Salt Baked Chickens With Spring Vegetable And Mushroom Ragout Recipes

MUSHROOM AND SPRING VEGETABLE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Cut asparagus just below the tips, then on an angle at 1/4-inch intervals, discarding the woody part at the bottom. Set aside.
• Bring water to a simmer and add 2 teaspoons of the salt. Keep on a low simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and browned. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, add another 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat and let brown slightly until nutty. Add the shallot to the pot and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir so that it is coated with the butter and glossy, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add the vermouth and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it is absorbed by the rice. Add the thyme springs. Ladle in about 1/2 cup of the simmering water and stir constantly, until the rice again absorbs the liquid, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Continue ladling in about 1/2 cup of water at a time, stirring between additions and letting the rice absorb the liquid before adding more.
• When rice has absorbed about half the water (about 10 minutes into cooking process), stir in lemon zest. Continue stirring and adding water, 5 minutes more. Add asparagus. When rice is tender but al dente, after 20 or so minutes of cooking time, stop adding water. Vigorously beat in the remaining butter and cheese. Add the mushrooms, peas and lemon juice and stir just until heated through. Remove from heat. Let risotto rest for a minute or so before serving. Divide among 4 warm bowls, grind a generous amount of pepper over each, and serve.

SPRING CHICKEN RAGU

Steps:

• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add chicken, and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides, about 7 minutes total.
• Add stock and tomatoes, bring to a boil, and cover. Cook on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes; remove chicken, and set aside.
• Add carrots to skillet, and cook, covered, until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, leeks, and peas, and cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, pull chicken from bone, and shred into large bite-size pieces. Return chicken to skillet, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Garnish with sprigs of parsley, if desired.

EASY SPRING VEGETABLE RAGOUT

Steps:

• Soak leeks in cold water for 5 minutes; lift out and drain. Repeat until no grit remains on bottom of bowl. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-highheat. Add leeks and salt and sauteuntil leeks are tender, about 2 minutes. Stirin asparagus, then water. Simmer coveredfor 2 minutes. Add snap peas and radishes,cover, and simmer for 2 minutes more.
• Stir in mustard until well combined, then swirl in butter and herbs. Serve immediately.

SALT-BAKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the salt in a heavy pot with a lid, slightly larger than the chicken. Place the pot, uncovered, over medium heat until the salt is very hot, stirring from time to time, about 30 minutes.
• Scoop most of the salt into a large bowl, leaving a 1 1/2-to-2-inch layer of salt in the bottom of the pot. Place the chicken over the salt layer, breast side up. Spoon the remaining salt over and around the chicken, so that it is completely buried in salt.
• Cover the pot with the lid. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours. Scrape the salt from the chicken and remove from the pot. Wipe off as much of the salt as possible and let stand for 10 minutes. Carve the chicken and serve.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH WHITE BEAN AND MUSHROOM RAGOUT

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°F In skillet over medium heat, heat 1/4 cup of oil. Season the chicken well, on both sides, w/ salt n' pepper and place in pan skin down. Brown evenly and turn over and sear flesh side. Place skillet in oven and cook chicken until done (about 12 to 14 minutes). Set aside and keep warm.
• For White Bean Ragout:
• Strain water from presoaked beans. In a medium pot, add beans, crushed garlic, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 sprig of thyme, bay leaf and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until beans are almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add the onion, carrots and mushrooms and cook until veggies are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. When veggies and beans are tender, remove from heat. Strain off cooking liquid and reserve it.
• To finish, take 4 cups of the liquid and place in small pot, whisk in 2 Tbsp of butter and season with salt n' pepper. Finely chop remaining 2 sprigs of rosemary and 2 sprigs of thyme, and add the chopped herbs to cooking liquid.
• In 4 large bowls add 1/2 cup of cooking liquid in each bowl. Place a small amount of the bean and mushroom mixture in the center of the bowl. Finally, place the chicken breast atop the white bean mixture.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SPRING VEGETABLES AND LEMON-HONEY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third of oven so vertical chicken will not touch top of oven.
• Place removable insert from angel food cake pan (or use commercial roasting stand) in a 10" shallow pan (like a deep dish pie plate).
• Prepare chicken, trimming off all fat.
• Rub the chicken with oil, season with paprika, salt and pepper inside and out.
• Prop chicken, with legs down, on the tube of the cake pan insert, or vertical roaster.
• Toss prepared vegetables with oil, salt and pepper; keeping asparagus separate from potatoes and carrots.
• Arrange potatoes and carrots around the base of the chicken, then roast for 30 minutes.
• For the basting liquid, combine honey and lemon juice.
• After the chicken has roasted 30 minutes, brush it with some of the mixture.
• Add asparagus to pan, then roast 15 more minutes.
• Baste a second time, then roast chicken until it reached an internal temperature of 170 degrees in the thigh, about 15 more minutes.
• Allow chicken to rest 15 minutes before carving.
• While chicken is resting, prepare the sauce.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté shallots and ginger in 1 TBS unsalted butter, cooking till soft.
• Add broth, wine, lemon juice, and honey.
• Simmer 15 minutes, or until reduced by half.
• Strain into a clean saucepan.
• Whisk in cream; bring to a boil.
• Mash 1 TBS unsalted butter and flour together.
• Add butter and flour mixture to finish the sauce and cook until slightly thickened.
• Stir in lemon zest, chives, and seasoning just before serving.
• Serve sauce over chicken and veggies.