Poultry

Deep frying your Thanksgiving turkey is popular for a reason – it happens to be the same reason that Lipitor is popular, but that’s beside the point.  Unfortunately, every year, 10 million* Americans start house fires from attempting to fry their bird.  And in addition to the arson hazard, deep frying a turkey requires a ton of oil, which, let’s face it, you’re not going to filter and reuse.

Luckily, the folks at Char-Broil have created The Big Easy Oil-Less Infrared Turkey Deep Fryer, and were kind enough to loan me a unit for testing.  This cooker looks and works just like a conventional turkey fryer, except it uses no oil.  Instead, a ring of gas burners heat up the inside of the cooking chamber, roasting your meat evenly and allowing the fat to drip down, with no risk of flame-ups. 

Rather than test the machine with a turkey, though, I thought I’d try out a few other dishes.  Check out my video review after the jump.

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If sous vide eggs had been invented two thousand years ago, there would have been entire books of The Bible dedicated to their praise.  But at the last meeting of the Jet City Gastrophysics, we took a giant leap forward.  You see, the beauty of a sous vide egg lies in it’s exquisite texture.  After about an hour in the water bath, the yolks become buttery with nearly the texture of pudding.  The only way to improve on this amazing transformation is to add a crunchy shell. 

Makes: 6 pieces
Total kitchen time: 90 minutes (30 minutes active time)

Special equipment: sous vide heating immersion circulator

Shopping list:

• 6 + 1 organic eggs
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• canola oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. black truffle salt
• 1 tbsp. fine lemon zest (optional)

1. Cook 6 eggs (reserving one) sous vide at 64.5°C for 60 minutes.  Let the eggs cool in a bowl of tepid water for 10 minutes.
2. Turn on the faucet to very low. Working one by one, carefully crack a cooked egg into your hand, and let the white drip away under the water.  Set the yolks aside.
3. Heat about 1.5 inches of canola oil in a small saucepan until it reaches 360°F (make sure the temp doesn’t exceed 370°F).
4. In a small bowl, combine the flower, baking powder and sea salt.  In a second bowl, whisk the remaining (uncooked) egg.  Spread the breadcrumbs on a plate.
5. Gently roll each yolk in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg wash, then roll in breadcrumbs.
6. Fry each yolk for about 30 seconds, or until lightly golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel, then sprinkle with black truffle salt and lemon zest.

These fried eggs make excellent tapas, particularly if your guests aren’t expecting what’s inside.  Perhaps in another thousand or two years, we’ll discover something even more delicious.

Although this may be the antithesis of my own culinary philosophy, the idea was just too indulgent to let go.  But, to do justice to this masterpiece of American-Chinese-American fusion, I felt that I really needed to commit – so most of the ingredients are premade and can be found in the freezer section!  Is this dish the epitome of the bastardization of Asian cuisine?  Perhaps.  Was it actually, shamefully delicious?  You bet.

Makes: 6 ethnically-retarded servings
Total kitchen time: 1 hour

Shopping List:

• 1 bag frozen Mandarin Chicken (available at Trader Joe’s)
• 1 cup frozen “Organic Foursome” (carrots, peas, green beans and corn, available at Trader Joe’s)
• 2 cups prepared sushi rice
• 1 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
• 1 premade pie crust, thawed (available at Trader Joe’s) [Note: use 2 pie crusts if making individual pot pies]

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
2. Prepare the Mandarin Chicken according to the package directions, reserving the sauce packets.  Set aside.
3. Thaw 1 cup of frozen vegetables, and mix together with Mandarin Chicken, sushi rice and soy sauce in a large bowl.  Add the Mandarin sauce and stir to combine.
4. You can prepare the pot pie in either one large round casserole dish, or in 6 medium ramekins.  If using one dish, spoon in the chicken, vegetable and rice mixture and push into the dish with the back of a spoon to compress.  Top with the pie crust and crimp the edges with a fork.
   If making individual pot pies, divide the filling between 6 medium ramekins and cut the pie crusts into rounds to cover.  Poke small holes in the middle of the crusts to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crusts are golden brown.  Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

I’m secretly hoping that this dish sweeps the nation (well, at least the middle part) as the next big trend.  There is something delightfully Paula Dean-y about the combination, not unlike “chicken tempura with BBQ sauce”.  So, if you’ve got friends or family who prefer something semi-homemade and anti-culinary, why not pass this gem along.

You’ve just gotta  love chicken wings.  Whether served with a pitcher of beer or a glass of milk, there’s something very satisfying about sucking tasty, tender meat off of a tiny bone.  But, the best part of chicken wings are, of course, the crispy batter and finger-licking flavors.  Rather than break out the deep fryer, why not add your crunchy crust from a bag of chips?  I’ve found that Popchips, with their hearty crunch and all-natural ingredients, are a great choice.  The beauty of this recipe, though, is that you can make wings of all flavors (barbecue, sour cream and onion, cheddar, parmesan garlic, etc.) just by using a different flavor of chips!

Makes: 8 crispy wings (or 4 big drumsticks, or 2 breaded chicken breasts)
Total kitchen time: 25 minutes

Shopping list:

• 8 all-natural chicken drumettes (you can substitute 4 regular drumsticks, 2 small chicken breasts)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp. honey
• 2 bags Popchips (you choose the flavor!)

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, salt and pepper.
3. Remove the skin from your chicken pieces and discard it.  As you de-skin-ify the chicken, drop it in the buttermilk to soak. 
4. Arrange the skinless, buttermilk-basted chicken pieces on the baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.  (If using larger drumsticks or chicken breasts, check for doneness by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.  It should read 160°F.)
5. Crush the Popchips onto a large plate and spread in an even layer.  You can either crush them by hand, or pulse them a few times in the food processor.  Drizzle the cooked chicken with honey, coating all sides.  Roll each chicken piece in the crumbled Popchips until fully coated.

Of course, we can’t talk about chicken wings without mentioning sauce.  This is a highly personal topic – some people swear by ranch, blue cheese, ketchup, hot sauce… whatever.  For me, a slow-cooked red onion marmalade hit the spot!

Full Disclosure: I got free stuff, but that doesn’t pay for my opinion.

The coffee aisles of my local grocery stores have been growing in recent years.  But, for some reason, coffee has never really made into the mainstream as a cooking ingredient.  Perhaps that’s because ground coffee is too coarse to dissolve nicely into a sauce, and instant coffees are notorious for their crappiness.  Well, we may be turning a culinary corner with the introduction of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew – the first instant coffee from Starbucks, and a new staple-to-be of my spice rack.  For this recipe, I chose the Colombia roast, which is a medium-bodied coffee that adds a subtle but important rich background flavor to the braised chicken.  The sweet onions balance out the bitterness of the coffee and make this a wonderful and unique dish.

Makes: 2 Grande Servings
Total kitchen time: 75 minutes

Shopping list:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 single-serving packets Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Colombia
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 can white beans, drained
• Olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat a dutch oven over high heat.  (You can use a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid).
2. Coat the chicken breasts on all sides with a small amount of olive oil.  Add to the pot and sear each side until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side.  Remove the chicken and let rest.
3. Add the cider vinegar and deglaze the bottom of the pan with a spoon (scrape up all the brown bits).
4. Add the diced onion and reduce the heat to medium.  Sweat the onion over medium heat until softened and slightly browned, about 3 minutes. 
5. Add the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew coffee and stir to coat the onions.  Then, add the water and brown sugar.  Stir to combine, and add salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Return the chicken to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a simmer for about an hour, or until the chicken pulls apart easily with a fork. 
7. Before plating, warm the white beans in a small skillet.  Plate a portion of beans into a shallow bowl, then add one chicken breast and top with onions.

I’m excited by the notion that coffee may appear more widely than as a pork rub or in baked goods.  I can’t think of any other ingredient that imparts as rich a flavor and aroma, except perhaps wine.  Hmm, coffee and wine sharing culinary characteristics?  This is gonna get really interesting…

Full disclosure: I got free stuff but that doesn’t pay for my opinion.

 
Today was unusually sunny and beautiful outside, which reminded me that in a few short months I’ll have to expose my pasty, muffin-topped midsection to the world if I want to enjoy Seattle’s summer aquaculture.  So, in an effort to keep eating well, I came up with these flavorful, low-cal, low-carb wraps.  Plus, they’re a great way to get rid of leftover chicken, turkey, or any other protein you’ve got lying around.  They may not be haute cuisine, but they’re a tasty way to stay in shape.

Makes: 4 skinny wraps
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping list:

• 4 low-carb tortillas
• 1 lb. cooked chicken, skin removed (use the white meat from a roasted chicken, chicken breast, turkey breast, leftover pork chop, fish fillet, or whatever else sounds good)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
• 1 small avocado, sliced
• 2 tbsp. crumbled goat cheese
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Using your fingers, shred the chicken (or other protein) into a small bowl.  Mix in the chopped pineapple, cilantro, lime juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes, up to 4 hours, to let the flavors develop. 
2. Divide the goat cheese, avocado slices and sprouts between the 4 tortillas.  Add the chicken mixture, and roll into a burrito, or pierce with a toothpick (if using small tortillas).

Serve this lunch or dinner wrap alongside a fruit salad, or some other healthy thing you might eat while you daydream about crisp french fries.

 
My goal of having 6-pack abs for my honeymoon apparently won’t be met by reducing my intake of foie gras and pork belly alone.  In an effort to trick myself into eating healthier, I’ve been experimenting with other white meats.  Usually, I think turkey is pretty bland.  However, this recipe was so shockingly tasty that it made me forget I was even trying to cook “lite”.  The pungent flavors of the curry and orange marmalade transform plain turkey into a dish I would even serve for company.

Total kitchen time: 1.5 hours
Makes: 2 waists a little smaller

Shopping list:

• 2 boneless skinless turkey breast halves
• 1 tbsp. red curry powder
• 2.5 Oz goat’s cheese (about 1/3 cup finely crumbled)
• 1/2 cup baby spinach, rinsed and dried
• 2 tsp. orange marmalade
• 4 8” pieces of cooking twine
• kosher salt

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and place the top rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with foil or a non-slip baking mat.
2. Working one at a time, place each turkey breast between two sheets of plastic wrap.  Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the breast until it is uniformly thick.  Be careful not to accidentally rip through the meat.  If you’ve had a long day, this step can be very therapeutic.
3. Generously salt both sides of the breast.  Then, coat each side with curry powder.  Lay the breast flat-side down and top with 1/2 of the goat cheese, pressing the cheese into the meat to help it stick.  Then, top the goat’s cheese with half of the spinach.
4. Roll the breast into a log, starting with the narrow end.  Tie the roulade (rolled meat) in two places using lengths of twine.  Repeat for the remaining turkey breast.
5. Finally, rub the outside of each roulade with 1 tsp. of orange marmalade.  Place on the lined baking sheet and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the roulade reads 160°F.  Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

I enjoyed this dish alongside an artichoke with my favorite choke-dip: light mayo and curry powder.  I suppose other healthy options might include a salad, fruit, or a doughnut.  Wait, doughnuts are healthy, right?

Sometimes I feel like getting a little fancy, and a whole roasted duck fits the bill.  Don’t let it intimidate you, though.  Roasting a duck is just like roasting a chicken, and no, it’s not absolutely necessary to crack open an actual coconut to make this recipe.  If you’re feeling a little adventurous, give this one a try.  I think you’ll be pleased with the results.

Total kitchen time: 2 hours
Makes: foul for four

Shopping list:

• 1 whole duck (or 4 duck breasts, if you prefer)
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 24 oz. (4 small cans) pineapple juice
• 1.5 cups basmati or jasmine rice
• 1/4 cup cream of coconut (from the drink mixers aisle of your supermarket)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp. yellow curry powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. red cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 425° F and set the top rack in the middle position.  Rinse and thoroughly dry the duck, inside and out.  Salt and pepper the skin and inner cavity.
2. Blend together the orange zest and butter using a small food processor (or with the back of a fork if you’re Amish, in which case I don’t know how you’re viewing my blog right now).  Stuff half of the orange butter under the skin of the duck and rub the remaining half on the outside of the skin.
3. Truss the duck (it yields better results, but it isn’t absolutely necessary) and place it on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up.  You can also place the duck directly onto a preheated heavy-bottom skillet, but a roasting pan will help the duck cook more evenly.  Whatever you’ve got around will work, so don’t fret.
4. Roast the duck for 45 minutes, then flip carefully and roast another 45 minutes with the breast side down.  Be sure to pour out any fat drippings from the body cavity when you flip the bird.  Let the duck rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
5. Meanwhile, boil the pineapple juice in a small saucepan over high heat until it has reduce to about 1/4 the quantity.  It should be shiny and a little syrupy.  Set aside.
6. Prepare the rice using your rice maker or stovetop, according to the directions on the package. 
7. In a small saucepan, combine the cream of coconut, coconut milk, curry powder, cinnamon, red cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil, and adjust to taste by adding more curry powder or red pepper flakes.  Fold the coconut mixture into the rice.
8. Plate the duck atop the coconut curry rice and spoon over some of the pineapple glaze.

If you’ve never cooked duck before, you’ll be surprised at the amount of fat that melts off the bird as it cooks.  Ducks have fatty skin because ducks need to float.  Wood also floats, and burns.  Witches burn because they are made of wood.  Therefore, if a woman ways the same as a duck, she is a witch.  Wow, a recipe and lesson in illogical justice?  What doesn’t this blog have!

I brought these chicken skewers to my building’s 4th of July party and, ever since, my neighbors have been showering me with bribes gifts. If you’re looking for a crowd-pleaser, look no further. I would strongly recommend making three times as many as you think you’ll need.

Total kitchen time: 1hr
Makes: 8 skewers (you should really triple this recipe)

Shopping list:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes (in the baking isle)
• 4 cups of frying oil (safflower oil works very well)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cups beer (a dark ale works best)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp red cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 long bamboo skewers

1. Pound the chicken breasts out flat between two sheets of plastic wrap. I use the bottom of a heavy saucepan for my pounding, but you can use a rolling pin or your head if you want.
2. Cut the flattened breasts into long strips, about 1 1/2 inches wide. You should be able to get about 4 long strips per breast.
3. In a large, shallow dish, combine the flower, egg, beer and dry ingredients (not the coconut). Stir with a fork until you have a thick, sticky paste. Spread an even layer of coconut flakes onto a separate plate.
4. Skewer your chicken pieces and dip into the batter. Wipe off the excess with your fingers, then roll in the coconut flakes.
5. Preheat the oil to 350 F in a large, deep skillet. Try to choose a skillet sized such that you can hold 2″ of oil with room to spare. Working 3-4 at a time (as many as you can fit without crowding), add the chicken skewers to the hot oil. Monitor the temperature to keep it as close to 350 as possible. Fry for about 3 minutes, or until the coconut is golden brown, then turn and fry the uncooked side for another 2 minutes. In between batches, skim off any renegade coconut flakes.
6. Rest the skewers on a double sheet of paper towels to drain and cool. Serve to a crowd of your new best friends.

Crack a coconut (yes, a real one) in half and fill it with peanut sauce or Indian Korma sauce. Arrange the skewers around the coconut on a large platter and watch them disappear before your eyes! [Food modeling courtesty of my girlfriend, Rachel.]

Texibian: WTF, right? Yeah, I know, it’s a stretch. But it’s the only way I can describe the flavor of this dish; if Texas were an island in the West Indies, this would be their chicken.
You might have noticed by now that I have a healthy relationship with my cast iron skillet. I can safely tell you that it is the best $40 you will ever spend on kitchenware.

Makes: 1 hot chicken
Total kitchen time: 30 mins

Shopping list:

• 1 chicken, quartered (I’ve ranted about this before; get the best chicken your grocery store has to offer) OR your favorite skin-on chicken pieces
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp celery powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup honey

Special equipment: cast iron skillet, aluminum foil shaped into a lid for your skillet

1. Combine all the dry ingredients (you guessed it, a dry rub) in a mixing bowl. Coat the chicken with the dry rub, patting it onto the skin and meat. Refrigerate anywhere from 0-30 minutes.
2. Preheat your oven to 450F and set the top rack to the middle position. Heat your cast iron skillet over high heat until it is smoking.
3. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down and cook over high heat about 2 minutes.
4. Cover the skillet with the foil and move it to the oven. Cook about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the foil. The chicken should be soaking in a tub of bubbling goodness. With the foil off, set your oven to broil.
6. Broil about 2 minutes or until the chicken develops deep brown spots. Carefully (your skillet is now hot enough to melt through your kitchen floor) flip the chicken pieces. Broil 2 minutes more.
7. Remove the skillet from the oven and onto a trivet. Drizzle the honey over the chicken and let sit at least 5 minutes. Plate up the chicken making sure to spoon off the juice left in the pan.

This dish pairs nicely with roasted vegetables (like onions and fennel) and sangria. Or, serve with corn, spiced butter and pink lemonade for a more Kennedy-like affair.

Doesn’t it sounds so much classier when I call them “hens”? They’re chickens. Whatever. This recipe represents one point on a epicurean function to which I’d like to introduce you. This function takes the form
Dinner = chicken + olive oil + salt + pepper + x
In this case, we’re solving for x = Herbs de Provençe.

Serves: 4 leisurely Frenchmen
Total kitchen time: the French don’t care, why should you?

Shopping list:

• 1 large chicken (though you could just as well use cornish hens, a duck, pigeon, or my dad’s rooster Lucky)
• 3 tbsp good olive oil
• 2 tsp Herbs de Provençe (I could tell you what’s in it, but you’re gonna buy the pre-made stuff anyway. No harm done)
• Salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Side note: Since we don’t have a lot of ingredients working here, I thought I’d take a moment to comment on the importance of salt and pepper. Please, please, please don’t settle for table salt and pepper that looks like gunpowder. IMHO, they’re not the same. If you’re only going to buy one “specialty” salt, pick up a box of Kosher Salt. You don’t have to be Jewish to buy it and the checkout clerk won’t ask you about Passover. Then, get some fresh black pepper (it comes in bb-sized balls) and a grinder. Some spice isles even have a small grinder preloaded for like $6 bucks. Your tongue will thank you.

1. Anyway… Preheat your oven to 425F. Set the rack to the middle position.
2. Quarter the chicken. Season the pieces with olive oil, salt, pepper and Herbs de Provençe.
3. Heat a large, heavy, oven-proof skillet (may I suggest cast iron) over high heat until it is pretty rocket-hot. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, making sure you have enough room to fit them all in. Cook over high heat for about a minute. This is our crisp skin insurance.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the fattest part of the breast registers 150F. Flip the pieces over so they are skin side up. Raise the heat to a broil and cook about 3 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and let rest several minutes before serving.

Not feeling completely French yet? Try adding some savory carrots, a fresh baguette and a bottle of wine. Viva la gastration!

Look, I’m all for haute cuisine. In fact, I’m tempted to lie and tell you that the picture to the right is pan-fried Fijiian oysters with julienned pommes de terre and saffron aioli. But it’s not. It’s chicken fingers and cheese fries. Sometimes you just want comfort food.

Makes: you forget you’ve ever been to Denny’s
Total kitchen time: 45 mins

Shopping list:

• 1-1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 box Corn Flakes (plain, no raisin or strawberry BS)
• 1 tbsp rosemary (I used dried for this recipe, but fresh works too)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Trim the chicken thighs, removing any excess fat. Cut into 1″ strips and place in a baking dish. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken and add the paprika and buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate 30 mins.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 and adjust the top rack so it is 6-8″ from the top heating element.
3. Combine the dry ingredients (Corn Flakes -pepper) in a food processor. Pulse a few times, but not too many that you end up with dust. Keep the mixture coarse for crispiness.
4. Spread 1/2 of the Corn Flake mixture on a plate. One by one, shake the chicken pieces dry and roll in the breading, coating thoroughly. Arrange on a greased or non-stick baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping once. When 15 minutes is up, if they don’t look crispy, set your oven to broil and watch them closely (about 2-3 minutes).

Serve with french fries (tossed with crumbled blue cheese and sea salt) and home-made BBQ sauce (sorry blog readers, I’ll never tell!).

This is a meal befitting a communist dictator – or you! Now that the weather is warming up, I can’t help but crave the tangy, refreshing flavors of lime, mint and cilantro. This is an easy, rewarding meal that makes you want to forfeit your civil rights and float on a door to paradise.

Serves: 2 baseball loving Yanks
Total Kitchen Time: 40 mins

Shopping List:

• 1 whole organic, free-range, hormone-free, sustainably-farmed, middle-class, democratic chicken
• *Special equipment: cast iron skillet or oven-proof skillet

Marinade:

• 1 small onion
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp cilantro
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh black pepper

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in your food processor or blender. If you don’t have either, I hope you have a sharp knife and patience.
2. Butterfly the chicken by removing the spine with kitchen shears and cracking the sternum with your hands. For more information, get Jacques Pepin’s book. I know you won’t.
3. Marinate the chicken from 0-8 hours (really, you can just brush this stuff on) making sure both sides of the bird are nicely coated.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 and set the rack to the middle-top position. Get your skillet nice and hot and give it a minute to retain the heat.
5. Place the bird, breast side down, in the skillet and cook about 3 minutes. Transfer the whole skillet to the oven and cook until the thickest part of the meat reads 145 on your thermometer (about 20 minutes).
6. Flip the bird over and crank your oven up to broil. Broil 5-7 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and brown. Let stand 5-10 minutes before carving.

Candied Jalapeno

• 5 jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup hot water

1. Pour the sugar and water into a small sauce pan over high heat.
2. When the water starts to boil, add the sliced jalapeno. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook about 15 minutes. Don’t let the sugar reach the soft boil stage – it should stay slightly watery even at the end.
3. Transfer jalapeno slaw to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Fried Plantains:

• 4 plantains, cut into 1/2 in sections (you can substitute bananas if you want)
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the sliced plantains, brown sugar and cinnamon. Saute, flipping to coat with butter, about 15 minutes.