Eye for a Recipe

This sheet pan chicken recipe from the New York Times cooks the chicken with grapes, but I switched them out for asparagus and broccoli added to the pan for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the za’tar to make sure it doesn’t contain preservatives or anti-caking agents. I used Bart’s Blends. Grapes are often treated with preservatives, which is why I don’t cook with them.

Arrange chicken and other ingredients on baking sheet

Roast until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender

Sheet pan chicken with shallots

Ingredients:

2 ½ to 3 pounds (1.13 to 1.36 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry

3  tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil

2  garlic cloves, finely chopped

1  tablespoon (15 ml) za’atar (optional)

Kosher salt and black pepper

6  medium to large shallots, peeled and quartered root to stem

8  ounces (226 g) seedless red or green grapes, or a combination of both, broken into small clusters on the vine

4 to 5 sprigs thyme, plus 2 teaspoons (10 ml) finely chopped thyme

Flaky salt, for serving

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 C). In a large bowl, toss together the chicken with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, garlic and za’atar, if using. Season well with salt and pepper. Place the shallots and the grapes on the sheet pan and gently toss with the remaining olive oil and season well with salt.

Nestle the chicken skin side up in between the shallots and grapes and lay the thyme sprigs on top of the mixture. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the shallots and grapes begin to soften and caramelize around the edges of the pan.

Turn the oven to broil and move the oven rack to sit right below it. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and broil the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes until the skin of the chicken is crispy and golden. Scatter with chopped thyme and season with flaky salt. Serves 4-6.

From the New York Times

This recipe was one of the most popular on the New York Times cooking website in 2018. It’s easy to see why: chicken cutlets bathed in a butter-lemon-wine sauce are fast enough for a weeknight supper and fancy enough to serve at a dinner party.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Imagine Organic brand chicken stock and a white wine from Frogpond Farm. Be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Use chicken cutlets or cut chicken breasts in half horizontally

Quickly brown the cutlets

When the sauce is ready, return the cutlets to the pan and heat through

Chicken Francese

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 tablespoons (30 ml) whole milk

1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt, plus more for seasoning

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour

⅓ cup (82.5 ml) olive oil

⅓ cup (82.5) vegetable oil

4 to 6 large boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (buy the cutlets thinly sliced, or buy regular boneless breasts and slice them in half horizontally to make thin pieces)

3 to 6 tablespoons (45 to 90 ml) unsalted butter

1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed (optional)

½ cup (125 l) dry white wine

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon, more to taste

2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock

3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 ml) freshly minced parsley

Preparation:

In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper until blended. Place the flour in a separate bowl. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

In a wide skillet, heat olive and vegetable oils over medium heat until shimmering.

Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, lightly dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess. Dip into egg batter, let excess batter drip back into the bowl and place in the skillet. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Adjust the heat as the cutlets cook so they brown slowly and evenly, with a steady bubbling. Transfer to the paper-towel-lined pan and repeat with remaining cutlets.

When all cutlets are browned, remove the pan from the heat and pour off the oil. Wipe out the pan with paper towels. Return the pan to low heat.

If making the lemon slices (if not, skip to Step 6 below): Melt 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the butter and then scatter the lemon slices over the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring gently occasionally, until the lemon slices are golden and browning around the edges, about 3 minutes. Scoop out the lemon slices and set them aside.

Add 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of butter, the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid is syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil and cook until thickened into a sauce, about 5 minutes. (It will thicken more when you add the cutlets.) Taste and adjust the seasonings with lemon, salt and pepper; it should be quite lemony and not too salty.

Reduce the heat, tuck the cutlets into the pan and simmer very gently until the sauce is velvety and the chicken pieces are heated through, about 4 minutes. Turn the cutlets over occasionally in the sauce. Place the browned lemon slices on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve, spooning some of the sauce over each serving. Serves 4.

From the New York Times

This luscious pasta from Food and Drink is comfort food at its best. Cooked pasta is mixed with crisp bacon, pepper, butter, shallots, white wine, cream and asiago cheese. Garnish with more bacon, cheese and pepper and enjoy!

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for bacon preserved with celery salt instead of nitrites, butter that contains only cream and Asiago without any colour or preservatives added. I used a white wine from Frogpond Farm with a sulfite level below 10 parts per million.

This luscious pasta dish is made with bacon, pepper, cream, wine, shallot and Asiago cheese

Cook bacon until crisp

Add shallot and then cream, cooked pasta, pepper and cheese

Bow-tie pasta with crispy bacon and peppery Asiago sauce

Ingredients:

8 cups (2 L) bow-tie pasta, cooked according to package directions

Salt

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

1 tbsp (15 ml) whole white or black peppercorns

2 cups (500 ml) diced bacon, about 17 to 17 ½ oz (485 to 500 g)

1 tbsp (15 ml) butter

1 shallot, finely chopped

½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine

¾ cup (175 ml) 35% (whipping) cream

2 cups (500 ml) grated Asiago, plus more for garnishing if desired

Preparation:

Cook pasta according to package directions in well-salted water. Just before draining pasta, collect and reserve about ¼ to ½ cup (60 to 125 ml) of the salty, starchy pasta water.

Add drained pasta to a large bowl, drizzle with about 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, and toss to coat. Cover and set aside at room temperature. The oil will prevent the pieces of pasta from sticking together.

Add the whole peppercorns to a heavy-duty freezer bag and smash with a wooden mallet or rolling pin, to just coarsely crack; set aside.

Into a very large skillet over medium heat, add the diced pancetta; stir occasionally and fry until the pancetta is beginning to crisp up and render its fat—about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift out about one-third of the fried pancetta and set aside on paper towel to drain; you’ll use this as a finishing garnish.

Drain and save excess fat from the skillet, leaving about 1 tbsp (15 ml). Save the pancetta fat for roasting potatoes or frying eggs.

Add the cracked peppercorns, butter and shallot to the skillet; stir and fry until the shallot becomes translucent, about another 5 minutes.

Add the white wine; stir and scrape up the cooked-on tasty pancetta bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cream, cooked pasta and reserved pasta water a bit at a time, stirring until pasta is creamy and coated.

Remove from heat, add the grated cheese, stir to combine, taste and adjust for saltiness. Serve at once garnished with a few crispy bits of pancetta and more cheese on top. Serious pepper fans can bring the grinder to the table. Serves 6.

From Food and Drink