Winner, winner, chicken dinner...

I just love Julia Child, she's my hero and my inspiration. She's also incredibly funny. In last week's blog, I gave you my recipe and thoughts on how to make a simple roast chicken. Julia Child, who mastered so many elevated and complicated French cooking techniques, when it came down to it, preferred good, fresh food prepared simply and well, like a really good roast chicken. So, for this week's blog, I thought I'd start it out by quoting the great Julia, these two in particular having to do with chicken:

"I always give my bird a generous butter massage before I put it in the oven. Why? Because I think the chicken likes it -- and, more important, I like to give it."


"The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appetit." 

(....there is apparently some debate about whether this second quote is really attributable to Julia, but I think it sounds like her, and I'm sure she would think it incredibly amusing!)

So, let's say you've taken inspiration from my blog and roasted a chicken. Or, more likely, you picked up a rotisserie chicken at the store. (No judgement! Let's face it, how often do any of us think to buy a whole fresh chicken when we're at the grocery store, much less remember to take it out of the freezer far enough in advance for it to defrost.) You've enjoyed a lovely dinner, indulged in eating all of the crispy skin, but now you've got leftovers. Or maybe you don't, maybe all you have left is the carcass. (Whatever you do, don't throw out that carcass!) The following recipes are some of my favorite ways to use leftover cooked chicken.

Dill Chicken Salad Pita Pockets

Serves 8

I developed this recipe when I was the chef at a small wine bar in Arlington, VA. We served it there on a French baguette, but I like it better with pita bread. I've made this a number of times, and most folks react with skepticism when I tell them the main herbal element is dill. I haven't had anyone turn down a second helping yet.... 

4 cups   shredded cooked chicken

½ cup    minced shallots

½ cup    fresh dill, chopped

1 cup     mayonnaise

              salt and pepper to taste

8            pita breads, sliced in half

16          leaves of Boston lettuce

           

Mix the chicken, shallots, dill and mayonnaise in a medium bowl. Season with salt and liberally with black pepper. Place the lettuce leaves in the pita pockets and fill with the chicken salad. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup 

Makes 6 to 8 servings

This isn't your mother’s chicken noodle soup recipe.Toasted spices, roasted tomatoes, smoky chipotle peppers—all of the best flavors of Mexico make this a soup that you’ll crave at any time of year. If you want a spicier soup, add a second chipotle pepper or more adobo sauce.

3             whole allspice

1             whole clove

½ tsp      cumin seeds

¼ tsp      black peppercorns

4             plum tomatoes

1             medium white onion, 

               sliced

2             garlic cloves

1             chipotle pepper in adobo, finely chopped

1 Tbsp    adobo sauce

3 quarts  low sodium chicken stock

4 cups    shredded cooked chicken

6             green onions, sliced

½ cup     chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp    fresh lime juice

20           7-to 8-inch corn tortillas

3 Tbsp    olive oil

2             firm-ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and diced

               Salt and pepper

Place the allspice, clove, cumin seeds, and peppercorns in a dry small skillet (not nonstick) over medium-low heat. Shake the skillet occasionally, until the spices are fragrant and a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spices to a spice grinder and process into a powder.

Char the tomatoes and onion slices on an open flame or under the broiler until blackened. Add the

tomatoes, onion slices, ground spices, garlic, chipotle, adobo sauce, and one cup of chicken stock to a blender. Blend until mixture is smooth. 

Add the purée and the remaining chicken stock to a stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and continue to simmer 10 to 15 minutes more. Add the green onions, cilantro and lime juice to the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the tortillas into ¼ inch thick strips and toss them with the olive oil. Spread the strips into a single layer on a large baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake the strips until they are crisp and golden brown, about 15 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the tortilla strips and diced avocado.

  

Chicken and Dumplings

Serves 8

This traditional Southern chicken stew is pure comfort in a bowl. If you don't have a chicken carcass, you can substitute low sodium chicken stock and shredded cooked chicken.

For the broth: 

1   roasted chicken carcass

3   celery stalks, roughly 

     chopped

2   carrots, roughly chopped

1   medium onion, roughly 

     chopped

2   large sprigs of Italian parsley

2   sprigs of thyme

1   bay leaf

5   black peppercorns

For the stew:

¼ cup  unsalted butter

1          large onion, finely diced

3          carrots, peeled and sliced

3          ribs of celery, sliced

2          cloves garlic, chopped

¼ cup  all purpose flour

1 tsp    chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

8 oz     button mushrooms, sliced

            Kosher salt and pepper to taste

For the dumplings:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 ½ tsp    baking powder

¹/₈  tsp     baking soda

½  tsp      salt

2 Tbsp     chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½ -inch cubes

2 Tbsp     shortening

2 Tbsp     chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, chives

²/₃ cup     chilled buttermilk

Place the chicken carcass, celery, carrots, parsley, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns in a large saucepan or stock pot. Add enough water to cover the carcass and vegetables. Heat over medium high heat to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. Using a spoon or ladle, skim any gray foam or excess fat off the surface as it forms. 

Remove the heat and strain the broth into a large bowl, retaining the chicken carcass.  Measure out 6 cups of the broth. When the carcass has cooled enough to handle, pick the meat off the bones and place in a second bowl. Discard the picked carcass and other solids strained from the broth.

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter is completely melted and the bubbling and foaming has stopped, add the onion, carrots, and celery.  Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour and stir to completely mix the flour into the vegetables. Add the reserved chicken broth and stir to completely dissolve the flour. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the herbs, the reserved picked chicken and the mushrooms and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the stew is simmering, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; whisk until well blended. Cut in butter and shortening until coarse meal forms. Mix in herbs. Stir in the buttermilk until well combined (the dough may be wet).

Drop the dough in large spoonfuls over the top of the stew and cover the pot with a lid. Cook until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through, about another 15 minutes. Serve.