Birthday Barbecues

I love birthdays. I have always loved them. When I was a little boy in Charleston, I said to the guests at the first birthday party I remember, "See you next month," believing that my next party would be in a mere 30 days. Only my charmingly merciless grandmother corrected me, "No, Andy, say see you next year! Birthdays are once a year!"

It's not just my birthday that I enjoy celebrating. As the saying goes, "It is better to give than to receive." I had the honor to co-host a friend's birthday dinner this weekend and used the occasion to experiment a bit. A few weeks ago, I had Chef Greeley's signature mixed grill at the incomparable 21 Club in New York City. It was a delicious and complex assortment of meats, vegetables, and flavor. My dining companions gently teased that I'd ordered the "petting zoo," as the meal consisted of rabbit, lamb, venison, and wild boar. Any Walt Disney characters aside, it was an excellent dish that I wanted to recreate with my own personal twist.

While I am proud of my apartment (an elegant renovation of part of a floor of a grand mansion built in 1840 Baltimore), I cannot hope to reproduce the atmosphere that is the 21 Club. Elegant but accessible, this is the essence of American fine dining. While jackets are quite rightly required, it would be quite wrong to call this place stuffy. Decorated with toys and memorabilia from sports, pop culture, and old New York, you can't help but find this place iconic. In the spirit of last weekend's Kentucky Derby, here's an image of the facade of the restaurant, complete with 21 jockeys standing guard.

Service, atmosphere, and incredible food await at the 21 Club.

Recipes and more of the story after the jump...

Quick and Easy Brunch

Zucchini, Caramelized Onion, and Mushroom Frittata

Who says real men don't eat quiche? Well, this isn't exactly a quiche because there's no crust. It's best termed a frittata in Italian or tortilla in Spanish. Simply put, eggs and vegetables join forces to create a large, puffed omelet.
Don't get me wrong, I love quiche, but sometimes short crust can be fussy first thing in the morning. Even if you haven't planned ahead, this technique will produce a delicious and easy brunch in 20 minutes. It can feed a crowd or just a few people, depending on how many eggs and extras you wish to employ.

This is the place for a sturdy, oven-safe, non-stick pan. Many of my purist food-minded friends will scoff at non-stick, but Julia Child swore by them. You can achieve a delicious result in cast iron or stainless steel, but this works really well in my 12-inch "Green Pan" brand skillet, pictured above. You can start everything on the stove, as I do, or let it bake the entire cooking time. I like a little brown on the bottom of the eggs and a fluffy top, which is achieved by 5 minutes on the stove and another 7-10 in a hot oven.

I started by slicing a dozen or so medium-sized button mushrooms, slicing a medium onion, and thinly slicing a zucchini. Starting with the onions, I sauteed them in a teaspoon each of butter and olive oil. I lowered the heat and allowed them to caramelize, which means turn brown and slightly syrupy. It took about 20 minutes over medium low. I then added the mushrooms, seasoning with sea salt and cracked black pepper, which I cooked with the onions over medium heat until they were brown and had released much of their juices. This takes no more than 7 minutes or so. I then added the zucchini in an even layer and covered for about 5 minutes to create some steam. Once the squash started to soften, I scrambled 6 eggs with a quarter cup of whole milk. I seasoned the eggs with a little bit of pepper and nutmeg and poured them into the pan. I shook it so as to evenly distribute the eggs. I cooked it on the stove over medium high undisturbed for 5 minutes and put it in a hot oven (about 450) for another 10 minutes. It puffed just enough and sliced into perfect wedges.
I made a fresh salsa from garlic, onion, and cherry tomatoes, which I chopped together finely and used to top each slice. I served with a small green salad dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice.

The whole operation was done in under 30 minutes, before anyone even knew I was cooking!

If you wanted to go a distinctly Spanish direction, you could keep it simple with sliced potatoes and onions (and lots of olive oil). Carnivores among you may see fit to add crumbles of bacon, sausage, or slices of deli meat. There's certainly plenty of room in the mix for cheese of any kind. I'm especially fond of gruyere and cheddar. I don't think I have made the the same frittata twice, so I'm glad I kept track of this one. Give it a try!

Chicken Stock

A lazy afternoon of stock making.

When I roast a chicken, I hate to see anything go to waste. Frequent visitors to my kitchen will know that I typically have multiple bags in my freezer filled with the carcasses of previously enjoyed chickens. The necks, unused giblets, and aromatic vegetables from inside the birds freeze well and will, with minimal extra effort, create a luscious stock for soups, stews, and sauces. Nothing out of a carton or can will compare to your homemade chicken stock. Many cookbooks have exact recipes and techniques, all of which are perfectly fine, I'm sure. My method, however, uses scraps and permits flexibility.

Basic Chicken Stock
Yield: 4-6 quarts of stock
Cook Time: 4 hours

Ingredients

• 2 chicken carcasses, with giblets, vegetables, etc... from roasting
• 1 medium onion, cut into quarters
• 2 carrots, broken into chunks
• 2 stalks celery, broken into chunks
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 tbsp. coarse salt (less of table salt)
• 1 tbsp. whole peppercorns
• 10 stems of fresh thyme (dried is fine here, just use a tablespoon or so)
• 10 stems of fresh parsley (see above)
• any other leftover vegetables such as squash, parsnips, turnips (avoid cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage)
• Water to cover

All ingredients can start very easily from frozen. I almost always do. Place all of the ingredients in a large stock pot and fill with water to cover by an inch or so. Some may float. It is a good idea to put a plate of vegetable steamer on top of everything to keep things weighted down, although it isn't necessary.

Chicken stock stores well for months!

Bring the mixture to a boil and then allow to simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours. If things reduce too much, add some water. Make sure it's not a rolling boil, but a slight simmer. You should see bubbles, but not a ton of agitation at the surface.
After 4 hours, taste the liquid. There will be some fat on top, which you can remove later. Get a sense of the flavor. It should be like intense chicken soup. If it is too bland, let it go a while longer. If it is too strong, you did it right. You will use this as an ingredient, which requires it to stand up to the other flavors of your dishes. It shouldn't be too salty, so you may dilute it with some water if that is a problem.
Allow the stock to cool to room temperature. Strain it through a colander lined in cheesecloth into a large mixing bowl or stockpot. Refrigerate the stock overnight and peel off the layer of fat that will settle on top.
Ladle the stock into individual freezer containers to keep as you need it for the next few months. It will be delicious -- and you made it yourself from scraps in the freezer!

Updated Roast Chicken

Deceptively simple, the roast chicken is incomparably satisfying when done properly. Even among professionals, according to Jacques Pépin, a well-roasted chicken is the mark of a truly skilled chef. Every celebrity chef and classic cookbook seems to have their version of what's "perfect." I have several versions in my archived blog, In Good Taste, but have been toying with the recipes over the years and wanted to share an update. This version takes just over an hour with a thawed chicken that's been sitting out for about 20-30 minutes.

Roast Chicken

Serves 2-4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 whole fryer chicken, wishbone, giblets and neck removed, about 3.5 lbs (removing the wishbone before cooking will make carving much easier)

4 tbsp softened unsalted butter

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp kosher salt + 2 tsp for seasoning the bird

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper + 2 tsp for seasoning the bird

1 small onion, quartered

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a clean, dry oven-safe skillet in the oven to heat with it. I use a 12-inch All-Clad frying pan.

In the mean time, combine the butter with the garlic powder, half the salt and a tsp of the pepper. Carefully stuff the butter evenly under the skin of each half of the breast. The skin should loosen easily, but take care not to tear it. This step ensures the breast meat will not dry out during the high heat cooking.

Place the onion and garlic cloves inside the cavity and season the bird all over, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Tie the chicken's legs together (as in the photo) and fold the wings behind the back. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and add the olive oil. Allow to coat the bottom of the pan and add the chicken, breast side up. Place back in the oven immediately and roast for an hour. Check the thigh meat at around 45 minutes. It should read 180 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Allow the chicken to rest, covered with foil, on a carving board. De-fat the pan juices and drizzle over the chicken once carved. Serve arranged on a warm platter. 

Braised Cabbage

This winter staple can be made in a vegetarian style or with hearty slices of bacon. It's up to you. It keeps for a few days in the refrigerator and can be paired with everything from fish to fries.

Braised Cabbage
Serves 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 head cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• white/ green, savoy, or Napa cabbages work beautifully
• 4 slices of bacon OR 2 tbsp olive oil (depending on your vegetarian preferences)
• 1 onion, roughly diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp red chili flakes, more to taste
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

Chop the bacon into 1-inch pieces and render out the fat for about 10 minutes, until crisp. Alternatively, pre-heat the olive oil in the pan.

Add the onion, garlic, and chili flakes and cook until softened and lightly browned. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper and toss together as evenly as possible. It will seem like a lot. Be patient, as it will cook down. Just make sure the bottom doesn't burn. I find a non-stick pan is helpful.

Taste for seasonings and cook covered for about 15-20 minutes, until the cabbage is softened. Keep tossing to distribute the flavors. Serve hot.

Homemade Turkey Sausage

It's always fun to have overnight guests. I like my friends to wake up to the smell of a hearty breakfast in the kitchen. I find it's much more effective than an alarm clock. I recommend you put together this mixture overnight and form the patties the next morning just before frying them up. It couldn't be easier. All you need is clean hands and a mixing bowl -- forget the meat grinder and sausage stuffing attachment. They're great with eggs, toast, or pancakes. It's also a wonderful alternative to pork sausage for holiday stuffing.

Homemade Turkey Sausage

Ingredients
3 lbs ground turkey (full fat variety, not the 99% lean sort)
2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp dried rubbed sage
1 tsp fresh minced thyme
2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp cognac

Mix all the ingredients until evenly distributed in a mixing bowl. Cover and chill overnight.

Form into patties and fry until cooked through and browned on both sides. Serve hot with other breakfast favorites.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

One of the first meals I ever prepared by myself was a grilled cheese sandwich with a hot bowl of canned tomato soup. It's a tremendous flavor memory and classic combination. There's no reason that we can't enjoy this casual favorite with friends at a casual lunch or supper.

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 40 min.

Ingredients - Simple Tomato Soup

• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 small can tomato paste
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 quarts vegetable broth (or water)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• rind of parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven. Sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and thyme over medium high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring. Add the crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, and parmesan and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves and parmesan rind.
Puree in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Serve hot.

Ingredients - Grilled Cheese Sandwich

• 8 slices excellent quality sandwich bread
• I recommend Pepperidge Farm
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 4 tbsp butter

Assemble the sandwiches with the cheese divided evenly between each pair of slices of bread. On a griddle or in a large cast iron frying pan, melt half the butter over medium high heat. Carefully place the sandwiches and cook for 4 minutes, monitoring carefully to avoid burning. Place the remaining butter evenly on top of each sandwich. Carefully flip the sandwiches and cook another 3-4 minutes. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve with piping hot tomato soup.