White Chicken Chili
Top the chili with shredded cheese, avocado, green onion, and chopped cilantro.
Tag: main course
Whole Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk
Whole Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk
This is one of my favorite ways to cook a whole chicken. The chicken is seasoned with creole seasoning and seared in a dutch oven, then braised in the oven with coconut milk, lemongrass, and garlic; creating a rich gravy. This gravy is so damn good, I’d drink it by the cup full if I could. You can add fingerling potatoes the last 30 minutes of cooking, or spoon the coconut milk gravy over steamed rice.
Equipment
- cast iron Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken
- creole seasoning to taste
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 2 stalks lemongrass finely chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 lbs fingerling potatoes
Instructions
- Season the chicken with the creole seasoning and white pepper. Fill the inner cavity with the half of the garlic, ginger, and 1 stalk of lemongrass. Heat up the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chicken to the pot.
- Brown on both sides for 12 minutes in total. Remove the chicken from the pot.
- Sauté the onions, remaining garlic and lemongrass, thyme, smoked paprika, curry powder, and cayenne pepper for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk and water; scraping the bottom of the pot.
- Place the chicken back into the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in a 350 degree oven for up to 90 minutes; basting with the sauce every 20 minutes.
- The last 30 minutes of cooking, add in the fingerling potatoes. Let cool before serving.
Southern Stewed Turkey Necks
Southern Stewed Turkey Necks
Turkey necks are really underrated. They contain a ton of meat and are a staple of southern cooking; particularly soul food. They are looked at as “poor man’s oxtails”, but there’s nothing poor about the flavor. The turkey necks get braised in Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and beer until the meat falls off the bone. The best part is that you should be able to find the turkey necks for $2/lb at most. They are typically served over rice along with the gravy that contains butter beans.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 lbs turkey necks
- 1 tbsp creole seasoning
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup beer lager or pilsner
- 1 can butter beans
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- salt to taste
- steamed white rice for serving
Instructions
- Season the turkey necks in creole seasoning. Brown the turkey necks in the oil for 10 minutes in a pot over medium high heat. Remove from the pot.
- Add in the onions. Brown for 5 minutes.
- Add in the bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Brown for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, beer and chicken stock. Scrape the bottom of the pot.
- Add the turkey necks back in. Season with thyme and oregano. Add in the bay leaves. Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
- Stir in the butter beans.
- Make a slurry with the cornstarch and water. Stir it into the pot until ther gravy thickens. Season with salt to taste.
Serve over steamed rice.
Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
Every time I make this soup(which isn’t very often), I ask myself why I’m not making this all the time. Butternut squash soup is one of my favorites and is extremely easy to make. My version uses bacon, homemade croutons, and blue cheese crumbles as a topping. If you want this soup to be vegan, omit the bacon and blue cheese; using olive oil to sauté the vegetables in. If you want this soup to be gluten free, omit the croutons. Ultimately, it’s a win-win with how tasty this soup turns out.
Equipment
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon diced; fat reserved
- 1 large butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 3 medium russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 3 large carrots sliced
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 head garlic peeled and minced
- 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tsp thyme
- blue cheese crumbles
Garlic Croutons
- 4 slices white bread cubed
- olive oil
- garlic powder
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, brown the bacon until crispy. Scoop out and set aside. Keep the grease.
- Add in all of the veggies and brown for 10 minutes in the bacon fat.
- Pour in the stock and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes until the veggies are soft.
- Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth.
Garlic Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle over olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping half way through. Let cool.
Top with bacon, garlic croutons, and blue cheese crumbles.
