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Easiest Ultimate Chicken Parmesan

April 27, 2021 No Comments

A STAR in the comfort food world, Chicken Parmesan is a cult classic recipe that deserves the spotlight. A true legend with the volume cranked by fresh basil, burrata, and the best of simple ingredients.

The cutlet recipe is loosely based on the CGBC (Cooking Goddess Barefoot Contessa) classic Parmesan Chicken – I add red pepper flakes, oregano and increase the grated Parmesan in the breading ratio. Top it off with Rao’s (the ultimate Marinara that rules out the need for sauce from scratch) and good quality mozzarella or burrata, and you are done.

This dish is easy to make ahead for lunch or dinner, and goes great with a simple mixed green salad.

Easiest Ultimate Chicken Parmesan

Print Recipe

Homemade cutlets with Rao's, fresh mozzarella, and a touch of basil

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chicken, parmesan

Servings 6

Ingredients

6 split chicken breasts pound to uniform thickness, about 1/2 inch
2 eggs beaten with 1 Tbsp water
3/4 cup AP flour
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup italian style breadcrumbs
1 cup grated parmesan plus more for topping
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp dried oregano
4 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
4 Tbsp butter
1 jar Rao's Marinara Sauce
1 lb fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese
1//4 cup torn fresh basil

Instructions

Preheat oven with broiler setting, and position a rack several inches below.
Sprinkle the pounded chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Set up three low shallow bowls for dredging. The first bowl will have flour. Next, combine the 2 eggs with a Tbsp of water and beat. Last, combine the parmesan, breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes and oregano.
Start by dredging each breast through the flour, shaking off excess as you go. Then dip both sides into the egg wash, and last, coat the chicken with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the coated chicken breasts on a platter until ready to cook. This step can be done in advance.
Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and melt 2 Tbsp each of EVOO and butter. Add 2-3 chicken breasts at a time, depending on the size of the chicken. You want to sear the crumbs to golden brown and just barely cook the chicken through - about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken breasts, adding more oil and butter to the skillet as you go. Place the fully cooked chicken into a 9x13 baking dish.
Heat the Rao's sauce over low heat, and pour over the chicken breasts to cover. Split the mozzarella (or burrata) over the top and sprinkle with extra grated parmesan. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown in spots. Garnish with freshly torn basil.

Notes

To make ahead, you can assemble the dish fully (hold off on the basil til done cooking), but bake at 350 for 25 - 30 mins instead of broiling the heated dish to melt the cheese. If desired, set under broiler for 2 minutes at the end to brown the cheese.

Costco imports fresh mozzarella balls from Italy weekly, and they are the real thing - much better than domestic. Sold in four packs, they keep for only a week or so.

Dinner

Brisket Burgers

April 27, 2021 No Comments

Often when you make something over and over again, you learn that less is more. These burgers are the perfect example of letting a good ingredient shine. Ground brisket has a richer flavor and a great balance of fat (75/25) that lends itself to make the ultimate burger with little effort.

Many people pay higher prices for leaner cuts of ground beef, which works well in some recipes, but with a burger can lead to a tough final product. Much of the fat is released in the cooking process, so it’s best to start with a higher fat content to ensure the burger isn’t dry when finished. You can “doctor up” a burger patty any way you like, but why go to all that trouble when you don’t need to? I promise this will be the best, simple burger you’ve ever made!

Brisket Burgers

Print Recipe

The best of the beef burgers - simple and classic.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword burger, beef, brisket

Servings 6

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef brisket
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
6 slices thic cut cheddar cheese
6 brioche burger buns

Instructions

Form 6 equal patties with the ground brisket. It's crucial to not compact the meat, or work it too fit a strict form. I have used a fork for this and it works well. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and let them sit for at least 30 minutes to come to temp before cooking. The resting time will also allow the salt to permeate the beef.
Preheat a gas grill or a cast iron skillet to medium high heat - you want a hot pan or grill to sear the outside of the patties, and leave the inside medium rare. Cook approximately 5 minutes per side, adding the cheese to the last few minutes of cooking.
Place the patties on the brioche buns - top as you like! I suggest mayo, pickles, salted tomato slices and lettuce.

Sweet

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 17, 2021 No Comments

A lifetime of testing and tasting qualifies me to say they are unequivocally the BEST chocolate chip cookies EVER. Crispy on the edges, chewy in the center, and salty sweet at the height of perfection!

When faced with choosing a recipe to start this blog project, this was an easy choice. This is the original cookie from the North End of Boston’s Volle Nolle Cafe, which had a cult following for it’s tiny space on Hanover Street. We were lucky to live in the North End for many years, and after moving out of the city, Volle Nolle was one of the places I missed most. The small cafe, owned by Tori Crowell, was a grab and go spot for me, and I went back for cookies as often as I could after we moved. One day, she offered me the recipe as I lamented my cookie commute – she grabbed a sharpie and in 4 seconds scribbled the ingredients on a sheet of parchment right on the counter. I carefully transported the precious paper home and immediately framed it – it sits on my counter to this day, making it easy to share with friends who often ask for the recipe. No eggs – it’s not a mistake. This also makes it a safe dough to eat raw…

The ingredients are straight forward and the key is the salt – that tablespoon in the batter helps, but I sprinkle Malden sea salt flakes on top of the dough before baking as well – it’s a texture thing on top of the flavor.

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Print Recipe

distinctivley salty and sweet - the ultimate chocolate chip cookie!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Servings 28 cookies

Equipment

Stand or hand held mixer.

Ingredients

3.5 sticks butter room temp
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
4 Tbsp Heavy Cream
4 Tbsp Light Corn Syrup
3.5 cups AP flour
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
24 oz chopped good dark chocolate
2 Tbsp Malden Sea Salt flakes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and position two racks in the middle of the oven.
Combine the first three ingredients in a stand mixture with paddle attachment. Mix well until smooth and creamy. Combine next three ingredients (cream through vanilla), then add to the butter and sugar, mixing thoroughly. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl, then slowly add to the dough, mixing minimally until combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks by hand.
Scoop cookies into 2 tbsp sized balls, sprinkle with malden sea salt and bake for 11-12 minutes. Tap the pans on the counter when done, to flatten the cookies a bit. Let cool and enjoy! Cookies will be best within a day, but will keep for several days in airtight container.

Notes

I highly recommend chopping your own block of chocolate, as the small shreds that mix into the batter give the cookie a great texture after baking. Trader Joe's GIANT 70% bars are a great option for this recipe.