Melissa Clark - Food Writer

New York Times Video Shoot: Duck Fat-Fried Chicken

Is there anything more glamorous than raw chicken marinating in buttermillk under kleig lights? Not in my house, there isn't.

Last Friday brought another video shoot for the Times Diners' Journal blog, and, believe it or not, it is a very stream-lined, low-tech affair.

Producer David Frank (along with his intrepid intern, Channon) have the process down to a science. They showed up with two cameras, a half dozen lights, and a willingness to consume vast quantities of fried chicken for lunch. And we winged it from there (heh heh...)

We don't do a lot of planning ahead though I did remember to write down some talking points so I wouldn't forget to impart all the important infomation (such as, the chicken must be at room temperature before you start frying.)

So I started frying my chicken parts (all dark meat, no breasts) most decadently, in a combination of duck fat and olive oil. Fried chicken is a treat on its own, add duck fat into the mix and what you get is a double-fowl, double-treat. One you may want to eat double-fisted.

The next day (Saturday) we had some friends visit from Norway.  I still had plenty of leftover, buttermilk-soaked, unfried chicken in the fridge and decided to make that all-American classic brunch dish, fried chicken and waffles. These chicken parts had to be fried in lard, as we used all the glorious duck fat the day before. After a comparison, I can honestly say: duck fat is better. But lard is still excellent.

Also I ran out of all-purpose flour so ended up dredging my Saturday chicken in cake flour. The cake flour dissolved more, creating a batter-like coating that was crunchy and hard in contrast to the AP flour, which is more crackling and brittle. Both are very good though, as long as you add enough salt.

Thanks to David and Channon for a fun shoot, I'll post the video when it's up! In the meantime, here's the recipe.

Duck Fat Fried Chicken

 Makes 4 to 6 servings

 12 chicken parts (I used a mix of drumsticks, wings, and thighs)

1 quart buttermilk

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

3 bay leaves

3 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Tabasco sauce, use just enough to slightly color the liquid 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Olive oil, for frying

Duck fat, for frying

 

1. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. In a large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, onion, garlic, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and Tabasco. Submerge the chicken in the marinade, cover, and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

2. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking. In a bowl, mix the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Place a paper bag inside another paper bag (to prevent seepage, use large bags or several small ones) and transfer the flour mixture into it. Shake each chicken piece, one by one, in the paper bag until completely coated and set on a dish. You can also just mix flour in a bowl and dredge the chicken parts in it, or use a heavy-duty ziplock bag for shaking.

3. In a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet with a lid,  heat the oil and duck fat until it reaches a temperature of 350° F. Fry the chicken in the fat for 6 minutes, covered, then uncover the pot and flip the chicken with tongs. Continue frying for another 6 minutes, then flip the chicken once more and fry until dark golden brown and the juices run clear when pricked with a fork, about another 5 to 6 minutes for dark meat. White meat will cook faster so test it sooner.

4. Place the chicken on a wire rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Allow the chicken to drain for 1 to 2 minutes, then serve warm or room temperature, though cold chicken is still marvelous.

 All photos by Lily Starbuck.

Coconut Egg Nog

There is nothing I don't like about egg nog. It's rich, it's creamy, fluffy, and frothy. It is, for me, the pinnacle of wintertime tippling. But for my dairy-eschewing husband? Not so much.

A couple of weeks ago, which was right when the weather started to turn, I was trying out this Butterscotch Scotch Egg Nog for my column in the Times and I felt a little sorry for Daniel, who was sipping nothing but decidedly unfestive tea. So I concocted this dairy-free nog for him using unsweetened coconut milk, which is my favorite dairy replacer.

It tastes like a version of a Coquito (a Puerto Rican nog that uses Coco Lopez) only much less sweet. And nearly as fluffy, frothy, and festive as a traditional nog - only better because this one I can share.

Coconut Eggnog

Serves 2, but can be scaled up or down

2 large eggs

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

1 shot rum or Bourbon

1 shot brandy

Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

Place the eggs, coconut milk, sugar, rum or Bourbon, and brandy in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve garnished with lots of nutmeg and with an ice cube, if you like your nog a little chilly.

Variation: 

For a foamier, fuller bodied nog, separate the eggs. Blend the yolks with the rest of the ingredients. Whip the whites with a few tablespoons sugar  until soft peaks form and fold into the nog. Serve with nutmeg and a spoon.

My Favorite Latke Recipe

In this week's New York Times column I write about a selection of marvelous toppings you can serve with your favorite latke recipe at your next Hanukkah party. Just in case you don't have a favorite latke recipe, I thought I'd share mine, from my book In the Kitchen With A Good Appetite.

Don't try to make the potato batter ahead (not even grating the potatoes). It's better to actually fry the latkes ahead and keep them warm in a 200 degree oven than to have the batter sit and turn brown and get watery while it waits.I usually have everything measured out before my guests arrive, then grate, mix and fry all at once. I serve the latkes hot as soon as they are fried and they never last until the next batch. People gobble them up. After all, they are fried.

Happy frying everybody!

Brand New Heirloom Potato Latkes

Time: 30 minutes

2 large Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters

1 large onion (8 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters

2 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Chicken fat, duck fat, or vegetable oil, for frying

1. Using a food processor with a coarse grating disc, grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer the mixture to a clean dishtowel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.

2. Working quickly, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the four, eggs, salt, baking powder, and pepper and mix until the flour is absorbed.

3. In a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about 1/4 inch of the oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the batter into the hot pan, cooking 3 to 4 latkes at one time. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Makes 16 to 20 latkes

Note: This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc ad infinitum.

 The above photo is courtesy of Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Tips! Get Your TG Tips Here!

 I've got two videos up on The New York Times website, one giving away my favorite pie crust tips (click here, with a recipe for my Brown Sugar and Apple Spice Pie here) and another that's all about that holy grail of gravy makers everywhere: lumpless gravy you can make ahead (click here).

The pie crust post has been up for a few days and I've already received a fair few questions about it. For example: Shouldn't the butter be cold when you add it to the food processor? (Answer: Yes, it should - and it was when I started, but under the videographer's light it quickly warmed to room temperature.) And, shouldn't you seal the top crust to the bottom crust before you bake? (Answer: not in this case - since I'm pre-baking the bottom crust for extra crispness, the top will just fuse to the bottom during the final bake without any work on my part.)

Check The New York Times Diners' Journal tomorrow afternoon, where I'll be giving in depth answers to all your pie questions - and feel free to submit more below! 

'Twas The Week Before Thanksgiving...

One of the perks of this job is the multiple off-season opportunities for roasted turkey. Usually I have one or two Thanksgiving-related articles due in the summertime months, so I'm able to get my drumstick on in July and August - which is perfect timing because then I have a few buffer months to work up a roast turkey craving before the last Thursday in November comes around again. What can I say? It's a living.

To my astonishment, there were no roast turkey assignments this summer (though I did score one for prime rib that was perfectly mouth-watering). So I have been anticipating this year's turkey day like a prisoner awaiting release from solitary. I've been doing hard time over here, marking off the days until my next gravy bedaubed portion of dark meat. 

Then, like a phone call from the governor, The Times asked me to do a TG video for the Diners' Journal. They wanted me to give my tips for lumpless gravy, which, of course necessitated the roasting of an entire 12-pound, butter-brushed, garlic and lemon-stuffed gobbler. Sure, I could have probably faked the gravy demo with the drumstick from an extra-large rotisserie chicken. But I, dear reader, am a professional.

The gravy video will be up on the Times blog on Monday, but, in the meantime, are you looking for some turkey tips? Check out The New York Times coverage of everything Thanksgiving here, including my column on holiday appetizers that pull double duty here, and a few ideas for a happier TG I shared with my friends at thekitchn.com here. Happy week-before-Thanksgiving everybody!

Butter Seasons' Greetings!

 When the weather is crisp, my thoughts turn to puff pastry. Puff pastry, with its flaky, buttery layers is simply a disaster to work with in the hot summer months no matter how high you set the a/c. Plus - who wants to eat that much extra butter in August anyway? (Ok, I do, but I try to surpress the urge during bathing suit season).

But November is another thing entirely. In this week's Times column (read it here) I share my recipe for Butternut Squash and Mushroom Wellington, something I came up  with to have one more way to satisfy my flaky, buttery craving. 

But if what you covet is sweet rather than savory, have I got a puff pastry recipe for you. This comes from my new book In The Kitchen with A Good Appetite, it's a sublimely sticky apple tart with a palmier-like sugar crunch I adapted from the wonderful Bill Yosses (aka "The White House Pastry Chef," or as President Obama calls him, "The Crustmaster"). Make it with all-butter store bought puff pastry and you'll have an easy yet extraordinary treat that celebrates the season - the season of buttery delights, that is.  

Individual French Honey-Apple Tarts

Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

 1 (14-ounce) prepared puff pastry, defrosted if necessary

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/4 pounds mixed variety apples (about 3), peeled, cored and sliced 1/8-inch thick

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line an 11-by-17-inch baking sheet with parchment.

2. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry. Using a sharp knife cut the dough into four squares along the fold. Cut each square in half and roll into a rectangle, about 7- by 3-inches. Transfer the rectangles to the baking sheet.

3. In a small saucepan over low heat, or in the microwave, warm the honey. Prick the dough all over with a fork and brush each rectangle lightly with the honey. Layer the apple slices closely together on top of each rectangle in a row. Transfer the tray to the refrigerator to rest for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the confectioner’s sugar, butter, and vanilla bean seeds. Simmer until the sugar and butter are melted, whisking to combine.

5. Brush the top of each tart with a third of the sugar mixture. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake, basting with the sugar mixture every 20 minutes, until the pastries are puffed and golden, about 60 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 8

Whole Wheat Pasta: The Taste Test

As research for my article on whole wheat pasta in today's Times, I conducted a casual whole-wheat pasta tasting at my home to try and determine the best supermarket brands, and (spoiler alert!) some of the results are pretty dire.

All the pastas were boiled separately in salted water according to package directions, then served hot without sauce. For the tasting, I was joined by Samantha Storey, an editor of the Dining section; Anna Klinger, chef and a co-owner of Al di Là in Park Slope, Brooklyn; and Emma Hearst, chef and a co-owner of Sorella on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Pastas are ranked in order of preference.

Bionaturae 100 percent Organic Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

Both the texture and the clean, nutty, subtle wheat flavor far exceeded the other brands ($3.19 for 16 ounces; 6 grams of fiber).

Garofalo Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

“Tastes like Grape-Nuts,” Ms. Hearst said, or like whole-wheat toast. The texture was pleasantly rough, with good bite ($2.19 for 16 ounces; 4 grams of fiber).

Gia Russa Whole-Wheat Fettuccine 

Gentle, honey-like flavor; smooth and slippery, but lacking elasticity. “Kid pasta,” Ms. Klinger said ($2.99 for 16 ounces; 5 grams of fiber).

Wild Harvest Organic Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

Bland, floury, grainy and coarse ($1.59 for 12 ounces; 5 grams of fiber).

DeBoles Whole-Wheat Spaghetti-Style Pasta

Bitter aftertaste; a vaguely fermented flavor; starchy; grainy ($1.79 for 8 ounces; 5 grams of fiber).

De Cecco Enriched Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

Mildly nutty flavor, not bitter, very wheaty. Very rough and gritty; starchy, too ($2.99 for 17.5 ounces; 7 grams of fiber).

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole-Grain Spaghetti

Washed-out, cardboard-like flavor; too firm in the center; mushy and paste-like outside ($2.18 for 13.25 ounces; 6 grams of fiber).

Barilla Whole-Grain Spaghetti

Bitter, with a metallic aftertaste; gluey, starchy and very gritty. “They should stop making this now,” Ms. Hearst said ($1.59 for 13.5 ounces; 6 grams of fiber).

The photo above is courtesy Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Upside Down Days Deserve Upside Down Cake

Life has been pretty hectic the past few weeks, what with all the crazy weather (tornado in Brooklyn!), promoting the new book, rebuilding our dilapidated deck, and now hubby has left for 5 days to see his mother in Denver. I don't mind admitting, I've been feeling pretty upside-down. Which makes me think of cake.

So a few weeks ago, I came up with these upside down apple muffins for the Times column, but today I really wanted to bake a whole cake so I wouldn't have to scrub out 12 muffin tins. Last month, I did a riff of of this recipe for Honey-Glazed Pear Upside-Down Cake using some gorgeous farmers market plums. It wasn't bad (and we ate the whole thing in about 5 minutes), but was just a tad richer and heavier than what I was looking for today.

Using the last of the weekend market plum haul I decided to re-do the recipe, this time subbing in a lighter cornmeal cake for the butter cake. I thought it would make a fantastic dessert when served with softly whipped cream or even a scoop of ice cream, but the wholesome vibe of the cornmeal also made it perfect for breakfast or tea time.

Did I mention hubby is out of town? This cake is all mine - for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are worse ways to make myself feeling right-side up again. 

 

Plum Polenta Upside Down Cake

 Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

 1 3/4 pounds plums, rinsed, pitted, and sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

4 large eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream or ice cream for serving, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9-inch Springform pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment and pan well.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the plums and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar, stirring occasionally, until the plums are tender and the liquid begins to reduce, about 20 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and the remaining 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one a time and beat to combine. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla.

5. Use a spatula to fold in the dry ingredients. Scrape the batter on top of the plums and smooth with a spatula. Bake until the cake is golden and springs back when touched lightly, 45 to 50 minutes.

6. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold the sides and invert onto a plate. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

 

 

Fennel Frond Pesto

Here is something else to do with fennel fronds besides this Wednesday's recipe in The Times: Make pesto! In my new book, I’ve already admitted to being a borderline pesto fanatic, and take an enormous amount of pleasure mashing almost anything green and aromatic with garlic and nuts and oil until slick and intense.That herbal, garlicky fragrance always makes me happy.

This recipe below is terrific tossed with pasta, especially when mixed with cherry tomatoes and cubes of buffalo mozzarella. Or use it as a sauce for grilled fish, thick beef steaks, or as a condiment for all those Labor Day burgers that are hopefully coming your way this weekend.

 

Fennel Frond Pesto

Time: 5 minutes

1 small fennel bulb with lots of bushy fronds

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons pine nuts or sliced or slivered almonds

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Chop off fennel fronds and coarsely chop enough to measure 1 cup (discard the rest of the fronds, save the fennel for later use, and of course eat the fennel bulb itself, it's great to dip into the pesto). Put the chopped fronds in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, nuts, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous pinch of pepper to the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add 4 tablespoons of the oil and cheese continue to process until the mixture looks like pesto. Season with more salt to taste.

Makes 3/4 cup

 

My New Book - Ta Da!

Here's the cover of my book! I'm working on getting a widget for the right side of this blog that will link the book to book sellers, but in the meantime, you can  pre-order it here. Or - if you're feeling lucky - Parents Magazine is running a contest and offering 20 winners advance copies. Just click here to enter -- all you have to do is write the name of a your favorite potluck dish. Winners will be randomly selected, but creativity is encouraged. Can't wait to see what people post!