Thursday, October 23, 2008

Claim Jumper Restaurant


I don't know if you are fortunate enough to be near a Claim Jumper Restaurant or not, I love them.

I found a recipe posted by a chef of Claim Jumper for "Whiskey Chicken" This is chicken breast stuffed with an apple bread stuffing and then served with the most delightful whiskey sauce. I must add a word of caution here: The SAUCE is REALLY REALLY good!
I wish I had doubled the recipe to serve on the side.

A note of humor: When my eldest daughter was 5 or 6 months old I had an Aunt visit us. We went to Claim Jumper and I ordered Whiskey Chicken for the very first time -- as all infants can do: they suddenly are hungry when Mom sits down at a table to eat.. and she started to cry. The food had just arrived. My aunt dipped her finger in the whiskey sauce and let my daughter taste it... she was quiet.. I managed to take a couple of bites before she started crying again. Again my aunt dipped her finger in the yummy substance -- we got through the meal. It will be a fond memory.

As I made the Whiskey Chicken from the comfort of my own kitchen, I realized how labor intensive it was... I will enjoy it in the restaurant.. but I will certainly make the sauce again to serve with chicken and stuffing...

My daughter liked it this time too! Hmmm I wonder...

Here is the recipe and source:


CLAIM JUMPER WHISKEY CHICKEN
Source: Chef John Casey, Claim Jumper Restaurant, Phoenix, Arizona
Serves 4 large servings

STUFFING:
3/4 stick butter
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cups chicken stock, divided use
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon plus 1 pinch white pepper, divided use
10 ounces sourdough croutons
1 1/2 Granny Smith apples, diced, divided use
1 tablespoon freshly-chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
CHICKEN:
4 double chicken breasts, skin-on
WHISKEY SAUCE:
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup whiskey
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 pinch fresh tarragon leaves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. cornstarch and a little water (if needed)

PREPARE STUFFING:
Melt butter in a saucepan. Saute celery and onion until translucent.

In a separate pot, place 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, basil, thyme, garlic, and 1/4 tsp. white pepper; simmer 15 minutes.

Pour chicken stock mixture over the onions and celery; simmer 15 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine croutons, 1 whole diced apple, parsley, and dried tarragon; add to stock mixture. Mix well. Spread mixture on a cookie sheet to cool.

PREPARE AND BAKE CHICKEN:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place chicken breasts skin side down on a cutting board; flatten and score thick spots. Place a 3-inch ball of stuffing on the chicken breasts; roll the ends over the ball to cover it completely. Place each rolled up chicken breast on a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet. Pour a little water in the baking sheet.

Bake chicken in a preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

MAKE WHISKEY SAUCE:
In a saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 diced apple, remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock, apple juice, brandy, whiskey, sugar, fresh tarragon, allspice, nutmeg and remaining 1 pinch white pepper; simmer 20 minutes. If needed, thicken with a slurry of 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and a little water.

TO SERVE:
Serve chicken over a bed of stuffing. Drizzle sauce over chicken before serving.

NOTES from BECKY:
Double the recipe for the sauce.. it really is that good and nice to have extra for on the side. I think I would go with a boxed stuffing mix (like Mrs Cubbinson's herb stuffing) next time I make it -- and I would not mess with getting chicken breasts with skin on -- just use boneless skinless. It works just as well.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Chili Cook off Season


Well, the time of year that I enter a friendly competition among friends has arrived. Ever year we journey along the slow 91 Freeway to enter a chili cook off, that I usually place in. Well, I have had a very good recipe in the past that has consistently won... but now that most of my friends have that recipe I am in "find that perfect recipe mode". I have been trying various recipes that others have suggested or that I have found in various cook books that I own that sound good.

This year I am looking for the "most unique" category. That would mean using a non-traditional meat such as pork (pork butt or shoulder roast - yes, they are the same thing), which gets really soft and buttery with long cooking times, or chicken, which I can add fully cooked, seasoned chicken the last 20 minutes of cooking.

I think my family will be sick and tired of chili by the time the cook off rolls around!

Last night I made my first chili. To my surprise, my children liked it. They can be picky eaters at times. Jonathan, my 5 year old bundle of pure energy however LOVED it! He ended up eating 3 small bowls of it! I had hot dogs in the refrigerator just in case they hated it!

The result of the pork chili was good in testure, but lacking in taste. However, I will retry the chili at lunch time after the seasonings have had a chance to 'marry'.

Hi Ho - Hi Ho -- the Chili Trail I go!