Lemon and Herb Grilled Chicken

At the time I was writing what we might call "classic" No Free Lunch, I did not marinate much. Back then, I did not plan my meals far enough in advance. Additionally, marinating is a lot harder to experiment with, as you can't make adjustments partway through. Because of this, knowledge of flavor combinations is essential to crafting a good marinade. Recently, though, I've been playing around with marinades a lot more, to some pretty tasty results. Looking at other recipes before starting is always a good idea. I like to begin by consulting the mighty Bittman, then heading to Google.

Today's recipe employs a Mediterranean-inspired marinade that is a great way to use fresh summer herbs from the garden. The marinade is by no means an exact science, and you can easily substitute other herbs or ingredients to your liking. The finished chicken is quite versatile, and can go well with pasta, potatoes, or in a sandwich. Today, I ate them with some sautéed spinach and onions.

Ingredients

• 8 pieces bone-in chicken (recommended: thighs)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lemons
• Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley and basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Assemble the marinade in a gallon-size bag. Mince the garlic, roughly chop the fresh herbs, and squeeze out the lemons into the bag. After combining all ingredients, mix it up a bit and add the chicken pieces. You can do this either leaving the skin on or taking it off. Leaving the skin on will give you some crunch on the chicken, so I left it on this time (see grilling tips below for caveats). Marinate in refrigerator for a few hours.

Several minutes ahead of cooking, preheat the grill. Removing from the marinade, place the chicken on the top rack. Grill until cooked through, about 30 minutes, with the cover closed, turning over once.

Tips for Grilling Chicken

Grilling chicken provides a unique challenge, quite different from grilling pork or beef. With red meats, the trick is essentially to char the outside before the inside gets overcooked, but with chicken, it is the opposite. Especially with skin-on chicken, a lot of grease will drip down and cause big fires in the grill that shoot up even to the top rack. This can turn your chicken an unappetizing black in a hurry.

There are a few techniques you can use to prevent this. The first thing to do is simply to check the grill frequently, monitoring both for fires and the interior temperature. I like to keep it around 350 degrees; to cool it off, just leave the top open for a short time. The best way to prevent, or at least mitigate fires is to push all the chicken over to one side and turn the gas off on that side, as shown in the photo. You can leave the grill like this for a while, and then turn the heat on under the chicken later to get some char on the outside as desired. Note also that grilling sausage, such as bratwurst, has largely the same pitfalls as chicken.

Learning to grill is all about being flexible, and requires a lot more attention and adjustment than using the oven, so you always need to be ready to move the meat around or adjust the heat. Learning the quirks of a particular grill is also important. Mine, for example, is hotter in the back-left area. Finally, remember that there's no shame in burning a few; it's all part of the process. I will admit that even today, not all of them turned out as nicely as the two in the photo!

Easy Chicken Cassoulet

It's that time of year again, folks, and of course, I mean it's Bastille Day. Is there any better way to celebrate than by storming our hunger? Non. This dish is essentially a simplified and easy-to-make version of cassoulet, with inexpensive and relatively easily found ingredients. Along with some variants, it has become one of the most common and favorite meals in our house, where it is simply known as "beans." 

The basic formula lends itself to variation, substitutions, and experimentation for many bean-based dishes; the recipe here is really just a suggestion. Swapping the mustard for some garam masala and coconut milk puts an Asian spin on the dish, for example. Different meats (duck, of course, among others) or different types of beans can work well, too. If changing the bean type, you should be careful to stick with beans that hold their shape well after a long cooking time. Any type of kidney bean, as well as chickpeas fit the bill nicely.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs, skin removed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced
• 1/2 tbs butter
• Olive oil
• 2 cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/2 large lemon
• 1 sprig fresh parsley, removed from stem
• 1 bay leaf
• Herbes de Provence
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Flour or Wondra for thickening

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat a bit of olive oil on medium-high heat. Rub both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken on both sides, then remove from the pot and set aside. Add butter and more olive oil as needed. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and sausage. Cook the mixture until the vegetables become soft. Salt and pepper to your preference.

Next, add the chicken back in, along with the beans and chicken stock. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the pot, then stir in mustard, parsley, Herbes de Provence (a few good shakes), and bay leaf. Finally, add the thickening agent. If using Wondra, a few generous shakes is sufficient; if using flour, mix with water first. Stir thoroughly. I have also had some success with, in addition to the lemon juice, putting a piece of lemon rind in the pot before baking. I used the rind from a quarter of the lemon here. 

Ready to reduce

Put the pot in the oven and bake for about 1 hour. It is recommended to stir a few times and taste during baking. If the dish is not thickened to your liking after 1 hour of baking, you can remove the chicken and then reduce the liquid on the stovetop on high heat. I generally do this for at least 5 minutes. At the end, you should always be sure to taste and add salt or pepper if needed.

Blended Coffee Drinks

Those who know me well probably think I am something of a coffee purist. They are probably right, but these same people also know how much I love slushies, and so we have my secret summer weakness, the blended coffee drink. They have certainly been the object of more than a few Starbucks runs the last few months, and I eventually started experimenting with making them myself. I have begun to appreciate having control over the strength of the coffee, and even more so the amount of sugar. This is a basic recipe that I have nailed down over a few tries, and it certainly lends itself to variations, if that's what you're into. It's a great way to enjoy relaxing outdoors in the warmer months.

This blog is not affiliated with the
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.

Ingredients

• 6 ice cubes
• 1/2 cup espresso or very strong coffee
• 2 tbs half and half
• 2-3 tsp sugar, to taste

Instructions

Prepare the coffee ahead of time and chill in the refrigerator. The coffee needs to be very strong, as the ice dilutes it quite a bit. I use my Vesuviana espresso maker, and it works great for this. A Moka pot would likely also give the strength you need for this. Another option would be to cold brew a long period.

Place the ice cubes in a blender and pulse on "ice crush" until the cubes are pulverized into a snow-like texture. Pour in the coffee and half and half. Add sugar to taste. This will, of course, vary to your liking, but I like about 3 teaspoons for this drink. This is still a lot less sweet than the commercial drinks. Blend to a smooth consistency, which does not take long.

Pour into a glass and serve with a straw. This makes enough to fill a large tumbler, about the same as a can of beer. One thing to watch out for is separation, as the ice will naturally float towards the top. Finely pulverizing the ice seems to mitigate this problem, but I do recommend stirring frequently or drinking it "like a trombone."