Chicken Normandy: A Very Good Idea

I've taken a lot of detours as of late with my "Italian blog." This is my last detour for a bit and I promise you that you will enjoy the journey. It's a side tripe to France - home of sauces that should be served with cholesterol warnings (unless you're French - the sauces don't seem to affect their cholesterol) - home of women who learn to wear scarves before they can walk - home of Monet, Renoir, Impressionism and all things pretty. 

With Calvados, apples, cream and chicken - you have the perfect bridge from autumn to winter. Plus it's Dorie Greenspan's recipe from Around My French Table and when Dorie is your guide, you know you will eat well. It's a worthy addition to any Holiday Wish List (shhh .... I know it's early November). Plus Calvados is always a good idea. Calvados is an apple-brandy that hails from Normandy and a small shot of it during a chilly eve works as well as a fireplace to lull you into thinking you love the winter cold. You may use another apple brandy or even apple cider.

It comes together surprisingly fast (my mantra now that I am a woman "of a certain age").

Chicken, Apples and Cream a la Normande

Chicken Normandy

Ingredients
flour for dredging seasoned with salt and pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts at room temperature (Patted down a bit if thick; I used six)
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch chunks) (I used 2 medium MN apples sliced thinly and cored but not peeled)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 mushrooms (thinly sliced; I sometimes omit)
1/3 cup chicken broth (I use more)
2 tablespoons Calvados, apple jack or brandy (or cider)
2/3 cup heavy cream (I use a little less)
My addition: fresh thyme sprigs to finish

Preparation

1. Put the seasoned flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken in it, shaking off any excess.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter (I almost always combine the two even when seemingly unnecessary) in a large deep skillet. If the pan isn't large enough for all the chicken, brown the chicken in batches.

3. Cook each side approximately 3 minutes until they are browned.

4. If needed, add in the other tablespoon of oil and tablespoon of butter (I always need). Leaving the chicken in the pan, add in the mushrooms (if using), onions and apples. If the pan won't hold everything, you can briefly take out the chicken while you sauté the mushrooms, onions and apples. Make sure everything is coated with the oil-butter mixture. Saute for 1 minute and then add in the broth. When the broth boils, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about ten minutes. (Tines will vary depending on the thickness of chicken.)

5. Increase the heat and add in the Calvados (if you're feeling very ooh la la Normandie - use a little more). Boil until it is just about evaporated - about 1 minute.

6. Add the cream and with the heat still high, let the cream boil down about 1/4 - about 3-5 minutes.

7. Adjust seasonings, arrange on platter and serve. I finish it with some fresh thyme.

And now it's your turn - serve it with rice, sautéed spinach or crusty bread - what you think is a good idea.

We've had a blissfully warm autumn. Those of us in Minnesota look to El Nino for "short winters" (under 7 months). There is dancing in the streets when the words "El Nino" first appear in the summertime. Yes, the photo below was taken in mid-October, but I am still am amazed that I have geraniums, petunias, shrub roses, sage, thyme, parsley, bridal veils and other assorted happy plants.

Our patio days are numbered, but the "good ideas" are in full force. A fire on the patio is always a good idea. Calvados remains a good idea.

There have been many family discussions as of late. Matthew is poised to get his doctorate in April/May 2016. He has been "job" searching (for a post-doc). (And obsessing. He is his mother's son after all.) And last week, his number one choice came through and he accepted a two-year position at IPK in Gatersleben, Germany. It's a world-class lab for his work (plant pathologist). My "little guy." Living and working in Europe. Such a good idea.

And below:

He came to us exactly one year ago. Cioppino-Pino-Bambino was a very good idea. The days may be shorter, but November is filled with good ideas.

The Utah, Birthday, Hockey, Sundance, Moon Cake

This is a tale of a cake. But it's not any cake. Out of the oven it's humble, crackly. But the dense chocolate mousse center proclaims it's worth. It's butter, sugar, chocolate and eggs. It's not for the weight watcher. It is for the joyous celebrator.

I came home from Utah the day before one of the happiest days of my life - my son's birthday. I came home from Utah on the first day of the high school hockey tournament. (I follow baseball, the Olympics and the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament.) I came home from Utah after three days of teaching playwrighting, rehearsing and watching Under a Midsummer Moon capture hearts and mind of. (Whew ... )

I came home from Utah after three days of breathing mountain air and being astonished by the views every time I went outside.

I had a few 12-hour days and one morning off. And that morning - I walked. Every which way. To see - this. Wouldn't you? (The cake is coming... it's insanely rich - you need to take a walk before you eat it. Consider this your walk.)

And inside, I was treated to14 students throwing their considerable talents into my play.. visiting the Viet Nam Era ... the day of the Moon Walk . They costumed themselves; one extraordinary student did a mock-up of a set that astonished - it sits in my work room. When you write a play in a room where you have to periodically scratch the cat's back - you have no expectation that this play written on a keyboard covered with cat fur and pretzel crumbs will take you to Utah! And connect you with more young lives.

I worked on small plays with the school. I was treated to openings of plays in verse, going back in time, in the midst of hardship on a  playground - I was "back with the kids" and everytime I was with the students, it felt like home.

And then there was Sundance... just five minutes of stolen time.

Because of Mindy. I wish I had baked this cake for Mindy - if I am ever in Utah again - with a kitchen - I will. My fearless, enthusiastic director. Mindy Young can bring out talents in students they didn't they had. She can whisper a transition, make it sing, make it shout. She knows her students. And she cares about them in the way a force of nature truly cares about you.

And she wouldn't let me leave Utah without visiting Sundance.

So in-between lunch and a rehearsal, she took me there. 

Lined with trees of all ilks, she let me bask in mountain-glow.

"Imagine this in the autumn, Claudia. Can you see it?"

And then she told me a tale of an Indian maiden and the mountain.

I baked this cake for Matthew. But it's also for Mindy and my Utah cast. And for the two teams that battled it out last night to become 2012 State High School Hockey Champs. My children's alma mater have been to State many times (becoming one of the "teams you love to hate" in the state tournament). But this year - they weren't even seeded.   So it was a surprise when - they were there! The won at the right time. My son texted me the scores to the first game while I was coming home. I broke into a huge smile at the Denver airport and laughed as I read the text- no doubt surprising the tired people sitting next to me. My kid's school had unexpectedly won - easily. And on my first day home, they blew through another game and again won - unexpectedly. I was starting to expect the unexpected.  

Bear with me - the cake is worth waiting for. The story bears telling. In December a young hockey player - Jack Jablonski -  "Jabs" from another school was checked from behind and was paralyzed from the neck down. He is a sophomore. And his excellent school team was heartbroken.  And yes, they made it to the tournament. As did "Jabs" - in a private suite at the Xcel Energy Center - to watch his team. And my kids' alma mater (Hill-Murray) - which ferociously raised funds for "Jabs" (his Dad graduated from Hill) played against Jabs team for the championship. Jabs school - Benilde sported "Jabs" number 13 and the fan base chanted "We love Jabs."   And the Hill students countered with "We do, too." May I state that these are much kinder chants than others I have heard in years past? 

And when Benilde scored the first goal, the cameras of course cut to Jabs in his suite and Jabs arms were cheering - his arms! He wasn't supposed to regain the use of them - and there they were up in the air! In celebration. I hope that euphoria helps to carry him through difficult rehab years ahead. 

And when Benilde outplayed Hill all evening - with one player making all five goals with a final score of 5-1, there was more emotion. When the honorary captain of Hill-Murray came on the ice to accept the 2nd place trophy, there was history. Four years ago Duke Pieper (honorary captain) was a freshman at Hill - on the Varsity hockey team. Bleeding in the brain from a tumor sidetracked his life. Partially paralyzed and with huge physical challenges, Duke proudly held up the 2nd place trophy. In another universe, Duke would have been playing on the ice with his team. I'd like to bake Duke and Jabs and the Benilde and Hill teams this cake.

It emerges from the oven fairy ugly - crackly and then I added to the ugliness with a heavy hand with the cocoa powder (it's been an emotional week). 

But look closely at this baked mousse. Every forkful melts on your mouth. Shivers of goodness fill your being. It's worth a day on the treadmill - being grateful that you can do the treadmill.

Chocolate Mousse Cake - Dorie Greenspan - Around My French Table
I know I've crossed the boundary between Italy and France. What I love about this book - is Dorie has made everything so accessible and every recipe I have made from here - has pleased. I adore French Chocolate mousse - but am always suspect - because of the liberal use of raw eggs. But here the mousse is baked - into a gateau or a tart. And my worries about killing dinner guests subside.

For best results - do this the day before you want to serve it. I love do-aheads. More time with guests.

1/4 pound bittersweet chocolate - coarsely chopped
1/3 cup hot espresso or strong coffee
7 tablespoons unsalted butter (find some decadent, rich stuff - go whole hog)
2/3 cup sugar
2 pinches of salt
4 large eggs - separated
Cocoa powder for dusting (I shouldn't have done that)

Optional;: Whipped cream, ice cream, and I also puddled Stonewall Kitchen's Black Cherry Cognac Sauce - which I heartily recommend.

Place rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the sides of an 8-inch springform pan (you won't be using the bottom - although in hindsight - you could; but I shall give you Dorie's directions since she knows more than me.).

Melt the chocolate on the top of a pan set over simmering water (don't let water boil up to hit the pan). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. (I sprayed it.) When the chocolate is smoothly melted, whisk in the coffee. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the butter - 1 tablespoon at a time. Gently whisk in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Then, add the yolks one at a time and softly whisk. It's gorgeous! Winter velvet.

In a stand mixer (or with hand-held mixers) whisk the egg whites with another pinch of salt until firm and glossy. Gingerly whisk about 1/4 of egg white mixture into the chocolate  to lighten it. Then, with a spatula, gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the chocolate.

Put 1/3 of the mixture into the buttered ring of the pan. Cover and refrigerate remaining mousse. (If you're not afraid of raw eggs - take a taste - chocolate bliss). Bake the cake for 15 minutes (in hindsight - I would have baked it 10 minutes - it was .... very well baked). Let the cake cool to room temperature. Then chill the base in the fridge for at least an hour. The unbaked mousse should be chilled for a few hours. (I chilled it for four.)

When ready to continue, again preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scrape the remaining mousse onto the chilled base (still on the baking sheet). Dorie says to bake for 30 minutes - until the top is dry and cracked. I did it for 20 minutes - I really wanted it velvety-smooth. It cracked a bit (note photo) but the end result was cloud-like, melting perfection.

Cool to room temperature and then cover and chill - at least six hours or overnight. I did bring the cake out of the fridge a wee bit early in the day so I could serve it at room temperature. It does beg for a wee bit of whipped cream or ice cream or that Black Cherry Sauce I mentioned.

Thanks for bearing with me - I will resume visiting tomorrow and will strive for shorter posts... at least until my NYC trip.

Around my French Table

No, I haven't gone over to the "dark side." I am still an Italian cook. But once in a while you need a day trip. Although having now read all of the recipes in Dorie Greenspan's sumptuous Around My French Table, I know I will be taking lots of day trips. Maybe a weekend - you know I might just stay for a week.

Last night's dinner. Healthy, easy and filled with simple, French flavor. A beautiful welcoming green broccoli soup, a festive Salad Nicoise and a mustard tart graced the table. As I am surrounded by snowy whites, the deep green of the soup warmed me. It's rich, thick broccoli-zucchini flavor brought me back to a Minnesota enveloped in summer.

The Salad Nicoise with its simple vinaigrette was a taste celebration. I added tomatoes for color and relished in the soft, pliable hard-boiled egg, the sea-tasting tuna, the crunch of the just-yielding string beans. A few salty capers and piquant nicoise olives with with mild potatoes satisfied in a way that only a properly attired salad can.

Even when it's fifteen degrees out, this salad brings solace.

Just the notion of a mustard tart warms my savory soul. The use of a smooth Dijon mustard as well as a grainy one provided zest without sharpness. Mellowing the mustard are the sweet carrots on top of aromatic leeks. The original recipe was given to Dorie by Gerard Jeannin and she describes it as "creamy and piquant, comforting and surprising." And so it is. Dorie also mentions that it is not as well known as it should be. I suspect that's about to change.

I promise you that after you make it once, a second one will soon follow. Find the recipe here.

Around my French Table contains over 300 recipes that are French or French inspired. They've been adapted to meet the needs of busy American cooks. The ingredients are accessible. When she does use a hard-to-find French ingredient, she suggests an American substitute. For many recipes there is a "Bon Idee" (I wish my computer did proper accents). It is one of my favorite parts. In that small column, she suggests other ingredients, alternative ways of making the dish and encourages you to play with the recipes.

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I chose these three recipes quite frankly because I had all the ingredients at hand. The level of difficulty for all three was easy. I expect some will be moderately more difficult although as I read the book, I did not come across any recipe that I felt was out of my grasp.

What is inspiring is the playfulness of Dorie's cooking. Fresh, artfully arranged ingredients that are elevated through nuances of herbs, seasonings and adherence to cooking methods. The broccoli soup is one of three simple soup recipes, Dorie has grouped together. Find the recipe here. (I added a shallot - I don't think Dorie would mind.)

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Each recipe provides suggestions for serving and storing. The book is a storehouse of hints and suggestions. Backgrounds of recipes are included - which always intrigues me. For every recipe is a story and Around My French Table contains a wealth of stories - to peruse, to investigate, to explore and to feast.

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Put this on your holiday wish list. It's been two years since I cooked my way through a book and that drought has now ended. For the time being I am content to live on the border between Italy and France and embrace the best of both worlds.

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I have a list of cookbooks I would like to embrace. Where do you get your cookbooks? Do you belong to a club? Buy from Amazon? Barnes and Noble? Do you haunt used book stores, cooking stores?

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And a touch of sweetness to end - I would like to thank Beth from Of Muses and Meringues for this lovely award. Beth is a writer and a cook and her delicately-named blog is indeed filled with muses and puffs of sweetness and insights. Please visit her and say hello.