What My Love Cooks: What My Love Cooks: Chicken and Dumplings

Hello Reader,

First, I'd like to start by expressing our gratitude from the positive feed back received from Wordpress users as well as non-bloggers since we started a few weeks ago. Friends and new followers, we sincerely appreciate the support! This support inspired me to get What My Love Cooks everywhere so, now we have a place at Tumblr.com and at Blogger.com.

whatmylovecooks.tumblr.com
whatmylovecooks.blogspot.com

Aaron and I made a vow to promote our story and our business in new places this year. Aaron encouraged me for a long time to start a blog and I'm quite happy I finally took him up on it. This is all part of our bigger plan to get our ideas and our business into the minds of as many people as possible. It's important to create and inspire. You never know who or what you're going to connect with. Thank you for riding along with us on this journey.

Earlier this week I asked Aaron if we should plan out the recipes ahead, maybe have five or six lined up in a row, and he expressed it would become too impersonal for him. Not only is he the executive chef and co-owner of our company, he also helps manage the commissary kitchen (The Food Movement, one of Atlanta's first) we use for our company. He spends a lot of time there to ensure we, along with 10+ other food businesses there, may continue to have a great facility like The Food Movement's to use. I thought maybe having some recipes lined up with could take some unnecessary stress or off of him. He answered he likes thinking up dishes off the cuff or inspired by the moment. This is one part of what makes this project special to him and to me.

: Aaron caught gramming.
Food by Chef Aaron Masanotti. Photo © Jin Lee

Aaron wanted to do some a chicken dish but wasn't exactly sure what to do with. The inspiration for this recipe came from a produce lady. I'm totally serious. Aaron asked a very nice produce manager about some fresh products and she mentioned she had chicken and dumplings the night before with her family. He thanked her and immediately grabbed a whole chicken and the potato dumpling mix. And what a dish! It's just a great deconstructed version of the simple comfort classic! This type of cooking is something my Love is so good at. He can take the most rustic of dishes and turn it into a work a art. I always wanted to end up with an artist. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Here is what my Love cooks...

- Jin

: Chicken & Bavarian Dumplings
Food by Chef Aaron Masanotti. Photo © Jin Lee

Serves 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

1 Whole Chicken (~ 5 lb.)
1 Egg
1 Pack “Panni” Shredded Potato Dumpling Mix
1 lb. Yellow Beans; trimmed
12-15 White Pearl Onions; trimmed
6-10 Thyme Sprigs
1 lg. Acorn Squash
1 thumb sized knob of Ginger
1 small bunch Hydroponic Organic Watercress
1 lemon for zest
¾ cup Milk
2 ½ cups Water
1 cup Chicken stock
4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
¼ cup EVOO
Sherry Vinegar
Smoked Paprika
Mild Curry Spice (Yellow Powder)
Italian Seasoning
Ground Star Anise
Dried Diced Garlic
Ground Cumin
Ground Coriander
Kosher Salt or Sea Salt (best flavor)
Coarse Ground Black Pepper
Ground White Pepper

Start by preheating your oven to 425* F.

Season the Chicken: In a bowl mix 2 tbsp. kosher salt, 2 tbsp. ground BLACK pepper, 2 tbsp. garlic, 2 tbsp. smoked paprika, 2 tbsp. curry powder, and 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning. Make sure to rub the mix over the whole bird.

: Seasoned Whole Chicken
Food by Chef Aaron Masanotti. Photo © Jin Lee

Cook the Chicken: Start with a hot pan large enough to fit the whole bird. Add about a tbsp. of oil to the pan, and when hot, start to sear the bird, breast side down. You want to sear it just to get the skin crispy. You don’t want to burn it; be careful. Once the skin begins to brown, flip the bird carefully to the back. Add 3 tbslp. butter to the pan. Let butter melt and add 1 cup of water to the pan, along with ½ cup chicken stock. Let liquid come to a boil, and turn off the heat. Place remaining thyme sprigs inside cavity of bird, and a few on top of the breasts. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes.

Make sure the bird reaches an internal temperature of 165* F. Strain off jus into a small pot and hold for plating.

Prep the Squash and Onions: Peel, de-seed, and dice acorn squash into 1”x1” pieces. Clean pearl onions as well. Arrange both in a pan lined with foil. Season the squash with 2 tsp. ground star anise, 1 tbsp garlic, 1 tsp. cumin, salt and WHITE pepper. Season the onions with slices of fresh ginger, 2 tsp. coriander, 2 tsp. garlic, salt and WHITE pepper. Lay 4-5 sprigs over the onions on top of the ginger slices.

Cook the Squash and Onion: Add ½ cup of water slowly to the pan, cover with foil, and cook for 30 minutes. The veg should be tender but not mushy. Hold warm for plating.

Boil water to blanch beans and cook potato dumplings. About 2 qts. salted water for the beans, and about 4 quarts salted for the dumplings. (Water should taste slightly like...salt water!)

Bavarian Style Dumplings: Make the dumpling mix according to instructions on package. This one called for 1 egg, ¾ cup milk, 1 cup water. Mix with dry, let sit, using wet hands form golf ball sized dumplings. Boil/simmer for 20 minutes, until they float and a toothpick slides cleanly out. Hold warm for plating.

Yellow Long Beans: Blanch yellow beans in boiling salted water. Only cook until they are just tender. Strain off the water and add 1 tbsp butter, a pinch of salt, and a splash of Sherry Vinegar. Hold warm for plating.

Carve chicken as desired and plate with the squash, onions, dumplings, beans. Chef Aaron removed the legs. He also removed the breast and sliced it.

Garnish the dish the beautiful pan jus and watercress tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and lemon zest. Some aged balsamic vinegar never hurt either!

What My Love Cooks

Friday, January 24, 2014

What My Love Cooks: Chicken and Dumplings

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