Poultry Recipes

Balsamic Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Tablespoons Chopped Garlic
2 Tablespoons Garlic Paste
All purpose flour (approx. 1 cup)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup young, fruity red wine (suggest Merlot)
1 cup Beef Broth
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 14 oz. can Chopped Tomatoes (juice drained)
Salt and Pepper
Onion Powder (or your favorite seasoning spice)
Couscous

To Make...

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and onion powder. Let stand for 10 minutes, turn and season the opposite side.

2. Most chicken breasts have a natural separation point where part of the breast is and fill it with approximately 1/2 tablespoon of the garlic paste. (If there is no noticeable pocket, use a very sharp knife to create one. Make sure you don't cut all the way through the breast, just deep enough to create a little trough).

3. Fold the pockets back up and dredge each chicken breast in flour. Shake off any excess. You do not want the breast covered in flour, just a thin layer of white will do.

4. Heat a medium sauté pan over high heat with olive oil (just enough to cover the pan). Sauté the chopped garlic for approximately 30-60 seconds.

5. When the oil is quite warm, place each breast in the pan (don't let the oil splash onto you, it is hot!)

6. Allow the chicken to cook until it is golden brown on one side, then turn and do the same. It should take between 5-8 minutes for your chicken to be golden brown on all sides. When you have reached this point, remove the chickens.

7. In the same pan, add more olive oil (again, just enough to cover the pan). Sauté the chopped garlic for approximately 30-60 seconds.

8. Add to the pan the wine, beef broth and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil and let bubble for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

9. Reduce heat to medium, add tomatoes. Place the chicken breasts back in the pan, making sure they get well coated by the sauce. Cover the pan and let cook for 5-10 minutes.

10. Begin couscous as directed on box (the entire couscous operation lasts less than 10 minutes).

11. After the chicken has cooked, cover for 5 minutes, add rosemary and stir into the sauce.

12. When the chicken breasts are cooked all the way through (you can check them with a meat thermometer if you like... they need to be 180 degrees in the middle) turn off heat.

TO SERVE

I suggest spooning a mound of the couscous on the side of everyone's plate. On the other side, place a spoonful of the chicken, then ladle some sauce over the chicken, allowing some to slowly make its way to the couscous. Don't feel like you have to use ALL of the sauce in the chicken pan. It's simply there to flavor the chicken, use only as much as you need to add a little liquid to the plate. (Use a slotted spoon to get all the tomatoes out and onto the plates)

Be warned; couscous gets very mushy very quickly. I do not recommend using the couscous as a bed for the entire dish, allowing sauce to cover it. It will be like chicken oatmeal.

RECOMMENDED SIDE DISHES

There's plenty on the plate already, but there are two great options you can add to this if you need a more balanced meal.

Sourdough/French Bread: Either Garlic style, or served plain and warm. This will allow guests to soak up any remaining liquid. The garlic bread will go nicely with the flavors of the meal.

Mixed Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette: A great salad to serve with this. A simple handful of mixed greens for everyone, with the dressing already on the salad. To make this work, you HAVE to serve a balsamic dressing. Something like Ranch or Bleu Cheese will completely clash with the flavors of the main dish and ruin the whole thing.

To make balsamic is simple; Use excellent Extra virgin Olive Oil and Excellent Balsamic Vinegar. You want the dressing to barely cover all of the salad, as if it has just been rained on (no excess liquid in the bowl!) The right formula is 2 1/2 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic.

RECOMMENDED BEVERAGES

Wine: Traditionally, you drink the same wine you cooked with, that way things match up perfectly. Remember, also, that you should never cook with a wine that isn't good enough to drink.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled to medium rare, then cut/shredded into small pieces
1 fresh jalapeno pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 large white onion, chopped
4 cups shredded/grated Mexican white cheese * (I usually 2 cups real Mexican cheese and 2 cups low fat pre-grated "Mexican" cheese mix in a bag)
12 small corn tortillas
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons chili powder
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon of sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper

**(Most grocery stores now carry a brand called "El Mexicano" which has a cheese called Enchilado Queso Anejo, which is perfect for this dish. If you can't find it, the more mainstream "Mexican cheese in a bag" will work, but the dish will lack some Mexican zest and authenticity).

To Make...

1. For the filling, mix together the grilled chicken, ¾ of the onion and ½ of the cheese in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a non-stick dry skillet, cook the whole pepper over medium high heat, turning often until mostly blackened (about 10 minutes).

3. In a blender or food processor, combine the remaining onion, the roasted jalapeno, broth, sugar, black pepper, garlic, cumin, vinegar, and oregano and puree until smooth. Strain.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

5. Using a large sauté pan, heat the butter to medium high.

6. stir in the flour and cook until the flour has browned slightly.

7. Add the chili powder and broth mixture and continue to cook and stir over low heat until thickened. Keep warm.

8. Pour a thin layer of the sauce onto the bottom of a
13x9 baking pan/casserole dish.

9. Using a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil to hot, then lower to medium heat.

10. Fry the tortillas, one at a time, for about 8 - 15 seconds per side (or until toasted). Tortillas should be wilted be wilted, not crisp. Allow excess oil to drip back into pan, then dip the fried tortilla into the sauce mix.

11. Place the tortilla in the baking dish and place a small scoop of the chicken filling in the exact center of the tortilla. Roll/fold the tortilla and place it, crease down in the baking pan.

12. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas until the pan is full.

13. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

14. Bake for 10 minutes and serve.

Chicken Marsala

Marsala wine is most famously produced in Sicily so this dish lends itself to Italian flavors and the addition of Prosciutto (Italian ham) brings it home. Lots of people like this over pasta as well.

4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts

All purpose flour (approx 1 cup)

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¾ cup marsala wine

1 tablespoon butter

6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

2 ounces prosciutto, sliced into thin strips

Salt and Pepper to taste

SERVES 4

Using a mallet, pound each chicken breast to uniform thickness of about ½ inch
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour.
Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat with olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter…when it stops sizzling, add the chicken and cook, turning once, until just brown on both sides (approx. 3 minutes per side)
Remove the chicken to a plate and to the pan add the prosciutto and cook, stirring for about 1 minute
Add the mushrooms and cook for an additional 2 minutes
Add the wine and broth and bring to a boil over high heat
Lower the heat to low and place the chicken back in the pan, mixing it well with ingredients already cooking
Cover pan and cook for 2 minutes, then add scallions and stir.
Cook for one to two more minutes, finishing the breasts. Serve each breast garnished with sauce.

Chicken Milanese with Sage and Lemon Butter Sauce

Resembling the famous Austria dish of Wiener Schnitzel (not the hot dog restaurant), these breaded, pan fried chicken cutlets served in a wonderfully light sauce are perfect with a side of rice pilaf or fresh veggies. This is an easier dish than it appears, and all of the time (30 minutes) is mainly in the prep

1 ½ pounds (about 6) thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts (conversely, you can take whole breasts, cut them in half and pound them flat with a mallet. Sounds like a lot of work for a 21^st century American, though.

1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons dried thyme

2 large eggs

Salt and pepper as needed

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

FOR THE SAUCE

6 tablespoons butter, cut into tablespoons

¼ cup minced shallots

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon cayenne powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

MAKES 2-3 SERVINGS

To make the sauce; in a medium saucepan, melt one teaspoon butter over medium heat
Add shallots and cook for 3 minutes
Add the cream, wine and broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes
Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Add the sage, lemon juice, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir and cover. Sauce is done. Warm when ready to serve
For the chicken, in a shallow bowl, combine and mix well the bread crumbs, panko, cheese, and thyme.
In a second shallow bowl, beat the eggs.
Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper to taste on both sides
Dip each cutlet, on at a time, in the eggs mixture, allow the eggs to drip off, and then dredge in the bread crumb mixture. As you coat each cutlet, place on parchment paper until ready to cook.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt olive oil and butter. When it’s hot, add chicken and saute for 2 ½ minutes per side. Serve with the sauce as desired (under the chicken, on the chicken, or on the side).

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

2 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 Teaspoons sliced Garlic rounds
All purpose flour (approx 1 cup)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons butter
½ white onion, sliced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
Juice of 1 large lemon
Salt and Pepper
Couscous

To Make...

1. Cut the chicken breasts in half, creating four large chicken chunks. Using a mallet, pound each to uniform thickness of about ¼ inch.

2. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper. And dredge in flour.

3. Heat a medium saute pan over high heat with olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter…when it stops sizzling, add the chicken and cook, turning once, until just brown on both sides (approx. 2 minutes per side).

4. Remove the chicken to a plate. Pour off excess grease from the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of butter.

5. Saute the chopped onion for approximately 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Pepper the onions.

6. Add to the pan the garlic and scallions and sauté one minute more.

7. sprinkle one teaspoon of flour over the vegetables and toss.

8. Deglaze the pan with sherry and lemon juice. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and cook on low heat until chicken is done, approximately 4 minutes more.

This dish is great served with a bland, starchy accompaniment like stuffing, rice, bread or potatoes to offset the tangy flavor of the chicken. MY favorite is the couscous, which I simply serve on the side prepared to package directions.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

To Make...

1. Cut the chicken breasts in half, creating four large chicken chunks. Using a mallet, pound each to uniform thickness of about ¼ inch.

2. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper. And dredge in flour.

4. Remove the chicken to a plate. Pour off excess grease from the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of butter.

5. Saute the chopped onion for approximately 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Pepper the onions
6. Add to the pan the garlic and scallions and sauté one minute more.

7. sprinkle one teaspoon of flour over the vegetables and toss.

8. Deglaze the pan with sherry and lemon juice. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and cook on low heat until chicken is done, approximately 4 minutes more.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

You can use this exact same recipe and substitute canned tuna of equal amounts to the chicken I have done both and they’re fantastic. (if you do so, drain the tuna of the water and follow direction below, using the olive oil). I like my chicken/tuna salad to be very crunchy, very fresh and a little spicy so if you disagree, modify the ingredients as you see fit.

Followed as described below, this is also a nice low fat version of such sandwiches.

Serves 2

12-14 ounces chicken breast (2 small/medium boneless chicken breasts)
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
4 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
2/3 medium sized purple onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
Juice of one, medium fresh lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds removed from the inside, diced (eliminate if you don’t want as much spice)
1/8 teaspoon dill
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon salt
Strips of romaine lettuce (if desired)
2 teaspoons olive oil for the salad
Additional olive oil for the chicken and bread as described below
Sliced sourdough or French bread

1. Marinate both sides of the chicken breasts with a thin layer of olive oil and salt and pepper.

2. Grill the chicken breasts to barely done (but cooked through), approximately 7 minutes on med-high grill, turning twice

3. Remove breasts from grill, allow to cool completely and then dice into bite sized pieces

4. Mix chicken with all of the other ingredients except the bread and lettuce. Stir well and refrigerate, covered until ready to serve

5. Apply a small amount of olive oil on each side of the bread slices and grill quickly over high heat, just long enough to achieve grill marks on both sides. (Or, for a quicker sandwich without the awesome grill flavor, just toast the bread)

6. Place contents of chicken salad mix between slices, add a strip of romaine (the crunchier the better preferably from the heart) and serve

Deep Fried Turkey

FOR THE SEASONING MIX:

1 cup salt
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
mixed together

FOR THE MARINADE:
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup Cider vinegar
¼ cup molasses
½ cup honey
1 12 ounce bottle beer
¼ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup creole seasoning (now easily found in grocery stores spice racks, any brand will do)
½ teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
mixed together

FOR THE FRYING:
1 turkey, about 14 pounds
turkey fryer
Peanut oil (approx. 8-12 gallons)

To Make...

1. Make sure the bird is fully thawed by placing it in the refrigerator at least 3 full days before cooking. If, on the night before, it is not thawed, place the turkey in a room temperature bath until it thaws.

2. The night before roasting, clean the turkey by removing the neck and giblets enclosed in the bird. Use them for the gravy, or discard.

3. Rinse the raw bird completely with cold water, using your hands to "massage" the bird as it is rinsed with the water. Do this all over, and inside the bird's cavity. MAKE SURE that everything you touch is thoroughly cleansed afterwards.

4. Drizzle olive oil into the cavity of the turkey, followed by generous amounts of the mixed together seasoning mix. Rub it all over the inside wall of the turkey.

5. Proceed to the outside of the bird, and rub generous amounts of seasoning mix all over the bird. (You are creating what is called a "dry-rub") The seasonings not only bring out the bird's flavors, but also help to keep the meat tender.

6. Using a large kitchen-use syringe, fill it numerous times with the marinade and injecdt the turkey. You'll want to lift the skin, and jam the needle directly into the meat of the bird. After doing each injection, gently press down on the area of the bird you injected to evenly disburse the marinade.

7. Fill your large pot approx. ¾ full with peanut oil and heat to 325 degrees. Carefully lower the bird into the oil as directed by the fryer's manufacturer.

8. Allow 3 minutes per pound before checking the turkey. To do so safely, have someone raise the turkey completely above the oil, allowing you to test the thigh and breasts area with a meat thermometer. The turkey is done when the thigh reaches 175 degrees and the breasts reach 155 degrees.

9. Place the done bird on a roasting pan which has been covered with brown paper bags. Let bird rest for 10 minutes, then carve.

Grilled Whole Turkey

Some important notes:

I suggest that you use my Turkey Brine if you choose to cook your turkey this way.

Roasting a turkey on a BBQ grill produces the same effect as an oven roasted bird, but is jucier, more flavorful and easier in my opinion. It also allows the oven to be used for other dishes.

These directions are done using a gas grill with a temperature gauge. If you have neither, you will have to improvise

Finally, I serve my turkey juicy and tender, thus it has a slight pink hue along the outer edges of each slice. I certainly cannot and am not advising you to not follow the USDA's guidelines for safely serving poultry to your family. If you, of your own free will, choose to serve your turkey as I do be ready for someone at the table to be "freaked out" by the presence of pink around their turkey. My answer to this always is, "don't eat it, then." You may want to cook your bird a little longer to avoid all of this.

Ingredients for the Seasoning Mix
1 White Onion
1/2 stalk of celery
3 Large Shallots
Olive Oil
10 cups chicken broth
5 teaspoons garlic powder
5 teaspoons onion powder
3 teaspoons poultry seasoning
3 teaspoons paprika
Salt and Pepper
a turkey, no larger than 14 pounds, brined using my "turkey brining recipe"

To Make...

2. Brine the turkey for at least 6 and up 12 hours prior to cooking.

3. Place the bird, breast side up, in his baking pan, on a rack which allows the turkey's drippings to accumulate beneath it.

4. Drizzle olive oil into the cavity of the turkey, followed by generous amounts of salt and pepper. Rub the salt and pepper all over the inside wall of the turkey. Allow the excess oil to simply dribble into the pan under the turkey.

5. Drizzle olive oil all over the turkey's breasts, legs, back, etc, rubbing the oil in. Follow it with generous amounts of salt and pepper rubbed all over the bird. The seasonings not only bring out the bird's flavors, but also help to keep the meat tender.
6. Chop the celery, onions, peeled shallots, and mix together in a bowl.

7. Stuff the vegetables into the cavity of the turkey. This is done to flavor the bird, and will not be eaten.
8. Mix together the chicken broth and seasoning powders. Pour 3 cups of the broth mixture into the pan beneath the turkey.

9. Preheat grill to 500 degrees (usually takes 20 minutes).

10. Place a fresh layer of olive oil along the outside of the turkey.

11. Place turkey in the grill and cover the grill for 40 minutes.

12. Your turkey should be beginning to turn golden brown already. Add 3 more cups of broth to the bottom of the pan which is probably bone dry now.

13. Reduce grill heat to 300 degrees.

14. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN CONTINUALLY. Just let the bird cook.

15. Despite common myths, there is no formula based on "minutes per pound" to figure out when your bird will be done. In my experience, an 18 pound turkey will need another 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours of cooking at this point, but you have to use some common sense. You want you turkey's legs to reach 175 degrees, and the breast meat to reach 155 degrees. At that point, you will remove the turkey from the oven, keep it covered and carve it 10 minutes later. Add more broth as needed in the bottom of the pan. I suggest checking your turkey after 1 hour of cooking at 300 degrees and determining at that point how well it's going. You can always reduce the heat even more if it's cooking too quickly or turn it up if the opposite is true.

Lemon Chicken Cutlets (Francese)

Nobody knows for sure the origin of this dish, although it seems to have come to be as a result of Italian immigrants to America combining the two cultures into this breaded chicken dish served in a butter lemon wine sauce. Some people love it served on pasta as well.

3 lemons cut into thin rounds, approx 12-18 slices

½ cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken broth

3 eggs, beaten

8 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Salt and Pepper

4 tablespoons butter

grated Romano cheese as needed

¼ cup olive oil

flour, as needed, poured out on a shallow plate

SERVES 2

Place 5 heaping tablespoons of grated cheese in a shallow bowl with 4 tablespoons of parley. Add the beaten eggs and mix well.
Dip each of the chicken cutlets in the egg mixture, one by one. Then place each in the flour and coat lightly. Remove each cutlet from the flour and place on a platter.
In a sauté pan big enough for all of the chicken, warm ¼ cup olive oil until hot over medium high heat
Saute the cutlets for 2 minutes per side, then remove to a platter
Discard the oil in the pan and add white wine to pan. Reduce by half over high heat, then add the broth and lemon slices
Boil for 5 minutes, then remove the lemon slices and any seeds from the sauce
Lower heat to low and swirl in 2 tablespoons of butter until melted.
Add the chicken cutlets and turn, coating in sauce.
Sprinkle remaining parsley over the chicken, serve with sauce atop and sprinkle fresh Romano over the top.

Oven Roasted Herb Chicken

This produces hearty, flavorful, juicy chicken, perfect for a cool fall or winter evening. I roast two chickens simultaneously to make sure I have enough meat to serve 4 people, plus the leftovers are fantastic. I strongly suggest using a ceramic baking dish if possible. The ceramic allows for better heat induction throughout the whole pan and creates more even cooked birds.

This whole dish takes about 4 hours of prep, but is well worth it if you have the time.

2 whole roasting chickens of equal weight, I suggest 4 pounds each. Giblets removed and discarded

2 tablespoons of butter, sliced as thinly as possible into squares

3 Lemons, chopped into quarters
12 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 whole bunches of sage
½ white onion, chopped roughly

Salt & pepper, or a spice rub of your choice (I prefer to make my own combination of sea salt and lemon rind, but I would strongly suggest using any gourmet store bought seas salt/citrus rub for this dish)

Olive oil as needed below

FOR THE BRINE:
2 quarts of water
2 quarts of chicken broth
1 cup kosher salt

Serves 4

1. Dissolve the kosher salt into the water and broth in a large bucket and stir together. Immerse both of the cleaned chickens into the solution and set aside in a cool place (garage in winter, for example) for 90 minutes.

2. Pour off the brine and rinse the chickens thoroughly with cold water for 5 full minutes. While you are handling the chicken, carefully peel and pull the skin from the breast meat, leaving the skin attached, but creating an easy to access pocket between the breasts and the skin. You should be able to slide your whole hand between the skin and breast meat when you are done, without tearing the skin.

3. Completely pat the chickens dry with paper towels. Place the dried chickens in a pan in a refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to help dry off the skin further (you can do for it as long as overnight if you wish). This is the biggest mistake people make cooking chicken; DRY skin at the time of cooking produces the best quality skin, not skin drenched in oils and butter.

4. Remove the chickens and again pat dry with paper towels. Place them in their roasting pan, directly on the bottom of the ceramic dish.

5. Insert into the cavities of the chickens an equal amount of the lemons, onion, half of the sage (torn roughly) and 4 sprigs of rosemary for each bird, torn roughly.

6. Using the flap you created earlier, lift the skin of the chicken and apply your salt & pepper rub directly to the breast meat and all around the inside of the chicken. On top of the rub, but beneath the skin, place alternating slices of butter.

7. Apply additional seasoning as desired to the entire outside of the chicken.

8. Place any remaining herbs and vegetables in the pan alongside and around the chickens to create an aromatic base.

9. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

10. Roast chickens for 15 minutes

11. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, pour olive oil over the chickens and continue roasting for about 45 additional minutes. Since ovens vary dramatically you need to pay diligent attention to your birds. I rotate my pan every 20 minutes and begin checking the internal temperature of my chickens after 40 minutes. Once the meat thermometer indicates 165 degrees in the thigh or 150 at the breast, the chicken is done. I suggest turning off the oven as the chicken reaches temperatures slightly below those figures and allow the chicken to slowly cook to its doneness while also cooling and settling. (for example, once my chickens hit 140 at the breast I turn the oven off and leave the chicken in the cooling oven for at least another 10 minutes, then remove and carve).

Pan Roasted Duck Breast with Port Wine Sauce

Duck breasts are now readily available in most stores but do yourself a favor and search out and find Muscovy breasts (Longhorn Meat Company in Auburn, California can get them for you…hint hint). This dish is great with mashed potatoes soaking up the sauce as you go.

2 duck breasts, about 1 pound each, recommend Muscovy

1 tablespoon olive oil for searing

Salt and Pepper as described below

1 cup Roby Port

1/3 cup Grand Marnier

½ medium shallot, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

3-5 spring of thyme, torn

1 cup of Veal Demi-Glace (found in soup aisle of better grocery stores, follow directions, add water and it’s perfect)

SERVES 2

Score the skin side of the duck with a very sharp knife, making small diagonal cuts. Do NOT cut through to the meat
Season both sides with freshly ground pepper and Sea salt flakes to taste. (I recommend 1 teaspoon per side of pepper, 1-2 teaspoons per side of sea salt)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a large oven proof sauté pan, preferably a cast iron skillet, warm olive oil over medium high heat to very hot.
Add the duck Breast, skin side down, lower heat to medium and allow to sear, undisturbed for 6 minutes
Flip the duck breast over and place the pan immediately into the oven. Roasting to medium rare will take 6-8 minutes.
Once done, make sure the breasts are allowed to sit, at room temperature, undisturbed, for 3-5 minutes so the juices set in before slicing. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
NOTE: Sauce can be prepared a day in advance and then reheated. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the port, Grand Marnier, shallot, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, reducing the liquid by about 1/3^rd. Whisk in the demi-glace, simmer for one minute and then strain. The sauce is ready to be served or refrigerated for later use. (For a thicker sauce, whisk in some cornstarch and water and allow to simmer for a few minutes. I recommend combining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with one tablespoon of water, mixing it, and then pouring that into the port reduction and whisking it in over low heat from 3-5 minutes).
Cut the Breasts into slices and fan over a plate, serving sauce over and around.

Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

This is NOT Chicken Parmesan! This is a simple breading and pan cooking of chicken for a fun flavor but still a light feel, kinda.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets, about 1 ½ pounds total

Salt and pepper to taste

¾ cup flour

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

½ cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons white pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2-3 ounces shaved parmesan cheese

Lemons for garnish

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Season chicken breasts evenly on all sides with salt and pepper to taste
Turn on your oven broiler (500 degrees if you have a temp setting) and place race about 6 inches from the burner)
In a shallow bowl, place flour
In a second bowl, beat eggs
In a third bowl, combine and mix panko, parmesan, mustard, salt and white pepper
Dredge the chicken in flour and then the egg mixture, allowing excess egg to drip back in bowl
Coat with the panko mixture and place on parchment paper until ready to cook
In a large cast iron skillet heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat
Cook for 2 ½ minutes per side
Place parmesan on top of each breast and immediately place under the broiler to melt the cheese and finish cooking the chicken, 1-2 minutes (watch closely so the cheese doesn’t burn)
Serve, traditionally with a lemon half in case you want some fresh juice.

Roasted Holiday Turkey

Some important notes:

I suggest that you use my Turkey Brine if you choose to cook your turkey this way.

I serve my turkey juicy and tender, thus it has a slight pink hue along the outer edges of each slice. I certainly cannot and am not advising you to not follow the USDA's guidelines for safely serving poultry to your family. If you, of your own free will, choose to serve your turkey as I do be ready for someone at the table to be "freaked out" by the presence of pink around their turkey. My answer to this always is, "don't eat it, then." You may want to cook your bird a little longer to avoid all of this.

Ingredients
2 Large Yellow or White Onions
1 stalk of celery
4 Large carrots
4 Large Shallots
Olive Oil
½ bunch fresh thyme
½ bunch fresh sage
½ bunch fresh rosemary
Salt and Pepper
Oh yeah... and a turkey

To Make...

2. The night before roasting, clean the turkey by removing the neck and giblets enclosed in the bird. Use them for the gravy, or discard. (See my gravy recipe for more info)

4. Drizzle olive oil into the cavity of the turkey, followed by generous amounts of salt and pepper. Rub the salt and pepper all over the inside wall of the turkey.

6. Place the bird, breast side up, in his baking pan, preferably on a rack which allows the turkey's drippings to accumulate beneath it.

7. Chop the celery, onions, carrots, peeled shallots, and herbs and mix together in a bowl.

8. Stuff the chopped herbs and vegetables into the cavity of the turkey. This is done to flavor the bird, and will not be eaten.

9. Cover the turkey and keep refrigerated over night.

10. On the day of cooking, remove the bird from the fridge in plenty of time for it to reach room temperature.

11. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

12. Place a fresh layer of olive oil along the outside of the turkey.

13. Place turkey, legs to the back, in the oven for 30 minutes.

14. Your turkey should be beginning to turn golden brown already. (if the bird is quite large, like say 20+ pounds, you may need to add an extra 15 minutes).

15. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees.

16. Place a triangular piece of aluminum foil over the breast and continue cooking DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN CONTINUALLY. Just let the bird cook.

17. Despite common myths, there is no formula based on "minutes per pound" to figure out when your bird will be done. In my experience, an 18 pound turkey will need another 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours of cooking at this point, but you have to use some common sense. You want you turkey's legs to reach 175 degrees, and the breast meat to reach 155 degrees. At that point, you will remove the turkey from the oven, keep it covered and carve it 10 minutes later. I suggest checking your turkey after 1 hour of cooking at 300 degrees and determining at that point how well it's going. Given the choice you'd rather your turkey be done too soon, rather than too late.

Rob's Turkey Brine

A brine is simply a seasoned salt-water bath that the turkey soaks in for 6-12 hours prior to cooking. The brine adds some flavor, but most importantly provides a chemical method to keep the meat tender and juicy while cooking.

Ingredients
Raw whole turkey
5-gallon bucket (like from Home Depot)
3-pound box of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
2 gallons chicken broth (water mixed with bouillon cubes is fine
1-gallon ice water
1 whole bunch fresh thyme, torn roughly
1 whole bunch fresh oregano, torn roughly
1 whole bunch fresh sage leaves, torn roughly
1 whole bunch fresh marjoram, torn roughly

To Make...

1. Clean the raw turkey and remove the neck and giblets.

2. In the bucket, combine the cooled (room temperature) broth with the ice water, salt, pepper and fresh herbs and mix well.

3. Place the turkey in the bucket, breast side down and cover the bucket. Leave it sit somewhere cool, I usually use the garage (unless it's summer time obviously).

4. After at least 6 and no more than 12 hours, and prior to cooking your turkey, remove the bird and rinse it with cool water, then proceed with your cooking prep

Turkey Cutlets

The growing popularity of turkey makes this dish easily accessible. Any grocery store worth its' salt carries packaged fresh turkey cutlets. Which are basically flattened thick breast slices. They work great here. If you have to, you can pound chicken breasts flat instead.

Ingredients
4 Turkey Cutlets
1 medium onion, chopped
3 slices of bacon, chopped
approx. 20 pearl onions
3 Garlic cloves, sliced into rounds
¼ cup dry sherry
½ cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and Pepper
butter

To Make...

1. Season the turkey breasts with salt and pepper.

2. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, boil the pearl onions five minutes. Transfer to a boil, drain, cool and then peel the skins off.

3. In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Remove and drain.

4. In the skillet with the bacon fat removed, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.

5. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for approx 3 -5 minutes, until soft.

6. Add the broth, wine Worcestershire, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 3 minutes.

7. Add the turkey, bacon and pearl onions, cover the turkey with the liquid and simmer (liquid should be modestly bubbling at about med-low heat) with the pan covered for approx 7 minutes, until the turkey is cooked through but not overdone.

8. Serve with sauce and proper side dish (potatoes, stuffing, rice all are excellent)

Turkey Gravy

Great turkey gravy is so much easier than people think. This recipe assumes that you are cooking a whole turkey. Also, this recipe takes advantage of those packaged mixes available at any grocery store which is a hell of a lot easier (and the way I make it) tastier than using flour.

Ingredients
Raw whole turkey giblets and neck
Chicken bouillon cubes
3 packages turkey gravy mix (this assumes that each package calls for 1 cup of water to be added to each package)
water

To Make...

1. Clean the raw turkey and remove the neck and giblets.

2. Place the neck and giblets in a saucepan and cover them with water. Add 2 bouillon cubes and place on the stove on medium low heat.

3. About an hour later, check the water level. If it has dipped below the turkey parts at all, again cover with fresh water and add another bouillon cube. Repeat this as necessary, allowing the neck and giblets to cook a total of at least 3 hours, up to 4.

4. Strain the remaining liquid and discard the solids. You will now have between 2-3 cups of real, fresh turkey broth.

5. Follow the package directions for the gravy (which should be as simple as bringing the package powder and water to a boil) but instead of using water as the package says, use your turkey broth. If you have 2.5 cups of broth, use all 3 packages of gravy mix for thicker gravy, and only two for thinner gravy. You will wind up with a nice tan to brown gravy that tastes better than any turkey gravy you've had.