Breast

Pasta Pearls, Bok Choy, Mollejas And Chillies In Ginger/Tamarind Broth

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Before you make a long face at the Mollejas (Chicken Gizzards), pls know that you can easily replace them with any other part of the chicken, such as breast, wings, tighs, etc. If you are not in the mood for chicken, many other proteins will work just as well, such as beef, pork, shrimp, or any other seafood, or just add more veggies of your choice.
However, if you love mollejas as much as I do, this soup will surely find a special place in your heart 🙂
In my opinion, the mollejas fit perfectly with the other ingredients, but as usual, use what you prefer, what you can afford or whatever you have in your larder that seems to fit the dish.
If you look at the pictures and try to immagine the taste of it, you’ll know that the main attraction is the Ginger/Tamarind Broth, the pasta pearls and the bok choy, everything else is just icing on the cake 🙂

Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Pasta Pearls, Bok Choy, Mollejas And Chillies In Ginger/Tamarind Broth

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: cook the bok choy in salted water with 1 tsp chili flakes – submerge the stems first for 1 – 2 minutes (depending on the size), then turn on its side to simmer the leaves as well

: simmer for 30 seconds more, drain and discard the water, place bok choy into ice water

: in 2 qt of chicken stock, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1/2 tblsp sugar and 5 to 10 scallions (depending on the size), seasoned lightly with kosher salt and chili flakes,simmer 2 lbs mollejas until tender but still with a slight bite, ca 2 hours (some mollejas are tougher than others), remove and discard the scallions, (there should be about 1 qt remaining, otherwise adjust by reducing or adding more stock), season soup with 1 tblsp toasted sesame oil and chili oil to taste

: remove the bok choy from the water, sqeeze out as much water as possible

: cut bok choy lengthwise into quarters

: add the boc choy to the soup, bring to a simmer, remove from heat at once, check/adjust seasoning

: bok choy……..

: bok choy and mollejas……

: add feshly cooked pasta pearls (Israeli couscous), add the broth and a few finely sliced chillies

: Pasta Pearls, Bok Choy, Mollejas And Chillies In Ginger/Tamarind Broth

: Pasta Pearls, Bok Choy, Mollejas And Chillies In Ginger/Tamarind Broth

: Pasta Pearls, Bok Choy, Mollejas And Chillies In Ginger/Tamarind Broth

: Pasta Pearls, Bok Choy, Mollejas And Chillies In Ginger/Tamarind Broth

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P.S.
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This dish is part of my upcoming meal plan # 2 –
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH TWO
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Click here for
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH ONE

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Salade De Gésiers (Romaine and Red Onions In Tarragon Vinaigrette, With Chili Gizzards & Honey Garlic Yogurt)

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As loyal readers of ChefsOpinion, by now you know of my love of innards and lesser cuts of animals – feet, heart, necks, liver, tails, kidneys, tripe, marrow, tongue,etc.
I fully understand that not everybody is a fan, but on the other hand, many people are.
Today’s featured salad contains chicken gizzards, which are always a special treat for me. (If you prefer another part of the chicken, such as breast or leg, go right ahead – the taste will be nearly the same, but of course you’ll loose-out on the texture). The length of the cooking time of gizzards is VERY important – too short and thy will be too tough to enjoy, too long, and the wonderful texture will be gone and you will be left with hopeless crap. Usually, they will need about one to two hours of simmering or braising before frying or sauteing (Or saute them first, then braise one to two hours). Either way, if you are one of the many folks who love them, the time and effort is well worth the time 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Tarragon Vinaigrette Recipe
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Salade De Gésiers (Romaine and Red Onions In Tarragon Vinaigrette, With Chili Gizzards & Honey Garlic Yogurt)

Salade De Gésiers (Romaine and Red Onions In Tarragon Vinaigrette. With Chili Gizzards & Honey Garlic Yogurt)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: simmer gizzards in lightly salted water until tender but not mushy, drain

: season gizzards with 2 tblsp chili paste (or to taste), 1 tblsp garlic paste, 1 tblsp honey, 2 tblsp say sauce, 1 tblsp hoisin sauce, add 2 tblsp corn starch, mix well

: stir fry gizzards in 380F peanut oil until crisp and golden

: when crisp and golden, remove gizzards to absorbent paper

: cut 1 small head of romaine lettuce into large pieces, add 1/2 medium size red onion, mix with 3 tblsp tarragon dressing, arrange on a serving plate, sprinkle with fresh-ground black pepper corn

: top the salad with the gizzards, mix 3 tblsp Greek yogurt with 1 tblsp organic honey and 1/2 tsp garlic past, drizzle over the gizzards

: Salade De Gésiers (Romaine and Red Onions In Tarragon Vinaigrette With Chili Gizzards & Honey Garlic Yogurt)

: Salade De Gésiers (Romaine and Red Onions In Tarragon Vinaigrette With Chili Gizzards & Honey Garlic Yogurt)

: Salade De Gésiers (Romaine and Red Onions In Tarragon Vinaigrette With Chili Gizzards & Honey Garlic Yogurt)

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P.S.
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This dish is part of my upcoming meal plan # 2 –
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH TWO
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Click here for
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH ONE
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Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken ( See Yao Gai ) ( 酱油鸡 )

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If roast chicken is your favorite chicken dish, it’s probably because you never had the opportunity to taste this marvel of Chinese cuisine. Even if you did taste it, you most likely thought that this is way too complicated and difficult to prepare at home.
Well, here comes ChefsOpinion to the rescue 🙂
I am happy to give you all the info you’ll need to prepare this wonderful, actually simple to prepare, flavor-bomb at home.
Once you see the easy step by step instructions and how few ingredients are required, you will surely ask yourself why you’ve never tried your hands at this before. Enjoy ! 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken ( See Yao Gai ) ( 酱油鸡 )

note the juiciness of the chicken breast ……..

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: choose a pot into which a whole fresh never frozen chicken fit’s snuggly (breast side down)

: add fresh ginger slices, dried chilies, star anise and chopped garlic cloves

: fill the pot with a mixture of 2 tblsp brown sugar, 3/4 soy sauce and 1/4 water

: cover the pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat at once, simmer very slowly for 25 minutes

: uncover the pot……

: carefully turn the chicken breast side up

: cover, continue to simmer very slowly for another 25 minutes, remove from heat, let cool to room temperature

: remove the chicken carefully from the liquid

: baste the chicken repeatedly until the skin takes on a deep mahogany color

: reduce the remaining sauce to 1 1/2 cups, check/adjust seasoning, strain

: Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken ( See Yao Gai ) ( 酱油鸡 )

: cut the chicken into 16 pieces (see pictures)

: Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken ( See Yao Gai ) ( 酱油鸡 )

: Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken ( See Yao Gai ) ( 酱油鸡 )

: Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken ( See Yao Gai ) ( 酱油鸡 )

: Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken ( See Yao Gai ) ( 酱油鸡 )

: Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken ( See Yao Gai ) ( 酱油鸡 )

: Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken ( See Yao Gai ) ( 酱油鸡 )

: Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken ( See Yao Gai ) ( 酱油鸡 )

: please note the juiciness of the chicken breast ……..

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Here is what I did the next day with the leftover chicken and sauce :
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Leftover Soy Chicken

: shred the leftover chicken coarsely, simmer in 1 cup of the leftover sauce for one minute

: add (4 0z raw) cooked pasta of your choice, add 1 tblsp chopped cilantro, mix well

: Leftover Soy Chicken

: Leftover Soy Chicken

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Roast Duck – Part One – “Duck With Dirty Noodles”

Last week I came across a special at my grocery store – $ 10.50 for a whole duck, compared to the usual price of around $17.00 for the same size bird.
Of course, I bought two, because duck – anytime 🙂
After I defrosted the first one, I realized that it might be a good idea to prepare the duck in a way which will be more suitable to a bird which had probably spend a bit of extra time in the freezer (hence the special 🙂 ) , rather than just plain roasted and eaten without any additional preparation.
(I will post part two, “Roast Duck – Part Two – Duck Soup With Rice Sticks And Baby Bok Choy”, within the next few days)
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Roast Duck

Roast Duck – Part One – “Duck With Dirty Noodles”

Dirty Noodles

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Roast Duck Recipe:
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Ingredients:
1 med size duck
Kosher salt to taste
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Method:
Preheat oven to 400F
Prick skin and fat of duck all over, remove excess fat-flaps
Season duck generously inside and out side with the salt.
Place duck breast-side down on a wire rack which rests on a sheet-pan.
Place into oven, immediately turn temperature down to 300 F
Roast duck for 3 hours and 45 minutes, turning duck every 30 minutes
After 3 hours and 45 minutes, increase heat to 420F, roast duck breast side up until skin is very crisp and golden, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Let the duck rest for 10 minutes before carving.
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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: before……. (med size duck, generously salted)

: after…… (reserve the juices and the fat from the roasting pan)

: remove the legs from the carcasse, reserve together with the carcasse

: remove the breasts from the carcasse, remove the wings

: boneless breasts and the wings; carcasse and legs

: slice the breast in thick slices, cover to keep warm

: reserve the carcass and legs for : Roast Duck, Part Two – “Duck Soup With Rice Sticks And Baby Bok Choy”

: prepare the ingredients for the sauce, 1 tblsp plum sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 tblsp peanut butter, 1 tblsp chili paste, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, whisk until smooth

: chop the liver, heart and gizzards from the duck

: stir fry the offal in 2 tblsp very hot duck fat for 1 minute, add julienne of 1 med size onion, saute until the onions are translucent

: add the sauce, simmer for one minute

: add 1/2 lb cooked nodles of your choice, add 4 oz green peas, 1/2 eq bell pepper julienne and 4 stalks of finely sliced scallion, mix well, check/adjust seasoning

: Dirty Noodles

: Roast Duck – Part One – “Duck With Dirty Noodles”

: Roast Duck – Part One – “Duck With Dirty Noodles”

: Roast Duck – Part One – “Duck With Dirty Noodles”

: Roast Duck – Part One – “Duck With Dirty Noodles”

: Roast Duck – Part One – “Duck With Dirty Noodles”

: Roast Duck – Part One – “Duck With Dirty Noodles”

: Roast Duck – Part One – “Duck With Dirty Noodles”

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 57 – Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

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A bowl of granola for breakfast is a wonderful thing for a lot of folks – but for me, it is NOT.
If I want my day to start on a happy note, I need food that say’s HAPPY to me.
A bowl of granola or such just says BAHH to me and is, in my humble opinion, but a sorry excuse for a satisfying breakfast 😦 .
On the other hand, a delicious frittata – now we are talking ! 🙂
Throw in a couple of gherkins, a few green leaves and grape tomatoes in yogurt/honey dressing and Voilà ! – bring it on, tough day !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Yogurt/Honey Dressing :
Whisk together 2 tblsp greek yogurt, 1 tsp organic honey, 1 tsp rice vinegar, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste
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Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: Cook 2 lbs peeled potatoes in lightly salted water until tender but NOT falling apart, drain, let cool enough to handle, cut into fine slices

: slice 2 med-size chicken breasts into slices, season with 1 tsp garlic paste, fresh-cracked black pepper and kosher salt to taste

: saute the chicken in 1/2 tblsp olive oil until cooked through

: remove chicken from pan, reserve

: saute the potato slices in 1 tblsp olive oil until browned

: return the chicken to the pan

: add 2 oz cleaned fresh spinach, saute for one minute

: add 6 whole whisked eggs

: cook on low heat until eggs have set, flip eggs to other side, cook until lightly browned; serve with gherkins and small salad of greens and tomatoes in honey/yogurt dressing; serves 4

: Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

: Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

: Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

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Whole Roasted Duck

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Don’t get me wrong!
I do love a rare duck breast with crisp skin . But, that is definitely not the end of all great duck dishes. Of course it is so much easier to cut off the breast’s and saute them separate, leaving the center rare and declaring that a master piece and the fine art of cooking. Then cut off the legs and braise them until tender. Wow, how difficult is that ! I have enjoyed both these dishes often ( If ! properly done. More often than not, some “chef’s” are able to even screw that up) . But, in my humble opinion, nothing can beat a whole roast duck, legs and breast perfectly tender and juicy, full of flavor. Maybe it takes a bit more knowledge, experience and feeling to accomplish, but a successful result is certainly worth the extra effort.
This duck was beautifully tasty, juicy and tender, with a great skin, served with its own, red wine fortified jus. Any other preparation will surely come in second place, way behind this beauty 🙂
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Ingredient’s :

Duck, whole, marinated for two days with merlot, soy sauce, sriracha, granulated garlic
Merlot, substitue with wine of your preference
Kosher salt,
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Method :

Turn duck in it’s marinade often, so as to evenly marinade on all sides, inside and out. After two day’s remove from marinade and pat dry. Season with kosher salt, inside and out. Set on a rack in a roasting pan above the remaning marinade and red wine. Cook for 30 min at 420F.Turn heat to 275 F and cook, loosely covered with aluminium foil, for 4,5 hours. Remove foil, turn heat back up to 400F and roast for another 30 min or until skin is crisp and golden. Strain the jus, serve apart. Accompany with starch and vegetables, or do as I did – eat the whole thing at once and just have some bread with it to dunk in the jus.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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