Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken

Jerk Chicken is a colloquial Caribbean favorite. Jerk Chicken is essentially a grilled, braised or stewed spiced chicken.   There are multiple variations of the spice mixture, but mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, thyme, salt, chilies, and allspice are common.  Jerk Chicken like chili, gumbo and potato salad has many authoritative recipes asserting to be authentic. What was found to be common among the variations was a savory, deep flavored aromatic chicken dish.   What's been presented here is a basic recipe that can be successfully employed by home cooks.

  Step 1: The Chicken

Purchase a 3 to 4 pound cut up chicken. Cut the breasts in half to allow for even cooking. Remove the skin from all pieces. Place the chicken on a cutting board, or in a big container.  

Step 2: The Jerk

This is where the variation and, often the fear comes in.  The choices of spices can be overwhelming. McCormick makes a pre-maid Jerk Seasoning which is very good.  For the more adventurous a basic Jerk seasoning ensemble for four pounds of chicken would be  1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of allspice, 2 teaspoons of sugar, a teaspoon of thyme or poultry seasoning,  a teaspoon of black pepper,  a teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of nutmeg,  a half teaspoon  of marjoram, and the amount of red pepper flakes deemed necessary.  Using your hands rub the chicken with the spice mixture.   Refrigerate it for 2 hours at a minimum and overnight at a maximum.  The more chicken you use the longer you should give the rub to work its magic.

Step 3: Slow Cooking

Assemble the chicken in a single layer in a slow cooker.  Cook on low for six to eight hours.  If you don't have a slow cooker, cook in the oven in a sealed dutch oven for the same amount of time for at 200 degrees F.  After 6-8 hours remove the chicken from the slow cooker or dutch oven and let it rest by placing the pieces on a sheet pan with a wire rack. If there isn't a wire rack available then simply place them on a sheet pan, or cookie sheet. The chicken will be moist, perhaps even soggy.

Step 4: Finishing

Place the cookie sheet in a 300 degree F oven for 30 - 45 minutes or until the chicken dries a little but not too much, you want it to be moist not dry. Remove it when the chicken is glossy, but still moist.  There will be a wonderful aroma. What's happening is the sugars on the outside are caramelizing to get that signature sticky gooey sweet savory goodness of Jerk Chicken. Plate it up and enjoy.







 

Easy Veggie Empanada

Empanadas are filled pastries.  You'll find them being sold as street food and at some very tony restaurants. They can range from sweet to savory, spicy or mild. Empanadas can be meat/poultry/seafood based  vegetarian, or vegan.  There is most likely a gluten-free version as well. Empanadas are in a crowded field of  filled pastries that includes everything from steamed buns, Caribbean patties, dumplings,  calzones, to even hot pockets.  People like easily portable, and often inexpensive food.  

This week we'll go through the process of making empanadas almost from scratch.

Step One:  The Dough

There are multiple recipes for making the dough for the pastries.  It's a simple dough and not unlike a pie dough, but a little denser.   It's not really time consuming, however if your making this on a week night, which was the case here, you can skip that step and buy pastries. Goya sells frozen empanada pastries. They are very good, and their use cuts the preparation time in half.  For those interested in making your own dough you can consult the web,  and various cookbooks;  the Joy of Cooking 

special Pie cookbook has an excellent recipe. 

Step Two: The Filling

An empanada can be filled with just about anything. For this preparation potatoes, bell peppers, onions and soy based chorizo was used.   Start by cubing two medium sized red potatoes.  The choice of potatoes here is important. Waxy potatoes hold up better than non-waxy ones. Regular white or russet potatoes would fall apart where as red or yukon golds will work well here.  Cube the potatoes in 1/4 inch cubes.    Place the cubes in a single layer on a microwave safe plate, use two plates if needed (the single layer is important). Cook on high for 5-10 minutes turning half way through,  the potato cubes should be almost done. While the potatoes are cooking chop one medium onion, and one green bell pepper.   

In a dry large skillet, add two teaspoons of cumin. Toast the cumin until it's fragrant.  Add 1 teaspoon of oil. When the oil is shimmering add the onion.  Once the onion is soft add the green pepper.  At this point spicy peppers can be added, if desired.

Incorporate the potatoes into the mixture, add 7 ounces of soy based chorizo meat alternative product.  Stir well and fully cook over medium high heat for roughly 10 minutes stirring often.

Step Three:  Assembly

Lay out the dough  on a floured surface. If using commercially made dough then only remove one disc at a time. Have water in a small bowl near by, you'll use this to seal the pastry.  Depending on the size of the pastry add a tablespoon or so of filling to the center of each pastry.  Dip your finger in the water (a water and egg solution can also be employed).   Wet half of the parameter of the pastry and fold the pastry over itself with the filling inside of it.   Pinch the edges of the pastry to make a sealed package, a purse if you will.   

Using a knife make a slit at the top of the pastry, this is to allow steam to escape. 

Step Four: Cooking

Place each pastry on a cookie sheet with a wire rack.  Place pastries in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven  for 10-15 minutes until  golden.    The empanadas can also be fried in 350  degree Fahrenheit oil for roughly 5 minutes until golden. 

Enjoy!

-R. A. Mann-Thompson, All Things Eaten

Braised Chicken with Garlic

This hearty and savory dish is both simple to prepare and sure to be a crowd pleaser. It's perfect for family dinners, it can be dressed up for formal affairs, and it reheats well so it's a great candidate to make in advance. 

Step One: Preparing the Chicken

Purchase a 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pound cut up whole chicken.  If you can not find one at your market a whole chicken can be cut up, and remember since you'll have to remove the back bone  aim more towards a 4 1/2 pounds bird.  Rinse the chicken parts and pat them dry with a paper towel.

The next step will be to remove the skin. Leaving it on results in it being mushy which isn't the aim here. In roasted chicken, BBQ'ed chicken, and fried chicken the skin can play a great role regarding texture and flavor, however all that would be lost after braising for several hours. As far as the wings go you can reserve them for another recipe. Cut the breasts so that you have roughly two equal pieces.

Step Two: Season, Flour and Brown

Place one cup of all-purpose flour in a zip top bag and set aside. In a large skillet heat  three tablespoons of vegetable oil until just before smoking. While the oil is heating up season the chicken pieces with about a half teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper and thyme.   If you can not find thyme, you can substitute a teaspoon of poultry seasoning because it's mostly thyme. Place the chicken pieces in the zip top bag a few pieces at a time, roughly three.  Coat evenly  then one by one tap each piece to remove excess flour.  Place the pieces in the skillet with the oil.

After about five minutes on each side, on until a golden crust develops on the down side, turn the chicken pieces over to brown the other side.  Remember to not crowd the skillet, it will result in steamed not browned chicken.  Once the pieces are fully browned then place them in  the slow cooker. Repeat this for all remaining pieces.  Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in the slow cooker. Do not wash the skillet.


Step Three:  Making the Braising Liquid

In a container with a lid that seals combine 1/2 cup dry white wine, 2  cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup of sherry.  If alcohol is not being used, then simply replace the it with another cup of broth. Lid and shake the mixture to completely combine.  A bowl and a whisk can be employed here, but  not everyone has a whisk plus the container can be used later to store single portions. Also, shaking is more fun.

Step Four:  Reducing and Adding the Garlic.

If it's not still hot reheat the skillet used earlier to brown the chicken pieces. Once the skillet is hot add the braising liquid and scrape the brown bits from the bottom to incorporate them into the broth mixture.   Heat the broth mixture on medium-high heat until it boils, and then reduce it to a simmer.  While the broth mixture is simmering remove the cloves from two heads of garlic. More garlic can be used, and for a wonderful extra savory experience  roasted garlic can be used.  Whack the cloves with the side of a knife or crush them using some other method, but do not employ a garlic press.  The goal is to slowly allow the garlic to release it's goodness during cooking.   Place the garlic in the simmering broth mixture and bring it back to a boil and then back to simmer.  Simmer for about ten minutes until it reduces by a cup.



Step Five:  The Assembly and Commencement

Pour the reduced broth mixture over the chicken.  Set the slow cooker to high for about 30 minutes. Then reduce to the low setting. At this point clean up the kitchen and then go to work, or sleep, or do anything for six to eight hours.   When you return to the slow cooker you'll find perfectly cooked chicken in a rich garlicky brown sauce.

At this point the dish can be plated up and served, or the chicken can be removed and the sauce can be reduced further on the stovetop or thickened with corn starch. That's an individual decision, left to your discretion. 

-R. A. Mann-Thompson, All Thing Eaten

Vegan Gumbo

Gumbo is a Gulf State regional dish  and has been exported around the world. There's boxed, canned, and frozen gumbo.  There are  gumbo snobs,  so called experts and high handed judges.  It all seems a little too much for what originated as basic sustenance for people with meager means. It has rightfully blossomed into a quintessential signature American dish.  Now there's all types of Gumbo, chicken, shrimp, green, gator, rabbit, crayfish, or kinda what ever was around.

At the core of any gumbo is the roux.  It's very hard to do and strangely very easy once you get it down.  Roux is essentially flour sir-fried in butter until the rawness is cooked out of the flour and in the process the flour gets toasted. You have blond roux, brown roux, and brick roux.  After brick which is the color of a brick you get into a dangerous territory.  Burnt roux is like burnt caramel,  you just have to pitch it.

Well, does gumbo need to involve meat, no. There is green Gumbo which is mostly greens and it's great, but what about a pre-lent gumbo that is flavorful,  and is just as good as meat based gumbo. Is it possible to make a decent vegan gumbo. Well, let's see.

Step One: The Main Ingredients

I want to say up front nothing really special is needed.  A green pepper, frozen okra, celery, filet, canned tomatos, etc. All super market fare.  To ensure this is vegan get a vegan butter substitute.  However, if you can't find it use veggie shorting, it should be vegan. I've not tried the butter flavored, but there's nothing against a good try. If you can't find shortening, you can use veggie oil.  Shortening and the vegan butter subs work better.   The basics are salt, pepper, onion, green pepper, okra, celery, vegan butter sub, tomato paste canned whole tomatoes, vegetable stock or broth, crush red peppers, and  chick'n.

Step Two: Cutting it all up.


Cut up all your veggies and chick'n ahead of time, you wont have time.  Dice your onion, and you pepper. Mince your garlic and slice you celery.  If you okra isn't frozen cut that up too. There will be no time, and to say again, no time to do this later.   Chop up the tomatoes too.



Step Three: the Roux

Grab a pot, like a dutch oven, and melt 6 tablespoons of vegan butter sub or shortening, or the appox. amount of oil over high heat. Once melted add 2/3 cups of flour a little at a time stirring all the way on med-high heat.  Here a whisk was employed, but a spoon would do.

Stir, and stir, and stir. You can't stir enough.  You will smell the flour cooking and the flavor blossoming, and you will know you are teetering between a wonderful roux and a burnt mess. No matter what you do, no matter who calls or comes to the door, STIR!!!  And then STIR, and STIR. Not trying to be obnoxious, but STIR!!

Once you get the brick roux color reduce your flame and keep stirring. When your arms get tired, when the moon is high, and the lights are on, guess what, keep stirring.  This may be repetitive, but keep stirring.




Step Four: Add Onion and Green Peppers

After the roux is brick red and the heat has been reduced, add the onions and green pepper. It will cool to the roux down and make a sorta paste.  Keep stirring, but you'll notice it's less volatile.  The aroma will be wonderful and the veggies will have a light glisten.

Step Five: Okra, Chick'n and Celery - oh my!

After the onions etc are cooked then add the okra, chick'n and celery.  Again be sure to stir, as medium heat is still quite hot and to burn something at this time would be devastating.







Step Six: Adding Broth or Stock


Once all the goodies are in the pot, then add about 1 1/2 cups of veggie stock, a 1/4 cup at a time.  STIR, the heat is still med-high.

After a while the mixture will thicken. Keep stirring.

After about five minutes reduce the heat, and slowly stir in a teaspoon or more of filet.

Step Seven: Rest, Eat and Enjoy.