Geoffrey Zakarian Chicken Food

GOAT CHEESE AND HERB STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Using a paring knife, make an incision in the side of each chicken breast, passing the knife though horizontally to make a slit but not cutting through the other side of the breast. With the paring knife inserted, rotate the knife to carve out a bit more space and create a pocket. Season the outside and inside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Lightly beat the egg white in a bowl to break it up, then add the goat cheese, parsley, tarragon, shallots, mustard and lemon zest and mix until incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag (or piping bag). Snip off a corner of the plastic bag and pipe the mixture into each chicken breast until filled.
• Heat the oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat until hot and glistening. Add the chicken breasts skin-side down and cook until the skin turns a dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the butter, garlic and thyme, then flip and transfer the pan to the oven; cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

STOVE-FREE CHICKEN WITH RED BLISS POTATOES, SUMMER SQUASH AND CHILE-GARLIC BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to 325 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, mix the celery salt with a few pinches of kosher salt. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the butter, red chili flakes, garlic, the juice of half a lemon and half of the celery salt mixture.
• Put some of the butter mixture on a spoon and press it under the skin of the chicken from the cavity side. Continue to work more of the butter mixture under the skin and towards the front of the bird, evenly spreading it over the breast. Work the rest of the butter mixture under the skin of the legs. It's okay if it's coming out the side; it will drip onto the potatoes as it cooks. Season the interior and exterior of the chicken liberally with the remaining celery salt mixture and some salt and pepper.
• Put the potatoes and shallots in a large skillet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the skillet on the center of the grill. Arrange 2 bricks on either side of the skillet. Set a cooling rack on top of the bricks over the skillet. Put the chicken on the rack and reduce the heat to low. The grill should maintain a temperature of 325 degrees F.
• Roast the chicken for approximately 30 minutes. If the potatoes begin to brown too much, turn them and add a splash of water to deglaze the bottom. After 30 minutes, add the zucchini and yellow squash to the skillet. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees F, another 20 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before carving. Top the potato-squash mixture with the basil, jalapeño slices, the juice of the remaining lemon half and some salt. Toss to combine. Carve the chicken and serve with potato-squash mixture on the side.

POTATO CHIP CHICKEN TENDERS

Steps:

• Put the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet fitted with a deep-frying thermometer. Heat over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees F.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Mix the potato flakes and crushed chips together in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish, mix the flour and some salt and pepper. Add the eggs to a third shallow dish. Dredge the chicken tenders on all sides first in the seasoned flour. Shake to remove any excess flour, then dip into the egg. Allow the egg to drip off. Dredge in the potato mixture until evenly coated.
• Carefully add the chicken tenders to the hot oil and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cooling rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with more salt and serve warm.

CHICKEN PAILLARD WITH ARUGULA AND APPLE

Steps:

• One at a time, put the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten to an even 1/2-inch thickness with a meat mallet. Sprinkle on both sides with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
• Add the all-purpose flour to a baking dish. In another baking dish, stir together the almond flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs with 2 tablespoons water. Dredge both sides of the chicken breasts first in the AP flour, then the egg mixture and finally the almond flour mixture. Place the coated chicken back on the baking sheet.
• Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. (Depending on the size of the breasts, you may need two skillets.) Add the butter and 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook to infuse the oil, about 1 minute. Remove the rosemary and garlic from the skillet. Make sure the oil is hot enough to be quivering in the skillet, then add the chicken by placing it in and releasing it away from you. Shake the skillet to ensure it doesn't stick. (You can add the rosemary sprig back to the skillet if you want to infuse more flavor.) Cook until the chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then flip the chicken and cook until the other side is browned, another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and drain on a half-sheet tray fitted with a rack.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds and 2 tablespoons water. Set aside. Season the arugula with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss. Add the apple slices and toss to coat. Plate the chicken and serve with the arugula salad. Drizzle the salad with the poppy seed sour cream. Serve immediately.

CITRUS CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat a wide braising pan or tagine over medium-high heat.
• In a small bowl, combine the harissa, paprika, turmeric, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, allspice, cardamom, cayenne, orange zest and 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Stir to form a paste.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper; rub half of the spice mixture on both sides of the thighs.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil to the pan. Sear the chicken skin-side down until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and brown the other side. Remove to a plate.
• Add the garlic, onion and remaining spice mixture to the same pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onions are softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the pan along with the tomatoes, chicken stock, olives, apricots, preserved lemon and sliced oranges and season with salt and pepper, being careful with the salt. Braise in the oven, partially covered, for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to braise until the chicken is tender, another 15 to 45 minutes. Serve from the pan over couscous, garnishing with sliced Meyer lemon and whole cilantro and mint leaves.

GZ'S CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the chicken pieces on a sheet tray fitted with a rack and roast until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
• Put the chicken pieces in a large pot with the carrots, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, leeks, onions, apple and 1 gallon water. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2 to 3 hours (do not let it come to a boil or the stock will become cloudy).
• Ladle the stock from the top of the pot into a strainer set over a large bowl. Place in an ice bath to cool quickly. Transfer the cooled stock to resealable containers. The stock can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months.