Braised chicken with sweet peppers and olives - Pui cu ardei si masline

Maybe last week when i made this i couldn't have said that the fall is here, especially when every single day we had over 90F at lunch. But the mornings are colder, and so are the nights, the sun sets pretty early, so why not start cooking some comforting recipes that make the house smell amazing and warm.

I found this recipe in the Food & Wine newsletter i get every week, and i am glad i looked at it.

It takes a while to make, and i know it keeps going back and forth between the oven and the stove, the roasting pan and the skillet, and seems complicated, but it isn't. Or maybe just a bit, but it was so worth it. The house smelled so nice from the roasted peppers, the chicken was so flavorful and really falling off the bone, the sauce absolutely amazing and we love olives, what else could i say? We had some crusty bread with it, but i thought it could be served with polenta as well.

Now, here is the original recipe, and the one below is my tweaked version. I am not going into why i changed it, i cannot help myself not to, but i didn't take out any ingredients, just adapted it a bit. Read them both and see which one suits you better, but give this one a try if it's tempting, you will like it a lot.

Braised chicken with sweet peppers and olives - adapted after Ethan Stowell's recipe

4 bell peppers (2 red and 2 yellow), cut in strips
11/2 onions, one thinly sliced and the other half diced
10 chicken drumsticks
salt and pepper
one carrot diced or shredded
1 celery ribs, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 ½ cups dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 pound green and black olives
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200C). On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the bell peppers and the onion slices with a little bit of oil. Roast the peppers for about 30 minutes, turning them halfway through, until they are softened.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook the chicken in a very large skillet, over moderately high heat until it is golden all over. Put the browned chicken pieces in a large roasting pan or baking dish.
In the same skillet, add the carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and the diced onion and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine and the vegetables over the chicken. Add the chicken stock to the pan, cover with foil and put it in the oven, lowering the temperature at 350F(175C).
Braise the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours, until it’s falling off the bone. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and cover with foil. Set the roasting pan over medium heat (if it’s a roasting pan, but if you used a baking dish, pour the sauce in a saucepan), stir in the peppers and the olives into the sauce and boil the juices for about 5 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce and vegetables over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread.

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Pui cu ardei si masline - reteta adaptata dupa reteta lui Ethan Stowell

4 bucati ardei gras (2 rosii si 2 galbeni), taiati solzisori
1 ceapa + jumatate, ceapa intreaga taiata solzisori si jumatatea tocata marunt
10 pulpe de pui - partea inferioara (pot fi amestecat partea superioara si inferioara, asa e reteta originala, numai ca eu am avut numai ciocanele)
sare si piper
1 morcov tocat marunt sau dat pe razatoarea mare
1 tija telina verde, tocata
2 catei de usturoi tocati marunt
1 lingurita cimbru
375 ml vin alb sec
400-500 ml zeama de supa ( de pui sau legume)
200-250g masline verzi si/sau negre
2 linguri patrunjel tocat marunt

Se incalzeste cuptorul la 200C (400F). Pe o tava tapetata cu folie de aluminiu se pun ardeii si ceapa taiata solzisori, stropiti cu ulei si condimentati cu sare si piper. Se coc cca 30 minute, amestecandu-I sa nu se arda, pana cand sunt moi.
Intre timp se condimenteaza carnea de pui cu sare si piper. Se prajeste puiul in doua transe intr-o tigaie la foc mai mare, pana cand e aurie carnea peste tot. Se pune puiul intr-o tava mare sau un vas termorezistent.
In aceeasi tigaie se pun la calit morcovul, telina, usturoiul, cimbrul si jumatatea de ceapa care a fost tocata marunt, timp de vreo 5 minute, pana cand ceapa devine translucenta. Se adauga vinul si se lasa sa dea in clocot, amestecand cu lingura sa se topeasca toate bucatelele ramase de la prajitul puiului. Se toarna vinul si legumele peste pui. Se adauga zeama de supa, se acopera tava cu folie de aluminiu si se pune la cuptor, micsorand temperatura la 350 F/175C (foc mediu).
Se lasa puiul la cuptor timp de o ora si jumatate, pana cand carnea cade de pe os. Se scoate puiul in vasul de servit si se tine acoperit. Se pune tava pe aragaz la foc potrivit (daca e de metal, daca nu, puneti sosul din tava intr-o craticioara), se adauga ardeii, ceapa si maslinele si se lasa sa fiarba vreo 5 minute. Se potriveste de sare si piper.
Se toarna sosul peste pui, se presara patrunjel proaspat tocat deasupra si se serveste imediat cu paine proaspata, din aia cu o crusta groasa, numai buna de muiat in sos.

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Veal tongue stew with Kalamata olives- Mancare de limba cu masline

I have been pretty busy this week, and did not have too much time for posting. A lot of work at the office, yesterday Clara had a Tea Party with her friends, but I still made time to cook and take some pictures, now I just need the time to post them.
This post is about tongue indeed, and I know there are not too many fans of tongue and/or other organs, but I belong to the group that really likes this and even crave for it.

This is one of my favorite foods that my mom makes and I cannot get enough of it. When I got married, we were still students and my mom would sometime send us packages with homecooked food when my dad was coming over; she would cook and freeze this stew and send it over to us. This happened too often, and it was all Gabriel's fault- he told my mom how good it is. It was one of those compliments that even though they were true, they were more polite than anything else. Gabriel payed the compliment as any good future-son-in-law would, not because he wanted to eat this once a month for the rest of his life. And although he could have confessed this to my mom, it's not like they don't communicate really well, he did not want to hurt her feelings. In the meantime, I was enjoying it because I really like this dish very much and even once a week would not be too often.

Since we live here, because I am the only one craving for it, I make it probably once a year or even less. I cooked it once for a dinner with our neighbours at the last place we lived, Carina and Keenan, and Carina, who is Swedish, really really loved it.

The recipe could be made with beef, pork, veal or lamb tongues, they are all very good. But this time I was lucky to find veal tongues, which are so very tender and taste amazing, so I could not rezist the temptation and buy them, even though it meant I will be eating this for about 3 days by myself, if my sister doesn't come over for dinner to help.

Now, my post is nowhere as fun as Carol's Tongue in Cheek, nor as complex, not even the same dish actually, but since I have the French Laundry Cookbook as well, and because I keep saying someday I will start making the recipes at home, not just drool over them, I thought this is a good time to use at least part of Mr. Keller's recipe, the one about the veal tongue, of course. I read it, and there is no big difference between the Tongue in Cheek recipe and the way my mom tought me to make this (aren't we modest... this is like the Ratatouille movie, everyone can cook, I find that we are cooking like Thomas Keller.....) But see how easily I digress ....we use bay leaf instead of thyme, no garlic, and if there are no leeks (like today), use white onion. And the cooking process is different. I keep cooking the tongue on the stove, simmering for about an hour and a half over low heat (cook it longer if it is beef tongue, and only about an hour if it is pork or lamb, since they are smaller), I've never braised it in the oven.

Veal tongue stew with Kalamata olives

2 veal tongues ( a little bit over 2 pounds)

2 medium white onions ( or use one white onion and one leek) - one onion is to be used when boiling the tongue, the other onion/leek, julienned, to be sauteed with the tomato sauce

2-3 carrots, cut in big chunks

1 parnsnip root, cut in big chunks

3 celery stalks, cut in about 3-4 pieces each

2 bay leaves

one teaspoon peppercorns

one 14 oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

two handfulls Kalamata olives

side dish - mashed potatoes

Horseradish cream sauce

5-6 tablespoons fresh grated horseradish

2 teaspoons vinegar

1 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2-3 tablespoons sour cream

Mix all ingredients together, put in a small jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Place the veal tongue in a pot with about 3 quarts of water, with one tablespoon of salt, the carrots, one whole onion, the parnsnip, the celery, the bay leaves, and the peppercorns, bring to a simmer and cook, covered, over reduced heat until the tongue is tender, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Let the tongue cool in the liquid. When cool enough to handle, remove it from the stock, peel off the skin, cut away the fat from underneath and cut it into half an inch slices.

Strain the stock and refrigerate or freeze to use it later for whatever dishes you want.

Saute the second onion or leeks in 2 tablespoons of oil until soft and golden. Add the olives and after another two minutes the tomato sauce. Let it come to a simmering point over low heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and the tongue slices. Simmer it for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

Serve over mashed potatoes and with horseradish sauce.

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Mancare de limba cu masline

Mancarea de limba este una din preferatele mele de cand eram copil. Cand ne-am casatorit, eu si Gabi eram inca studenti, iar mama, vrand sa ne ajute, ne trimitea cateodata pachete prin tata cand venea la Bucuresti, cu mancare gatita. Si de mult prea multe ori a facut mancare de limba, o congela seara si ne-o trimitea a doua zi prin tata, si asta numai pentru ca Gabi i-a spus cat de mult ii place. Adevarul e ca lui Gabi nu i-a placut niciodata atat de mult. De fapt, a fost unul din complimentele alea politicoase, de complezenta, prea putin adevarate, cum orice viitor ginere se simte obligat sa faca viitoarei mame soacre. Si desi Gabi ar fi putut recunoaste ca mancarea de limba nu ii place deloc, pentru ca el si mama mea sunt f.f.f. apropiati, nu i-a spus decat dupa ani de zile, ca sa nu o supere. Intre timp, eu m-am bucurat de toata afacerea asta, pentru ca si daca imi dai mancare de limba o data pe saptamana nu e prea des.

De cand am venit aici, pentru ca sunt singura care pofteste dupa asa ceva, nu am gatit felul acesta decat o data pe an sau si mai rar. Am gatit-o fostilor nostri vecini, iar Carina, suedeza de fel, mi-a spus de nu stiu cate ori cat de mult i-a placut (si a fost un compliment sincer, nu ca cel al lui Gabi).

Postul meu nu e deloc haios precum cel scris de Carol - "Limba in obraz"( ce aiurea suna in romaneste), nu e nici complex ca al ei, nu e nici macar acelasi fel de mancare, dar pentru ca de cand am primit cartea "French Laundry Cookbook" am zis ca o sa ma apuc sa gatesc cateva din minunatele retete de acolo, am decis ca macar de data asta pot urma cel putin partial reteta lui Thomas Keller, in ce priveste limba de vitel. Am citit reteta lui, si nu sunt mari diferente in prepararea limbii (nu ma refer la restul retetei) fata de cum am invatat eu sa fac mancarea asta de la mama. Noi nu folosim cimbru si usturoi, ci punem foi de dafin, daca nu avem praz ( cum s-a intamplat de data asta) folosim ceapa, si fierbem limba pe aragaz, la foc mic, nu in cuptor. (vedeti ce usor apare infatuarea, noi gatim precum Thomas Keller, parca suntem in filmul Ratatouile, oricine poate gati....)

Mancarea se poate face cu limba de vitel, vita, porc, sau chiar miel, depinde ce aveti sau gasiti. Eu de data asta am fost norocoasa si am gasit limba de vitel, si desi stiu ca o sa mananc singura trei zile din ea, daca nu vine sora mea sa ma ajute, nu am putut rezista poftei.

ingrediente:

2 limbi de vitel, cca un kg impreuna

2 cepe potrivite sau o ceapa si un fir de praz ( o ceapa se fierbe intreaga cu limba, a doua ceapa sau prazul se toaca solzisori/fideluta si se caleste pentru mancare)

2-3 morcovi taiati in bucati mari

un pastarnac, taiat in bucati mari

3 lujere de telina

2 foi de dafin

o linguritza boabe de piper negru

o conserva de 400 ml suc de rosii sau de rosii zdrobite

masline negre Kalamata ( o cana)

garnitura - cartofi

Sos de hrean cu smantana

5-6 linguri hrean ras proaspat

2 lingurite de otet

o lingurita zahar

o lingurita sare
2-3 linguri smantana

Se amesteca toate ingredientele, se pun intr-un borcanel la frigider pana e gata de servit.

Se pune limba in 2-3 litri de apa, cu o lingura de sare, morcovii, ceapa intreaga, telina, pastarnacul, foile de dafin si boabele de piper si se fierb la foc mic timp de o ora si jumatate. Se lasa sa se raceasca limba in zeama in care a fiert, si cand s-a racit suficient, se scoate din supa, se curata de piele si se feliaza in felii de 1.5 cm grosime. Supa se strecoara si sa pastreaza la frigider sau congelator pentru alte mancaruri.

Se pune ceapa taiata solzisori sau prazul la calit in doua linguri de ulei, si cand a devenit aurie se adauga maslinele. Dupa alte 2 minute se pune sosul de rosii si se aduce la punctul de fierbere, apoi se adauga feliile de limba, si se mai tine pe foc 5 minute.

Se serveste cu garnitura de cartofi (sau orice altceva vreti voi) si cu sosul de hrean.

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