Chicken with Artichokes & Mushrooms

Ingredients

½ cup olive oil
salt and black pepper
8-10 chicken thighs, bone in
2 medium onions, finely diced
1 pound mushrooms, washed and finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
16 oz. frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2T parsley finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325º F.

2. Place a 6-quart Dutch oven with a lid on the stove. Turn heat to medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup of olive oil and heat.

3. Using a paper towel, pat dry the chicken. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

4. Place the seasoned thighs into pan; do not overcrowd the pan. Brown both sides of the chicken, about 3 minutes a side. Once they are browned, remove from the pan. Set on platter and set aside. If necessary, add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Repeat with remaining thighs. Pour off all fat except for 2T.

5. Turn heat to medium. Add the onions, and cook until slightly soft, about 4-6 minutes. Add the mushroom and cook another 4-5 minutes.

6. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove all the brown bits. Add the stock and bring to a boil.

7. Place the chicken back into the pot, pushing the thighs down to submerge them in the sauce. Add the garlic, artichokes and thyme.

8. Cover with lid and place in a 325º F oven. Cook the chicken until the meat is tender enough to cut with a fork and easily comes away from the bone, about 45-55 minutes.

9. Remove the chicken and vegetables from the sauce and place on a platter. Discard the thyme and strain the sauce into a fat separator.

10. Pour the defatted sauce back into the pan to reheat and reduce slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and vegetable back into the sauce to reheat.

11. Serve the chicken and sauce over polenta. Top with chopped parsley.

Tips & Tricks:

• Cooking with meat on the bone is ideal for several reasons: It insulates and protects the meat from drying out and also adds loads of flavor.

• I use a clean pair of scissors to trim off any extra large pieces of skin/fat on the thighs before browning.

• To achieve a beautiful browned chicken thigh, make sure to pat them dry, season right before placing in pan and don’t overcrowd the pan. This way they brown rather than steam.

• This dish can be made in advance and reheated just before serving either on the stovetop or in oven.

• The flavor in this dish improves as it ages; feel free to make it a day or 2 before serving. It is a great crowd pleaser and easy to double.

• I like to use frozen artichokes instead of canned. They taste fresher to me. If you don’t have time to defrost them, its ok just put them directly in the pot.

Filet of Beef, Mushrooms, Spinach & Bleu Cheese in Filo

Ingredients

Beef:
8 Filet Mignon steaks, 6 oz. each and/or about 1¾ inch thick
2T unsalted butter
2T olive oil
8 oz. bleu cheese,( bleu, Roquefort, Gorgonzola) room temperature, crumbled
16 sheets filo dough, thawed
¾ cup melted butter
salt & pepper

Spinach:
2T olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 pound baby spinach, washed, drained and slightly damp

Mushroom Duxelles:
1½ pound mushrooms, button, belle, chanterelle
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
2T Butter

1.    Place a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat; heat the butter and oil. Pat dry then season the fillets with salt and pepper.  Place the filets in the pan (do not overcrowd the pan).

2.    Sear the steaks until they are nice a brown, about 1-2 minutes. Flip the meat and repeat on the other side. Remove to a platter lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining filets. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3.    Spinach: In a large sauté pan with a lid over medium heat, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil; when warm, add the shallots and sauté for about 2-3 minutes, or until they just begin to soften. 

4.    Add the spinach, toss, then cover with the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes.

5.    Remove the lid and turn the heat to medium-high. Toss the spinach for another 1-2 minutes until the greens are wilted. Season with salt and 4-5 twists of pepper. Remove from pan and let cool.

6.    Once the spinach is cool, place in a kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess water, then chop and set aside. 

7.    Mushrooms: With a damp towel or vegetable brush, gently wipe the mushrooms to remove any dirt. Remove the dead ends from the stems.

8.    In a bowl of a food processor with the motor running, add the shallots and garlic; pulse until finely chopped.

9.    Add the mushrooms and pulse until finely chopped.

10.    In a large sauté pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture, stir and cook until the mushrooms become soft and all liquid as been absorbed, approximately 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

11.    Filo Package: Remove the filo dough sheets from the box and cut in half. Cover with a clean dishtowel to keep them from drying out.

12.    Lay a single rectangle of filo dough horizontally on a clean surface. Using a pastry brush, coat the surface with melted butter.

13.    Lay a second sheet vertical over the first sheet. Brush with butter.

14.    Lay a third sheet at a 45-degree angle upper corner to the left. Brush with butter.

15.    Lay a fourth sheet at a 45-degree angle upper corner to the right. Brush with butter.

16.    Remove the filets from the refrigerator. Blot a filet with a paper towel and place in the center of the filo dough.  On the top of the filet, spread 1 tablespoon of the sautéed spinach.

17.    Top with 1 tablespoon of the mushroom mixture, then top with a tablespoon of the bleu cheese.

18.    Gather the edges of the filo dough together, forming a little package.  Pull the corners open slightly as if making a “poof”. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Chill until ready to bake.

19.    Preheat oven to 400º F.

20.    Remove the filo packages from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before baking. Bake at 400º for 10 minutes, and then rotate the pan.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Center of the filet should be 130º F for medium rare. Serve immediately.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    The filets should be all about the same size/ thickness to insure they all cook at the same time. 
•    Dry and season the filets right before cooking. Do not over crowd the pan otherwise the meat will not brown it will steam.
•    The filets, spinach, and mushrooms can all be prepared a day ahead. The “packages” can be assemble the morning and cooked later that day. 
•    If you don’t like bleu cheese you can substitute a goat or a Boursin cheese. 
•    If you wish your filet cooked a little more. Increase the cooking time by 5 minutes for an internal temperature of 140º for medium. If the tops of the packages start to brown too much. Loosely place a piece of aluminum foil loosely on top. 

Stuffed Mushrooms with Sausage & Peppers

Ingredients

24 medium mushrooms
1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing
4T olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ red pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
½ cup ricotta
½ cup panko crumbs
½ cup Pecorino Romano
3T parsley, finely chopped
1T thyme, finely chopped
salt & pepper

1.    Preheat the oven to 400° F.

2.    With a damp towel or vegetable brush, gently wipe the mushrooms to remove any dirt.  Remove the dead ends from the stems.  Using a melon ball scoop, remove the stems.

3.    Carefully scoop out a little of the cap to make a bigger opening.  Chop the stems and caps bits into a fine dice.  Set aside.

4.    In a medium sauté pan over medium high-heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; when warm, add the sausage.  Using a wooden spoon, break the sausage into pieces.

5.    Cook the sausage 8-10 minutes while stirring and continuing to break into small pieces.  When browned, remove with a spotted spoon and place in a medium bowl.

6.    If needed, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan (you may have enough oil left from cooking the sausage); add the chopped mushroom, onions, and peppers and cook until soft, about 4- 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

7.    Remove from the heat and stir in the ricotta until it is melted and mixture is creamy. Add to the cooked sausage.

8.    Add the panko, cheese, parsley and thyme, and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

9.    Place a generous tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each of the mushroom caps.  Place on a baking sheet.  Bake in a 400° F oven until mushrooms are slightly soft and browned, about 10-15 minutes.

10.    Transfer to serving platter and let cool slightly.  Serve warm.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    Because mushrooms have a high water content you never want to submerge them in water. Just brush or wipe them off with a mushroom brush or clean kitchen towel.
•    The mushrooms are best served warm. If too hot you could burn your mouth.
•    You can prepare the whole recipe a day ahead. Either fill the mushroom caps and place on baking sheet. Then cover with a piece of parchment paper and plastic wrap. (remove paper/plastic  before cooking)  OR store the filling in a container and place the mushrooms is a clean kitchen towel then in a plastic bag, so they don’t dry out. Fill the mushroom and bake before serving. 
•    They reheat beautifully