January 20, 2013 - Fried Chicken

A day off!!!  Sorry for the late post, but I slept in, ran errands, got my car's oil changed, and all that fun stuff that one never finds the time to do on weekends.  Let's talk last night... we changed it up a little and went Southern with a fried chicken and fixings inspired meal.  Quite a night!

Cocktail 1 - Bourbon Curacao Cocktail

 

Okay.... so we found this recipe online, and it sounded fantastic.  It was a combo of Southern Comfort, Curacao, Lime Juice, Lemon Juice, and sugar.  Well, Jennifer thought she'd pull one over on me, and when she realized she didn't have Southern Comfort in stock, she used Makers Mark Bourbon instead.  We had to jazz it up quite a bit, because the flavor wasn't exactly what we were looking for.  First it was too tart, then it was too sweet... so we finished it (its sacrilegious to waste liquor) and moved on to Cocktail 2...

 

 

Cocktail 2 - Bourbon Peach Cocktail

 

 

Much better!  We used the juice from canned peaches and mixed it with the bourbon and that was all!  The sweetness of the fruit countered the strong bourbon and was a perfect starter cocktail!

 

 

Appetizer - Mac and Two Cheeses with Caramelized Onions

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mac-and-Two-Cheeses-with-Caramelized-Shallots-350762

 

 

Divine.  Amazing.  Forget the rest of the meal, let's just eat mac & cheese!  The star of the show is definitely the caramelized onions - so don't skimp!  I highly recommend mixing some in with the macaroni before baking, because then you get sweet onions with every bite.  Top with more shallots and goat cheese, and I'd even recommend a sprinkle of panko for crunch.  Word to the wise - goat cheese doesn't exactly melt smooth, so don't leave it too long in the oven hoping that it will eventually melt - you'll burn the dish.  Superb!

 

 

Entree - Buttermilk Fried Chicken

 

http://americanfood.about.com/od/chickenrecipes/r/Fried_Chicken_Recipe.htm

 

 

Okay, so its not very pretty and it doesn't exactly look like fried chicken you find in restaurants and stores.  I think its because we probably didn't use the same type of oil or grease that we were supposed to for "authentic" friend chicken.  So it didn't have that super crunchy texture we were hoping for.  C'est la vie - let's talk taste.  The chicken was superbly seasoned and incredibly juicy.  Flavor was spot on.  Frying needs a little help.

 

 

Side Dish - Brown Butter Creamed Winter Greens

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brown-Butter-Creamed-Winter-Greens-241192

 

 

So we were intending on using collard greens, but kale was all the grocery store had, so this is solely kale.  We followed the recipe exactly and it was fantastic!  If you're a creamed spinach person, you will adore this recipe.  John thought the red pepper flakes were a little too much, but Jenn and I liked as it was - so you be the judge!

 

 

Side Dish - Mashed Potato and Cauliflower Gratin

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mashed-Potato-and-Cauliflower-Gratin-51138010

 

 

Mashed potatoes and cauliflower!  Yes, please!  The only change was made was to use cheddar instead of gruyere, since we were going to have leftovers from the mac and cheese.  You must broil at the end for that lovely color - and the parmesan is necessary!  Don't skimp on it!  A terrific side dish.  These two side dishes would be perfection on Thanksgiving!

 

 

Final Plate

 

 

 

 

Wine - Pindar Isabella

 

 

Yes, this is the label on the semi-dry red from the North Fork of Long Island.  Served chilled, this sweeter wine was a great complement to the spice in the greens and the picnic-style meal.  Something we would normally never have picked ourselves, it was a leftover from an old wine club shipment, so we threw our hands in the air and gave it a shot. 

 

 

Dessert - Peach-a-Berry Pie

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peach-a-berry-pie/detail.aspx

 

 

 

Yummy pie but way too much liquid.  (And the fruit wasn't overly juicy.)  You definitely want to sprinkle with flour and a little salt and let the fruits sit over a colander for a while to drain.  But this pie was still a delicious Southern end to our meal, and would have been even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

 

 

Overall, a great meal that was out of our comfort zone and therefore a ton of fun.  Let's talk next week... one of John and Jenn's favorite Italian restaurants here in Norwalk is opening their own Italian market.  They'll be selling fresh homemade pastas, sauces, pizzas, etc.  We're going to their grand opening on Sunday, so we're going to be picking up our favorites and making it a Culinary Monday with stuff we pick up from there.  This should be fun!

 

 

Next Week - Osso Buco