Friday, December 30, 2005
Maple-Vinegar Crispy Chicken
I love this recipe. It comes from Chef Gabriel Claycamp at Culinary Communion. The sauce just bursts with flavor and the buttery-crisp almonds provide a pleasing crunch. The recipe serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut up
7 T. butter
1/2 c. shallots, minced
1/2 t. freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
2/3 c. cider vinegar
2/3 c. maple syrup
3/4 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. leeks, sliced
1/4 c. bread crumbs
Step-by-step:
1. Pat chicken pieces dry and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Place chicken in sizzling oil, skin side down. Cook on both sides until done. Set chicken on paper towels to drain.
2. Make sauce: Pour fat from skillet. Add 4 T. butter and melt over medium-high. Saute shallots in butter until translucent. Stir in nutmeg and pepper. Add vinegar and bring to a boil. Add maple syrup and reduce sauce by half. Reserve.
3. Make topping: Saute almonds in remaining 3 T. butter, until golden. Add cranberries and leeks. Cook a few minutes, stirring, and then add bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. To serve, arrange chicken on a platter. Pour sauce over top and sprinkle on almond topping. Serve immediately.
Note: If you don't wish to cut up a whole chicken, you can use pre-cut chicken pieces--just make sure they have both bones and skin, or the chicken will turn out dry.
Labels: main courses
