Mother’s Day and Buttermilk!

Happy Mother’s Day!                                                                                                                           


“God couldn't be everywhere, so he created Mothers.”


My mother loved  buttermilk and I inherited that from her;  I love a cold glass of buttermilk with wee bit of salt and freshly ground pepper. I remember as a child going to visit my uncle who had a dairy farm in the country and this is where I was introduced to the real taste of fresh buttermilk. My sister Thérèse also always had a jug in her fridge.  

Initially, buttermilk was the liquid residue left behind when cream was churned into butter. Today's buttermilk is a cultured product, commercially made by adding beneficial bacteria to skim or low-fat milk,  but with the body, flavour and tang of the original version; it is low in fat and high in flavour.  I receive weekly recipes from GE Appliance; this came in yesterday; very Appropriate is that: Sage Buttermilk  Ice Cream

I also use it for cooking; make your mashed potatoes with buttermilk , use it when making muffins, loaves, pancakes, biscuits, breads, salad dressings,  marinades, cakes or making fried chicken; use buttermilk to replace milk or yogurt; It adds a little something to your finished product that will make your family very happy.  Give it a try for your next recipe; you will be pleasantly surprised and you will have discovered a magic ingredient.

If you are interested in making a recipe that calls for buttermilk and don’t have any in your fridge? Use this simple substitute:

1 cup Milk
1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice.
1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add milk.
3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

With my new stove and convection oven,  I was really anxious to make Crispy Oven Fried Chicken.  This is a  healthier version of fried chicken; I don't believe you will be disappointed. Don’t let the buttermilk scare you. Soaking chicken in buttermilk produces moist, tender meat. As soon as the weather gives us a chance to start the grill, I will make this on the BBQ but without the breading. 


Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken


Marinade
o 11/2 cup buttermilk
o 2 Tablespoons olive oil
o 3 garlic cloves, minced
o 1/2teaspoon Emeril’s Essence
o 1/2teaspoom Harissa
o 1/2 teaspoon salt
o 1/2 teaspoon pepper
o 12 chicken pieces skinless and with bones ( breasts, thighs and drumsticks)
Coating
o 1 cup Panko
o 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
o 1/4 cup flour
o 1/2 teaspoon paprika
o 1/2teaspoon salt
o 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
o Pam

Directions
Whisk buttermilk, oil, garlic, Emeril’s Essence, Harissa, salt and pepper in large bowl to blend well.  Add chicken and turn to coat.  Cover, chill overnight , turning chicken occasionally.  You can do this on a plastic container or a Zip-lock bag.
Place rack on  large  parchment lined rimmed baking sheets.
Spray the rack with Pam.
Whisk Panko, cheese, flour,  salt, paprika and  cayenne in large baking dish to blend.
Remove chicken from marinade, allowing, excess to drip off.  Add chicken to breadcrumb mixture and turn to coat completely.
Arrange chicken on racks on baking sheets.
Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400°F Spray chicken with Pam
Place chicken in oven and bake until crisp, golden and cooked through about 50 minutes.
Serve with potato wedges that you cooked at the same time.
Crispy Oven Fried Chicken






Sage’s Tips
Use your own special herbs or seasoning.
Panko is the Japanese word for bread crumbs; it is more delicate than our dried breadcrumbs.
Dried breadcrumbs can replace panko.

Maman and I-1963

Hope all the Mother’s are enjoying their day.  I am thinking of mine who left me 34 years ago;
Thank you for your visit and taking time to comment. Let me know if you are a fan of buttermilk and it you have favourite recipe.
Happy Cooking!
Rita

Technorati Tags: Mother's Day,Oven chicken Fried Chicken,Buttermilk,crispy chicken. Panko,convention oven.

A Book with Memories

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Essential Pépin.  A great book with a DVD that brought me back 20 years ago when I took a correspondence cooking course.  As I watched the DVD, I went back to Jacques Pépin’s  La Thechnique where I learned the basics. Thank you  again Jean; this one is a treasure for me.

In his introduction of Essential Pépin he writes: “Because some cooks enjoy the challenge of prepping everything from scratch, while others prefer to take full advantage of boneless, skinless chicken breast, oven ready roasts, washed spinach and salad green, trimmed carrots, and the like, I have offered a choice; buy the ingredients partially ready or prepare yourself.”

That being said this book is filled with a collection from Pépin's lifetime as a chef and teacher updated to accommodate modern cooks; he includes all his little tricks of the trade, his wise no nonsense approach to prepare the most exotic as well as well as your everyday repas…sorry no pictures in this book.

You can see him Saturdays on PBS Essential Pépin often with his daughter Claudine and his grand daughter.  I have to add Jacques Pépin is now 77 and married with the same woman for 46 years! Pretty good for a star chef.

I read cookbooks like other people read novels, so I  was thrilled to find a recipe that my mother used to make in the 40s and 50s  when I was growing up.  I  also often prepared this  for my family.  The leftovers made the best chicken soup you ever tasted.  It is a "chicken in a pot"meal.

The result is a dish of moist, succulent chicken and vegetables.  Ours is not as elaborate, but really  true comfort food.  This was one of those recipes that was passed down from one generation to the next; my ancestors are from France and we called it “un bouilli” a boiled dinner; still very common in French Canadian families. Perfect when the summer vegetables are at their best, yet a great fall and winter meal to warm you up.  I found Jacque’s original recipe online: Poule au Pot Stew, but this is the recipe my mom used to make.

Mom’s Poule Pot Au Feu (bouilli)

Broth

• 3 quarts water
• 2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules
  • 3 pound roasting chicken
  • 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 5 whole black peppercorns
  • ¼ teaspoon chopped thyme
  • chopped parsley
  • ½ teaspoon salt

  Meal

  • 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
  • 6 carrots, cut in 1/2
  • 1 turnip, peeled and cut in 3-inch pieces
  • 4 cups yellow beans,
  • 6 potatoes, cut in 1/2
  • 3 celery ribs, cut in 2-inch pieces
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • Cooked Chicken and broth

Directions

Broth:

In a large pot, combine water, chicken broth, chicken, celery, onion, chopped carrot, peppercorns, parsley and thyme.

Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, turning the chicken once, until it is cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the chicken to a platter; let cool.

This can be made in your slow cooker at high for 4 hours.

Remove and discard skin and bones from the chicken and cut  into large pieces; refrigerate until ready to add to the pot.

The meal:

Strain the broth and return it to the pot.

Add onions, carrots, turnip, potatoes, yellow beans salt and pepper. Cover and cook gently, for 3 hours. Add the boned chicken and simmer another 30 minutes. Serve.

This can be made in your slow cook cooker.

Assemble it in the morning and let in cook on Low for 7 hours; add cooked chicken last hour.

Make sure you have lots of  bread to soak up the wonderful juice.

MAKE AHEAD: The chicken broth can be made 2-3 days ahead. Refrigerate the chicken, stock separately.

I have been making it in my slow cooker and letting the flavours mingle together all day.

Mom's Poule Pot au Feu

 

Sage’s Tips

When I have fresh herbs, I add whatever suits my mood.

The best part is, if you prepare the chicken ahead of time, you can remove that excess fat floating on top of your broth, therefore it is very healthy meal.

Add the vegetables your family loves, from cabbage to squash. Enjoy!

Thank you for  your visit. The warm Spring weather is finally here.

Happy cooking!

Rita

Technorati Tags: Chicken stew,pot au feu,healthy,vegetables. Jacques Pépin,Essemtial Pépin,Old fashion family meal.

Southern Beans My Way

Tina’s photo.

I found this fantastic easy recipe on my friend Tina’s site Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor  I have been following this blogger for quite a while;  I love the  way she writes and her recipes are always tempting.  I have to ask her for her chicken wing recipe.

I also went to visit Drick  Drick's Rambling Cafe from Mobile Alabama where this recipe originated.   I combined the 2 recipes and came up with this. 

My mentor, Mme Benoit, had a saying; “I feel a recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with variation.”

If truth be know I often take recipes that I adapt and improvise with what I have on hand and what my family likes.  I bet you all do that too.   What do I know about Southern Food?… not much, but I am learning and I even used canned navy beans to make this dish. Thank you Drick; love the name of your blog.

My husband loves beans and I have been making my same recipe for Baked Beans for at least 45 years;  I thought why not try something new, something different and they were a hit.  Of course, I didn’t have the exact ingredients, but…I thought it was a good time to share this easy recipe; BBQ time and potluck time. I assure you, they are tasty good.

Southern Baked Beans

6 slices bacon chopped

1 large onion chopped

1/2 cup green pepper chopped

1/2 cup red pepper chopped

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon mustard

1/3 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon Harissa

1/4 teaspoon Emeril’ s Essence

2 cans white beans drained and rinsed.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add the bacon and cook until brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon. Strain all but 1 tablespoon fat.

Add chopped onion and slowly cook, stirring in the love until caramelized; app 20 minutes.

Add the bell peppers. Cook over low heat until cooked.

Meanwhile mix together brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, Harissa and Emeril’s essence.

Combine this mixture with the onions, bacon and beans.

Preheat oven 325*. Spray casserole with Pam;  spoon  in the bean mixture.

Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Southern Baked Beans My Way

Use your favourite seasoning to replace the Harissa and the cayenne.

I served this my creamy coleslaw.

The leftover are also delicious.

Update on my pigeons; When we came back home, there was a nest on our deck with 2 eggs and one baby. Mom,Dad and baby have been flying back and forth continually;  there is now another baby now. With all the freezing weather and snow we have had it is a miracle that they are still surviving. 

Thank you for your visit and taking time to comment.

Happy Cooking.

Rita

Technorati Tags: Southern baked beans,Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor,Drick's Rambling Cafe,improvise,canned beans