Another long-promised recipe, this was my first attempt at making Buffalo wing sauce. Rather than tossing chicken wings in it, however, I slathered it over chicken breasts and made what was, quite possibly, the best-tasting spicy chicken sandwich I've ever had.
1/2 cup butter 1 cup Frank's red hot sauce 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4 wheat buns 4 slices cheddar cheese 1/2 red onion, sliced
Barbecue or broil chicken breasts.
In large pot, combine butter, hot sauce and cayenne pepper; bring to boil.
No, this isn't something I actually cooked. But all signs point to it being a legitimate kitchen technique. That's right, salmon poached in a dishwasher. Again, for the record, I haven't tried this recipe. I doubt I ever will. I'm barely confident enough with my oven; I'm not quite ready to start improvising. Despite the fact that Dishwasher Salmon has apparently been making the rounds on the internet - as well as the Food Network program The Surreal Gourmet - for quite some time, the recipe was too bizarre not to share.
1 Tbsp olive oil 4 6-oz salmon fillets 4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Preparation is as follows:
Cut two 12-inch square sheets of aluminum foil Grease the shiny side of the foil with the oil. Place 2 fillets side by side on each square and fold up the outer edges. Drizzle 1 tablespoon lime juice over each fillet. Season with salt and pepper. Fold and pinch the aluminum foil extra tightly to create a watertight seal around each pair of fillets. Make sure the packet is airtight by pressing down on it gently with your hand. If air escapes easily, rewrap. Place foil packets on the top rack of the dishwasher. Run dishwasher for the entire "normal" cycle. When cycle is complete, take out salmon, discard foil, place one fillet on each plate, and spoon a generous serving of dill sauce over top.
Piquant Dill Sauce
1 Tbsp butter 1 leek, white part only, finely chopped, then thoroughly washed 1 shallot, minced 1 jalapeño chili, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup chicken stock 1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh dill, stems removed before measuring 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 3 Tbsp sour cream
Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the leek, shallot, jalapeño, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the leeks and shallots are translucent—but not brown. Reduce heat to medium and add the stock. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. (Adjust heat as required to maintain simmer.) The liquid should reduce by half. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to a blender or food processor and add the dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Puree until smooth. Reserve and reheat just before serving. Stir in the sour cream at the last minute.
For those of you who feel that seeing is believing, here's a clip.
So...are you looking for a way to impress the guests at your next dinner party?
As promised some three weeks ago, here's my recipe for Zuppa Toscana. And by "my recipe", I mean that it's the recipe I used. I am in no way responsible for inventing this recipe, nor did I have a hand in duplicating the hard work done by Olive Garden. No, I merely did an internet search, found the recipe, purchased the ingredients and cooked it. Incidentally, the recipe I used can be found here.
1 lb Italian sausage 1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers 1 large diced white onion 4 Tbsp bacon or pancetta 2 tsp pureed garlic 10 cups water 5 cubes chicken bouillon 1 cup heavy cream 1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or 3 large potatoes 1/4 bunch kale
Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in large pot. Drain excess fat and refrigerate.
In same pot, sauté bacon/pancetta, onions and garlic approximately 15 minutes or until onions are soft.
Mix chicken bouillon and water, and add it to onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.
Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
Toss chicken breasts in and coat.
Serve on buns with cheese and sliced onion.
