Chicken and Butternut Squash Lasagna

This weekend I was honored with a visit from some very dear Boston friends, "R" and "M", who have quickly become some of my favorite people to cook for simply because they are so willing to try whatever I happen to prepare for them. This weekend, as "R" seemed keen to try some homemade pasta, I decided to go with lasagna. However I didn't much feel like going with the traditional meet, cheese, and tomato version - obviously a wonderful classic, but one that leaves out the tasty array of autumnal produce - and so I opted to try out some flavor combinations, making use of some seasonal produce as well as some leftovers in the fridge. What I forgot to think about is that "M", being from the Midwest, prefers the carnivore side of being an omnivore. Nevertheless he did manage to taste and hold down some butternut squash, which I found highly admirable. In exchange I accepted his request for a chocolate souffle for dessert, which turned out to be a group effort. Without further ado, my recipe for chicken and butternut squash lasagna:

Fresh Pasta
100g type '00' flour
1 egg
pinch of salt

1) Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until the dough just begins to come together. Turn out the dough onto a work surface and kneed together with hands. Kneed until the dough is smooth and elastic, wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
2) Pass the dough through a pasta roller, cutting as necessary into manageable pieces. I like lasagna sheets to be fairly thin, and so went until the sixth setting. However if you would like your sheets to be a little thicker, you may need to prepare more dough - the ratio is easy, one egg per 100g of flour.
3) Lay the pasta sheets on a clean kitchen towel - they will dry out over time - until you're ready to use them.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Lasagna
4 whole chicken legs or breasts, cooked and cooled, and meat torn into bite-sized pieces - I was using leftovers, and so had roasted meat, but you may choose to cook them however you choose
1 butternut squash, peeled
3 red onions, peeled, halved, and sliced thinly
1 tblsp honey
2 cups shredded cheese - I chose Fontina because it melts so wonderfully, but a nice cheddar would work really well also
10 leaves of fresh sage, roughly chopped
2 tblsp butter
2 tblsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tblsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup cream

1) Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and then again crosswise. Remove the seeds from the bottom rounded halves. With the narrower half turn each piece onto their cut sides and slice each so that you have 1/4" half moon shapes. Place these on a sheet pan, season, and coat with 1 tblsp of olive oil. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, and turn each piece over. Return to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes until squash is tender.
2) Cut the remaining squash into cubes. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the remaining tblsp of olive oil, the cubed squash, and the sage. Saute for 5 minutes or so until the squash just begins to soften then add enough water to just cover the top of the cubes. Allow to simmer stirring occasionally until the water has evaporated. If some pieces of squash are still too firm add more water and allow to evaporate 1/4 cup at a time until you achieve your desired texture - I was going for almost a puree. Season your mixture and remove to a bowl to cool slightly.
3) In another pan melt 1 tblsp of butter over medium-low heat and when it begins to foam add the red onion slices. Allow to sweat then add the honey and continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the onions will caramelize evenly. Set these aside as well and have all your ingredients ready to layer.
4) Combine the chicken pieces, the stock, and the cream in a saucepan and bring to just below a simmer. Combine the remaining tblsp of butter with the flour until a thick paste forms, and add a spoonful of this to the hot chicken and liquid, stirring after each addition and stopping after you have achieved your desired sauce consistency.
5) Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook the lasagna sheets for 3-5 minutes - it is better if they are more than just slightly al dente, as they will finish cooking and absorbing juices in the oven. Drain the pasta and run cool water over them and dry on a clean kitchen towel.

6) To assemble you lasagna, butter the bottom and sides of any oven-safe pan you wish to use. First place the sliced, roasted butternut squash pieces in the bottom of the pan and cover with a layer of the lasagna sheets. Next add a layer of all the thickened chicken mixture as well as a layer of shredded cheese and cover with another layer of pasta. Put the butternut squash almost-puree on top with a layer of the cheese and a final layer of pasta. Lastly spread the caramelized onions evenly over the surface of the lasagna and top with the last bit of cheese. The lasagna is now ready for the oven and should be nicely heated through when baked for 30 - 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve with a green salad dressed with a maple-balsamic vinaigrette.

Inventive Cooking

During the past month or so I have had opportunity to engage in some adaptive cooking. The first cause of this challenge - as I like to look at it from the perspective of a "reality cooking program" - was the result of the fact that since my return from France, and up until last Thursday, I had no use of a real oven. Apparently a crucial component of our oven had decided to breakdown during my parents' preparation of a roast one weekend during my absence, and said component had to be sent first to Canada and then to Illinois in order to undergo 400 dollars-worth of repair. Incidentally, the lack of an oven this past month has commanded that I rely primarily on a good old-fashioned stove-top method for most of my culinary escapes. However this has not been the only reason I have chosen to partner with the stove in cooking this fall. Since the weather has changed from summery and humid to autumnal and crisp, I have been longing for dishes that invite comfort and warmth, and cook-top braises have provided for precisely that.
It was thus with this mindset that I headed off to Boston for a weekend of reuniting with some of my favorite people from my Alma Mater. Because we had been sequestered to dorm life for four years together we were never presented with the opportunity to cook together, so on this occasion I was determined to be able to prepare a meal for us that didn't come from a dining hall/dorm room microwave. The principal ingredient I decided would be chicken and what better way to feed a group than to have everything come from one pot - well I suppose I should say multiple pots as some size-constraints did limit how much I could fit into one vessel?
Thus I set to work in "R's" and "M's" kitchen to prepare my meal of braised chicken - a la Charlotte - with garlic bread, crudites and chips with chickpea and spinach and artichoke dips to start, and apple crumble to finish. The following are general guidelines and quantities I used, but I cannot guarantee precise accuracy as I did everything by taste for this occasion.


Chickpea Dip
1 can chickpeas, drained and juices reserved
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tblsp lemon juice
1 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin powder - I actually forgot this, but it really does add a nice flavor
salt and pepper to taste

1) Combine the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings into the food processor and add 1-2 tblsps of the reserved chickpea juices. Process until smooth, season, and transfer to a serving bowl to be eaten with crudites and chips.


Spinach and Artichoke Dip
1/4 package frozen spinach, defrosted and drained- or fresh spinach sauteed until wilted in a little bit of oil
1 8 oz package Philadelphia cream cheese - you can even use the spinach and artichoke flavour if you want
1 8 oz jar artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 green onions, chopped - I really only added these because they were there and I like a little oniony flavor

1) Combine the spinach, cream cheese, artichoke hearts, Parmesan and green onions into the food processor. Process until smooth, season if necessary, and transfer to a serving bowl to be eaten with crudites and chips.


Braised Chicken with Mirepoix and Tomatoes
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs - natural, organic preferred
6 tblsp olive oil
2 tblsp butter
dried thyme leaves
salt and pepper
1/4 cup red wine
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
2 whole carrots peeled and chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes

1) Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tblsp of olive oil and 1 tblsp of butter. Season all the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dried thyme leaves. When the butter has melted place six thighs into the pan and allow to sear for roughly 5 minutes. Turn the pieces of chicken over and cook the same on the other side. Remove these thighs to a large heavy-bottomed pot, and repeat the procedure with the remaining six pieces of chicken, 2 more tblsps of olive oil and 1 more tblsp of butter.
2) once all the chicken has been transferred, add the 1/4 cup of red wine to the hot pan to deglaze. Add these juices to the pot with the chicken and top it off with cold water - enough to cover all the chicken. Put the pot over high heat to bring it to a simmer, then reduce the heat so that the contents is at a bare simmer. Allow to cook uncovered while you prepare the rest of the meal - I think I had it going for about an hour or so - at which point the liquid should have reduced significantly.
3) Return the pan you used to sear the chicken to the heat and add the final 2 tblsp of olive oil. Allow the onions to sweat for five minutes first, then add the garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook these also slowly over low heat until all the veggies are tender. Remove from the heat.
4) Once the chicken has achieved your desired tenderness - I like it so that one doesn't even need a knife to cut it, and rather it just falls apart by itself - add the diced tomatoes with their juices. Heat through and finally add the vegetables. Stir until everything is evenly distributed. Bring to the table/floor with garlic bread after your friends have enjoyed their appetizer/hors d'oeuvres course.


Garlic Bread
1 loaf of your favorite crusty bread
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
2 tblsp fresh parsley, chopped - or 1 tblsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt - or to taste

1) Combine the stick of butter, parsley, and salt together in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, stirring when done.
2) Cut your loaf of bread into even slices, being sure not to slice all the way through the bottom so that the butter cannot escape. Put the loaf into a nest of aluminum foil and onto a baking sheet.
3) Brush the butter onto both sides of every slice - any remaining butter can be brushed over the top of the loaf afterwards. Bake the bread in the oven for five to ten minutes until the crust is nice and crispy and the inside pieces are piping hot. Serve with your entree.


Apple Crumble
This recipe definitely needed some tweaking, so I will try to get back to you on it - thanks to "E" though for all her hard work pealing the apples!


THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO FIVE CAMELS: "S", "R", "J", "C" and "E"

Welcome October!

The combination of a truly inspirational trip to the Norwich farmer's market, the opportunity to sift through stacks of years and years worth of cooking magazines, and the emergence of seasonal temperatures had me devoted to the kitchen this weekend. I began with some preparation for the week's meals by making a fully flavorful batch of tomato soup - thanks to the beautifully ripened fruit that "W" offered me earlier in the week. I then moved onto a Normandy-style chicken braise, which combined seared then poached Misty Knoll chicken pieces in a sauce of white wine, apple, mushrooms, and cream; and which served as Saturday night's dinner. Next came the initial preparations for some wild Alaskan salmon gravlax, involving cling-wrapping a marvelously pink filet of salmon with a mixture of 50% sugar and 50% sea salt, and 30 grams of chopped dill. The salmon is currently resting in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped beneath the weight of two liters of tomato soup, and will remain there for the next 24-48 hours until it has been "cooked" through. In addition to these preparations, I also composed two different, yet dilectable salads using the last of the season's beets, tomatoes, lettuces, radishes, green beans, etc...
Thus, it was all in all a sumptuous weekend dedicted to primarily savory tastes. I did however find myself yearning to attempt a slightly more ambitious project, and this afternoon embarked upon the making of one of my favorite candies - soft, chewy, and mouthwatering nougat. I learned how to make this traditional French "Nougat Montelimar" during a chocalate and candy-making course I took while in England. Although the process of making it can seem quite daunting due to cooking various combinations of sweeteners to fairly exact temperatures having to do multiple tasks simultaneously, it proves fully satisfying to complete and then eat! Here is the recipe and technique in adapted quantities.

Dark Chocolate Nougat Montelimar
1 egg white
200 g honey
200 g caster sugar
200 g glucose
100 g dark chocolate couverture
72 g whole roasted hazelnuts
100 g roasted almonds (I used slivers rather than whole ones)
1 sheet of A4-sized rice paper, cut in half

1) Whisk the egg white to a stiff foam - this is best done in a stand mixer as it allows you to have both hands free to accomplish the other preparations, however a hand mixer works fine as I discovered myself.
2) Meanwhile cook the honey to 120 degrees celcius and pour it in a steady stream onto the whisking egg whites. Whisk untill all the honey is incorporated and keep the stand mixer running if you have that luxury.
3) The the sugar and glucose together to 138 degrees celcius and repeat the same process of pouring it steadly into the egg white and honey misture - again all while whisking.
4) Turn the mixer off and melt the chocolate either in a microwave or over a low temperature on a stove top. 5) Add the roasted nuts to the chocolate, mix and then quickly fold the combination into the whipped, significantly sweetened egg white mixture and turn out the lot into a small-sized baking tray lined with one piece of rice paper. Smooth out the top and place the second piece of rice paper over the sticky surface. Allow the whole tray to cool to room temperature and then cut into desired pieces and shapes.