MORE posting from me! yay!
3/12/05 20:06![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
schmericaThe other thing about it being the end of the quarter is that I am going to be going home for a couple weeks, so I need to make sure and use up all my vegetables and meat and dairy products so they don't go bad while I'm gone. Which means: lots of cooking, YAY. Yesterday I made a big pot of lentils with garlic and onions and tomatoes and ginger and curry powder and cumin and cayenne pepper and butter and cream, and I am not usually a fan of legumes, but it was quite good, and even better today than yesterday. Tonight I made Chicken B'stilla.
This is the recipe I used, from Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World. (Also the source of the lentils recipe. Man, I LOVE new cookbooks. Such excitement!)
2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled, optional
One 1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 cups chicken stock or water
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 pound (about 12 sheets) phyllo
8 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more as necessary
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the garlic and onion until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken, parsley, turmeric, saffron if using, ginger and stock. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool.
2. Slowly pour the eggs into the simmering stock, stirring constantly. Continue to simmer the stock, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the reduced stock. Continue suimmering until almost all the liquid has evaporated, another 10 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, until fragrant, just a couple of minutes. Grind them in a coffee or spice grinder and mix with the cinnamon and sugar.
4. Lay 4 or 5 of the phyllo sheets in a greased 9 inch pie pan, brushing a little melted butter between sheets. The edges of the phyllo sheets should hang over the rim of the pie pan. Spread the chicken mixture evenly in the pan over the phyllo sheets. Top the chicken mixture with the remaining phyllo sheets, again brushing with a little melted butter. Fold in the edges to enclose the pie, sealing with melted butter.
5. Cut a few small slits in the top of the pie to allow hot air to escape while baking. Place in the oven and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Remove and immediately sprinkle the almond mixture on top. Serve hot.
Notes from me:
1. My amount of chicken was maybe closer to 1 2/3 pounds, but it seemed like plenty.
2. It took me way, way, way longer to reduce the stock than the time given here -- I'd say closer to an hour for step two, rather than 20 minutes.
3. I am a rebel and used a food processor to grind my almonds. So there!
4. I made both the chicken and the almond mixture a few hours before I put it all together, which, really, makes it much easier.
5. I have never worked with phyllo dough before, and wow, is it a bitch. Um, I guess it's just as tasty with my torn scraps inside, though.
6. My pie started burning a little on top towards the end of the thirty minutes. Not enough to affect taste or anything, but aesthetically weird. Also, just like any other pie, it's a good idea to put the pan on a baking sheet in case it leaks.
7. Oh my lord, this was good. The almond-sugar makes the dish, really, so do not leave it out. And seriously, piping hot is best.
This is the recipe I used, from Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World. (Also the source of the lentils recipe. Man, I LOVE new cookbooks. Such excitement!)
2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled, optional
One 1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 cups chicken stock or water
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 pound (about 12 sheets) phyllo
8 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more as necessary
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the garlic and onion until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken, parsley, turmeric, saffron if using, ginger and stock. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool.
2. Slowly pour the eggs into the simmering stock, stirring constantly. Continue to simmer the stock, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the reduced stock. Continue suimmering until almost all the liquid has evaporated, another 10 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, until fragrant, just a couple of minutes. Grind them in a coffee or spice grinder and mix with the cinnamon and sugar.
4. Lay 4 or 5 of the phyllo sheets in a greased 9 inch pie pan, brushing a little melted butter between sheets. The edges of the phyllo sheets should hang over the rim of the pie pan. Spread the chicken mixture evenly in the pan over the phyllo sheets. Top the chicken mixture with the remaining phyllo sheets, again brushing with a little melted butter. Fold in the edges to enclose the pie, sealing with melted butter.
5. Cut a few small slits in the top of the pie to allow hot air to escape while baking. Place in the oven and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Remove and immediately sprinkle the almond mixture on top. Serve hot.
Notes from me:
1. My amount of chicken was maybe closer to 1 2/3 pounds, but it seemed like plenty.
2. It took me way, way, way longer to reduce the stock than the time given here -- I'd say closer to an hour for step two, rather than 20 minutes.
3. I am a rebel and used a food processor to grind my almonds. So there!
4. I made both the chicken and the almond mixture a few hours before I put it all together, which, really, makes it much easier.
5. I have never worked with phyllo dough before, and wow, is it a bitch. Um, I guess it's just as tasty with my torn scraps inside, though.
6. My pie started burning a little on top towards the end of the thirty minutes. Not enough to affect taste or anything, but aesthetically weird. Also, just like any other pie, it's a good idea to put the pan on a baking sheet in case it leaks.
7. Oh my lord, this was good. The almond-sugar makes the dish, really, so do not leave it out. And seriously, piping hot is best.
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4/12/05 04:40 (UTC)Like... Ha'burgers.
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4/12/05 04:49 (UTC)(no subject)
4/12/05 14:54 (UTC)(no subject)
4/12/05 15:22 (UTC)