Ingredients

• 3 whole star anise
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine (or sherry)
• ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
• 4 chicken legs, skin on
• 3 medium garlic cloves, smashed
• 6 slices fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, lightly toasted and ground
• ½ cup chicken stock

Preparation

Whisk together star anise, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and rice wine in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

Place a large wok over high heat. When it starts to smoke, pour in oil. Swirl oil around, and then add chicken legs skin side down. Adjust heat to medium-high and cook undisturbed until they are browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken legs, and add garlic and ginger. Continue cooking until the other side is browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add Sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce mixture, and chicken stock. Toss chicken pieces with sauce. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Then cover the work, reduce heat to low, and cook until juices run clear in the legs, about 10 minutes. Remove legs and set aside on a plate.

Turn heat to medium-high, and reduce sauce until it lightly coats the back of a spoon, stirring often. Serve chicken legs with sauce. Pair with white rice or broccoli.

Nick Kindlesperger, Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 1 lg. onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chicken breasts, diced
• 1 lg. baking potato, diced (optional)
• 2 c. corn kernels
• 14 oz. can diced tomato
• 4 green chiles, diced (vary based on heat)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• shredded jack cheese (optional)
• fried tortilla strips (optional)

Preparation

Sautée the onion and garlic in butter or oil. Add the chicken and brown. Add the potato, cover with water, and simmer until the potato is tender. Add corn and/or tomato, green chile, and the cream of chicken soup. Simmer for a while to blend the flavors. Top with jack cheese and tortilla strips, if you’re serving it as a main course.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken (2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, bone-in recommended)
• 3 slices lemon or lime
• 1 tsp. salt (to taste)
• 4 lg. red onions, chopped
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp. cayenne pepper [CP: 2 tbsp. is around an 8 out of 10 spice-wise; next time will try 1 tbsp.]
• 1/2-1 c. water
• 3 tbsp. qibe or butter
• 1/4 c. minced fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp. whole black cardamom pods, or 1 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/4 c. minced fresh ginger
• 3 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3 tsp. ground allspice
• 3 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. salt, to taste
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved [CP: we skipped these]

Preparation

Wash the chicken thoroughly. Put the chicken in a large bowl and add enough water to cover. Add the lemon or lime slices and the salt and let marinate for at least 2 hours.

In a large pot, cook the onions over medium heat until browned (around 6-8 minutes). Add the olive oil and stir in the cayenne. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, adding 2 tbsp. of water or so gradually, only to keep it from burning. Drain your marinated chicken and add it to the pot. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Add the qibe/butter, garlic, cardamom, and ginger. Let it cook for about 20 minutes, gradually adding very little amounts of water (2 tbsp. or so at a time). Lower the heat and add the nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Remove the cardamom pods if you used whole, and discard. Add the hard-boiled eggs and let it rest, covered, for about an hour. Serve warm, reheating gently if needed.

Penzey’s Spices, edited

Ingredients

• 8 cups water
• 3 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 pound dried brown lentils, rinsed, drained
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin, divided
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Combine 8 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Add lentils; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well; rinse with cold water and drain again. Place in large bowl.

Whisk 1 cup olive oil, vinegar, 2 tablespoons cumin, 2 tablespoons chili powder, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt in large measuring cup. Pour 1 cup dressing over warm lentils and toss. Cool.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onion; sauté until dark brown and soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, and cinnamon. Sauté until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

Arrange lentils on large platter. Place sliced chicken atop lentils. Drizzle with remaining dressing and sprinkle with parsley. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Bon Appetit, January 2004

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg. (~1 lb.) dried yellow potatoes (amber in color)
• 3 tbsp. butter or oil
• 1 red onion, chopped finely
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• pepper (to taste)
• cumin (to taste)
• 1/2 kg. (~1 lb.) pork (shoulder or belly), cubed
• 1/2 kg. (~1 lb.) chicken, cubed
• 2 tbsp. aji panca paste (or much less of rocoto paste)
• 1 tbsp. aji amarillo paste
• 2 small cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tbsp. port
• 2 tbsp. Pisco [CP: can sub tequila, in a pinch]
• 1/2 c. unsalted, roasted peanuts, ground medium-fine in a spice grinder
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 6 butter or vanilla cookies, crushed
• 1 piece dark chocolate (or drinking chocolate), grated

If you don’t have aji panca paste, it is much milder than either aji amarillo or rocoto; for instance, a good replacement for 1 tbsp. aji amarillo + 2 tbsp. aji panca is around 1 1/2 tbsp. aji amarillo, or perhaps 2 tbsp. for a spicier dish. (I haven’t tried the rocoto substitution yet.)

Preparation

Wipe off the dried potatoes with a damp cloth, and toast them in a pan without oil for several minutes until they change to a dark golden color. Cover them with water and let stand overnight (or at least two hours). Drain, and wash them several times, until the water runs clear.

Fry the red onion in the oil/butter, until it is almost golden. Add the garlic, pepper, cumin, pork, chicken, aji pastes, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Let all brown and then cover with water and cook for around 10 minutes. Add the drained dried potatoes and boil until the potatoes are almost tender, about 40-60 minutes.

Add the port, Pisco, peanuts, broth, and butter/vanilla cookies (in pieces small enough that they dissolve when cooked). Cook for 15 or 20 minutes over a low heat. Stir occasionally until the potatoes are cooked. Add the chocolate, and let stand before serving. Serve with white rice.

Translated by me from Bibliotecas Virtuales

Ingredients

• 3 lb. chicken wings, wing tips removed and cut into 2 pieces
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• 4 small dried red chiles
• 2 whole star anise
• one 3" cinnamon stick
• 1/3 c. soy sauce
• 1/3 c. sake [or sherry]
• 3 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 3 tbsp. mirin
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• lime wedges for garnish

Preparation

In a very large nonstick skillet (or in batches), cook the chicken wings over moderate heat, turning once, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the giner, chiles, star anise, and cinnamon and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, sake, oyster sauce, mirin, sugar, and 1/3 c. of water and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the wings are cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a thick glaze, about 8 minutes [CP: this may/will be longer, Don’t Panic.]. Discard the chiles, star anise, and cinnamon. Transfer the chicken wings to a platter, scatter the scallions on top and serve with lime wedges.

Andrew Zimmern, via Austin-American Statesman

Ingredients

• 1 3 1/2-lb. chicken
• 1/2 cup sesame oil
• 6 tablespoons peanut, vegetable, or corn oil
• 1/4 cup finely shredded fresh ginger
• 3 scallions, green part included, trimmed and cut into fine strips, 4 inches long
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry or shao shing wine
• 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (optional)

Preparation

1. Place the chicken in a covered stock pot filled with enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken stand in the cooking liquid until just warm. Drain, reserving the broth for another use. Rinse the chicken under cold water, pat dry, and rub lightly with sesame oil.

2. Cut the chicken into pieces. Arrange neatly on a platter.

3. Heat the peanut, vegetable, or corn oil in a small saucepan, and when it is hot add the ginger and scallions. Cook about 30 seconds; remove ginger and scallions with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.

4. Scatter the ginger and scallions over the chicken.

5. Add the remain ingredients to the oil, bring to a boil and pour over the chicken. Serve at room temperature.

Epicurious, January 2001

Ingredients

For the Filling:

• 4 pigeons, about 1 lb. each, with livers and giblets (or doves, cornish game hens, or, most easily, chicken thighs)
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp saffron threads, crushed
• 1 cup water
• 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 8 eggs

For the Almond Layer:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups slivered blanched almonds
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

For Assembling the Pie:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 14-16 phyllo sheets, thawed

For Serving:

• 3 TBSP confectioner’s sugar
• 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
• whole blanched almonds for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Cut the birds in quarters and rub with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat and saute the bird, turning often, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Removed to platter.

2. To the same pan add onion, liver and giblets and cook until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the herbs, spices and water and bring to a boil. Return birds, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Remove meat from pot (leave juices in pan) and, when cool enough, shred meat and chop innards.

3. Over high heat, reduce pan juices to about 1 3/4 cups. Add lemon juice.

4. Meanwhile, beat eggs in bowl to blend. Stir the eggs into the pan juices and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until soft curds form. (this takes a while.) Season with S & P. Remove from heat and drain in a strainer. Set aside.

5. Fry the almonds in butter over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Chop coarsely, place in small bowl and toss with sugar and cinnamon.

6. Heat oven to 350. Brush a 14" pizza pan with butter. Arrange 8 phyllo sheets like the spokes of a wheel, brushing each with butter. The sheets should overlap so that all of the pan is covered and they should overhang the edges of the pan generously. Be sure to butter the edges well. Sprinkle 1/3 of the almond mixture in a 10" circle in the center of the pan. Top with half of the eggs. Top with all the meat, then the remaining eggs, then the remaining almonds. Fold the phyllo edges over the filling. Top with phyllo sheets as you did the bottom, this time tucking the edges under the pie.

7. Bake until golden on top, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully drain off the excess butter. Invert a second baking sheet over the pie and flip. Return to the oven to brown, 10-15 minutes. Flip again, then bake 5 minutes longer.

8. Slide onto serving platter. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon (and almonds).

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Olive oil for grill
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c. blueberry vinaigrette
• 1 large head of romaine lettuce, shredded
• 1/3 c. toasted slivered almonds
• 3/4 c. blueberries
• 8 to 10 strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 c. shredded aged gouda

Preparation

Prepare grill. Rinse chicken breasts under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. When ready to grill, brush grill grate with olive oil. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and arrange breasts in same direction on hot grate.

Grill for 2 minutes. Using tongs, rotate breasts 45 degrees and grill for 2 to 4 additional minutes. Turn breasts, brush cooked side with blueberry vinaigrette and grill, rotating breasts 45 degrees after 2 minutes. Remove breasts to a platter and cool.

When ready to serve, toss lettuce with vinaigrette in a large salad bowl. Arrange almonds, blueberries, strawberries, cheese and chicken breast on lettuce, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Mike Grossmann

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs with bones and skin, about 3 1/2 pounds
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced onions
• 30 cloves (about 2 heads) garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound angel hair pasta
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the chicken thighs with 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the freshly ground pepper.

Place the flour in a shallow dish. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour and set aside.

In a large wide saute pan with 2 to 3-inch sides, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the thighs and brown well on both sides, about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions to the oil and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the chicken until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the bay leaf and cook 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and browned chicken thighs to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover tightly, and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the lid and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until cooked through and tender.

While the chicken is baking, cook the pasta until al dente, 4 to 5 minutes for dry pasta. Drain well and toss in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of the parsley and the butter.

To serve, place a portion of pasta in the center of 4 large plates. Arrange 2 thighs around each serving of pasta and drizzle lemon garlic cooking liquid over the pasta. Garnish with additional parsley and serve immediately.