Monday, January 29, 2018

DRIVEBY Method recipe for the best crispy chicken thighs you'll eat

This is one of those quickie drive by method rather than recipe posts. This doesn't need amounts, it's a how to cook it, measurements aren't required.  Cook what you have, only a few? cook them in a smaller pan.  Got a ton to feed, use a gigantic pan.  I'm all about the easy way out here.

 My local grocery store has chicken thighs on sale frequently.  The bone in, skin on, chicken thighs are the tastiest bit of the chicken, the most tender and has the worst PR.  You can't overcook it, it is delicious, juicy and if you aren't a fan, try it again.

DRIVE BY RECIPE; TRACY'S DELICIOUS CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS (oven method)


INGREDIENTS and METHOD

chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
salt, pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Trim excess fat and skin from the thighs but leave enough skin to  cover and protect the meat.
Season both sides with salt and pepper
Place in a lightly oiled pan so they fit closely together.
Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 1 hr and 30 mins. 
YES, and hour and a half, do it.

Don't open the door, mess with the chicken, nothing, just wait then eat.  The skin is shatteringly crisp, potato chip crisp, peel it and eat it.  The meat is tender, soft, juicy, succulent and all those great words you use to describe chicken.

I did a youtube video of the process, I am slowly trying to get my youtube channel organized to be a direct link from here, we'll see how I manage it... In the mean time, just go make this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUHud9CUVzY


/enjoy

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

This is the recipe and method for my giant round Boule, the one I take to all the functions, I'll add pics and a video but this is the recipe and method to get you started

This is a quickie howto, I'll do a video and play by play pics in the week BUT I'm occupied for a couple of days and want to get at the measurements and method up for those of you who will do it without the play by plays. 


TRACY'S SINGLE BOULE

In a kitchenaid mixer or something with a dough hook, dump the following, yeah, just dump it in.  I make this bread weekly so, it works. 

600 grams of all purpose flour. (can you use bread flour? sure, but it's more expensive and I don't see any reason to bother)
Heaping tsp of salt 

2 1/2 tsp yeast. (I heap it a little probably)
about 2TB Olive oil (more if you want)
2cups water, slightly warm, pour it in all at once

 
Mix with dough hook till it clears the side of the bowl and is shiny, it takes a while, grab a coffee or a glass of wine and stand there, watching it 


with WET hands, shape the very soft, very loose dough into a ball, quickly, drop it back into the bowl, cover with plastic
Leave to double+, it takes about an hour, maybe

Gently tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, form it into a ball without squashing all the air out of it, smooth the top and place it, seam side down in a parchment lined bowl. 

NO need to flour the parchment, nothing sticks. 

Cover it with plastic loosely, I put it in a dry cleaner bag, leave it to dome generously or double in size. 

PUT a 6qt lidded dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450, at least 45 mins.

Slash the top of the boule with a serrated knife if you feel chefy


Carefully transfer the boule, in the parchment, (lift the corners) into the dutch oven.

Cover and bake 20 mins, remove the lid and bake another 10

Remove the boule to a rack, cool, eat!!!!!!!!!!!