Honey-Dijon Chicken with Rosemary Garlic Compound Butter

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cumin and Rosemary

So I decided to jump on the compound butter bandwagon, and create a roast chicken dish. Originally, I had planned to do a Honey-Blue chicken: brined chicken breast with a blue-cheese compound butter, honey, and hot sauce. It was my play on the traditional hot wing: butter, hot sauce, honey, blue cheese. I was all excited to do it until I went to the grocery store and couldn’t find blue cheese…ANYWHERE. Who doesn’t carry blue cheese?!? Needless to say, I abandoned the idea, determined to adapt. That’s when I came across dijon mustard, and changed gears completely.

Chicken, to me, can be incredibly bland. When you grow up on Indian food, it’s difficult to find dishes that are just as bold and flavorful as a “curry” or “tikka”. I set out to make the most flavorful, but simple chicken i could.

Rosemary and garlic, a classic combination, seemed to be the best way to go.

I made a compound butter of rosemary, garlic, crushed red chili flakes, and a little salt. Then I seasoned two chicken breasts, on the bone, with a liberal amount of salt and pepper. I spread the butter uniformly underneath the skin of the chicken, then brushed the skin with a mixture of dijon mustard and honey.  For a side-dish, I peeled and chopped sweet potatoes, red onions, and seasoned them with salt, pepper, olive oil, and smoky cumin.

I roasted the potatoes alongside the chicken, until tender and slightly caramelized. The verdict: delicous. The honey and dijon really flavored the chicken well: sweetness, saltiness, and a slight acidity. The butter made the dish incredibly rich and moist. Cutting into it was like bursting a water balloon, juices everywhere. For extra flavor, I spooned the pan-drippings over the chicken before serving it. Rich, i know, but when you’re eating white meat you need to bump up the richness.  Try my recipe below:

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts (on the bone)

2 sprigs rosemary (finely minced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

3 tablespoons softened butter (little less than 1/2 a stick)

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt plus 3/4 more

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

4 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

Ingredients for Potatoes

3/4lb sweet potatoes

1 small red onion (or 1/2 medium-large onion) large chop

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Begin by making compound butter. Simply combine two cloves minced garlic with two sprigs minced rosemary and three tablespoons softened butter. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes and mix well. Reserve. In a small bowl, combine 3/4 teaspoon salt with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Use this to season chicken breasts liberally on all sides, including under the skin. Take compound butter and spread evenly under the skin, smoothing out with your hands, reserving about a tablespoon or so to spread evenly on top of the skin. Then combine honey and dijon mustard and brush over the tops of the chicken breast. Prepare roast potatoes by peeling and chopping sweet potatoes into even chunks. Chop onion into same sized chunks and mix with potatoes, seasoning with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and black pepper. Spread over a baking sheet.

Roast chicken in a roasting pan alongside potatoes at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes or until juices run clear and browned. Tent with foil and let rest for about ten minutes before removing from bone and slicing. Spoon pan drippings over the top for extra flavor and enjoy!

Tandoori Chicken is a classic Indian restaurant favorite. It’s spicy, juicy, and a provocative red. In this recipe, drumsticks are marinated in yogurt, spices, and a mixture of what I call the Indian mirepoix: garlic, ginger, and chilies.  Served alongside red onions and large slices of lemon, this dish is perfect as an appetizer or main meal.

*Note: This preparation only serves 2-3 people as I only used 6 drumsticks. You may double the recipe but you may have to adjust the cooking time.

Ingredients:

6 drumsticks (without skin)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 inch ginger (grated)

1 green chilie (minced)

2 teaspoons tandoori masala (can be found in ethnic section of most stores)

1 teaspoon red chilie powder

1/4 cup flour

1 1/4  teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon yogurt

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

5-6 drops red food coloring (or enough to tint it red)

Method

Remove skin and clean drumsticks thoroughly under running water. Pat dry and set aside.  Then cut two to three slits into each drumstick to allow the marinade to penetrate. Prepare garlic, ginger, and chilies and toss into a mixing bowl. Then add tandoori masala, red chilie powder, yogurt, and mayonnaise. Add red food coloring and mix. Place drumsticks into a large plastic container for marinating and season with 1 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add flour and coat. Then pour in the marinade and work evenly over the meat with your hands, vigorously rubbing it in.  Allow chicken to marinate for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with oil, place drumsticks on top, and then brush with melted butter. Cook chicken for about 30-35 minutes, turning in between, or until fully cooked and tender. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top, tent the chicken with foil, and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Though the holidays are now officially over, you can still indulge until the new year.  Here is a flavorful take on a classic holiday staple: poultry and stuffing. Chicken drumsticks are seasoned with salt and pepper, smoky cumin, and then slathered with a mixture of olive oil, garlic, and rosemary. Cornbread stuffing is kicked up a notch with jalapenos and chives. Take advantage of these next few days before the New Year is upon us and the resolutions begin!

Roast Chicken with Garlic, Cumin, and Rosemary

Ingredients

About 14 chicken drumsticks

4-5 cloves garlic (minced)

3 sprigs rosemary (minced)

1/2 cup olive oil

3 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 stick melted butter

2 lemons (halved)

Method

Clean chicken by stripping skin from bone. With a sharp knife, cut 2-3 slits into each piece of meat. Season drumsticks equally on both sides with 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 1/2 tablespoon cumin. Rub seasoning over the meat until equally distributed.  Mince garlic and rosemary, and combine in bowl with olive oil. Then add remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and whisk together. Pour marinade over all of the meat and toss drumsticks until well coated. Set aside and let marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees; transfer chicken to roasting pan.  In a small bowl, melt 1/2 stick of butter and brush evenly over both sides of chicken. Cut 2 lemons into halves and place in between drumsticks. Roast chicken for about 1 hour to 1 hour fifteen minutes, and turn halfway through. When done, chicken should be browned and tender and slip easily from the bone.  Squeeze lemons and spoon pan drippings over chicken before serving.

Jalapeno Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients

1 package prepared cornbread

3 stalks celery (finely chopped)

1 small/medium yellow onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 jalapeno pepper (finely chopped)

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped chives

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 stick butter

2 tablespoons butter (for topping)

Method

Prepare one package of cornbread according to instructions (or buy store bought cornbread). Once cornbread is prepared, set aside and let cool. Once cooled, crumble cornbread into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Chop onions, celery, jalapeno pepper; mince garlic and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat 1/2 stick of butter and 1/4 cup olive oil. Once butter has melted and oil is hot, add onions and celery and jalapenos and let cook until onions are translucent. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and dash of pepper. Next, add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.  Once onions, celery, and garlic are cooked, pour contents over the crumbled cornbread. Chop parsley and chives and mix into cornbread. Then add 1 cup chicken stock. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and mix well. Once all ingredients are incorporated, transfer contents into a buttered/greased baking dish (9X8). Take remaining two tablespoons of butter and cut into tiny cubes to dot over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until top has browned.