Chicken Croustade Food

CHICKEN WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving one side attached.. Cut 12 thick slices of the Montrachet and place 2 slices plus a large basil leaf under the skin of each chicken breast. Rub each piece with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake the breasts for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

TWICE-FRIED CHICKEN WITH SRIRACHA HONEY

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the seafood seasoning, coriander seeds, chipotle powder, paprika and a generous pinch of salt and mix well. Coat the chicken pieces with the spices, place in some large resealable plastic bags and refrigerate overnight.
• In a small bowl, combine the honey and Sriracha. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to fry the chicken.
• In a large Dutch oven, put in enough lard to come 4 inches up the side of the pot. Heat the lard to 325 degrees F.
• In a large, shallow baking dish, whisk together the flour and a generous pinch or two of salt. Remove the chicken pieces from the bags and dredge in the flour mixture.
• Beginning with the thighs, add the chicken to the pot, making sure not to crowd. (This may take several batches.) Place the lid on and cook until golden and cooked 80 percent through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a wire cooling rack and repeat with the remaining chicken, if necessary. (If you're entertaining, you can get ahead by doing all work up to this point, then continuing just before you plan to serve.)
• Once all the chicken is done, heat up the lard to 365 degrees F. Add the chicken in the same batches and cook until dark golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove onto paper towels and serve immediately with the Sriracha honey.
• Cook's Notes: Lard is available at better supermarkets at the meat counter, or at specialty butcher shops. If you can't find it, use vegetable or peanut oil.
• Wondra flour is available at most grocery stores, but you can also substitute with 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour combined with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse chicken thoroughly inside and out. Pat dry. Sprinkle chicken inside with salt and pepper. Place tarragon sprigs in cavity. Rub butter all over outside of chicken. Place chicken in roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 cup water into roasting pan.
• Roast chicken until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175 degrees and juices run clear when thigh is pierced, basting occasionally with juices from pan, about 1 hour. Transfer chicken to platter, cover with foil while making sauce.
• Transfer pan juices to medium saucepan. Freeze until fat rises to the top, about 10 minutes. Spoon off fat, discard. Add vermouth to pan juices in saucepan. Boil until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add cream and tarragon and boil until mixture thickens to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Whisk egg yolks in a bowl. Temper the yolks with cream sauce. Return the yolk mixture to the rest of the sauce. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Serve with chicken.

GREEK STYLE CROUSTADE

Steps:

• Cook spinach acc to pkg directions; drain well and squeeze out all liquid.
• In saucepan, cook onion in the 3 T butter; stir in flour, tarragon, and pepper.
• Add milk all at once;cook and stir until thick and bubbly.
• Stir half the hot mixture into eggs, return all to saucepan.
• Stir in spinach, cottage cheese and feta cheese.
• Brush 1 sheet of phyllo dough with butter, fold into thirds.
• Place one end in center of 14in pizza pan, extending sheet over the edge of the pan.
• Brush with butter.
• Repeat until all 10 sheets of dough are used.
• Make sure middle of pan is covered with dough.
• Place filling in an 8in circle at the center of pan.
• Starting with the last sheet you laid, lift end up and bring toward center, twist the end of the sheet, coil, and tuck under.
• Repeat with remaining sheets.
• Sheets will not meet in the center, center will be open.
• Drizzle any remaining butter over top.
• Bake at 375* for 35 minutes, until golden.
• Cut into wedges.

PEAR CROUSTADE

Steps:

• Make crust by mixing flour, sugar and salt in processor.
• Add butter using on/off turns until mixture resemble coarse meal.
• Transfer to large bowl.
• Mix egg yolk and ice water in small bowl.
• Use fork to blend enough yolk mixture, 1/2T at a time into flour mixture to form moist clumps.
• Gather dough into ball, flatten into disk, wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Then position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
• Roll out dough on floured parchment paper to 10-inch round.
• Transfer dough on the paper to large baking sheet. For filling: Toss pears, sugar, flour, lemon juice and allspice in large bowl.
• Overlap pear slices atop dough, leaving 2-inch board.
• Fold dough border over fruit, pleating loosely and pinching to seal any cracks.
• Brush dough with egg white. Drizzle cream or milk over filling.
• For topping: Mix flour and sugar in small bowl.
• Rub in butter with fingers until small clumps form.
• Sprinkle topping over filling.
• Then bake start until crust is golden and filling bubbles, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer to rack and cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Slide metal spatula under crust to free from parchment. Serve warm or at room temperature. --Bon Appetit