Poulet Saute aux Herbes de Provence - Julia Child - 50 Most Influential Women in Food

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Every Friday for the next 50 weeks, a small group of kindred spirit will be exploring recipes developed by the fifty most influential women in the food world. The women were selected by the online arm of Gourmet and, to no one's surprise, Julia Child appears at the top of the list. She is legend. Her books and cooking shows brought French cooking to the American kitchen and changed the way we prepare and think about the food we eat. I count myself among those whose cooking was forever changed by her influence. I found her program, The French Chef, in 1969 while flipping through television channels.We were living in Chicago at the time and I was caring for my baby girl who was born prematurely and had a host of medical problems that needed the kind of attention only a mother can provide. Needless to say, I didn't get out a lot. I was not a young mother and had worked for years. Julia helped me deal with a classic case of cabin fever and convinced me that, if I tried, I could cook as well as she did. I love a challenge, so rather than start with something simple like a soup, my first effort was her multi-step recipe for Beef Wellington. Using her instructions, I was able to duplicate the dish and my cooking took a quantum leap. My challenge became finding recipes that were economically feasible for family meals. Chicken was a logical place to start and I slowly worked my way through all of her recipes for it. In 1969 chicken was 33 cents a pound. If you were willing to joint the bird, it could be had for the outrageous sum of 29 cents a pound. I dissembled lots of chicken back then and one of my favorite recipes was Julia's, Poulet Saute aux Herbs de Provence. It sounds fancy, but, in reality, it was nothing more than chicken sauteed in a mix of butter and herbs. The TKO came at the end of cooking, when pan juices were used to make a Béarnaise-type sauce of such merit that some would salute la belle France with a rousing chorus of La Marseillaise on tasting it. This is one of my favorite "Julia" recipes. I know those of you who can see beyond the stick of butter will love it, too. Here's the recipe and the names of the other blogs that are saluting Julia Child this Friday. Bon Appetit!

More than Burnt Toast
Eats Well with Others
A Seasonal Cook in Turkey


Poulet Saute aux Herbes de Provence - Chicken Sauteed with Herbs and Garlic in an Egg Yolk and Butter Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Julia Child

Ingredients:
1/4 pound butter
2-1/2 to 3 pounds cut-up frying chicken
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
Salt and pepper
3 cloves unpeeled garlic
2/3 cup dry white wine or 1/2 cup dry white vermouth
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry white wine or vermouth
2 tablespoons fresh minced basil, fennel fronds or parsley

Directions:
1 ) Heat butter in a large skillet until it is foaming. Add chicken pieces and saute for 7 to 8 minutes, turning often. Do not let chicken color more than a deep golden yellow. Season with herbs and salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook, uncovered, for another 20 to 25 minutes, turning 2 to 3 times, or until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Remove chicken to a warm platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
2) Mash garlic cloves with the back of a spoon. Remove peel. Add wine and boil down until reduced by half.
3) Beat egg yolks in a separate small saucepan until thick and sticky. Beat in lemon juice and wine with a whisk. Add liquid remaining in saute pan, a half teaspoon at a time, until a creamy mayonnaise sauce begins to form. Beat over very low heat until warm and thickened.. Remove from heat. Add finishing herbs and adjust to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.








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Shrimp and Corn with Fresh Basil

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I hope there are no secret rules or pledges associated with Meatless Monday. I'm going to proceed on the assumption that fish and shellfish are fair game for use by those participating in the challenge. I'll be working with shellfish today. I live in an area where frozen Alaskan shrimp are cheap and plentiful. While they're not suitable for all applications, the shrimp are perfect for budget family meals. Today's recipe takes all-American ingredients and uses a simple Asian stir-fry technique to make a wonderful family meal. This is a five ingredient recipe that actually works. Bob is always dubious about these really easy meals. I made this for his lunch today and got a high five for my efforts. While I used thawed, frozen corn to make the dish, it will be even better when fresh local corn can be used. I've adapted this recipe from one that appeared in Gourmet magazine a decade ago. I think those of you who try this, will love it. Here's the recipe that garnered me a "...this is really good!" Bon appétit.

Shrimp and Corn with Fresh Basil...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, adapted for Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 cups sweet corn, thawed if frozen
1 pound shelled large shrimp
1 bunch green onions (white and tender green), chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, then sauté or stir-fry corn and shrimp, stirring, until shrimp are cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in scallions and basil and season with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Camarones a la Mexicana - One Perfect Bite
Brined Shrimp with Jalapeno and Garlic - One Perfect Bite
Shrimp Omelet from the Pearl River Delta - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Meatless Monday at My Sweet and Savory

Lime and Coconut Chicken

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had a lovely surprise today. I, quite by chance, discovered that One Perfect Bite had been featured, along with seven other blogs, in the prestigious Food Journal News:Best of the Blogs segment. My yelp and holler nearly scared Bob to death and were admittedly undignified for a woman my age, but they were a sincere measure of my excitement and delight. Those of you who have followed my blog from its inception, know that while I'm generally modest, I occasionally succumb to what I call powder pigeon moments. This was one of them, but I recovered quickly and went on to scrub the bathroom floor. Fame is fleeting and housework is a great equalizer. Now to the real find of the day. The Journal also selects a recipe each day and today's feature looked wonderful. It was Lime and Coconut Chicken from Chaos in the Kitchen, a blog that was new to me. I linked to the blog and discovered this and other wonderful recipes. What a treat! I urge those of you who are unfamiliar with Katie's work to visit her blog. You won't be disappointed. As it happened, I had everything needed to make the dish and it became tonight's dinner. I think you will really like this chicken. Bob loved it and he isn't always easy to please. My only suggestion would be to cut back slightly on the amount of salt you use. Another afterthought regards the sauce that is used in the recipe. I would double it. Until recently, we were told that marinades could be used for saucing if they were boiled for five minutes. Apparently, the ubiquitous "they" now feel this is not sufficient to kill contaminants that might cause food poisoning. The final choice is, of course, up to you. Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Lime and Coconut Chicken...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Chaos in the Kitchen and Fine Cooking, Winter 2006

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used 1-1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
Pinch cayenne (I did not use this)
1 small fresh hot chili, such as Thai or Serrano, minced (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Fresh limes, cut into wedges

Directions:
1) Trim fat from chicken breasts. Starting on thick side of the breasts slice chicken breasts almost in half, then open each like a book. Place each open breast between two pieces of plastic wrap, wax paper or inside a large, open, Ziploc bag. Using a small heavy pan, bottle or smooth meat mallet lightly pound out each breast into even thickness.
2) Mix all remaining ingredients except fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
3) Add chicken and marinade to a large bowl or ziploc bag and chill in refrigerator for up to two hours.
4) Remove chicken from marinade. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Boil continuously for at least 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
5) In a heavy skillet or grill pan, heat a splash of oil over high heat. Cook chicken in batches to prevent over crowding in pan. Place breasts in the hot pan and cook without turning for a couple minutes. Flip breasts over and cook until other side is golden, it shouldn’t take long depending on the thickness of your chicken.
6) Place cooked breasts on a plate in a warm oven or under foil while cooking next batch.
7) Sprinkle with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve sauce separately. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Yucatan-Style Chicken, Lime and Orzo Soup - One Perfect Bite
Tom Kah Gai - One Perfect Bite
Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary - One Perfect Bite

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday