My Ode to Capers

I remember when we purchased this jar of capers from our local Costco. I thought there was no way in the world we would be able to use them all. I mean, I like capers but a whole quart of them? Certainly that's not possible, right? I will never doubt my wife again.





We started by looking up all kinds of recipes that use capers as a central component. We found lots of dishes with salmon, obviously. But we make a lot of chicken so we started with Chicken Piccata. This is a fantastic recipe that I will use over and over.

But Andrea branched out and started experimenting. She put them in what is now our favorite potato salad. The capers add a nice tangy, bitter and mix well with the slight amount of cayenne she adds to make this dish unlike any other potato salad but still familiar. Love it...


Chicken Piccata

1 Whole Chicken
6 Tablespoons Butter
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
2/3 Cup Chicken Stock
1/3 Cup Capers

Pasta

1.25 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Semolina
3 Eggs


I took a whole chicken and quartered it (learn how here) to decrease the cooking time and provide uniform results. I then roasted those pieces at 300 degrees to cook them through but not dry them out.

While that was cooking I made the pasta. I have done this by hand but I find it is a bit easier in my kitchen aid. Add the one cup of all purpose and one cup of semolina (in a little volcano if you're making it by hand) and then add the eggs. As the kitchen aid is working I may add up to an additional 1/4 cup of all purpose, slowly, depending on how wet or dry the dough is. When it begins to really resist I wrap it up and set it aside for at least 20 minutes.

When the chicken was cooked through but not overly brown I took it out and finished it in the pan. I added 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and browned the breast meat. Then added 2 more tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and browned the hind quarters. Once the meat was out I added the chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Then I added the lemon, capers and any remaining olive oil. I reduced this slightly and added the remainder of the butter just prior to serving to give the sauce a nice sheen.

Cook the pasta as the sauce is reducing. Fresh pasta cooks in under a minute. Toss with sauce but keep some sauce aside for drizzling over the chicken. Serve the chicken over the bed of pasta and enjoy.


Note...
Next time I would make a hair less pasta. (Or a hairless pasta?) When making it by hand I always tend to make too much. Reducing the pasta by a third would probably bring the proportions in line.

Chicken and Plantain Stew

I have a serious problem. We make better food than I can get at most restaurants in the area, at least on our budget. The latest transgression was a chicken and plantain stew which was both savory and delightfully sweet. Recipe follows you can all share in my misery!

- 5 or 6 red potatoes diced
- 2 yellow plantains sliced
- half of 1 large white onion sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, de-seeded and chopped
- 1 whole chicken, butterflied or cut into pieces with bones and skin
- 1 cup-ish chicken stock
- Salt free Adobo seasoning
- Salt & Pepper
- Cooked Rice

Add potatoes, plantains, peppers, and onions into a large casserole type dish. Season vegetables and all sides of chicken generously with the Adobo. Season with S+P to taste. Pour stock into dish- it should not come up past the halfway point of the wall. If you go over the halfway mark the liquid coming out of the chicken will cause juice to spill over the side. Place chicken on top of veggies and stock, skin side up.

Bake at 350F for approx 1.5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked. Remove chicken to a plate and let sit. Blend/puree about 1/4- 1/3 of the vegetables and stock. I used an immersion blender and just stuck it in but you might have to use a blender or some other means of blending. Pour a generous amount of the liquid over some cooked white rice in a bowl. Shred in some chicken and enjoy!