Currywurst

I grew up in a German household,and yet somehow never heard of this popular German street food until last year when I had it at a local hofbrauhaus.I found a number of recipes on the net,but most all of them used ketchup as the base and were too acidic for my taste,nothing like what I was served at the hofbrauhaus.I decided to make a sort of homemade curry ketchup sauce with more kick and tamed with baking soda to raise the PH.This dish is traditionally served on the side of,or over French Fries.Use your favorite packaged fries or homemade if you have the inclination.
Serves 4

Ingredients

for the spice mix:
1 T Mild Curry Powder
1 T Madras Curry Powder
1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Sweet Paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp  cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch ground cloves

for the bratwurst and sauce:
1&1/2 pounds raw Bratwurst
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1-7oz can Tomato Paste
12 oz pilsener beer (or 12 oz. water)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon beef bouillon
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

In a small bowl combine curry powders,paprikas,onion powder,dry mustard,cinnamon,allspice,cayenne,garlic powder and ground cloves.Set aside.
Heat oil and butter in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted add bratwurst and brown,5 to 7 minutes turning bratwurst once during browning.
Add water,reduce heat to medium low,cover and cook until meat registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer,turning bratwurst once during cooking.
Remove bratwurst to a cutting board and cool 5 minutes,then slice into 1/4 inch thick pieces and set aside on a plate.
Add spice mixture to leftover fat in skillet and stir constantly 30 seconds to release oils in spices.
Add tomato paste and incorporate into spices about 30 seconds.
Add beer(or water),brown sugar,salt,pepper,worcestershire,beef boullion,apple cider vinegar and baking soda and bring to a simmer,whisking constantly to incorporate sauce into a smooth consistency.
When sauce is slightly thickened,return sliced bratwurst to skillet and cook until heated through,about 5 minutes.
Serve over your favorite packaged or homemade french fries and a light dusting of curry powder if desired.

Aurora's Chicken Pepperoni

My take on a recipe Inspired by the 1980 Chevy Chase/Goldie Hawn film "Seems Like Old Times.
In the film,Goldie Hawn's Hispanic maid,Aurora is famous for her signature dish,Chicken Pepperoni.
She is expected to prepare it for an important dinner party,but is unable as she has an appointment to"get her feet scraped",so Goldie has to improvise the recipe as she cannot read the Spanish instructions.I figure since this appears to be a totally fictitious recipe anyway,why not take a stab at it myself.My preferred stick pepperoni is Margarita brand.This recipe may be served with pasta,polenta or a simple green salad.
Serves 4

Ingredients:

for the Sauce-
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion,grated on the small holes of a hand grater
3 cloves garlic,minced or put through a garlic press
1/4 cup dry red wine
1-28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
4 oz. piece of stick pepperoni,skin removed,quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves plus extra for garnish

for the chicken-
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
20 thin slices pepperoni
1 cup shredded mozzarella,provolone or fontina cheese

instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.Add onion,garlic and cook stirring constantly for one minute.Stir in wine,crushed tomatoes,oregano,sugar,red pepper flakes,1/4 teaspoon salt,and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.Bring to a simmer and add quartered pepperoni pieces.Continue to simmer until sauce thickens and flavors meld,15-20 minutes.
Stir in basil,cover and keep warm.
2.Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 450 degrees.
Remove pepperoni from sauce and reserve on a plate.Spoon sauce into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3.Spread parmesan into a shallow dish or pie plate.Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.Working with one breast at a time,dredge in parmesan and press on chicken so it adheres evenly.Lay coated chicken breasts on top of sauce in baking dish,transfer to preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
4.Remove chicken from oven and increase temperature to 475 degrees.
Shingle 5 slices pepperoni on each chicken breast,followed by 1/4 cup mound of shredded cheese.Return chicken to oven and bake until cheese melts and thickest part of breasts register an internal temperature of 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer,5-7 minutes.To serve,spoon some sauce from baking dish onto each plate,top with a chicken breast and a tablespoon of sauce.Chop reserved pepperoni used to flavor sauce into small pieces and scatter over each breast.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Chicken Cacciatore with Crispy Skin

I love the flavor combinations in Chicken Cacciatore,but I hate the flabby skin and greasiness of the traditional braising method.
Some recipes remove the skin after browning before adding it to the braising liquid,but then you're just throwing away the beautiful crisp caramelized skin.My solution is to finish cooking the browned chicken nestled on top of the vegetables so only the bottom half of the meat rests below the liquid with the skin exposed.Finishing the braise in a hot oven cut down on cooking time and also kept the skin extra crisp.Serves 4.

Ingredients

8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs(2 1/2-3 pounds),trimmed of excess fat
table salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablepoon olive oil
8 oz Crimini or button mushrooms quartered pole to pole
1 large sweet onion,halved and thinly sliced pole to pole(about 2 cups)
1 large red pepper,stemmed,seeded and diced into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 small fennel bulb,cored,stalks and outer leaves removed,thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
4 medium cloves garlic,peeled,minced by hand or through a garlic press
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dry oregano
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup sweet marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1-14 1/2  oz can diced tomatoes,drained
1 cup dry red wine
1-2in piece parmesan cheese rind
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves,rolled and thinly sliced (chiffonade)

Instructions

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.Heat oil in a 12 inch oven proof skillet over medium high heat until shimmering.Add four thighs,skin side down and cook without moving until well browned and skin releases without resistance from the bottom of the skillet,about 5 minutes.Flip chicken with tongs and cook on second side until lightly browned,about 3 minutes.Transfer browned chicken to a large plate.Brown remaining chicken thighs,transfer to plate and set aside.Drain fat from pan into a small heatproof bowl leaving browned chicken fond in pan. You should have about 2 1/2 tablespoons fat. If not, add enough olive oil to reserved fat to equal 2 1/2 tablespoons total.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Return 1 tablespoon reserved chicken fat to the skillet over medium heat.Add mushrooms and cook until browned on all sides,about 5 minutes.Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup of the Marsala,scraping fond from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.When liquid is dissolved,add 1 tablespoon chicken fat to pan followed by the onions,peppers and fennel.Sauté,stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften and lightly brown,about 5 minutes.Clear a small circle in center of pan and add remaining reserved chicken fat, followed by tomato paste and garlic.Let cook in the fat for about 1 minute to intensify and caramelize the tomato paste,then stir into vegetables.Sprinkle flour evenly over vegetables and stir until no dry flour is remaining,about 1 minute.Deglaze vegetables with remaining Marsala,continuing to scrape any fond from bottom and sides of pan into vegetables,about 2 minutes.Stir in red wine,chicken stock,tomatoes,oregano,pepper flakes,cheese rind and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.Bring to a vigorous simmer and cook,stirring occasionally to prevent burning,until liquid is reduced by 1/4th and beginning to thicken,5-7 minutes.

Nestle browned chicken thighs on top of vegetables skin side up in the braise so skin is above the surface of the liquid. Transfer the skillet into the preheated oven and cook uncovered until chicken registers 175 degrees when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the thighs,8-12 minutes.Transfer chicken to a plate and remove parmesan rind from braise.Stir half of fresh basil into braise and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.Spoon sauce and vegetables over your favorite pasta,gnocchi,risotto,polenta or mashed potatoes.Top each serving with 2 chicken thighs and garnish with remaining basil.