ROASTED CHICKEN WITH A MUSTARD CRUST

I’m sure they wouldn’t like to admit it, but even some of the world’s most accomplished home cooks struggle when attempting to roast the perfect chicken.  The fact is it’s far easier to make a roasted chicken look good than it is to make it taste good. I don’t know how many times I’ve sat down to enjoy what I believed to be a perfectly roasted chicken — the quintessential golden brown bird flecked with black pepper and fragrant herbs — only to cut into the thing and find it bone dry or worse, still raw at the bone. Or, and this is perhaps worst of all, a combination of both, so that you end up hacking it up and destroying the only thing it had going for it: its good looks.
But this roast chicken? Well, it’s an entirely different beast, or rather, bird.  First, it’s the smell. An intoxicating aroma of garlic will start you salivating. Then you’ll notice the skin. Not only is it golden brown, it’s crisp, like really crisp.  And beneath that exterior you’ll find the juiciest and most tender chicken you’ve ever cut into. But it’s the flavor that will leave you coming back for more. The marinade’s combination of garlic, mustard, soy sauce and herbes de provence create a flavor that is at once familiar and completely unexpected. In addition to the marinade, the cooking method is also unique. Unlike typical whole roasted chicken, this recipe calls for you to butterfly the bird. Not only does this help the meat cook more evenly, but it also allows you to sear the bottom of the chicken before throwing it in the oven and cook it in half the time of a usual whole roasted chicken. Sound perfect? It is. But don’t take my word for it.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH A MUSTARD CRUST

Adapted from Jacques Pepin’s, More Fast Food My Way
The thought of removing the backbone from the chicken in this recipe can be a bit overwhelming if you’ve never done it before, but rest assured that it is actually quite a simple skill that all home chefs should have in their arsenal.  Make sure to use a sharp knife or a good pair of heavy duty kitchen shears and don’t be afraid to use a little elbow grease to get through those rib bones.  If you are too intimidated by such a task, most butchers will happily do this for you.  Whichever route you choose though, make sure you save the backbone for making rich, homemade chicken stock.  Cutting deep slashes in and around the thigh and shoulder joints of the bird allows for quick, even cooking due to increased heat penetration.  When it comes time to rest the bird after roasting, don’t let all those beautiful caramelized bits go to waste in the skillet.  Pour off any excess fat, return the skillet to the stove over medium heat and deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine, being sure to scrape up any browned bits clinging to the pan.  Pour in a bit of chicken stock (about a cup), bring to a simmer and swirl in a couple of tablespoons of cold butter just before serving and you will be left with an outstanding gravy, perfect for pouring over fluffy mashed potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoons herbs de Provence
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 chicken (3 1/2 – 4 pounds)

METHOD:

1. Whisk all of the ingredients (except chicken) together in a small bowl until emulsified into a fragrant, wet marinade.
   
2. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut along each side of the backbone to remove it.  The best way to do this if you don’t have kitchen shears is to sit the chicken on it’s bottom and slice all the way down each side of the back bone in a straight line. Once you’ve removed the backbone, open the chicken up like a book and place it on the cutting board, cavity side down. Press firmly in the center of the breast to crack the breastbone and encourage a flatter shape.  Using a sharp paring knife, cut halfway through both sides of the joints connecting the drumstick to the thigh and cut through the joints of the shoulder under the wing as well.
3. Place the chicken skin side down in a large baking dish and evenly spoon on half of the mustard marinade.  Flip the chicken over and spread the remaining mustard mixture evenly over the skin side of the chicken.  Wrap the dish in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to cooking and preheat the oven to 450° F. Place a skillet large enough to accommodate the chicken over high heat.  When hot, place the chicken in the pan skin side up and spoon on any leftover marinade in the baking dish.  Cook the chicken on the stovetop for 5 minutes before placing the entire skillet in the oven.  Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is well-browned with a crispy skin.
5. Remove the skillet from the oven and allow the chicken to rest in the pan for at least 5 minutes.  Place the chicken on a clean cutting board and allow it to rest for another 5 minutes.  Cut the chicken into 8 pieces using a sharp knife or kitchen shears and serve alongside mashed potatoes or a mixed green salad.

Serves 4

TOFFEE CHEESECAKE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Anybody who knows me will tell you that I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate desserts.  With the exception of a few, very special sweets in our family recipe book, I vastly prefer those confections featuring toffee, nuts, or citrus.  So, when it came time to decide what dessert to have with our Christmas dinner this year, my family came to a bit of brick wall.  Having already eaten pumpkin and pecan pie during Thanksgiving, we were all in the mood for something a little different this time around.  With ideas like an apple galette and bread pudding being thrown around, each option seemed to fall flat the second it was introduced  — keeping with tradition, we were a bit indecisive.  It wasn’t until my sister insisted upon a dessert that included caramel in some form or another that my Mom suddenly remembered a recipe from an old Bon Appétite that she used to make years ago for special occasions — Toffee Cheesecake.

I don’t think I need to tell you how good this cheesecake really is.  I mean, caramel sauce? Whipped cream? Skor bar!?  What’s not to like?  The one thing I can say is that this is an extremely rich dessert of which a little goes a long way.  Next time you have a special occasion on the horizon, consider making this decadent dessert which will easily feed 10-12 guests.

TOFFEE CHEESECAKE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

From the Old Porte Inn, Avila Beach, California
There are very few tips or techniques I can offer you for this recipe.  Follow the directions closely and you should end up with outstanding results.  I will offer this insight however; if you’re going to go all out and make such a decadent dessert, don’t bother trying to cut caloric corners using low-fat cream cheese.  If you want truly spectacular cheesecake filling, go one step further and seek out natural, old-fashioned cream cheese that is free of stabilizers.  When whipping the cheese, make sure to do so until very fluffy as this will produce an especially delightful final texture.  After baking, the cheesecake will sink a bit in the center.  Don’t worry though, the final cake will look perfectly level after it is filled with a pool of delicious caramel sauce.  If you’re into the whole salted caramel thing, do what I did and add a bit of sea salt to the caramel sauce for a salty-sweet finish.  Finally, this cake does just fine fully dressed and decorated in the fridge, so don’t be afraid to make it a full day ahead of when you plan on serving it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 1.4 ounce toffee candy bars (such as Skor or Heath) broken into pieces

METHOD:

For the Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly butter inside of a 9 in. diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch sides.
3. Combine crumbs, butter and brown sugar in a small bowl.
4. Press crumbs over bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan.
5. Refrigerate the crust.

For the Filling:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy.
2. Add sugar and beat until smooth.
3. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.
4. Mix in vanilla extract and fresh lemon juice.
5. Pour filling into prepared crust, and bake until cake rises about 1/2 inch over rim and the center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hr 15 min.
6. Cool on a rack (the cake will fall as it cools, sinking in the center)
7. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours. These steps can be done 1 day ahead.

For the Topping:

1. Heat sugar and water in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
2. Increase the heat and boil without stirring until mixture is a rich, amber color, occasionally swirling and washing down the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water, about 8 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to very low. Add cream (mixture will bubble up) and stir until smooth.
4. Mix in butter. Cool slightly. Mix in vanilla.

To Assemble the Cheesecake:

1. Using a small, sharp knife, cut around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake.  Release the pan sides.
2. Pour 2/3 cup of the caramel sauce over the cake from the center spreading outward to the edges.
3. Cover the remaining caramel sauce and let stand at room temperature.
4. Chill cake until caramel topping is set, about 2 hours.
5. Whip 3/4 cup cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar in a medium bowl until firm peaks form.
6. Spoon cream into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe cream, decoratively around the edge of the cake.
7. Arrange toffee pieces in the whipped cream border. Refrigerate until serving.
8. Cut cake into wedges. Serve, passing the remaining caramel sauce separately.
   

Makes 10 generous servings