Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (11 page)

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium or medium-high. Fill a small skillet with about 1 inch of water and bring to a boil.

Grate the garlic onto a cutting board and add a couple teaspoons of salt. Mash into a paste with the flat of a knife.

Add salt to the boiling water and cook the green beans for 1 minute, then drain and cool under cold running water. Set aside.

Reserve one fifth of the pasted garlic, about 1 clove, and transfer the rest to a shallow dish. To the dish, add the zest of 2 lemons, the fennel seed, the chopped thyme, rosemary, and parsley, ¼ to
1
⁄
3
cup of the EVOO, and some black pepper. Stir with a fork to combine, then add the chicken pieces and turn to coat evenly. Grill the chicken for 12 to 15 minutes, until the juices run clear.

While the chicken grills, drizzle the asparagus with a touch of EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Divide the asparagus into 4 piles and roll 2 layered slices of prosciutto around each pile to form bundles. Add to the grill with the chicken and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until the prosciutto is crisp and the spears are tender.

Place the basil and mint leaves in a food processor with the nuts. Add some salt and pepper and turn the processor on. Stream in ¼ to
1
⁄
3
cup of the EVOO to form a thick sauce. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl and stir in the reserved garlic paste and the grated Parmigiano. Add the cooled green beans and the canned beans to the bowl and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning.

Remove the chicken from the grill and squeeze the juice of 1 of the zested lemons over the meat.

Serve each diner a chicken breast and thigh with an asparagus bundle and some bean salad alongside.

This BBQ dry-rub works equally well on pork chops or pork tenderloin. Polenta is a creamy, easy alternative to potatoes and rice.

SERVES 4

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat or heat an outdoor grill.

Mix the grill seasoning, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and brown sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Coat the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the EVOO and add it to the bag, turning to coat the chicken evenly in the spices. Let the chicken hang out for a few minutes.

Chop and combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, and onions in a salad bowl.

Place the chicken on the grill pan or grill and cook for 6 to 7 minutes on each side.

Dress the salad with the lime juice and the remaining 3 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the stock and milk or half-and-half in a large sauce pot with the chipotle and adobo sauce. Whisk in the polenta and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken, then stir in the pumpkin puree and heat to warm through. Stir in the honey and butter and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the polenta topped with the chicken and with the salsa salad alongside.

Bucket o' Chicken with Buttermilk Dip

Everyone craves fried chicken sometimes; there's just no way around it. If you're gonna succumb, don't hit the drive-thru; make it at home. Here's a once-in-a-while treat for game night or movie night.

SERVES 4

In a large bowl, mix together the buttermilk, garlic, hot sauce, parsley, dill, chives, and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside about one-third of the mixture; reserve for the dipping sauce.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place it in a shallow dish or large resealable plastic bag. Pour about half of the remaining seasoned buttermilk over the chicken pieces, then cover the dish with plastic wrap or seal the bag and marinate for 10 minutes.

Place a medium, high-sided skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add an inch of canola oil to your pan and get it hot. Place two high-sided dishes on the counter and fill one with flour and the other with the remaining buttermilk mixture. Dip the trimmed scallions into the buttermilk, then into the flour, then back into the buttermilk and back into the flour. Once they're double-coated, fry them in batches in the oil until they are golden brown all over; don't crowd the pan. Transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

When the scallions are fried, remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Dip and coat the chicken strips and fry until golden and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Change the oil if it gets too gritty with flour dust.

Put your chicken strips and scallions on a platter or pile them into a paper bucket (they're available at party stores). Mix the sour cream into the reserved buttermilk mixture to thicken it up and add salt and pepper and hot sauce to taste. Serve the chicken with the dip and veggie sticks alongside.

One of the joys of living in New York City is the wide variety of ethnic restaurants we can choose from. One I love is called Tamarind; their huge clay tandoor ovens give everything cooked in them an unmistakable flavor. Out of necessity, though, John and I had to learn how to make our own takeout for nights away from the big city. For a regular oven, this is a pretty good substitute for the real thing. Make sure your oven is really clean, otherwise it will smoke at this temperature.

SERVES 4 TO 6