Chicken Liver Pate

The pate's are a spread for tartines or slices of bread made from liver. Almost any liver works but the most used are chicken, pork, rabbit. Of course, the higher end of pate is duck or goose pate. Nowadays you can buy pate of all kinds in cans but I've discovered (that what I should have remembered from my childhood) that you can easily can make your own pate in house.

INGREDIENTS (for a medium bowl):

• 500 gr. chicken lliver;
• 1 big onion;
• 1 clove garlic;
• 3-5 strips bacon;
• 200 gr. butter;
• 100 ml. white wine, dry (can use sherry, port, etc.);
• 2-3 bay leaves;
• 1 handful parsley;
• salt, pepper, mustard seeds (optional).

HOW TO MAKE:

First dorp a little knob of butter into a frying pan and add the onion cut julien and the minced garlic. After the onion has softened add the bacon cut into 1-2 cm. bits and fry to render the fat from it a little bit. After 10 minutes of cooking you add the chicken livers and cook them all on medium heat for 15 minutes stiring occasionally. Middway through the cooking process add the glass of wine. Oh, the flavors!

Season well with salt, pepper, bay. Beware the salt in the bacon. After the livers are well cooked through, add the chopped parsley and turn off the heat and let cool for a wile. Remove the hard bay leaves and blend all the composition in a food processor until smooth. Fill a serving bowl with the paste and seal the top of it with the rest of the butter that you've liquefied beforehand. I've gone easy on the butter, but you must know that the base recipe calls for 1 cm. thick butter cap on top of the pate bowl.

Refrigerate it when it has cooled enough and serve in the next few days on toast! Try it with toast and dijon mustard!

Espresso Style Recommends: Irish Pub, Constanta, Romania

I recently visited the Irish Pub in Constanta, Romania, my home town. It has long had a reputation for being one of the best places to eat in town. The relative notoriety and high standards are possible to uphold because of two reasons, in my opinion: one is that they are a franchise and therefor have to maintain a good joint and second because the notoriety of the brand is such that they attract a large number of people from out of town (note, the capital city, Bucharest) and, more important, expats and western business people.

That being said, let's get to the food and drink. We were a party of four, located in the non smoking area (not entirely separate, but good enough) for a semi festive lunch.

I arrived first and ordered an espresso.

First gold star they get for the attention of the waitress who asked me if i wanted my espresso normal or stretto (I already asked for a short one). So far, so good. The water was given as asked, not too cold, and served in nice tall glasses.

Then, when everybody was at the table we were served some fresh baked buns with Lupark (premium brand) butter. They were sooo good! We just ate them right away so I didn't have time for photos.

When it was time to eat, we ordered and the food was brought to us in reasonable time. We started with some salmon crostini, served with a generous helping of green salad, onions and tomato, dressed with a yogurt sauce.  It was good, regarding both taste and presentation.

The others had some eggplant dip and a lovely looking pumpkin cream soup with croutons that I never tasted.

For the main course I ordered a leg of duck (comfit) with orange and blood orange sauce. It was good, the meat fell wright off the bone and the little slices of orange were cut professionally and served without the little skins. The sauce a little too sweet, but ... who am I to complain. On the side were gratinated potatoes, cut in thin slices.

The misses had some carbonara, made with penne as a special request (in the menu were spaghetti) which she said was a little salty from all the parmesan cheese, but very tasty otherwise.

 The other couple had a roll of chicken meat with salmon in the middle (oddly tasting, strong fish taste, nice enough) with mashed potatoes and a serving of pasta with sea food and red sauce.

For desert we went for a chocolate and sour cherry roulade. That was good as long as you only had two teaspoons of it, otherwise it got too sweet.

Anyway, the place gets 4 (out of 5) stars for the food quality, and 4 as well for the service and atmosphere. The chairs were comfortable for eating and lounging (that tends to be a problem in some other places), the hall was populated enough not to feel lonely but not jam packed. The bar was well maned and worked fast and good. The waitress and helpers were also fast and polite and knew the menu. Smiles are important and we received them in proper moderation.
Not the least, the music was good (lounge style instrumental) and not too loud. I was told that it shifts towards a higher  bpm and volume in the evening. They have their own DJ. 

I recommend Irish Pub in Constanta with all confidence.

Green Pea Chicken Stew

In our kitchen it's a habit to make and eat this stew every month or two months just because we enjoy it, it's easy to make, it's made with available ingreds and both me and my wife have known it all our lives.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 to 1 kg. green peas (fresh, frozen or canned);
• few tablespoons vegetable oil;
• 1 medium onion;
• 1/2 to 1 carrot;
• any 4 or 5 pieces of chicken (works with pork, veal);
• 1/2 can crushed tomatoes;
• salt, pepper, fresh dill, parsley, time, stock.

HOW TO MAKE:

Chop up the onion in a medium dice, and do the same with the carrot. Add the oil in a pot and sote the onion and carrot on a small heat untill tender and sweet. A little salt in the beginning helps the process. Stir often. After about 5 to 15 minutes, depending on your patience, add the chicken pieces and cover with stock (I used tap water). Bring it to a simmer and skim off the eventual foam that may form on top. Let it simmer for about half an hour more and then add the peas. If the peas are fresh or frozen, boil the stew for another half hour. If you use canned peas, 15 minutes will do, as they are already boiled. Also add less salt in this case.

Season it with salt, pepper, a little time.At the end (last 5 minutes of cooking) add half a can crushed tomatoes. Wright at the end add the fresh dill, chopped.

If the consistency of the stew isn't thick enough just add a spoonful of white flour dissolved in a cup of liquid from the pot. Ad it in a slow poor and stir continuously. It will instantly thicken the stew.

Remember: dill wright at the end, as you turn off the heat. Enjoy! 

 

Chicken Drumsticks With Onion & Zucchini

This recipe is easy to make and requires minimum effort. Just a bit of preparation, as it is best to first marinate the chicken drumsticks in a sauce. You can do this over night or just for an hour before you pop the whole thing in the oven. It's an all year round recipe. Everybody will like it What's not to like: baked glazed chicken drumsticks, delicious garlicky zucchini slices and sweet caramelized onion sections. Delicious!

INGREDIENTS (serves 3):

• 7 chicken drumsticks;
• 2 medium zucchini (or one large);
• 1 large yellow onion (or 2 small);

FOR THE SAUCE/MARINADE:

• 1 tbspoon soy sauce;
• 1 splash worcestershire sauce;
• 1 splash vinegar (regular or balsamic);
• 2-3 tbspoons olive oil;
• (can use 1 cm finely chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon honey, dijon mustard, whiskey, hot chilly pepper)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or grated;
• salt, pepper, dry time. 

HOW TO MAKE:

First mix well together the ingredients for the marinade, and use depending on your preference, more or less of the sweet or spicy ingreds. Wash well the chicken drumsticks and coat well with the marinade. Save some of the marinade for the vegetables, later. Let the chicken sit for at least one hour, up to overnight in the fridge. When you are ready, cut the zucchini in one inch thick slices and the onions into bits about the same thickness. Mince one clove garlic and rub it on the vegetables along with some of the sauce that you have marinated the chicken in. Put them all in a baking tray lined with tin foil or with damp backing paper (for easy removal at the end). Bake in the preheated oven at 200 Celsius for 30-45 minutes covered with tin foil. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and caramelized onion bits. Enjoy with salad!   

Quick Meal: Potato Garlic Chicken Fry

Sometimes you just do not have the time and the necessary stamina to cook yourself something great, but don't want to settle for something mediocre either. What a dilemma! What to do?

When in doubt, drink another glass, a friend of mine would say. But no, really, for this situation there are some ways out. One is always a dish of pasta. Pasta done well takes literally minutes and tastes excellent and gourmet. Another way is to just go with your instincts in the kitchen and improvise something that takes you to the older and simpler times of "antand", when you were younger, food was just food, and someone else payed for everything. Even if that means the dish you are about to make is not at all what you would call a recipe.

For me one of these improvised dishes is a pan fry of potatoes, chicken bits in vegetable oil with lots of garlic.

So, here goes:

INGREDS for 3 servings:

• 6 chicken bits, wings and dark meat, with skin on;
• 3-5 medium potatoes, depending on the size of the pan;
• vegetable oil;
• 2-3 cloves garlic, pealed;
• salt, pepper, a little time (optional).

HOW TO MAKE:

Start by cutting the chicken to bits or just use wings or legs or thighs. Season well with salt and pepper. Leave skin on. Peal the potatoes and cut them in finger thick chunks (I prefer larger). Heat the (3-5 tbs.) oil in a frying pan and fry the meat just for 2-3 minutes on all sides (or just one, if you're lazy), add the potatoes, add water (or stock, you snobs)  just to cover. Let simmer for as long as it takes for the water to boil away almost completely, while you knock o beer or watch a favorite show. It usually takes about a half an hour or so. After 15 minutes you can turn the chicken bits on the other side and stir the potatoes a bit. Season again, if needed.

Just as you turn off the heat, chop the garlic cloves finely and add to the pan. You are done! Do not worry if it sticks to the pan and it breaks a little as you put it in a bowl. The messier, the better. Remember, you are starving. Enjoy!

EspressoStyle Recommends: La Turn, Sibiu

La Turn is a restaurant terrace situated in Sibiu, Romania, in the historical center of the city. We are talking about the European Capital of Culture of 2007. It has excellent placement towards both main piazzas of the medieval city of Sibiu. We sat on the terrace in the Little Piazza. The food is good, not the absolute best, but definitely above average. It's Italian based cuisine, which in itself is a plus, especially if cooked well, but for the restaurant market in Romania that is over saturated with Italian oriented menus, it turns into a minus. Well, that being said, it's a good joint. Let's go to the food.

We started with a chicken salad for her and some salmon crostini for me. They were bot good, especially the crostini (although it could have been jut my raging hunger at the time). Anyway, they were baked just enough to melt and brown the cheese a bit. Lovely. Bread was not great, but not bad either.

Next came a dish of penne pasta al forno (baked in the oven) with chicken meat and mushrooms, a pink sauce and mozzarella on top. That was good, not too fat and totally eatable. The reason I save up on the praises is because the ingredients used were average, at best. The lean chicken breast strips, the sliced (maybe even canned) champignon mushrooms, cheap mozzarella. The pink sauce saved the dish by being light enough and smooth. Other than that, great.

The girl who served us was quick and communicative, with good knowledge of the menu. Smiles and everything.

For desert: a fried batter thing called "papanashi" (romanian classic) with cream and fruit jam for her and just espresso for me. Sadly, both of these were below average.  The papanashi was too fat and over fried and the espresso a bit bitter. Considering though that by this time we were full bellied and more indulgent, I got past very well and made it a nice lunch out. 

Scenery in the Little Piazza of Sibiu is just satisfying enough, anyway.

I give it 3 stars out of 5 for food quality, and also 3 for atmosphere. That means it was very nice. 4 stars means I was very impressed and 5 is reserved for the very best in the business.

That also means I warmly recommend La Turn, in Sibiu, Romania.

Chicken Yogurt Sauce Pita Wraps

This is an excellent weekend breakfast, a Saturday evening party treat or even a "watching the game" food, depending on the occasion or your mood. It is easy to make and requires almost no time to prepare.

That is, if you use the store bought pita wraps (like I did). Don't worry, even the greatest chefs do it most often then you think.

Anyway, it is a delicious and most importantly, healthy meal.

INGREDIENTS:

• pita wraps (use as fresh as you can find);
• chicken breast;
• green onions;
• some grated yellow cheese (ca use cheddar or even a blue cheese);
• salt, pepper, chilly flakes to taste;
• red salsa or just plain ketchup.

FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE:

• 1 cup plain yogurt;
• 2 springs finely chopped green onions;
• 1 minced garlic clove;
• salt, pepper;
• a tablespoon olive oil.

HOW TO MAKE:

Just mix together all the ingredients of the yogurt sauce in a bowl and give them a good stir.

Grill the chicken breast cut into finger thin slices that have been salted and peppered. Cut the grilled meat into finger style strips. Put a few strips of meat on an open pita wrap. Do not let the pita wraps out of their bag for longer then a few minutes or let the bag open for they will go all dry and stiff. Cut a few green onion springs into 1 inch long bits and sprinkle over the meat. Grate or brake the cheese and sprinkle over the other stuff.

Now use the garlic sauce to moisten the whole thing like in the picture. Last goes in the ketchup. Wrap and enjoy with care not to drip sauces on ones clothes.

St. Constantin and Elena BBQ

Last weekend we went to my fathers to celebrate St. Constantin and Elena (orthodox celebration of the people with the saints names). Of course, the usual BBQ was in order along with some other stuff. All and all, some quality time with friends and family.

Fried Chicken Southern Style

We all want to eat as healthy as we can, but, let's face it: we all crave some fried stuff now and then. So, here's a recipe of some fried chicken pieces coated in an egg and breadcrumbs mixture after it's been marinated in a combination of spices that I've made up myself.

INGREDIENTS (serves three):

• the legs and thighs and breast of one chicken;

FOR THE MARINADE:

• a splash of Worcestershire Sauce;
• salt and pepper to taste;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine;
• a splash of soy sauce;
• a pinch of cumin (ground);
• a generous pinch of time;
• a table spoon of regular mustard;

FOR THE COATING:

• 2 eggs, beaten well;
• 2 cups breadcrumbs.

HOW TO MAKE:

First separate the chicken legs from the thighs and cut the chicken breast in about 4 or 5 pieces (however you can manage around the bones). Take off all the skin from all the pieces of chicken. Make a few cuts with a sharp knife into the meat on all facets of it so the seasoning and the marinade gets into it better and later the coating will be more adherent and thick. No more then 3 or 4 cuts on each chicken piece will be enough.

Next make a marinade from all the ingredients shown above and coat the meat well with it. Let sit in the fridge for at least one hour (to a day).

Beat the eggs well and get the chicken pieces one by one, coat them well on all sides with the eggs and then coat them well with the breadcrumbs in a separate container. Work with only one handwhen coating with egg, otherwise you will make a mess everywhere. It's fun aether way.

Next fry the well coated pieces in a thick skillet with vegetable oil on medium high heat, just until they are brown on all sides. Do not overlay the pieces. Make in batches if the skillet is too small. This doesn't take more than 5 minutes for each batch. 

Finally, put the browned chicken pieces into an oven tray, with a bit of space between them, and cook in the oven for 30 minutes covered, then for another 15-20 minutes uncovered on medium heat (170-200 C). If you can, turn the pieces at half the baking time. For best non stick results you can use an aluminum foil or a baking sheet underneath them. 

It sounds like a lot of work but I promise you that you'll be done in under two hours (including the baking time) and the results are delicious.

Soup a la Radauti

Radauti (pronounced rah:dah:utzi) is a small town in Romania, Eastern Europe. This soup is actually the lighter and "tidy"er version of another soup: tripe soup, which is very popular all throughout Romania. The main difference is that in stead of cow tripe, you use plain lean chicken breast meat.

INGREDIENTS (for a medium pot):

1 onion;
1-2 carrots;
1/4 celery root;
1 parsnip root;
1 potato;
1 chicken breast, no skin;
1 cup sour cream;
2 egg yokes;
3-4 tablespoons vinegar;
salt, pepper, soup condiment.


HOW TO MAKE:

Peel clean all the vegetables and put them to boil in a medium pot filled 3/4 with water. When I say all the veggies, I do mean all, onion left whole, do not chop. You can chop up one carrot into round little slices, but not the other veggies. Put the chicken breast meat in too, at the same time, and let it all boil for 20 mins to half an hour, skimming the foam off the top. Don't forget to salt it a little. You will adjust it later. After half an hour boil, take out everything but the little slices of carrot (if you decided to make them). The broth that resulted should be rather clear.

Cut the meat into bite size chunks and throw it back into the boiling pot. Throw the rest of the vegetables away. Let boil for another 10 to 20 minutes. In the mean time, blend together in a cup the sour cream, and the egg yokes with a little water. Add it to the soup in the pot while mixing continuously with a spoon. At the end adjust for condiments and add 3 or 4 tablespoons vinegar. Enjoy with or without more cream, a little crushed garlic or a hot pepper on the side!   

Plain Chicken Rice Pilaf

This recipe is just a dish that you pop on relatively quickly when you (for example) have run out of ideas of what to cook for the family or when you just feel the need to have a good hardy rice meal.

"Pilaf" is a Turkish word for a rice dish with meat. It can be cooked on the top of the stove or with a finish in the oven. It can be cooked with some fatty bits of meat or with lean cuts, with just a little oil to start. Of course, the fat makes for a altogether more savory dish. Anyway, here it is:
 

INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

• 2 tbspoons vegetable oil;
• 1 1/2 cups white round rice;
• 1 medium or large onion;
• half a chicken cut into parts, include dark meat;
• chicken stock to cover (can use plain water);
• salt & pepper to taste;
• a pinch ground cumin.

HOW TO COOK:

Chop up the onion into small bits and sweat it in the vegetable oil in a thick walled cooking pot (cast iron or aluminum work best). When the onion bits are glossy put in the chicken bits and let them fry for a few minutes in the oil too. After aprox 5 minutes poor in the stock (or water) to cover everything. Bring to a boil, skim of the meat foam that forms on the top. Let boil on low heat for aprox another 25 - 30 mins. Now add the rice and stir frequently so it doesn't stick to the bottom for the first 3 mins. Boil the rice and chicken until the water reduces and the rice has cooked (is soft to the tooth), about 15 - 20 mins. Add salt, pepper, cumin, other spices to taste. Stir every 3 minutes. When the water is gone and the rice is soft you are done.

Some people like to put the pilaf in the oven, uncovered for the last 15 mins for a nice finish.

I served it with a side of red pepper pickles. Enjoy!
 

Chicken Potato Stew with Laurel & Dill

Man, it is hot, hot hot! Al throughout July and now in august there has been almost no cooking in our household beyond a simple omelet or salad.
But I craved some cooked meat. Guilty!

So I did buy some chicken wings and ribs and got into the kitchen.It was going to be something else then simple grilled meat. You probably guessed it by the specific cuts that I said I bought. So, I made a stew. The simplest kind: potato stew. As it is so hot in the kitchen, I did it all as quickly as I could, without compromising on taste. Therefor I made a more runny and soupy stew, the kind that you eat with bred in one hand and the spoon or fork in the other. I used a good pinch of dill (fresh) and dried laurel leaves, both being essential for the proper outcome. It came out delicious.

I used sunflower oil, as the extra virgin olive oil is too bitter and changes the taste of the dish. You can use a more mild tasting olive oil. It is important to put in the garlic and dill wright at the end, after the heat is turned off, otherwise the added flavor will cook away.

I like to eat it with a hot chilly pepper on the side, especially in the summer. In the winter goes very good with pickles. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 chicken wings, 1 ribs, 1 neck etc.
4-5 medium potatoes;
2 medium yellow onions;
2 tablespoons tomato paste or 1/2 can crushed tomatoes;
salt, pepper, 1-2 dry laurel leaves, 2 garlic cloves (chopped), dill to taste, parsley.

How to make:

Chop up the onions (not too fine) and sote in the pot with a spoonful of sunflower oil  and salt. When the onion is glossy and transparent, throw in the chicken parts and cover with water completely. Let simmer for 15 mins and skim off the foam that formates on top because of the meat. Chop up the potatoes into large slices and throw them in the pot. Season well with salt, pepper, 2 dry laurel leaves, herbs to taste.

After another 25 minutes on medium heat, check for the chicken to be tender. If it is, dissolve into the stew 1 or two tablespoons of tomato paste or half a tin of crushed tomatoes. After 10 mins turn off the heat and season with the chopped dill and garlic. Give it a final stir and smell the nice flavor.   

Sote Veggies & Cucumber Salad

My interest in broad beans (fresh from the outdoor market) has materialized in yet another fine meal. For a summer lunch we had some chicken meat to grill and in my late trip to the local market I picked up some half kilo broad beans (the yellow with violet spots kind) along with some cauliflower. As I decided to bring more and more fresh vegetables into our family's diet, I went for the sote version of the veggies, with oil, lots of chopped new garlic and fresh parsley.

Because the meal asked for a side salad, I made a nice summer cucumber salad with a white onion cut julien topped with lots of fragrant dill. The dressing is made of oil, salt & pepper and vinegar to taste.

INGREDIENTS:

SOTE VEGGIES

• chicken meat for the grilling;
• 1/2 kilo broad beans;
• 300 gr. cauliflower into flowerttes;
• 3-5 cloves garlic chopped;
• 1 handfull chopped parsley;
• 2 tbsp. olive oil;
• salt & pepper.

CUCUMBER SALAD

• 1/2 kilo cucumbers, sliced;
• 1 medium white onion, cut julien;
• chopped dill to taste;
• vegetable oil, vinegar, salt& pepper.

Chicken & Yellow String Beans

I've noticed lately that fresh yellow beans are a fashionable side dish for (grilled) meats. I stumbled upon the yellow things in the local vegetable market. It seems that they are in season and they sold them from whole sacks full, by the kilo.

So, I got a half kilo and got into the kitchen. I portioned up a chicken and shoved it into the oven with some potatoes and zucchini slices, one sliced onion, salt and pepper.

Separately, I washed the yellow beans and snapped off the little ends (with the stem). Then I heated up some extra virgin olive oil in a medium skillet and chopped up two cloves of garlic. Oh, how adding a little bit of garlic makes any food much nicer, at least the smell. Stir and take care not to burn the garlic. It literally takes seconds. Then throw in the beans and stir some more. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep steering for another few minutes as the veggies release some moisture. Then, if needed, add some water. It also helps to cover the skillet and steem for a few minutes. Try not to overcook, as they turn limp quickly. They still taste good, but it's better if they stay a little crunchy (like the asparagus, for example).
Note that there are more types of yellow beans (mainly the flat ones and the round ones). Some types take a bit longer to get tender (the round ones). I somehow managed to get them just wright: tender enough to eat but just a little firm "al dente" (to the tooth). It took three tablespoons of water and about ten minutes of cooking in the skillet.

After I threw a serving of chicken, potatoes, zucchini and yellow beans into the plate, I couldn't help but add some more garlic, crushed in some olive oil and salted. Delish!

 In the oven:

• 1 chicken (portioned into 8 pieces);
• 4 medium potatoes (peeled and cut to cubes);
• 1 meium zucchini (sliced into 2 cm thick slices);
• 1 sliced onion; 
• 2-3 tbspoons e.v. olive oil;
• salt & pepper to taste, herbs.

On the cooker:

• 1/2 kilo fresh market yellow beans;
• 2 tbspoons e.v. olive oil;
• 3-4 cloves of garlic;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Simple Roast Chicken

The simplest roast chicken recipe: you take a pare of chicken legs and any other chicken parts you like, cut into pieces not too big (for example, breast cut into 3 or 4 chunks) and season them with salt, pepper (fresh ground, black, because I like the little pepper dots on the product), italian herbs like rosemary and oregano (just a pinch) and a pew sprinkles of cayenne and/or paprika. Let it sit for a while in the fridge. Like minimum a half an hour.

Then chop up a few potatoes into not too small pieces, a yellow onion cut in length but not too small either, and 3 or four cloves of garlic (you guessed it) chopped not too small.

throw the vegetables into the cooking pot or tray and sprinkle about 2 tablespoons full of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix until they are all shiny from the oil. Get the chicken parts and just put them on top of the potatoes, making sure that a few onion bits are left on top (for a wonderful charred finish).
For the maximum effect and taste I added a few strips of bacon on top of the chicken.

Cover the pot and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes at medium, then uncover and bake another 15 minutes.

Get everything outta the oven and let sit for 10 minutes until serving. It's hot! Enjoy!