing flat with a spatula until very aromatic, 30 seconds. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking. Drain and discard the water. (Canned chiles need only be removed from their sauce.)
2. While the chiles are soaking, roast the unpeeled garlic on the griddle or skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft (they will blacken in spots), about 15 minutes; cool and peel. Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes, then flip and roast the other side. Cool, then peel, collecting all the juices with the tomatoes.
3. In a food processor or blender, puree the tomatoes and their juices, rehydrated or canned chiles and garlic to a medium-fine puree. Heat I tablespoon of the oil in a heavy, medium (2- to 3-quart) saucepan over medium-high.
4. Add the puree and stir for about 5 minutes as it sears and thickens.

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Tapas

There's a group of eight of us that get together every so often to cook and eat and enjoy each other's company. It started as a once a month curry night and has evolved into a whenever-we-can-get-our-schedules-coordinated ethnic night. Thus far, we've had the original Indian curry night, a fabulous Turkish evening, a Mexican night with killer Margaritas and a super, spicy Thai supper.
For our next get together, the first we've had since December (yes it is strangely difficult to get eight people together for dinner) we're making a big assortment of Spanish tapas. And I think (and hope) that someone is making a big pitcher of sangria to enjoy with them!

My contribution includes a chickpea salad, a vegetable coca (like a tart) and patatas bravas.

Chickpea Salad
recipe taken from Euroresidentes.com

• 1/2 kg chickpeas
• hard boiled eggs
• 4 red peppers (pimientos del piquillo)
• small bunch of spring onions
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1 large tomato
• fresh parsley
• extra virgin olive oil
• white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 50g cured ham

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas (if using dried chickpeas soak overnight and then boil the next day in a pressure cooker for 10 mins or boil for 1 hour 10 mins in a pan)
2. Prepare the tomato by blanching it and removing the skin and pips following this cut it into small cubes and place in a bowl
3. Add the red peppers to the tomato (if you can´t find the spanish pimientos del piquillo you will need to roast the red peppers for about 20 mins and then remove the skin and cut into strips)
4. Cut the cured ham into small squares and add to the bowl.
   
5. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar over and season with salt and pepper
6. Add the chickpeas to the salad mixture
7. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve

Vegetable Coca
recipe taken from Tienda.com
serves 4

for the dough:

• ¾ cup water, hand hot
• a pinch of sugar
• 1½ teaspoon dried yeast
• 9 oz strong plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lard

for the topping

• 9 oz chard or spinach, shredded
• 9 oz spinach, shredded
• ½ bunch spring onions, cut into 4 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp pimentón
• salt
• 1 tomato, skinned, seeded, and chopped

1. Mix 1/2 cup of the water, the sugar, and the yeast and leave for about 10 minutes until a frothy head forms.
2. Mix the flour, salt, yeast mixture, oil, and lard, and add just enough of the remaining water to mix to a soft, pliable dough.
3. Knead well for about 10 minutes, then place in an oiled plastic bag and leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, put the chard and spinach in a saucepan with a small amount of salted water, bring to a boil and simmer for 4 minutes. Let sit for 3 minutes then drain, squeezing out the excess water.
5. Add the spring onions, parsley, garlic, and oil. Season with paprika and salt and blend well.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and curl up the edges to make a border.
8. Place on a greased baking tray and spread the vegetables over the dough, sprinkle with tomato, season with salt, and bake for 30 to 50 minutes.

From Spain on a Plate by María José Sevilla

I'll be making a few changes to the above recipe. For one, I don't have chard so will use only spinach and I'm replacing the lard with the equivalent amount of olive oil.



I'm still hunting for the perfect patatas bravas recipe. Pin It

So Very Happy

I took my mom home from the hospital again today. She's finally on the mend and I'm so relieved! We picked up all of her prescriptions, the prices of which are insanely expensive, (I sometimes forget how lucky we are in France) and got her settled back into her home.

A few hours later I met up with a friend I've known since we were four years old. She suggested a local restaurant and when I arrived I realized it was Happy Hour!
$2.99 Margaritas and half price crab cakes, coconut shrimp and artichoke dip.
What a fabulous invention.

All in all, a great afternoon! Pin It

Top 100 - 61 Through 67

61. Varages Faïence Provençale. Earthenware from Varages, in Provence The week after we arrived in France we took a drive to this village located in the Haut Var to purchase tableware for our kitchen. The factory, which has been operating since 1695, is a riot of shapes and colors, with an unbelievable array of pottery to choose from.

62. 5 Spot in Seattle, Washington. Located on the top of Queen Anne Hill, this diner is the home of the "American Food Festival Series" which features kitschy regional specialties from the Continental U.S.A. The regional food menu changes about every three months plus they offer an old standby menu offering fabulous brunch, lunch and dinner.

5 Spot
1502 Queen Anne Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 285-SPOT

63. Bucatini all'Amatriciana. A wonderful, zesty sauce made with pancetta, onions and tomatoes. One of my all time favorite's, it is delightfully easy and quick to make.
The recipe I use comes from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan.

Bucatini All'amatriciana

Yield: 4 servings.

4 ounces pancetta (Italian bacon)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, drained and cut up
Chopped hot red chile pepper, to taste
Salt
1 pound bucatini or other pasta
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons freshly grated Romano cheese

Cut the pancetta into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 1 inch long. Put the oil, butter and onion in a saucepan. Saute over medium heat until the onion is pale gold, then add the pancetta. Cook about 1 minute, stirring once or twice. Add tomatoes, chile and salt to taste. Cook, uncovered, at a steady, gentle simmer for 25 minutes. Taste and correct for salt and chile.
Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain. Transfer immediately to a serving bowl. Toss with the sauce, then add the cheeses and toss thoroughly.

64. Hubig's Pies in New Orleans. An institution in New Orleans since the 1920's, this bakery in the Faubourg Marigny turns out about 30,000 individually sized, half moon shaped pies a day, filling the neighborhood with the aroma of lemon, cherry, coconut, sweet potato, pineapple, strawberry, peach and my all time favorite, apple. When you need a cure for your sweet tooth, they can be found at just about any corner grocery store in New Orleans.

65. Rosemary Honey. A lightly perfumed, well balanced honey that tastes lovely drizzled on bread, goat's cheese or in yogurt and is delicious in lamb and chicken recipes.

66. Patricia Wells. She is the author of nine books, a chef, a restaurant critic for the International Herald Tribune and l'Express, lives in Paris and Provence, has a very successful cooking school and recently ran the New York Marathon to raise funds for the American Liver Foundation. This is a woman I admire!

67. The Margarita. Freshly squeezed lime juice, Cointreau, tequila, ice and salt around the rim. Add some tortilla chips and guacamole and a warm beach and I'm in heaven.


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