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| Excellent - (Click for larger image). |
It has been a LONG Summer / Fall / Winter since I have set myself down and prepared anything, but that has not precluded research...
Savory pudding? I'm in! I just discovered this dish which has documented history back to the 18th century - as an old soul, all I can say is, "Where have you been all my life?" but apparently the answer is, "right here".
Most of the older versions are simpler, with a minimum of ingredients. Think of it as the ancestral recipe for chicken pot pie. I have researched several versions of this dish and devised my own.
To contemporize this, I will kick up the spice with fresh serrano chiles, add more fresh herbs and mirepoix vegetables, potatoes, replace parsley with cilantro and then have more of a one-dish meal, though it can be served with a starter soup / salad and green vegetable. The potato and filling serve well as a starch component.
We start with chicken boiled in herbs and mirepoix and repeat the same herbs in the pudding and gravy components for a double punch of flavors. This was intended to be baked in a cast iron skillet but, as often happens in this kitchen, the concept ran away with the recipe and we ended up in a larger baking dish. Finish this herbal wonderland with a rich chicken mushroom gravy.
THE RECIPE -- CHICKEN AND STOCK
One +/- 5# whole chicken
2 carrots, rinsed and sliced on the bias
3 stalks celery with leaves, sliced on the bias
One large onion, quartered
5 cloves garlic, smashed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
3 large slices fresh ginger
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 bunch cilantro
3T kosher salt
1T black peppercorns
Place all ingredients in a Dutch oven, cover with water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer, 1.5 hrs -- I am especially excited to christen my beautiful new brick-red Cuisinart Dutch oven. Remove from heat, cool chicken and pick / shred the meat. Dice larger pieces. Strain stock and reserve.
Butter or spray with pan release a 9"X13" baking pan. Heat oven to 350°F.
THE RECIPE - CHICKEN PUDDING FILLING
Picked chicken from above recipe, reserved
1 T EV olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and minced
2 ribs celery, minced
2 Serrano chiles, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, minced
1 onion, minced
1 medium potato, minced
2 T fresh thyme, chopped
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Sweat the vegetables in the oil over medium heat, approx. 5 min. Transfer to mixing bowl with batter.
THE RECIPE - PUDDING BATTER
4 large eggs
2 cups of milk (or 1 ½ cups milk and ½ cup cream for richer flavor)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup or more of flour
1 t baking powder
Mix above ingredients in a large mixing bowl, add picked chicken and softened vegetables. Mix together and add to baking pan. Bake for approximately one hour. Test for doneness with a toothpick in the center; when it is removed clean, remove the pan from oven and set out to cool.
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| Just out of the oven - (Click for larger image). |
THE RECIPE - CHICKEN GRAVY
Stock, reserved from above recipe, reduced to approx. 2 cups
6 shiitake mushrooms, diced
3/4 cup flour
2 T butter
1/4 bunch minced cilantro
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Simmer all ingredients over medium heat until thickened.
Dash ground cayenne pepper, as garnish
Serve chicken gravy over warm chicken pudding and garnish with cayenne powder.
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| Are you going to get over here before I finish this? |
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