Chef Mik's Tasty Tidbits: Chef Mik's Crispy Fried Chicken

Chef Mik's Tasty Tidbits: Chef Mik's Crispy Fried Chicken: The tradition of cooking meat in fat can be traced very far back in our collective history as a people. A great way to preserve the meat an...

Chef Mik's Crispy Fried Chicken

The tradition of cooking meat in fat can be traced very far back in our collective history as a people. A great way to preserve foods such as meat, more over the taste can be as wonderful and diverse as the ingredients themselves. One of the most well known examples of preparing meat this way is duck legs poached in rendered duck fat, known as confit. Here in the states fried chicken follows in this grand tradition and has become as all American as the hamburger! This is truer still in the Deep South, where it may pop up on the table for most any holiday to simple weekday meal. Over all here in the States there are countless recipes for this dish and almost as many methods for preparing it. Examples range from a simple egg wash followed by a quick dredge in flour then off to the pot to be cooked in vegetable oil. While on the other side of the spectrum it’s quite common to first place the poultry in a brine to tenderize the meat and impart flavor, then soak it in buttermilk to help tenderize the meat still further before frying. Some people will season the flour, while others fry the chicken in blended fats examples may includes any or all of the above; rendered poultry or pork fat, beef fat, clarified butter, oils and/or shortening. Still others like an oil that has been used for something else thus infusing some of that flavor such as fried potatoes or even leeks into there fried chicken. 

Not unlike duck confit I am prone to using the drumsticks or thighs when ever I fry chicken as well, in this case I am going simply with chicken thighs which contain more meat then the drumstick and offer a more even surface area, also I don't fry on very hot temperature I keep my oil at a steady 160c. 

Cooking tips; for cooking purposes remember white meat will cook faster then dark meat. I prefer free range (cage free) chicken. Make sure not to add to much oil or it will over flow, don't over crowd the pan which cools the oil causing the chicken to stick together, instead work in batches. 

Shopping List

Chicken legs and/or thighs

Butter milk

Unbleached all purpose or self rising flour

Corn starch

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Vegetable oil, such as canola

My Mad Method

Prepare brine: 1L water, a half dl kosher salt; mix dissolving the salt

Make sure the chicken is nice and fresh 

Arrange the chicken in the brine making sure it is completely submerged; place it in the refrigerator overnight

The next morning drain the chicken, sdiscard the brine 

Place in a new container and pore over enough butter milk to cover, return to the refrigerator and store for another 8 to 10 hours (when you come home from work)

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and allow it to drain off completely

I like to place foil underneath for easy clean up

Meanwhile Combine 2 to 3dl’s flour, 1 good sized TBSP cornstarch, salt and pepper to taste. I add bouillon powder, paprika, smoked paprika, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and thyme to my flour mix

Dredge the chicken in the flour cover completely. Some people like to do this in a plastic bag shaking the contents together

Lightly shake off excess flour, then pat the chicken assuring the flour has adhered to it

Using a set of tongs place the chicken into the oil and fry for 10 minutes.

Flip the chicken and fry for 10 minutes longer

When the chicken is done drain on paper towels

Ready to serve!!

 

Chef Mik's Entrcôte with Sauce Béarnaise

One thing I really love is a good hearty steak! Here in the States there is a long tradition of eating beef ranging from American style grilled and b.b.q steaks and roasts to the burger. One thing is for sure the States does red meat well!! Outside the States there are many places such as Argentina also known for their love of beef. But as a people our love affair with cooked meat goes all the way back to our ancestors in Africa. In fact it’s suggested had it not been for our ability to cook and preserve meats we would never have been able to walk out of that continent. That said Europe has a long tradition of its own with restaurants, taverns, and pubs offering an array of steaks, roasts and stews. Unfortunately do to lack of refrigeration and other means to preserve the animal protein, often times the meat would be past its prime. This led to the use of sauces and heavy seasoning to cover the taste of the tainted meats. In large part those days are well behind us with advancements in preservation and quality control. But what came out of this earlier grouping of meats and sauces was a culture devoted to the combo which lingers on to this very day.

A favorite cut known as Entrcôte which is a steak referred toas as a ribey here in the States, from the contre filet or loin located on the saddle of the animal. This is a very tender cut of meat and lends it self well to grilling or broiling, however it is wonderful simply pan fried in an iron skillet. Often times it will be accompanied by herb butter one in particular that comes to mind is Café de Paris which has everything known to man in it. But as for today I will be serving my entrecôte with the classic sauce béarnaise. This sauce belongs to a family of sauces known as the emulsified sauces, which include hollandaise, mayonnaise among others. This family of sauces unlike its fellow primary sauces which use a roux as a thickener instead employs a combination of air, a binder such as eggs or mustard along with butter or oil to thicken it and create a base sauce just waiting to be seasoned. In the case of béarnaise a derivative of Hollandaise which traces their roots to the late 1500’s to the early 1800s respectively. Both use clarified butter which means it most be kept at a warm enough temperature to assure the butter fat will not solidify, this however presents certain health risks do to the raw egg, one way to help save off potential bacteria growth such as salmonella is by adding cayenne pepper to your sauce, however it is highly recommended that the sauce not be held at room temperature longer then 3 hours.   

Cooking tip: Classically when preparing sauce béarnaise or most any emulsion based sauces such as this a balloon whisk was the instrument of choice. Although with the advancement in kitchen appliances many chefs will use a mixer, food processor or in my case a hand held emersion blender. But if you are a stickler for tradition by all means go ahead knock yourself and use a whisk!

Shopping List

Entrecôte (ribeye steaks)

Butter

Eggs

Vinegar

Shallots

Tarragon

Parsley

Chervil

White pepper

Salt

Pepper

Clarified butter or other fat for pan frying

My Mad Method

Choose good quality steaks with plenty of marbling which will help assure a moist tender result

Season the meat with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, cover with plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes at room temperature

Begin sauce by melting 450g unsalted butter when melted skim away or filter off as much milk fat as possible only the butter fat remaining

For reduction: ½ dl red wine vinegar, 1 tsp water, 1 TBSP chopped shallots, 1 tsp cracked white pepper, tarragon, chervil and parsley stems to taste.

Reduce your reduction by ½

Combine 4 egg yokes, the reduction in a bowl

Wisk to combine

Transfer egg- reduction mixture to an upright blender or food processor and slowly start adding your butter

The sauce is now ready and will be finished with a touch of salt along with chopped tarragon, chervil and parsley

Heat an iron skillet and add clarified butter or oil and heat to smoking point, add the steaks presentation side down

After about 3 to 4 minutes depending on thickness flip the steak and continue to cook it until blood has just begun to surface, this will be medium rare

Present steak however you like with the sauce béarnaise and serve

I am presenting mine tavern or pub style with the addition of pommes julienne  

 

Chef Mik's Pommes Frites (Julienne Style)

“Pommes Frites” deep fried and finished with salt, what could be better? I love a good fried potato whether it be simply pan fried or deep fried there is just something about them that tickles the taste buds and excites the palate! At any rate what we refer to here in the States as French fried potatoes most likely got there start in Belgian in the 1600’s and have been enjoyed throughout Europe for centuries. However the potato first made its début when Columbus brought them back from the new world. Unlike its cousin the tomato the potato quickly gained broad appeal. Considering there are several types of potatoes with differing starch contents, not to mention the types of fats used back then most of which included rendered animal fat besides tasting great were also one of the most common means of preservation. One can only surmise it didn’t take to long before potatoes found their way into the frying pan and a new day was born. There are of course numerous cuts of potatoes fried nowadays such as pommes allumettes among the most common. The type I am preparing today is a thin version of the heavenly fried potatoes known as pommes julienne sometimes referred to shoe string fries State side. Curiously enough for whatever reason it is not the only size referred to by that name. I will be serving it pub style with a great steak known as entrecôte which is from the loin area of the beast the cut known as a ribeye

Shopping List

Idaho russet potatoes

Frying oil

Salt

My Mad Method

Choose evenly sized uniform potatoes

Peal them and slice very thing (match stick) julienne style strips

I am using a mandolin

Soak the potatoes in a salad spiner if you have one, for a half an hour to 45 minutes in 2 or 3 changes of cold water to eliminate as much starch as possible

Drain well, and then spin dry using a salad spinner

Transfer the potatoes to paper towels and pay dry, NOTE: if to much water it will react with the hot oil and can spray risking burns and other injuries

Fill a deep wide pot about 10cm full with frying oil and heat to 190c, add the potatoes in batches and fry for about 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown and crispy

Using a slotted spoon remove the potatoes from the fryer and drain on paper towels

Toss with salt and serve!

I am using my own seasoning salt consisting of sea salt, granulated garlic, smoked pepper, and cracked black pepper

 

Chef Mik's Oatmeal Cookies

The Scotts are famous for their love of oatmeal to be sure and this tradition can be traced as far back as the days after Rome had taken England then tried to take Scotland. However it wasn’t until the late 1800’s that oatmeal worked its way into more of the confectionary world including cookies. Now a days there are countless variations of oatmeal cookies. Many of these cookies employ different baking methods. Examples include ice box cookies which refer to the dough being molded and chilled before baking. Sandwich cookies are another method which is great, try taking two oatmeal cookies and stuffing them with ice cream in the middle, yum! Those examples aside once again I will be using a method known as a drop cookie. This method makes it simple to work with and cuts down the overall time before you have your finished product. This one also has the addition of coconut and in my humble opinion is a great cookie! Very simple to make, stores up to a week at room temp, or 6 months in the freezer.

Shopping List

Butter

Baker’s sugar

Dark brown sugar

Eggs

Vanilla (extract, purée or bean)

Pastry Flour

Oat meal

Shredded coconut

My Mad Method

Start off by creaming together 100 g white baker’s sugar, 100 g dark brown sugar, and 120 g unsalted butter

Add 1 egg, 1 egg yoke, and 1 tsp vanilla puree

I am using vanilla bean as apposed to puree or extract

Add 150 g unbleached white flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

I sift the first 3 together and then add the salt

Add 100 g rolled oats (oat meal), and 150 g shredded coconut (sweetened)

Form into equal sized balls on a sheet pan coved with lightly greased parchment paper, bake in a 175c preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until a good even color had formed, and cool on a wire wrack

Fresh out of the oven ready to serve!

Chef Mik's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies have a long history, in fact something not quite a cookie existed as far back as the Greek and Roman empires. A crisp bread of sorts sweetened with honey, often times with the addition of dates or other dried fruits. However it wasn’t until the 7^th century A.D. in Persia modern day Iran started processing sugar which they had picked up from various regions throughout south east Asia. The Persians started baking pastries along with other baked goods akin to what we are more familiar with today and from there it only took a few hundred years until one could purchase small baked wafers through out much of Europe. As for the chocolate chip cookie, by all accounts it happened by accident back in the 1930s while trying to bake chocolate cookies the chips chosen did not melt and this modern day classic was born!!

There are several styles of cookies, many of which are quite labor intensive requiring time for the dough to set, or time to shape or form to cookie dough. These methods include ginger bread which is a form of rolled cookie referring to the stiffness of the cookie after refrigeration, to the contrary chocolate chip cookies are super simple so called “drop cookies” which simply means you prepare your dough then scoop it onto a cookies tray and off to the oven you go!!

Shopping List

Butter

Baker’s sugar

Dark brown sugar

Chocolate chips

Pecans or walnuts

Eggs

Vanilla

Unbleached all purpose flour

Baking soda

My Mad Method

Using a dough paddle cream together 2.5dl (225g) room temp butter (I use high fat), 150g granulated sugar and 175g dark brown sugar, about 5 minutes

When the butter and sugar is creamed add 2 eggs, 1 at time and continue beating the batter for about 2 minutes longer, add 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp baking soda diluted in 2 tsp warm water

Beat 2 minutes longer

Add 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time

when all flour is incorporated beat 2 minutes longer

Add 1 cup (2.5dl) each chocolate chips (I am using semi sweet milk chocolate, but dark semi sweet is fine as well) and nuts I am using pecans, but walnuts are great as well, ( I have toasted these for 6 minutes on a sheet pan in the oven)

Beat about 2 minutes longer that the chips and nuts are well blended through out

Scoop the dough evenly on sheet pan (baking pan) not to close to each other or the edges

Place in a 350f (175c) preheated oven (if convection adjust temp accordingly) bake 10-12 minutes

Ready to serve!!

These are sum Chocolate Chip - Hazelnut Cookies w/ Nutella

Super yummy!

Chef Mik's Szechuan Style Hot and Sour Soup

This is a great recipe, it is also very simple to make. It just takes is a few steps and a little time but sure pays off in the end! If you are using a homemade broth or are intending to prepare an Asian style broth of your own or simply using your favorite store bought brand, I have used all of the above and can report they all work just fine. As for today I am using an Asian style mushroom broth as my base.

Hot and sour soup was one of my favorite soups as a child and in my late teens to my early 20’s I use to prepare it all the time using prepared hen bouillon cubes deluded in water, frozen stir-fry vegetable mix, rice vinegar, a touch of ketchup (or Heinz sweet chili sauce) for color, mushroom soy sauce and sesame oil. This was back in Stockholm where it was also common that they would add shrimp to this soup as they do in China. When ever I made it myself back then if I had shrimp on hand and added any, it was cooked and frozen. But that was a long, long time ago and I have been preparing this version for at least 15 years now.

One word of advice though: If you are not using a very firm tofu add it just before service, also whisk in beaten egg into the soup just before plating for a nice presentation

Shopping list

Pork loin or chicken thighs

Shiitake mushrooms

Woodear mushrooms

Onions, Maui sweet

Carrots

Bamboo shoots

Bean sprouts

Frozen peas

Black sesame oil

Soy or mushroom soy sauce

Semi dry sherry

Corn starch

Rice wine vinegar

Sambal oelek

My Mad Method

Combine 400g pork loin, sirloin or tenderloin cut into strips with 1 tsp each black sesame oil, mushroom soy sauce, sherry, 1/2 tsp each garlic (minced), corn starch marinate 30-45 minutes

In 1ts peanut oil sauté 125g each sweet Maui onion and carrot cut into thin strips together with 100g shitake mushrooms for about 5 minutes

Add 2L mushroom broth and 125g bamboo shoots cut into thin strips, simmer for 15 minutes

Meanwhile in a very hot sauté pan quickly brown off the pork

Add 100g bean sprouts and 125g fresh wood ear mushrooms sliced continue to simmer for 15 minutes longer

Add 125g frozen peas simmer 5 minutes longer

Add the pork and simmer 5 minutes longer or until pork is just cooked through

Mix together 1/2 – 1 dl rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp each semi dry sherry, and mushroom soy add to soup

I like my soup a little on the tart side, so I am using 1 dl vinegar

Mix together 2 TBSP corn starch diluted in 1.5-2dl water add to soup also add 1-2 tsp sambal oelec bring to a quick boil stirring to prevent any lumps from forming as it thickens, season with salt and white pepper to taste, off the heat add 150g firm tofu cut into strips, 2-3 green onion sliced on the bias and sesame oil to taste

Ready to go! If not serving right away and not using a nice firm tofu add a la minute, also whisk in egg just before service

Ready to eat!