Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes � Both Homers Would Love This

I don�t have the energy or courage to cater for a living, but if I did, this Greek lemon chicken and potatoes would be one of my go-to entrees, and not just for big, fat weddings. It�s a proven crowd-pleaser, simple to make, and easy on the wallet.

I had a whole chicken to use, but I really like to do this with all leg/thigh sections, which can roast longer, and that means even more caramelized goodness. If you do use a whole chicken, you can remove the breast sections from the roasting pan before the thighs, and cook the dark meat longer, but I couldn�t be bothered, and the results were delicious.

The extra potato crusting is an optional step, as is turning the drippings into a quick sauce, but both only take a few minutes, and really elevate the dish. Like I said at the end of the clip, this is something I could easily make once a week, and the leftovers are extremely picnic friendly. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Portions Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes:

1 whole chicken, about 4 pound, cut in sections,

OR 4 pounds chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on

3 russet potatoes, cut in quarters

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 rounded tablespoon dried oregano

pinch of cayenne

6 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

2/3 cup chicken broth for the pan, plus a splash to deglaze after roasting

fresh chopped oregano to garnish

Roast at 425 for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is well browned and cooked through.

Avgolemeno Soup � Totally Epic

Avgolemeno is one of those soups that I�ve made many times, but rarely from scratch. It�s usually a �there�s nothing in the house� type of thing, made with a carton of broth. Even in its quick-and-easy form, it�s a delicious, and comforting meal, but when you use a fresh, whole chicken, it becomes epic.

By the way, I mean �epic� as in ancient Greek poetry, not hipster clich�. Okay, I mean it both ways. Speaking of whole chickens, that�s your big decision here. If you want chicken meat in your soup, then you�ll only want to simmer the bird for about an hour, or just until cooked through.

This way you get a nice broth, and the meat will still be flavorful when you add it back in. If you don�t want meat in the soup, which by the way, is how my wife Michele much prefers it, then keep simmering until the chicken falls apart and all the flavor has been extracted into the broth.

Some recipes call for orzo pasta in this, but I like the Arborio rice. I think it gives just the right amount of starchiness and body, but any rice or small pasta will work here. The perfect amounts of lemon and egg are also up to you, and experimentation is recommended. I really hope you give this classic Greek soup a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 6 Servings Avgolemeno Soup: 

1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds

3 quarts cold water

2 tsp salt at least, plus more to taste

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups finely diced onion

2/3 to 3/4 cup Arborio rice, depending on how thick you like it

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

pinch of cayenne

Crispy Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings � Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have a Winner

Every year about this time, I get a bunch of emails asking which of our previously posted oven-fried chicken wing methods is the best. I never know how to respond, since I think they�re all pretty close, but now I finally have a definitive answer�this one!

By the way, the honey-sriracha glaze is quite delicious and incredibly simple, but merely an afterthought here. The real star of the show is the strange, but effective technique of coating the wings with a baking powder-laced spice rub before baking. Through the magic of chemical reactions, the surface of the chicken becomes bone-dry, and eventually crisps up to something very similar to what would come out of a deep fryer.

Instead of the soft, slippery skin associated with most oven baked wings, we get a crispy, blistered surface that really holds onto whatever glaze you decide to toss your wings with. The surprising thing is, once these are cooked you would never know baking powder was involved.

I�m not exactly sure who originally invented this; I heard about it via America's Test Kitchen, but that doesn�t really matter, since the only thing that really matters is who people 10 years from now think invented this. And if this is video somehow goes viral, that could be me. To that end, I really hope you give this unusual, and highly effective method, and honey-sriracha sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 1/2 pounds chicken wing sections

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp baking powder (aluminum free)

- Coat wings, and bake at 425 F., turning every 15-20 minutes, until they are browned and crispy. Total cooking time will be about 1 hour, but that depends on the size and temperature of your wings.

For the Honey Sriracha glaze:

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup Sriracha

1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 tsp sesame oil

sesame seeds to garnish

Fesenjan (Duck Stewed with Pomegranate and Walnuts) � Better Later Than Never!

Sorry for the delay, but if there's anything that deserves the �better late than never� tag, this duck fesenjan is it. A savory stew featuring duck, pomegranate, and walnuts, which is every bit as exotic as it sounds.

Keep in mind, I�m brand-new to Persian food, so this is just my interpretation of the ancient classic. I�m assuming like most similar recipes, every household has their own version, and this kind of thing can be obviously, and easily be tailored to your tastes.

The ingredients are simple and easy to manipulate. If you have trouble finding pomegranate syrup, or pomegranate molasses as it�s sometimes called, check out the online retailers, but you can actually make your own.

If you want to try, check out this recipe from my friend Elise, from Simply Recipes. It takes an hour or so, but its usefulness goes far beyond this duck recipe. By the way, if you're not down with Simply Recipes, you really should be. Elise has an amazing collection of recipes. 

Regarding the duck, I like to sear the meat in a pan, since you'll get faster and deeper browning. The high sides of a Dutch oven can sometimes hold in moisture and you won�t get the same results. As long as you deglaze the pan, nothing is lost.

Other than that, it�s a very straightforward recipe. Just stew everything until the meat is tender, but not totally falling apart; then reduce the sauce until as thick and intensely flavored as you want. I really hope you give this Persian duck stew a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 to 10 Duck Legs or chicken leg quarters, seared in vegetable oil until browned

1 tbsp reserved duck fat

3-4 tbsp olive oil

2 cups diced yellow onion

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

6 cups chicken broth, or more as need to adjust liquid levels

1/4 cup honey

2/3 cup pomegranate syrup aka molasses

3 cups walnut halves, ground

salt and pepper to taste

Thanksgiving Leftover Special: Tom Turkey Kha Gai

One of the great blessings, and curses, of Thanksgiving is leftover turkey. The next day it�s great reheated, or made into sandwiches, but by Day 3 you want something that tastes like not turkey. That�s where this spicy Thai coconut soup recipe comes in.

This is my take on Tom Kha Gai, and as usual I make no claim as to its authenticity. I do know it tastes amazing to me, and will make you forget you even roasted a turkey. There�s lots of everything going on here, so be prepared to adjust radically to your tastes. It should be fairly spicy, sweet, sour, and salty, all at the same time. 

If you can, see if you find galangal, or galanga root, as it's sometimes called. It looks like a thin-skinned ginger, with a sort of similar flavor, although people that make this soup for a living will say it's much different and far superior. I decided to use ginger, since that's what the majority of my audience will use, but I thought it was worth mentioning, in case you live in an area where this rhizome is available.      

As far as the chili oil goes, all I did was mash together a couple tablespoons of sambal with twice as much vegetable oil with a mortar and pestle. Once it settles, the gorgeous, red oil rises to the top, and you�re ready to drip. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and that some of your leftover turkey finds its way into this delicious soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 serving:
 6 cups turkey or chicken broth

3� piece ginger, sliced thin

2 stalks fresh lemongrass, bruised and sliced

kefir lime or lemon leaves, sliced

2 tbsp cilantro stems

1/2 tsp chili flakes, or to taste

Simmer for 15 minutes

Add:

1 pound cubed turkey or chicken

1 cup little mushrooms

2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp. fish sauce

1 (13-oz) can coconut milk

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup green onion

2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

Chili oil, cilantro leaves, and lime wedges to garnish

Chicken Tikka Masala � God Save the Curry

I probably get more requests for Indian food than any other ethnic cuisine, so I was very excited to be posting this chicken tikka masala; until I found out it�s actually a British recipe. It was the same feeling I had when I found out that pizza wasn�t invented in New York. 

So technically, I still owe you an authentic Indian recipe, but in the meantime I think this will do nicely. While this is a stripped-down version, where we�ve cut out several time-consuming steps, it was still incredibly delicious, and very Indian curry-like. 

As I mention in the video, this is usually done with heavy cream, but I like to use coconut milk instead. It�s probably a little better for you, but above and beyond that, the subtle sweetness it provides works beautifully with the spices in the dish.

By the way, you can substitute chicken breast here, but since we�re not doing the traditional yogurt marinade first, I believe thighs work much better in this version. Usually chicken breasts are marinated in yogurt first, and then cooked in a tandoor oven, before being added to the sauce. It is a great way to do it, but even without that step, I thought this was excellent. So, I hope you give this American version of a British version of an Indian curry a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions of Chicken Tikka Masala:

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoons ground turmeric

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 or 3 tablespoons clarified butter

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 rounded tbsp finely grated peeled ginger

1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato puree

1 can (13.5-oz) coconut milk, or about 1 2/3 cups heavy cream

1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth, or as needed (use to adjust sauce consistency to you liking)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

salt to taste

4 cups steamed rice

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps � Not Exactly P.F. Chang�s, But Close Enough for the Internet

I don�t do a lot of copycat recipes; mostly because I don�t eat at the restaurants people are requesting the recipes from. I mean, unless they're going to throw in a couple bottles of wine, I�m not going to Olive Garden to figure out how they do their breadsticks. These chicken lettuce wraps however, are a delicious exception.

When I go back to visit my mom, we usually make it to P.F. Chang�s at least once, and always start the meal with their very popular chicken lettuce wraps. Off the record, they do a good job with most of the dishes I�ve had, but the wraps are clearly my favorite.

There�s an addictive quality to the contrasting combination of flavors and textures, and since this recipe has been requested many times, I decided I�d give it a go. Fair warning, I did almost no serious corporate espionage to find out what�s actually in these, but regardless, I loved how this came out, and it seems close enough.

One key here is to use a very large, non-stick pan, so the braising liquid/glaze sticks to the bits of food, rather than the bottom of the pan. Other than that, the technique is pretty simple, and not a lot can go wrong�unless you try to use chicken breast. Even if you think you don�t like them, use thighs, because in this you will. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 8 large or 16 smaller lettuce wraps:

Chicken mixture:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped

1/2 cup yellow onion, minced

1/3 cup green onion

1 can (8-oz ) water chestnuts, drained, minced

1 cup diced shiitake mushrooms

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

For the glaze:

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp mustard powder

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp red chili flakes, or to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

about 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, basil leaves, and green onions to finish

iceberg lettuce leaves as needed

Coq Au Vin � Rock Out with Your Coq Out

Some recipes just shouldn�t be translated to English. It�s not that telling your guests they�re having �Cock with Wine,� sounds so bad, it�s just that after dinner I want them tweeting about how great the dish tasted, not how funny/inappropriate the name was.

 The other issue would be one of false advertising, since I have no idea where you get an old rooster these days. I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead, which I think work perfectly here. Like all braised dishes, tougher cuts with lots of connective tissue work best, and on a chicken that would be the thigh/leg section.

Of course, someone will ask if they can use chicken breasts, and technically you can, but please don�t. They just will not add that sticky goodness to the braising liquid that the thighs will.

This really is a simple recipe, and all gets done in one pan, but there are several steps, as you build up fond after fond. Before any wine or stock hits the pan, we want a thick, gorgeous layer of caramelization, which is where much of this recipe�s flavor comes from.

I don�t want to sound cocky, but this really was delicious, and as I say in the video, the mushroom, bacon, and onion mixture alone is worth making this for. I hope you give it a try soon. And please, use the French name. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:
8 oz sliced bacon

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

salt and pepper to taste

*note: after cooking bacon and browning chicken, discard all but 1 tbsp of the fat before cooking the vegetables

2 shallots, sliced

1/2 large yellow onion, diced (traditionally they use pearl onions)

10 large button mushrooms, quartered

2 tsp butter

2 tsp flour

1 1/2 cups red wine

1 cup chicken broth

6 springs thyme

- Braise for about 1 hour 375, or until the thighs are tender

Cranberry Stuffed Game Hens - Honey, I Shrunk the Turkey

You may be wondering why I�m posting a Thanksgiving-themed video in the middle of summer. It�s a great question � I even annoyed myself with this way-too-early reminder of things to come � but I do have a great explanation.

As some of you may know, I write a quarterly article for Allrecipes Magazine, which requires producing the content months in advance, and this cranberry stuffed game hen recipe is going to be my item in the November issue. And yes, you should buy the magazine anyway.

If you�re cooking for a smaller group during the holidays, game hens are a fantastic way to downsize, without losing any of the special occasion feel. What we have is basically a miniaturized version of the traditional holiday turkey, featuring an easy, walnut bread and dried cranberry stuffing.

If you�ve never worked with game hens before, they�re very user friendly. Even stuffed to excess, they only roast for about an hour in a hot oven, and as long as you don�t overcook them (use a thermometer!), you�ll be enjoying the kind of juicy, flavorful meat that people cooking turkey only dream of.

As far as portioning goes, half a bird makes a nice serving, but I suggest doing one hen per person. I�m sorry, but regardless of bird-size, a holiday meal without leftovers is just not a holiday meal. So, whether you�re looking for a smaller, more manageable menu, or just want to feel bigger in proportion to your poultry, I hope you give these �micro turkeys� a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Cranberry & Walnut Stuffed Game Hens

(Makes 2 whole or 4 half portions)

2 whole game hens (about 1 1/4 pounds each), fully dressed, and seasoned with salt to taste

For the stuffing:

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 tbsp chopped green onions

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups toasted, crispy walnut bread cubes

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 tsp dried sage

1 tsp freshly minced rosemary

1 large egg, beaten

For the sauce:

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup fresh cranberries

2/3 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

- Roast at 400 degrees F. oven for about an hour or until the internal temperature in the middle of the thigh is 160 F. Let rest, covered loosely in foil for about 10 minutes, while the sauce is completed.

Broiled Chicken � Welcome to Plan �B�

I once heard Alton Brown say that a broiler is nothing more than an upside-down gas grill, which is certainly not how most Americans think of theirs. While most people are fine melting cheese over their nachos with it, or browning a casserole, the broiler is seldom used to cook meats.

Well, the next time rain ruins your dream of a grilled chicken dinner, I hope you fire it up, and give this easy, alternative method a try.  Not only are you getting the same intense, direct heat, but you also have more control, since you can adjust how far the chicken is from the flame. I prefer the meat about 7-8 inches under the heating element, but feel free to adjust as needed.

As you�ll see, I like to flip mine over every 6-7 minutes until it�s done. This should take between 30 and 40 minutes, but that can vary greatly depending on the size and temperature of you chicken, as well as your broiler�s heat.

By the way, you�ll want to finish with the skin side up, so the bird gets a nice, crisp finish. This is important, especially if you�re recording sound effects. I hope you give this simple and delicious broiled chicken a try soon. Enjoy!

For 2 portions:

3 pound chicken, cut in half, back bone removed

salt as needed

lemon and fresh herb to finish
- Broil on high for about 30-45 minutes, turning often, or until done. 
*Note: Some glass baking dishes will shatter under a broiler, so unless you're sure yours is high-heat proof, a metal pan is a better bet. 

Korean Fried Chicken is the Best Fried Chicken

I've always considered myself something of a fried chicken expert. Whether we�re talking sports bars, casual dining, or white tablecloth restaurants, if there's some kind of fried chicken on the menu, I'm going to order it. 

Because of that fact, and my advanced age, I�ve pretty much had every single style known to man, and this Korean fried chicken is officially my favorite. No other method I've come across has the same combination of tender, juicy, flavorful chicken, and plate-scratching crispiness as this recipe does. It's simply a must try if you're a fan of the genre. 

The technique is very straightforward, and you can actually do the first deep-frying ahead of time. In fact, I did a little test where I waited 24 hours before doing the second frying, and the results were still quite extraordinary. If you�re doing this for a larger group, the chicken will stay crisp, as long as you hold it in a warm oven (175 F.), while you finish frying the rest. 

Don't forget the sauce! Click here for recipe!

I highly recommend the boneless skinless thighs here, but chunks of breast meat will work as well. I believe real �KFC� actually uses chicken on the bone, but that means bigger pieces, and bigger pieces mean less surface area, which ultimately means less of the amazingly crunchy coating. By the way, I�ve tried beer and soda water in the batter, and for whatever reason, plain ice water works the best for me. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going out to buy some Korean chili paste (Gochujan), because apparently it's a crime against nature to make the sauce without it. Like I said, I've used it before, and really liked it, so I need to go out and replenish my supply, and get back into the good graces of the Korean people. Anyway, if you like fried chicken as much as I do, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions Korean Fried Chicken:

(Note: these ingredients make enough batter for about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken, even though I only used 1 pound here)

For the chicken marinade:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, quartered

1/2 yellow onion, grated (enough to generously coat chicken chunks)

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 tsp fine salt (1 1/2 tsp if using kosher salt)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black
*Marinate for between 4 to 12 hours

Ingredients for batter:

1/2 cup of self-rising flour (or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour with 3/4 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt)

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup very cold water, or as needed

Serve with this Korean Fried Chicken Sauce.

Pickle Brine Chicken � I Need to Give You Props

The chicken breasts seen herein started off as nothing more than a couple of props for our recently posted �How to Make a Brick Grill� video, but they came out so well, I decided to show you what I think is a pretty neat trick.

And let�s face it; there aren�t a lot of great uses for leftover pickle juice. I did hear recently that some people like to drink this stuff after jogging, which I found to be quite shocking, since I had no idea people still jogged.  

As you�ll see, I only let mine brine for about 2 hours which seemed to be enough. I�ve heard that you really only need about one hour per inch thickness of meat, and that rule of thumb seems to work for me. These breasts were tender, juicy, and flavorful.

Speaking of flavor, you can probably just go with the straight pickle juice as a brine, but I hedged my bets with a little extra salt, sugar, and pepper. Like most brined recipes, the payoff is in the texture and moisture content, and not necessarily in the taste, but having said that, these did have a nice little twang.

So, the next time you have nothing left in the pickle jar but the juice, you now know what to do, and I don�t mean take up jogging. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 breasts:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breast

olive oil to coat

salt and pepper to taste

For the brine:

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne

1 1/2 to 2 cups dill pickle juice

Chorizo & Chicken Skewers � Make Some For Your Buddy

At some point this summer, you�ll get tired of grilled chicken. Any grilled chicken. No matter the marinade, or the delivery system, you will have simply reached your limit, and that�s when you need to reach for the chorizo. 

Impale a few slices of this famously delicious, Spanish sausage in between your chunks of chicken, and as it grills, it will splatter its spicy, smoky fat all over its much blander skewermate, and once again, you and grilled chicken will be good buddies...just like Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte.

That reference will make a lot more sense once you watch the beginning of the video. Anyway, this is nothing more than a suggestion to help cure grilled chicken fatigue, and as usual, I expect you to tailor this concept to your own strange and exotic tastes. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Skewers:

8 oz chorizo sausage, cut in 16 pieces

2 large chicken breasts, cut in 10 pieces each

1/2 red onion

1 red bell pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp smoked paprika

cayenne to taste

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp minced fresh oregano

Chicken and Olives � Shaken and Stirred

As I mention in the video, I�ve done almost 1,000 videos, and yet can�t remember ever featuring chicken and olives in one before. Considering how brilliant a combination they are, this is nothing short of astounding. I think there are a few in our famous arroz con pollo recipe, but as far as full co-star billing, this is the first time.

Hopefully, it was worth the wait. For that to be the case, you should probably really like, if not love, olives. Their sharp, briny bite is the dominant flavor here, which is why it pairs so well with chicken breast. This one of those dishes where if you tasted the chicken and sauce separately, you probably wouldn�t be very impressed, but together � magic.

Any pitted olives will work, but the Kalamata and Castelvetrano varieties are highly recommended. Luckily, most every large grocery now has an olive bar somewhere, so you shouldn�t have too much trouble finding them. Speaking of finding products, you may actually have a harder time locating the Herbs De Provence.

We haven�t used this Mediterranean dried-herb blend in a while, and if you can find it, it�s worth picking up a bottle. Trust me, you�ll use the rest this grilling season. If you can�t find any, you can always make your own, and I�ve listed the ingredients below. Anyway, if you�ve been looking for a new chicken recipe, especially one with olives in it, then I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skin-on chicken breasts

salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

2 tsp Herbs De Provence (the brand I used contained dried chervil, basil, rosemary, tarragon, garlic, lavender, marjoram, savory, thyme, and parsley)

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup sliced shallots

1 cup sliced olives

1 cup chicken broth

1 lemon, juiced

2 tbsp reserved Kalamata olive brine

1/2 tsp cumin

zest from one lemon

2 tbsp Italian parsley

2 tbsp cold butter, cut in 4 pieces

Chicken Kiev � A High Degree of Difficulty Always Scores Extra Points

Unlike virtually every other recipe featured here, I�m not going to say this chicken Kiev is �easy to make.� It�s really not. You could follow this exactly as shown, and still have undercooked meat, or leaking butter, or any number of other tragedies. So, why try?

Because, if and when you pull this off, you�ll be enjoying one of the greatest chicken experiences of your life. It�s also one of the greatest garlic experiences of your life, as well as one of the greatest butter experiences of your life.

What makes this so challenging is that you can�t really cut, or poke into the Kiev to check for doneness. That would release the garlic-parsley butter prematurely, and be anticlimactic, to say the least. So, we go blindly by time. There are also variables like breast size, freezer temps/time, and oven crowding to deal with. 

However, if you use 8-oz breasts, and freeze exactly as shown here, then after a 2 to 3 minute deep-frying, these should take about 15-17 minutes to bake. The good news is that you have a few minutes after that before the meat gets noticeably drier, so you can give it a little extra time if it seems like it needs it.

One rule great of thumb is to listen for the butter. These are generally done when the garlic butter inside is hot enough to be forced out through the seams on the bottom, and when that happens you�ll hear a sizzle, and maybe see some butter leaking on to your pan. This is usually time to pull them out, and let them rest five minutes.

If you�re cooking more than four of these, make sure they are well spaced, and give them a few extra minutes. If I do these for a larger group, I always do a few extra, so I can cut into one and double-check. Don�t worry, it will be our secret.

Anyway, if you�re feeling brave, and want to enjoy something named after a place sort of near where they are holding the Winter Olympics, then I hope you give this amazing chicken Kiev recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

For 4 portions chicken Kiev:

For the butter:

2 cloves garlic, finely crushed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley (you can also add tarragon and/or chives)

pinch of salt

4 large (8-oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup flour with 2 tsp salt mixed in

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

vegetable oil for frying, enough for 2-inches in a small pot

*Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes or until cooked through

That Other Meat Sauce

We did a classic Italian bolognese sauce not too long ago, which reminded me that I�ve actually never posted a basic, Italian-American meat sauce. This sauce goes by many names, including Sunday sauce, since that�s the day it�s traditionally made, but for me growing up, this was just called �sauce.�

This is one of those primal recipes that always follows the same procedure, yet almost never contains exactly the same ingredients. I was raised on a blend of beef, pork, and chicken, but any and all leftover proteins can, and must, be added to the pot.

Meatballs are a great choice; as are things like pigs feet, neck bones, and other similar cuts. The tougher the meat, the better it�s going to be in this sauce. Besides playing meat roulette, I�ll also switch different herbs like basil in and out, as well as include the occasional season vegetable.

You can also vary your results here with different tomato products. I went old-school and hand-crushed whole plums, but you can also use crushed or pureed tomatoes as well. The finer and smoother the tomatoes are processed, the thicker your sauce will be, so keep that in mind. Speaking of tomatoes; yes, it is much better to caramelize the tomato paste with the onions before you add the San Marzanos, but I didn't because Grandma didn't, and also, I forgot. 

As long as you cook the meat long enough, and season thoughtfully, there�s really no way this sauce isn�t going to be great. So, while you may not have grown up in an Italian-American home, with this comforting sauce simmering on the stove every Sunday, your family still can. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 beef shank

2 pounds pork ribs

2 bone-in chicken thighs

1 diced onion

6 cloves garlic

3 (28-oz) cans San Marzano plum tomatoes, crushed or blended smooth
(Note - any canned tomato product will work. Try with pureed or already crushed tomatoes and save a step)

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 cups water, more as needed

2 tsp salt, or to taste

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano