Marinating in Yogurt: A First Attempt

I used to be a pretty chubby kid, mostly because I viewed eating, as so much else, as a form of competition in which you won by eating more than anyone else. As I learned portion control (and found tennis, track, rugby, cycling and the gym) I slimmed off and now I compete by cooking tastier, cheaper, or more beautifully than I ever have before. That said, I have my moments in which I want to pig out and the end result of this recipe created just that sort of moment. I had one bite of this garam masala and yogurt marinated chicken and immediately set aside leftovers for lunch -- otherwise, they wouldn't be there tomorrow.

Spurred on by low price-per-pound chicken and a half-dose of boredom I decided to try marinating in greek yogurt. For those unaware, greek yogurt is a denser, more proteinaceous version of the regular type, one in which excess liquid and whey have been pressed or drained off -- it's pretty healthy too, hence its recent availability in stores. I'm not exactly a health nut, but I try to maximize protein in my daily diet so I keep the stuff on hand.

I've not marinated in yogurt before, and though I've heard the process lends itself to keeping meat moist and still imbuing intended flavors, I was still wary. I've had some bad experiences with marinating in general and have in the last several years become much enamored of using rubs as an alternative.

But, my hesitations aside, I mixed the yogurt with finely diced onion, minced garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper, these being the combinations I recall from eating similar dishes in restaurants. A quick online search suggested garam masala (a pungent mixture of Indian spices) and ginger as a great way to flavor the marinade; I could have gone more Mediterranean and used cucumber and dill, but I was feeling more Asian today. It took ten minutes to prep; I threw everything in a bag, mixed it up and put it in the fridge. Six hours of wandering around D.C. in 50 degree weather and five minutes on the Foreman grill later, and I was sold on yogurt marinades.

Wow. The yogurt created a thin crust on the outside of each thigh and made the interior nearly creamy. The lemon and garlic was evident in every bite and made my mouth water for the next. Interesting, the spices I chose were pretty much indiscernible; either I used too little or I used precisely the right amount and they melded perfectly into the greater complex of flavors. I am literally sad looking at this empty blue plate.

Last week's recipe was NOTHING to this. THIS is what I want to do with chicken from now on; I can't wait until I can grill this recipe over charcoal. Now my mouth is watering again...

PS: I need to get a better way to take this pictures. This Blackberry bullshit is awful.

Wine-Braised Saffron Fennel Chicken

So, I frequently choose recipes by buying the meat that's on sale, deciding generally the way in which I want to cook the meat, then Googling the ingredients I have. I prefer certain Food Network chefs, anything from Tastespotting, and much from Epicurious, and roll with what I find.

Tonight, having thawed some chicken thighs and knowing I wanted to braise them, I just typed "chicken" and "braised" into the Tastespotting search bar and found Wine-Braised Chicken with Shallots. I stopped at Whole Foods on the way home from work, completely forgot the pancetta and decided I'd use onion instead of shallots. I already had most of my ingredients at home (a later post will describe what I consider to be a well-stocked kitchen); the herbs and fennel were all I needed and of the latter I purchased way too much. This all added up to some key changes to the recipe.

Out of habit I prepped everything (chopping the veggies takes some time) before beginning to cook. I wasn't under the clock and prefer a leisurely experience - also, though I find braising rather easy I think giving the process all of my attention probably contributed in the past.

Braising is a two-part cooking technique in which the chef dry sears in high heat then finishes slowly and gently in a spiced or flavored liquid at relatively low heat. I feel the process, which I only discovered several months ago, helps a chef to avoid all the potential pitfalls of cooking meat (particularly chicken) such as dryness, toughness, and flavorlessness, while simultaneously allowing the maximum creativity in spicing and bringing out the most delicate character of the meat. As sinew and fibers break down, the meat pulls away in gorgeous, neat slivers, tender to the touch and tongue, and positively imbued with the intended flavors.

Working with my wonderful dutch oven, I seared the chicken (having seasoned it with salt and pepper), sauteed the vegetables, added the wine and broth and tied my herbs into a small linen packet. Now, for this recipe, I decided to focus on bringing out the fennel by using a citrusy sauvignon blanc, reducing the thyme, including the stalks of the fennel bulb in my herb sachet, and in a moment of inspiration added saffron threads.

Finally, because I consider lemon to be fennel's best friend, I added long strips of peel (no pith!) to the mixture just before sending it covered into the oven. I braised for about 45 minutes at 300 degrees. Finally, I removed the chicken and the spices and simmered to reduce the sauce down to a few, savory cups. I served the chicken over rice with the sauce and vegetables on top.

VERDICT: I'm going to consider this dish quite good, not incredible. The flavor was excellent: the whole dish, top to bottom, had a citrusy, tangy flavor; the fennel scent infused the entire dish and the chopped bulb itself was mouth-watering. The chicken flaked away from the bone in long slivers, each juicy bite pregnant with intensity and zest. In a broader sense, I also consider the dish a win because it was so cheap. Even with my hearty appetite, I'm going to get 3 or 4 meals out of the leftovers, and the skinless bone-in chicken (the most expensive ingredient) was very reasonable at only a buck fifty a pound.

Some things I would change (DELTA!): I would have used some egg noodles instead of rice, I might have pulled the chicken off the bone during the last step to make it easier to eat, and I might have added some potato or another starch in order to help thicken the sauce. I'm not going to call this a "go-to" recipe, but it was an excellent use of the ingredients and that's my priority.

The final effect: