Roasted-Grilled Barbecue Chicken →

Every grill-master has his/her own preferred way to grill chicken. For cooks who prefer to grill boneless, skinless chicken, the most common method is to season the chicken and cook it on a hot grill over direct heat, turning it frequently to avoid burning it. This method requires attention and timing to prevent undercooking the chicken, or turning out carbonized, dry chunks of what was supposed to be delicious, juicy grilled chicken. For cooks who prefer the flavor of bone-in chicken with skin intact, another popular way to grill chicken is to sear the chicken on a hot grill over direct heat and then move the pieces to a part of the grill with indirect heat, essentially roasting the chicken in the closed grill before finishing it over direct heat to crisp up the skin and caramelize the barbecue sauce. This method is time-consuming, but with much attention and practice, it will produce excellent barbecue chicken. For those of us who prefer the flavor of skin-on, bone-in grilled chicken and want to spend more time visiting with our guests rather than tending to flare-ups on the grill, try seasoning the chicken and roasting it ahead of time in a 400 F. oven for about 40 minutes until the skin is crispy.  Brush on the sauce and finish the chicken on the grill in less than 10 minutes. Easy peasy with reliable results! Your dinner guests will appreciate you. (Note: If you don’t grill in cold weather, brush the sauce over the chicken while in the oven and remove once your Insta-read thermometer reaches 160-165 F. and the sauce has begun to caramelize. Remove from the oven and tent for 5-10 minutes.)

Ingredients
·   1-2 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and breasts per person (preferably air-chilled chicken)
·   Salt and pepper to taste
·   Garlic powder
·   Fresh lemon juice
·   Asian Barbecue Sauce (see below) 

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice.
2. Place the chicken pieces on a grate on a sheet pan and roast for about 40 minutes or until the skin is crispy and brown. Preheat your grill.
3.  Once the skin is nice and crispy, remove the sheet pan from the oven and brush on your barbecue sauce of choice. Cover the sheet pan with tin foil and set aside for up to an hour. Finish the chicken on the preheated grill turning and brushing on more sauce as desired until the sauce is caramelized on both sides. (3-5 minutes per side)

Asian-Style Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
-3/4 cup ketchup
-3/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
-1 cup packed brown sugar
-1/3 cup sake (you can sub dry-sherry if you don’t have sake)
-3 teaspoons sesame oil
-1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root (use a micro-plane, or finely mince by hand)
-2 teaspoons grated garlic 

Preparation
1. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients. Reserve 1 cup for basting; cover and refrigerate the extra sauce. (This recipe yields more sauce than you will need to barbecue chicken for 4-6 people. The extra sauce will keep refrigerated in a closed glass jar for at least a week.)

Wine:
White wines: Grüner Veltliner, Vermentino, Pinot Gris, Albarino, Viognier; Red wines: Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Gamay , Rosé

Chicken Fricassee with Wild Mushrooms →

In culinary terminology, a “fricassee” is a dish of pan-fried meat or pieces of poultry served with a pan sauce comprised of aromatics and often mushrooms. This comforting dish comes together quickly and is easy enough to make mid-week for the family, yet elegant enough to serve company. The combination of wild mushrooms, tomatoes, white wine, both beef and chicken stock, heavy cream, and herbs of your choice, produces a deliciously rich sauce full of umami that is sure to please your family or guests. I hope you enjoy it.

Chicken Fricassee with Wild Mushrooms
Serves 4
Ingredients:

• ¼ cup butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (EVOO)

• 4 boneless chicken thighs

• 6 ounces of wild mushrooms chopped (shiitake, maitake, cremini, chanterelle, oyster, etc.)

• 1 large shallot chopped

• 1-2 teaspoons of herbs de Provence (equal measures of summer savory, dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, and fennel seed.)

• garlic powder

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 1 cup beef stock

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup of peeled, diced tomatoes

• salt and pepper

• chopped fresh parsley for garnish 

Preparation:

1. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper, garlic powder, and herbs de Provence.

2. In a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon of EVOO and brown the chicken on both sides. Remove the chicken to a platter and tent.

3. Add the chopped shallot and mushrooms and sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms have released their water and just begin to brown. If the skillet starts to burn, add a small amount of liquid to allow the mushrooms to finish cooking. Remove the sauteed mixture to a bowl and reserve.

4. Add the wine, tomatoes, and both stocks to the pan, bring to a boil, and reduce to about ¾ cup.

5. Add the heavy cream and stir to mix; add the mushrooms and mix; add the chicken and simmer (don’t boil) for a few minutes until thoroughly heated through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your taste. Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley. 

Wine pairing: white wines with body and good acid to balance the richness of the sauce; un-oaked Chardonnay, Chablis, Soave, Vernaccia, Albariño, or Viognier. A chilled Rosé might also be a nice choice.

Adapted from a recipe from Bon Appétit special edition on recipes of Spain, May 1992