A most delicious chicken dish

I wish I could take credit for this dish, but I can’t. I saw a Facebook Reel about a similar dish, but when I went back to look for it, I couldn’t find it. So I searched my memory banks as to what I could remember about it and this was my best guess. I made it tonight, and thought I should write it down so I can make it again. It was truly spectactular and pleasing. I served it with a side of broiled asparagus.

Lori K’s version of the most delicious chicken dish you’ll ever make

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 chicken breast, halved lengthwise

¼ cup flour

1 egg

4 sprigs thyme, leaves only

Garlic salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup of chicken or vegetable broth

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

1½ cups cooked rice (I think the original called for mashed potatoes, but rice is what I had on hand)

Instructions

After you halve the chicken breast, pound each half with a meat mallet. Put the flour in a fine wire-mesh strainer and sprinkle it generously over each breast; turn each half and sprinkle over the other side. On a plate large enough for each half, that has at least a ½-inch lip, crack open the egg and beat it. Add the thyme, and the amount of garlic salt and pepper you would usually use on a chicken breast. Beat the spices and egg together.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until it starts to lightly smoke. Have two ½-tablespoon pats of butter ready. Dredge the first floured chicken breast half through the beaten egg on both sides. Put a butter pat in one side of the pan in the hot oil and put the breast on top of it. Repeat with the other half. Cook until both halves are golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.

When both are done, lower the heat to simmer; add the broth and the capers. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the broth thickens and the meat is done.

Put ¾ cup of rice on half the serving plate and put a chicken breast half on top of it. Drizzle half of the pan juices and capers over it, then half of the lemon juice, then sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with a salad and/or your favorite vegetable(s).

Rubbing lamb the right way

Most of the time, I just brush those cute little lamb loin chops with olive oil, salt and pepper, then grill them quickly over a hot fire. Crunchy on the outside and oh-so-tender on the inside.

But yes, I do mess with perfection, and this time, I'm very happy I did. The advantage to broiling the chops instead of grilling them is that you can keep the spicy crust on them and it won't flake off into the fire. So try these on a cold night when you don't feel like freezing outside to grill your chops.

Lori K's lamb rub
Makes enough coating for 6-8 loin chops

Ingredients
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon crushed fennel seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds or 1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

In a spice mill, grind everything but the last three items until blended, but not too fine. In a large mortar bowl, grind the rosemary and garlic. Add the other spices and mix well. Add enough olive oil to make a thick paste.

Spread on the lamb chops, both sides, pressing in the rub. Let stand for 15 minutes, then preheat the broiler for 15 minutes.

Grill close to the heat, 3-4 minutes each side (3 minutes for very rare, 4 minutes for medium rare). Very good with a sauce of sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions.

A Christmas salad and chowder

My sister-in-law is planning to serve a crisp Romaine salad and a chowder that includes giant prawns, scallops and clams, and asked if I had a recipe for a good Caesar dressing and a nice chowder. Here were my recipes from the files, and I thought you might like to try them as well.

What are you fixing for Christmas dinner this year? I'd love it if you'd include your menu in a comment below, or send me an email.

Caesar dressing recipe
from Sallie Y. Williams' "The Complete Book of Sauces":

Ingredients

½ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

6 anchovy fillets, rinsed, dried, smashed and chopped finely

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large egg, soft-boiled for 1 minute

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

For a rustic vinaigrette, put all the ingredients in a jar and shake until well mixed. For a more creamy dressing, put all ingredients but the Parmesan in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Add the cheese and stir.

If I'm not lazy, I rub the salad bowl with a clove of garlic for extra flavor. If I'm pressed for time, I use garlic salt in place of the salt. Also, since I know where my egg has come from and I wash it before using, I skip the soft-boiled step. (I think the lemon juice "cooks" the egg.)

Seafood Chowder

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a first

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, cut into 3/4-inch dice
2 sprigs fresh summer savory or thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1 teaspoon)
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 pound Yukon Gold, white or rose potatoes (not russet), peeled and diced in 1/2-inch chunks
1 1/4 cups fish or chicken stock, or clam juice
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound of the following: mixed shellfish or skinless haddock or cod fillets, totally deboned
1/3 cup heavy cream (or half and half, or milk, if a lighter soup is desired)

For garnish

1 ounce lean bacon bits or lardons

2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh chives

Instructions

Heat a 2-quart heavy pot to medium hot. Add oil, onions, savory or thyme, and bay leaves to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened but not browned.

Add the potatoes and stock. If the stock doesn’t cover the potatoes, add just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over higher heat, cover, and cook the potatoes vigorously for 5-10 minutes, until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. If the stock hasn’t thickened lightly, smash a few of the potato chunks against the side of the pot and cook for a minute or two longer. Reduce the heat to low and season with salt and pepper (you will want to almost overseason the chowder at this point to avoid having to stir it much once the fish is added). Add the seafood or fish fillets and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and allow the chowder to sit for 10 minutes (the fish/seafood will finish cooking during this time).
Gently stir in the cream and taste for salt and pepper. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit for up to an hour at room temperature, allowing the flavors to meld. When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don’t let it boil. 

Warm the bacon or lardons in a low oven (200 °F) for a few minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to mound the chunks of fish and/or seafood, the onions, and potatoes in the center of large soup plates or shallow bowls, and ladle the creamy broth around. Scatter the bacon over the individual servings and finish each with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and minced chives.

Lemons, and their well-preserved punch

Preserved lemon is an easy condiment to make, and can a punch to usually bland dishes such as baked fish, chicken or veal. It makes mayonnaise taste yummier in a tuna fish sandwich, and can be used anywhere you need an essence of lemon and salt. Somehow, when the lemon sits in its brine, it becomes at once more lemony and less tangy, and you can eat the entire lemon, rind and all.

Your homemade version probably won't look as pretty as the tiny lemons in a jar from Morocco, but you won't be paying upwards of $8 for them, either.

Easy preserved lemon

You'll need:

1 half-pint jelly jar with good-fitting lid

2 lemons (no wider in the middle than the inside of the jar)

Kosher salt

Instructions

Sterilize the jar with boiling water and cool. Slice one lemon thinly; throw away the ends. Put in a teaspoon of salt in the bottom of the jar. Put each slice in one at a time, sprinkling each with kosher salt, until the entire lemon is in the jar. Sprinkle a little extra salt on top. Juice the other lemon and pour the juice over the sliced lemon and salt. Put the lid on tightly and shake to mix well. Keep out on the counter for about a week, shaking and turning upside down at least once a day. Put the jar in the refrigerator and the slices will be ready to use in about two weeks. When you're down to the last couple of slices, it's time to make a new jar. The lemon will keep in the refrigerator for at least 6 months.

Here's a simple recipe from blogger Kerry Saretsky to get you started once your own preserved lemon has mellowed:

Parmesan, Preserved Lemon, and Thyme Wafers

Serve these on top of a salad of baby spinach dressed lightly with lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Lemon heaven.
- makes 9 wafers -
Ingredients
2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the finely chopped preserved lemon pieces in a mesh strainer, and rinse very well. Dry on paper towels, and pat very dry.
Mix together the dry lemon pieces, the Parmesan, and the chopped fresh thyme leaves. On a Silpat- or parchment-lined baking sheet, heap little tablespoon mounds of the cheese mixture, leaving room for them to spread as they melt, and bake in the oven for 4 or 5 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet, then lift off with a spatula and allow to rest on paper towels until cooled and hardened. If you're ambitious, you can form them into tubes while they are still hot.

Another time-saving prep tip

Love mushrooms? Love shallots? Those are two great tastes that taste great together. When you have a little time, here's a medley that freezes well. For single servings, freeze in ice cube trays and then pop out and store in a freezer bag; reheat a cube or two as a topping for steak, pork chops, chicken breasts, scallops or pressed fried tofu, or a stuffing for a tart or crepe.

Brush off the debris from a pound of mushrooms and slice them thinly. Thinly slice a half-pound of shallots. Saute the shallots first, then add the mushrooms, in 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil, butter or a mixture of the two. Do not use light butter or margarine; they have too much liquid whipped into them and won't freeze as well. Cook over low heat until almost a paste, seasoning with salt, pepper, chopped parsley and thyme as desired. For extra flavor, add a cup of white wine or chicken broth and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated. Cool, pack in small containers or the above-mentioned ice cube trays, and freeze. 

Why did I think of this today? Maybe it's the foodie in me, but when I see Dulles, I think duxelles, pronounced dook-SEHL, the French name for this dish.