eG Foodblog: Marlene Maple Leaves, Bacon & Pecans - A Canadian go

[Abra]

Marlene, congratulations on your pizza success! See, we knew you could do it. Next time try cranking your oven up as high as it will go - mine goes a little over 500. It's traditional to cook pizza fast and furious. And let the stone heat for an hour before you put the dough on it. You want it blazing hot too. Now admit it, wasn't that fun?

[Dave the Cook]

Are DtheC's and MM's chicken recipes here on the site somewheres?

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Mine is:

Fried chicken (adapted for deep frying)

1 3-1/2 pound chicken, cut into ten pieces: two legs, two thighs, two wings, two breasts halved crosswise; skin intact if possible

1 quart low-fat cultured buttermilk

1C Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 3/4 C Morton’s kosher salt, or 1/2 C table salt; it really doesn’t matter, except kosher salt dissolves easier)

2T lemon juice

1t pepper sauce

2-3T seasoning mix (see below)

2C flour

1. Pour one quart very hot tap water in a large bowl. Whisk in the salt, lemon juice and pepper sauce. Add one quart of ice water, and stir to blend.

2. Place chicken in brine for three hours, turning pieces every 45 minutes.

3. Drain chicken and rinse. Pour buttermilk into bowl, and add chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least six hours, and up to 24. Turn chicken every once in a while.

4. Drain chicken in a colander -- but don't rinse it -- then lay out on a rack over a sheet pan (or lay the rack right over the sink, if you can).

5. Start heating the oil to 365 F. Put the flour in a heavy paper bag (authentic) or a zip-lock bag (easier). Get another rack and sheet pan ready, or lay out a good-sized sheet of waxed paper or parchment.

6. Sprinkle the chicken with seasoning mix on all sides.

7. Two or three pieces at a time, either drop the chicken in the bag and shake to coat. As each piece is floured, remove it to the second rack or the paper.

8. Heat oven to 170 F, and set a sheet pan with a rack on the middle oven rack. (If you’re like most people, you’ll have to wash and dry the first one.)

9. When the chicken is dry (or nearly so) and the oil is hot, fry the chicken three or four pieces (as long as the fryer isn’t crowded) at a time, about 15 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160 F for breasts, and 170 F for thighs. Fry the thighs and legs first, then breasts, then wings. As the pieces are done, put them on the rack in the oven, and leave the oven door open a crack.

Seasoning mix

2 T sweet paprika

1 t kosher salt

1 t ground ancho chile

1 t ground black pepper

1/2 t dried thyme

1/2 t cayenne

1/2 t granulated garlic

1/2 t granulated onion

Note for Marlene: always refrigerate when brining.

Another note for Marlene: I made some changes since I sent this to you, so read carefully.

Last note for Marlene: you can substitute a decent chili powder for the ancho.

[Dave the Cook]

If you have a splatter screen, just tear off a hunk of parchment paper and cover it.  Wrap the paper willy-nilly around the handle so you can hold onto the screen and the parchment.  Put your shaped dough on there and then it is easy to slide it onto the hot stone.  Make sure, just before you transfer it, that the dough moves easily on the parchment.  If you don't have a splatter screen then it should work just as well on the bottom side of a very large skillet.  That is my peel.

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Brilliant.

I'm very impressed with your pizza, Marlene. Of course, never having done it successfully myself, I'm easily impressed.

[jschyun]

I've never made pizza before either. Reading the books, I thought it was too much bother and needing to get things I don't have, like pizza peel. Spatter screen is pretty brilliant.

Hey, that pizza face has one ear. Van Gogh pizza?

[Marlene]

Marlene, congratulations on your pizza success!  See, we knew you could do it.  Next time try cranking your oven up as high as it will go - mine goes a little over 500.  It's traditional to cook pizza fast and furious.  And let the stone heat for an hour before you put the dough on it.  You want it blazing hot too.  Now admit it, wasn't that fun?

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It was a lot of fun! And it was more fun because y'all helped. I did let the pizza stone heat up for a while, but obviously not at a high enough heat. It was still good though.

[Marlene]

Note for Marlene: always refrigerate when brining.

Sure, now you tell me.

Another note for Marlene: I made some changes since I sent this to you, so read carefully.

What!  I've been studying this all night.

Last note for Marlene: you can substitute a decent chili powder for the ancho.

Good thing, since I can't find it anywhere up here.

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[Marlene]

If you have a splatter screen, just tear off a hunk of parchment paper and cover it.  Wrap the paper willy-nilly around the handle so you can hold onto the screen and the parchment.  Put your shaped dough on there and then it is easy to slide it onto the hot stone.  Make sure, just before you transfer it, that the dough moves easily on the parchment.  If you don't have a splatter screen then it should work just as well on the bottom side of a very large skillet.  That is my peel.

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Brilliant.

I'm very impressed with your pizza, Marlene. Of course, never having done it successfully myself, I'm easily impressed.

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Hero, if you're impressed, I'm thrilled.

I've never made pizza before either.  Reading the books, I thought it was too much bother and needing to get things I don't have, like pizza peel.  Spatter screen is pretty brilliant.

Hey, that pizza face has one ear.  Van Gogh pizza?

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It had two ears, but I think Ryan ate one.

Since dinner, Ryan has eaten a banana, a chocolate bar, a shortbread, a huge bowl of fruit, and now he says he's hungry again. I'm surprised his teeth are still straight. That retainer never spends any time in his mouth.

I've brined the chicken, and now it's soaking in buttermilk (Dave's chicken). I've got Brooks' chicken soaking in ice water and baking powder.

I've decalcified my coffee maker. I do this about every 3 months when I change the filter.

I've taken the turkey out of the freezer to start thawing.

I'm now having a nice glass of wine and thinking about how to manage everything tomorrow. Don has promised to be home in time to man the deep fryer, while I man the skillet, so that should help.

I can't wait to do this next experiment!

[Betts]

Well done on the pizza and the photos.

When my son was about the age of your's, we frequently did mass pizza feeds for his friends - make up a double or triple recipe of dough, get a good assortment of toppings and make an assembly line. With a really hot oven you can crank one out every 8-10 minutes and can accomodate about every taste.

You can get really creative with all the leftover bits of vegs and cheese in the frig - my personal fav - alfredo sauce( jar type), fresh tomato slices and proscuitto ( add after it comes out).

[Marlene]

Bedtime folks. Think breakfast. Think French toast, bacon, coffee.

Think fried chicken competition. Choose your side, place bets, come one come all!

see you in the morning

[Priscilla]

Are DtheC's and MM's chicken recipes here on the site somewheres?

←

Mine is:

Fried chicken (adapted for deep frying)

1 3-1/2 pound chicken, cut into ten pieces: two legs, two thighs, two wings, two breasts halved crosswise; skin intact if possible

1 quart low-fat cultured buttermilk

1C Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 3/4 C Morton’s kosher salt, or 1/2 C table salt; it really doesn’t matter, except kosher salt dissolves easier)

2T lemon juice

1t pepper sauce

2-3T seasoning mix (see below)

2C flour

1. Pour one quart very hot tap water in a large bowl. Whisk in the salt, lemon juice and pepper sauce. Add one quart of ice water, and stir to blend.

2. Place chicken in brine for three hours, turning pieces every 45 minutes.

3. Drain chicken and rinse. Pour buttermilk into bowl, and add chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least six hours, and up to 24. Turn chicken every once in a while.

4. Drain chicken in a colander -- but don't rinse it -- then lay out on a rack over a sheet pan (or lay the rack right over the sink, if you can).

5. Start heating the oil to 365 F. Put the flour in a heavy paper bag (authentic) or a zip-lock bag (easier). Get another rack and sheet pan ready, or lay out a good-sized sheet of waxed paper or parchment.

6. Sprinkle the chicken with seasoning mix on all sides.

7. Two or three pieces at a time, either drop the chicken in the bag and shake to coat. As each piece is floured, remove it to the second rack or the paper.

8. Heat oven to 170 F, and set a sheet pan with a rack on the middle oven rack. (If you’re like most people, you’ll have to wash and dry the first one.)

9. When the chicken is dry (or nearly so) and the oil is hot, fry the chicken three or four pieces (as long as the fryer isn’t crowded) at a time, about 15 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160 F for breasts, and 170 F for thighs. Fry the thighs and legs first, then breasts, then wings. As the pieces are done, put them on the rack in the oven, and leave the oven door open a crack.

Seasoning mix

2 T sweet paprika

1 t kosher salt

1 t ground ancho chile

1 t ground black pepper

1/2 t dried thyme

1/2 t cayenne

1/2 t granulated garlic

1/2 t granulated onion

Note for Marlene: always refrigerate when brining.

Another note for Marlene: I made some changes since I sent this to you, so read carefully.

Last note for Marlene: you can substitute a decent chili powder for the ancho.

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Many thanks, DtheC. Now if only MM's would appear just as magically, for following along Marlene's fryfest.

(Splatter screens? I have never had a splatter screen. However I have two workhorse pizza peels more than 15 years old, one wood, one metal. How good are splatter screens at containing splatter?)

Marlene, your pizza looked stupendous.

[Rachel Perlow]

Excellent job on the pizza, Marlene. Like others have said, the oven needs to be hotter, but I'm not sure that you need to heat the oven for an hour before starting. I suppose it depends on your oven and how long it takes to get to heat. I'd say double that to preheat the stone sufficiently.

(Splatter screens?  I have never had a splatter screen.  However I have two workhorse pizza peels more than 15 years old, one wood, one metal.  How good are splatter screens at containing splatter?)

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They are good at that. I usually use it when I make tomato sauce to keep the "bloops" from splashing on the stove. And I ALWAYS use it when frying (deep or shallow) to keep from being burned by oil pops. Like when I was making latkes, there's quite a bit of liquid in the batter and that causes lots of oil pops. So, I'd add a handful of batter with one hand and hold the spatter shield in the other, ready to put it back on top of the skillet immediately. You still get some oil mess around the skillet, but it does contain those nasty pops.

[Marlene]

Morning. I trust y'all slept well? Of course the lad is still asleep, which gives me time to ply myself with coffee while I decide on breafast. I had thought perhaps french toast and bacon, but I may save that for tomorrow for a couple of reasons. Ryan is having a friend sleep over tonight, and it would make a good breakfast for both of them in the morning, and also we are now under a winter storm watch in which we are expected to get 15-25 cm of snow overnight and into the morning, making it a distinct possibility that my husband will be forced to remain at home as well.

Today will be a day then to make sure I've enough supplies to start doing some of the Christmas and boxing day dinner preps, I want to get to those rum balls today as well.

I've got to go turn the various chicken pieces and then more coffee. I'll be back.

[Rachel Perlow]

Since dinner, Ryan has eaten a banana, a chocolate bar, a shortbread, a huge bowl of fruit, and now he says he's hungry again.  I'm surprised his teeth are still straight.  That retainer never spends any time in his mouth.

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Sounds like he's about to have a growth spurt. Wasn't there a thread recently about teenage boys eating their parents out of house and home?

[Marlene]

Since dinner, Ryan has eaten a banana, a chocolate bar, a shortbread, a huge bowl of fruit, and now he says he's hungry again.  I'm surprised his teeth are still straight.  That retainer never spends any time in his mouth.

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Sounds like he's about to have a growth spurt. Wasn't there a thread recently about teenage boys eating their parents out of house and home?

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Oh there's no end to this child's growing, but he eats like that all the time. He's always been a bit of a "grazer". When he was younger, I couldn't get him to sit still long enough to eat a full meal. He'd have a couple of bites, be off to explore something and come back to his plate. Dinner for him could usually take a couple of hours easily!

[Safran]

Good morning Marlene,

Nice, nice pizza! Wait till you branch out and try all kinds of ingredients!

So today, it's the chicken? I'll be paying attention because I've never prepared it this way. This will be a cooking lesson for me.

BTW, we're expecting 30 cm tomorrow...I'll be close to my stove also.

[Marlene]

Good morning Marlene,

Nice, nice pizza!  Wait till you branch out and try all kinds of ingredients! 

So today, it's the chicken?  I'll be paying attention because I've never prepared it this way.  This will be a cooking lesson for me.

BTW, we're expecting 30 cm tomorrow...I'll be close to my stove also.

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I had so much fun doing the pizza, that I'll be trying it again next week some time. I wanted to concentrate on getting the technique right before worrying to puch about toppings and ingredients. And although Ryan is branching out in terms of his eating, there are still some things he's adamant about. Pizza toppings are one of them.

I'm looking forward to the chicken experiment. I have never fried chicken skillet or deep fried. I have to confess I've always been a Shake and Bake chicken kind of girl. I've done it in the oven with cornflake crumbs once or twice but that doesn't really count as fried chicken does it?

So fried chicken experts, chime in today with your tips etc. Remember, this is interactive. And lord knows, I need all the help I can get.

[Rachel Perlow]

Wasn't there a thread recently about teenage boys eating their parents out of house and home?

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Found it: Feeding a Bottomless Pit

[arbuclo]

I've never made fried chicken before and I am SO looking to forward to your chicken experiment, Marlene. Are you going to have ratings categories for the chicken? For instance rate 1-5, crispness, tenderness, flavour, ease of recipe...?

[Marlene]

I've never made fried chicken before and I am SO looking to forward to your chicken experiment, Marlene.  Are you going to have ratings categories for the chicken?  For instance rate 1-5, crispness, tenderness, flavour, ease of recipe...?

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I think that's a great idea! Let's develop a ratings list shall we?

[lovebenton0]

# 1 tip on pan frying chicken: Do not allow the oil to cool down far off the optimum temp. Chicken will be greasy if the temp is not high enough.

# 2 No crowding!

# 3 If the crispies in the pan from the breading start to darken scoop them out of there!

BTW the pizza looked great. I think you'll be even happier if the crust is rolled thinner and the oven is cranked up to 500 F or higher. Don't be concerned about a few overly dark spots on the edge of the crust.

In a former lifetime my ex and I threw big pizza parties all the time. He learned as a kid working a small pizza shop in Chicago area -- very thin crust pizza. We'd crank that old Chambers range as high as it would go!

[highchef]

Ya'll work too hard, I'm going back to bed...great pizza's !.. When my 3 boys wake up it'll be ham and bisquits, eggs and gravy. Man talk about eat! The oldest is 6'2 and going and the 14 year old is about to shoot.. I can tell by his eating. The little un is 'only' 10 and is already bigger than the middle kid...all boys. man.. the best deal in the world is the school lunch program!

[phifly04]

Gotta have some biscuits to go with Southern Fried Chicken ,i found these to be light and delicious

2 cups AP Flour

1tsp. sugar

2 tsp.baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp.salt

1/3 cup Crisco

1 cup buttermilk

method::::::::::::::::

preheat the oven to 425F

1.sift the flour,salt,sugar and baking powder and soda together-sift 3 times

2.combine crisco into flour mixture till the mixture is about pea size

3.add buttermilk and combine lightly till dough forms a sticky ball

4.generously flour your work surface and transfer ball,knead it front to back about 9 times

5.pat it out to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out your biscuits with a 2 inch biscuit cutter

6.gather up scrap dough and keep cutting out biscuits

7.bake for 11 minutes and serve with your wonderful chicken!!!

Dave s

[Marlene]

Ryan has rolled out of bed, but informs me he's not hungry yet. (Must be coming down with something. ). He wants the French Toast tomorrow with his friend. He can fend for himself for breakfast although I shudder to think what he might have.

In the meantime, I can get started. I've turned the chicken pieces, (I'm sure Brooks will post his recipe here soon. ), and I'm going to start on making rum balls. I'd like to get truffles in today too if I can.

I love the biscuts idea. I'll make them up this afternoon then warm them in the oven while the chickens are frying.

So what should be on our criteria list for rating the chickens?

[Marlene]

Another note for Marlene: I made some changes since I sent this to you, so read carefully.

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What exactly did you change?

Rum balls are made, truffles are up next. But not likely until I've picked up Ryan's friend. then biscuts.

I think Ryan had a toaster strudel for breakfast. Strawberry though, since I do draw the line at chocolate at the breakfast table. Naturally, the boys will be hungry when we get back here, so it will likely be grilled cheese sandwhiches for lunch.

Coffee, I need more coffee.

[Dave the Cook]

Another note for Marlene: I made some changes since I sent this to you, so read carefully.

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What exactly did you change?

I cleared up a sequencing problem in steps 3 and 4, plus I added the bit about not rinsing the buttermilk off. Something weird and colloidal happens to the buttermilk overnight, and it becomes viscous and sticky. This lets you get excellent flour adhesion without an egg wash (which is usually not a good thing for deep frying, in my book).

I also clarified the flouring procedure. You would think I could give instructions for dropping things into a bag and shaking without screwing them up, but alas, not without rewriting, it seems.