Category: Poultry

Italian-ish Ramen

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This is the most comforting soup you’re going to have this winter. If tortellini soup and ramen had a baby, this would be it.

Ingredients:
  • 2 large chicken thighs, preferably skinless and boneless
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 4 cups lower-sodium chicken stock
  • 3/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3 tablespoons), divided
  • 8 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti 
  • 10 basil leaves, sliced, divided
  • 4 soft-cooked large eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • Calabrian chile paste, for serving
  1. Pat chicken dry using paper towels; sprinkle with pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Place chicken and cook, undisturbed, until crispy and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Flip chicken, and cook until browned on other side, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons of rendered chicken fat from Dutch oven, leaving chicken in Dutch oven.
  2. Add chicken stock and 1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan to Dutch oven; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook about 15 minutes.
  3. While chicken cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add pasta, and cook 1 minute less than package directions for al dente.
  4. Remove chicken from Dutch oven, and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Shred chicken (discard skin and bones if using), and set aside. Reduce heat under Dutch oven to low; sprinkle stock mixture with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste. Add shredded chicken and half of sliced basil (about 1 tablespoon) to stock in Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Drain pasta, and add to simmering stock mixture in Dutch oven. Cook until pasta is al dente, about 1 minute.
  5. Divide pasta, chicken, and broth among 4 bowls. Top evenly with eggs, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan; remaining basil, and a small spoonful of Calabrian chile paste, to taste.

Thai-Style Spring Rolls

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No two spring rolls are alike but what sets a good spring roll apart from a great one is that it must taste delicious on its own, even without dipping sauce. These fried spring rolls are spectacular with or without sauce, and good luck eating just one. (I like one or ten of these with sweet chile sauce, for what it’s worth.)

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces glass noodles
  • 6 dried wood ear mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil, plus more for shallow-frying
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced cilantro stems
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 ounces ground chicken
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 8 ounces mung bean sprouts
  • 20-30 spring roll wrappers
  • 3/4 cup sweet chile sauce, for serving
  1. Soak the glass noodles in a bowl of warm water and soak for about 20 minutes, until pliable. Drain and cut into 4-inch lengths with kitchen scissors. Set aside.
  2. Soak the dried wood ear mushrooms in a bowl of hot water for about 20 minutes. Rinse, drain, and squeeze dry. Slice the mushrooms into 1/4-inch wide strips, discarding any hard, knobby ends. Set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, cilantro stems, and pepper, and fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the chicken, mushrooms, fish sauce, and oyster sauce, and saute, breaking up the chicken with a wooden cooking spoon, for about 3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the bean sprouts, glass noodles and water and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, until the noodles are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the pan from heat and allow the filling to cool completely.
  4. To assemble the spring rolls, take 1 spring roll wrapper and lay it on the work surface with one corner pointing toward you. Place 2 tablespoons filling along base of wrapper. Fold bottom over filling, then fold in left and right sides. Tightly roll up to completely enclose filling.
  5. Heat oil (enough to be 1-inch deep) in a frying pan to medium-high. Shallow-fry spring rolls, a few at a time, and cook, turning carefully occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels and serve with chile sauce.

Thai-Style Jok with Chicken Meatballs

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I visited Thailand nine years ago and have been missing it ever since. Bangkok was brimming with delicious food and I was so excited to try it all. But on my third day there, I got sick. This jok (or congee) nursed me back to health within a couple of days. Sick or not, this jok is delicious and I find myself craving it whenever the weather gets cold. It’s savory, salty, spicy, and super comforting.

Ingredients:
  • 1 lemongrass stalk
  • 1/2 cup jasmine rice
  • 5 cups chicken stock (or water)
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • Fish sauce

For the meatballs:

  • 8 ounces ground chicken
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

For the prik nam som:

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Two garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced serrano or Thai bird chiles

To serve:

  • 2 cups roughly chopped greens such as kale or spinach
  • 4 eggs
  • Cilantro, minced
  • Green onions, thinly sliced
  • Sweet Thai preserved radish, minced
  • Fried shallots
  • Prik nam som
  1. Make the prik nam som: Combine all the ingredients in a jar. Allow to cool and set aside.
  2. Make the jok: Smash the lemongrass a few times using the back of a knife to bruise it up and help release flavor. Combine the rice, lemongrass, and stock in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the water has thickened into a porridge, about 1 hour total. Discard the lemongrass when the congee is done. Season with pepper and fish sauce to taste, and set aside, keeping the congee at a bare simmer on the stove, stirring occasionally and thinning it with water if it gets too thick.
  3. Make the meatballs: Combine the chicken, pepper, fish sauce, salt, soy sauce, garlic, and sugar in a small bowl. Mix with your fingers until the mixture is homogenous and sticky, about 30 seconds. Wash your hands and using wet hands, pinch off teaspoon-sized pieces of the chicken mixture and form into small balls. Drop the balls directly into the simmering congee. Cover and continue to simmer until the meatballs have firmed up, about 3 minutes.
  4. To serve: stir in the greens and continue cooking until greens are wilted and the meatballs are cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
  5. Ladle some hot congee into the bottom of each of 4 serving bowls, then crack a raw egg on top. Divide remaining congee among the bowls. Let them rest for a couple of minutes before serving to allow the egg to cook partially. Garnish each bowl with cilantro, green onions, preserved radish, and fried shallots. Serve, passing prik nam som to the table to be added as desired.

Chicken with Basil and Fish Sauce

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I finally got J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s tome The Wok a few months ago and honestly? It’s one of the best cookbooks I’ve ever cooked from. All hits, no misses. The first dish I cooked out of the book was this Thai-style chicken stir-fry, with an Iranian twist. Lopez-Alt calls for Thai basil this recipe, but I was gifted a bumper crop of Persian basil and used that instead. Both basils posses a strong anise and licorice-like flavor so the substitution worked perfectly. Serve this with jasmine (or basmati!) rice and think of it as a delicious Thai-ish Iranian-ish mashup.

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/8-inch slices
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

For the sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • Hot red pepper flakes to taste

For the stir-fry:

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, 2 smashed, 2 minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 2 cups loosely packed Persian or Thai basil leaves
  1. Prepare the chicken: Place chicken in a medium bowl, cover with cold water, and vigorously agitate it. Drain through a strainer set in the sink and press on the chicken with your hands to remove excess water. Return the chicken to the bowl and add the fish sauce, pepper, sugar, baking soda, and cornstarch. Stir vigorously with your fingers for 30 seconds. Set aside while you prepare the remaining stir-fry ingredients (at least 15 minutes).
  2. Prepare the sauce: Combine the fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and chile flakes.
  3. Make the stir-fry: Heat 1 tablespoon oil and the smashed garlic cloves in a wok over high heat until the garlic is sizzling at starts to brown. Add the chicken, spread it into a single layer, and cook without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Continue cooking, tossing, and stirring frequently, until the exterior is just cooked, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
  4. Wipe out the wok and add the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat over high heat until shimmering. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and shallots and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the shallots are softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add the sauce and toss to coat. Add the basil and toss until they’re wilted. Transfer to a plate and serve with rice.

Chicken Larb and Bean Thread Noodle Lettuce Cups

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I absolutely love larb and I absolutely love bean thread noodles in all their permutations. These lettuce cups are kind of a love child of both these dishes — not authentic by any means, but delicious nonetheless. Packed full of herbs, they make a perfect quick and easy meal when you’re craving something light but satisfying.

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minceed
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • Salt
  • Juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons)
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup basil leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
  • 4 ounces bean thread noodles, prepared according to package instructions
  • 1 head butter lettuce
  1. In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the chicken and salt and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, coconut sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture with the onion, basil, cilantro, mint, peanuts, and bean thread noodles and combine with the sauce. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
  4. Spoon the chicken and noodle mixture onto lettuce leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.