Butterflied Roast Chicken with Chile-Cinnamon Rub

Recipe Link

Serves 2-3

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
10 sprigs fresh thyme or 4 sprigs fresh rosemary; more for garnish, if you like
1 tsp. pure chile powder or 1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. sugar, preferably granulated brown
3-1/2 lb. chicken, rinsed inside and out and patted dry with paper towels
Heat the oven to 475°F.

Pour the olive oil into a small saucepan and add the minced garlic and herbs. Set the pan over high heat until the oil is hot, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the garlic has browned slightly, about 3 min. Remove from the heat and let infuse for at least 10 min. or up to 2 hours.

In a small bowl, mix together the spices, salt, and sugar.

Set the chicken on a board, breast side down, and butterfly it. Starting at the neck, remove the narrow backbone by cutting through the ribs on each side with kitchen or poultry shears. Leave the breastbone intact. Flatten the bird and turn it skin side up.

Next, press on the breast with the heel of your hand as the bird lies flat; you'll need to break the collarbones and some ribs. Tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders.

Set the chicken skin side down in a shallow roasting pan or a jelly roll pan. Brush thoroughly with half of the garlic olive oil (use the herb sprigs as a brush, if you want, before discarding them) and sprinkle with half of the spice rub. Turn the bird over and gently loosen the skin over the breast and thighs. Brush the remaining oil and most of the spice rub directly on the flesh under the skin. Rub the remaining spices on the skin. Pierce the skin with a sharp fork or small paring knife randomly in about 10 places to help it crisp.

Roast until the skin is nicely browned and the thigh meat is 170°F or the juices run clear, about 40 min. Remove the chicken from the oven, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 min.

To serve, halve the chicken by cutting straight down the center of the breastbone. Carve each half into drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breast, and garnish on a platter with fresh thyme or rosemary, if you like.

Jerk Chicken

This recipe was supposed to be a play on Pirates of the Caribbean and parrots.


I was honestly a little disappointed in how this turned out.  Go figure that the one time I used a recipe I've actually made before (vs. nearly everything is a new recipe when I make it) it fell flat to me.  The flavor wasn't nearly as good as what I remembered despite marinating for a full day.  Maybe it's because I had to bake the chicken instead of grill (which is what I did last time but the grill was otherwise occupied by the salmon).  Oh well, at least we had a TON of food so it doesn't matter when a dish doesn't "perform" :).


Jerk Chicken

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 scallion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Pinch ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
• 4 drumsticks, skin on

Directions

1. Puree all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a food processor until almost smooth. Piece the chicken with a fork to make tiny holes. Place the chicken in a large shallow baking dish and rub the marinade into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, depending on how intense you want the flavor to be.
2. To grill - preheat grill. Grill chicken on each side for 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked through.  Or, to bake - preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken on baking sheet lined with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the chicken as directed above and place in a gallon sized freezer bag to marinate. Seal and freeze chicken. When ready to prepare the chicken, defrost completely and following the cooking directions for either the grill or oven.

Source: As seen on and adapted by What's Cooking Chicago from Bobby Flay

Chicken, Sausage & Seafood Gumbo

Chicken, Sausage & Seafood Gumbo

Some key points/tips:
1) For the roux, I recommend using any kind of seafood stock, but you can use a mixture of flour and water and other seasonings if you choose.
2) Remember to use a non-reactive (non-cast iron) pot for any gumbo (I didn't even know this, found this tip on the website) that includes tomatoes, as they will discolor.
3) Do not use imitation crab/seafood meat!
4) There are many different ways to make Gumbo. My way is how my mom used to make it when I was a young lad with a little extra to give it flare! I hope you enjoy making this delicious dish!
5) As with cooking any other dish, don't feel weird if you begin to talk to yourself and the ingredients or begin to speak with an accent (lol, it's not just me is it...)

Got some helpful tips, references and inspiration from this website: http://www.gumbopages.com/food/soups/seafood-gumbo.html

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1/2 medium yellow (sweet) onion, diced
1-2 green bell peppers, diced
3 ribs celery, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes (or 8 Roma tomatoes), seeded and diced (if you like tomatoes in your gumbo - I used 4 Roma tomoatoes)
4 quarts seafood stock (may not need to add all 4 quarts, monitor liquid level and adjust accordingly.)
1 quart lobster stock (kick it up a notch...BAM!)
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning (adjust to taste; may need more or less depending on your taste preference)
1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Lemon Pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 chicken legs, 2 chicken thighs, remove from bone and cube (not needed, but I threw it in for added chicken flavor)
1 pack of smoked sausage (2 in a pack), slice 1/2 inch thick slices
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound of fresh backfin crabmeat (I used Phillips Brand - Jungle Jim's)
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat (I used Phillips Brand - Jungle Jim's)
1 tablespoon flour (for thickening if needed during cooking - gumbo liquid should be thicker than broth, but less viscous than chowder; almost like a bisque consistency)
2 cups cooked long-grain white rice (adjust based on # of servings)

Note: Amounts can be adjusted to accomodate larger or smaller parties. Constantly taste Gumbo throughout the cooking process as to correctly adjust seasonings.

In a large pot, heat the oil and add the flour. Stir constantly until a light brown roux is formed, then add the onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the seasonings, and about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and continue to cook another 10 minutes. Add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook another 45 minutes. (Make sure to taste Gumbo during seasoning process and adjust accordingly)

While Gumbo is simmering, cook chicken breast, leg and thigh cubes in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil. Lighly season chicken with Old Bay seasoning, pepper and a little lemon pepper (this can be ad-libed as you don't want the chicken to over-power the gumbo). Transfer cooked chicken to the Gumbo.

In the same pan, cook the smoked sausage and transfer to Gumbo.

With the gumbo on very low heat, add the shrimp and backfin crabmeat 10 minutes before serving and the lump crabmeat just before serving (don't cook the crabmeat, just stir until it is brought to temperature of Gumbo - this is the part I forgot to do, as I left crabmeat at home lol!).

Add additional stock/flour to thin or thicken the Gumbo. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Let stand for 15 minutes.

Place about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of rice into bowl or plate and ladle the gumbo over and around it.