Cooking With Joe Canal's, Part 2

When we research our partner web sites, we often come across recipes that sound so great that we just want to share. You don't need a personalized toque to cook something spectacular, and the wine pairing is usually a part of the recipe, which takes so much thinking out of the process.

In looking over sparkling wine suggestions for New Year's Eve, I found a recipe on the Domaine Carneros web site that I'll make at home soon.

Seared Chicken with Figs, Spinach and Mushrooms Topped with a Fig Coulis

4 Chicken Breast Halves - boneless
½ lbs. Button Mushrooms - halved
½ lbs. Baby Spinach - cleaned
½ lbs. Fingerling Potatoes - may sub Yukon Golds
2 cups Fresh Figs
5 Tbls Grapeseed Oil - or Olive Oil
2 Tbls Butter
½ Tbls Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbls Water
Salt And Pepper - to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the potatoes in a one-quart saucepan, cover with water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and simmer until cooked through, but not falling apart. Remove the water and cool to room temperature. Carefully remove the skin of the potatoes and cut into ¾" dice. Set aside.

Cut off the stem end of the figs, cut into quarters, and set ½ cup aside for the coulis.

Trim chicken breast of excess fat and season both sides with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, sear the chicken with its skin down in 4 ½ tbls of oil, heat on high for about 10 minutes or until well browned. Turn and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken breast from the pan and place it on a baking sheet with the skin side up, then finish in a 450 degree oven for ten minutes. Remove and let rest in a warm place.

Sauté mushrooms in hot oil with 1 tbls of salt until golden brown. Add the potatoes, the remaining figs and the butter, cook for five minutes. Add the baby spinach and stir together. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Place the mixture in the center of a plate, top with chicken breast and fig coulis.

FIG COULIS

Place the ½ cup of figs into a blender. Add water, balsamic vinegar, 1 ½ tsp of salt, and ¼ tsp of black pepper. Blend until smooth. Add ½ tbls of the grapeseed oil and blend until incorporated.

Serve on a warm plate.

Bon Appétit!

Suggested Wine: Pinot Noir

Serves:
4 guests

I do keep going back to the St. Francis Winery web site for their outstanding recipes. After all, it's hard to argue with the Open Table Best Restaurant in the US. Although I baked the chicken (wasn't exactly grilling weather), I made this last night:

Zinfandel Risotto with Grilled Chicken Breast

Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
3 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless

Preparation:

Mix together the oil, garlic, and rosemary. Marinate the breasts in the oil mixture for one hour. Season generously with salt and pepper. Grill the breast about 4 minutes on each side over a medium high flame or to desired doneness. Do not dry out the breast. Remove from flame and let cool. Thinly slice the breast widthwise.

Risotto

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
½ small yellow onion, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup Reserve Zichichi Zinfandel
¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup hot water for 15 minutes
2 quarts chicken stock, hot
1 cup frozen peas, blanched
4 strips bacon, cooked, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced, grilled chicken breast

Preparation:

In a heavy bottomed 4-quart saucepot, heat the butter over a medium high flame. Add the onions and cook a few minutes, but do not brown the onions. Add the rice and heat a few minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the wine has evaporated. Drain the water from the mushrooms into the rice. Chop the mushrooms and add them to the rice. Cook until the mushroom water has evaporated. Start adding the hot stock, about ½ cup at a time, stirring, until the stock has evaporated, then add another ½ cup. Keep stirring and adding stock until the rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. The rice should be creamy, not dry or runny. You may not need to add all the stock (Ed. note: I did). Add the peas, bacon, butter and Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the sliced chicken breast and serve with a little grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Suggested Wine: Zinfandel

Serves:
6 guests