Spicy Honey and Chili Glazed Chicken Drumsticks (Crockpot Recipe)

 Recipe 

4 lbs Chicken Drumsticks

3/4 Sriracha Sauce

3/4 Honey

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1/4 cup Lime Juice

2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced

Add everything except the chicken in the crockpot and stir until combined. Add Chicken and stir until coated in sauce. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Once cooked remove from crockpot and place on a baking sheet, preferably with a rack. If you don't have a rack line a backing sheet with foil. Coat chicken with sauce and broil 3-5 minutes on each side, or until sauce bubbles and begins to caramelizes. Remove from the oven and serve!

Pan Seared Sea Scallops

Our local grocery store hosted a seafood road show about a month back and I decided to indulge in a pound of their sea scallops. After I purchased them I began reading anything and everything about scallops. I discovered that there are two packing methods. The first is wet packing, which involves soaking the scallops in a phosphate solution. This prolongs their shelf life and turn the scallops bright white. The second and superior method is dry packing, which is just what it sounds like. Had I known about this prior to purchasing these scallops I would have asked how they were handled. I suspect they were wet packed as they oozed some milky white liquid. There is a way to combat wet packed scallops, but I highly recommend holding out for the dry packed.

Recipe 
Serves 2 for Dinner or 4 as an Appetizer 

1 lb Sea Scallops (8-10)
2/3 cup White Wine
1 Medium Shallot Minced
6 Tablespoons Chilled Butter
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Herbs
Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Skip this step if you are sure your scallops are dry packed. Add 3 tablespoons of salt to one cup warm water and stir until dissolved. Add 5 cups cold water and place water in fridge until cool.  Once the water is cooled down, add scallops and allow to sit for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes have elapsed remove the scallops and rinse thoroughly. This method pulls excess moisture out of the scallops which will allow the scallops to brown properly. DO NOT add extra salt before or during cooking. The brine will provide enough salt.

2. Place scallops on a plate or cutting board on top of thickly layered paper towels or washable dish towel. Put another layer on top of the scallops and press down with a plate or weighted down sheet pan. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes. This step is more important if you brined your scallops.

3. In a stainless steel or cast iron skillet heat (on medium high) 1 tablespoon butter or cooking oil until just before it begins to smoke. Salt and Pepper scallops right before placing them in the pan (no salt if you brined). Each scallops should sear between 2-5 minutes depending on their size. Mine, pictured above, took about 4 minutes on the first side and 2-3 on the second side. Make sure you do not over crowd the pan, cook in batches if needed.

4. Once the scallops are seared to perfection add the shallots to the pan with a small pad of butter. Reduce heat to medium low and add wine. Bring to a boil and scrape the pan and stir for 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat to low and whisk in the remaining chilled butter, one tablespoon at a time. Stir in fresh herbs, I used parsley, basil and chives. Return scallops to the pan and baste with sauce. Serve smothered with sauce or with sauce on the side.  

 

Coming Soon

 Seared Sea Scallops with Herb Butter Pan Sauce

I discovered a few years ago that I adore scallops. I've experimented with smaller bay scallops but I haven't worked with the delectably large sea scallops. Until now! These beauties turned out really well except that I discovered they were "wet packed" which can turn searing scallops into a challenge. I'll get more into that and how to combat it in a subsequent recipe post.

  
Spicy Honey and Chili Glazed Chicken Drumsticks (Made in the Crock Pot)

These were a major hit with the boyfriend! I used sriracha and honey but in theory you could substitute your favorite hot or chili sauce.

Smoked Turkey Legs
 These beauties were about $1 each at our local grocery store and they turned out magnificent! We brined them, coated them in a rub overnight, and finally smoked them.

 Homemade Vodka Sauce

I don't buy bottled pasta sauces from the grocery store, as a rule, except when Mario Batali's Vodka sauce is on sale. His sauces run about $10 a bottle so we don't indulge often. This version is completely from scratch with fresh ingredients but obviously this won't be possible all the time. I will include suggestions for combating the seasons with the recipe.

Cayenne Hot Sauce 

We have gone chili crazy this year. We planted Jalapenos, Seranos, Habenaros, Cayennes, Anaheims, Thai Dragon, and Ghost Peppers. This hot sauce is thick and sriracha like but it is made primarily from cayennes. I wanted to make a sauce with less vinegar in it for my vinegar hating boy friend.

Chili Verde

 Salsa Recipe

2 lbs of tomatillos, husks & stems removed 

6 garlic cloves
1 medium onion
1/2 lb. Anaheim green chili peppers and/or poblanos
2 small or 1 large jalapeno
1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup bottled lime juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place chilies, tomatillos, quartered onion, and garlic cloves on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until skin is blackened and charred and juice is seeping from the tomatillos and chilies. Once they are sufficiently charred and oozy remove them and set aside. Once cooled leave the skins on the tomatillos and jalapenos because their skin is thin and will add more flavor but do remove the stems. Remove the skin and stems from the other chilies. Add chilies (and juices from the baking sheet), tomatillos, onion, garlic, and cilantro to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times then add the remaining ingredients and puree. Use right away for recipes like chili verde or allow to cool and refrigerate. This recipe produces about 48oz of salsa.

Recipe
1 quart salsa verde
5 pounds pork shoulder
2 teaspoons Kosher salt

2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup chicken stock 

1 large can green enchilada sauce

Method

Wash the pork shoulder and pat dry. At this point you can cut the pork shoulder into chunks or you could leave it whole. I do a hybrid and leave it whole for the first 4-6 hours then I remove it and cut it into chunks for the remaining 2 hours. If you want your chili verde to be done in 4 hours then cut it into chunks right away. Once you have decided on a size for your pork sprinkle salt in pepper over the piece(s). Heat a skillet and add the oil once in starts smoking add the pork, in batches if you cubed it. After the pork is browned remove it to the slow cooker and de-glaze the skillet with the chicken stock and pour liquid over pork. Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot and stir the mix thoroughly. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours.

Salsa Verde for Chili Verde

Salsa Verde for Chili Verde

2 lbs of tomatillos, husks & stems removed 

6 garlic cloves
1 medium onion
1/2 lb. Anaheim green chili peppers and/or poblanos
2 small or 1 large jalapeno
1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup bottled lime juice 

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place chilies, tomatillos, quartered onion, and garlic cloves on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until skin is blackened and charred and juice is seeping from the tomatillos and chilies. Once they are sufficiently charred and oozy remove them and set aside. Once cooled leave the skins on the tomatillos and jalapenos because their skin is thin and will add more flavor but do remove the stems. Remove the skin and stems from the other chilies. Add chilies (and juices from the baking sheet), tomatillos, onion, garlic, and cilantro to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times then add the remaining ingredients and puree. Use right away for recipes like chili verde or allow to cool and refrigerate. This recipe produces about 48oz of salsa.

Spicy Spagetti and Meatballs

 Meatballs

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

2 eggs

1/2 cup pesto

1 cup bread crumbs

1-2 cups parmesan 

3 tbsp parsley

2 chopped serrano's 

1-2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2  a large yellow onion chopped

1 tsp oregano 

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder or granulated onion 

1/4 cup roasted garlic

Method

If using whole parmesan, which you should, cut into small cubes and pulse in the food processor until very fine. Remove and remeasure, at this point you can combine all the dry ingredients and mix well to ensure the spices do not clump. Add the serranos and onions to the food processor and blend, then add in the pesto and roasted garlic and pulse a few times until smooth. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook you can use it to make your meatballs other wise grab the biggest mixing bowl you have and combine all the ingredients. You want to mix it together as well as you can without overdoing it, because the meatball will become very dense if you over mix. The meatballs can be any size you want just bare in mind that they will shrink so make them bigger than you want the finished product. Next pour 1 cup or 1/2 up the side of your skillet, heat oil on medium and add meatballs in batches. It should take about five minutes on each side or until browned.

The Sauce

2 large cans of tomato sauce

1 small can of diced tomatoes

2 large carrots

2 large celery stalks

1 large onion

2 tbsp balsamic reduction

1 tbsp crushed red pepper

1 tbsp oregano

A handful of fresh basil chopped

5-10 garlic cloves at your discretion, minced

1 cup white wine

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Peel then finely dice the carrots and celery. Chop onions to desired size, I like to see the onions in my sauce so I leave them a little bigger than most. Heat the oil and saute carrots, onions and celery for about 5 minutes or until onions are clear and browning. Add spices, garlic, wine and diced tomatoes and saute for another 5 minutes then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring liquid to a simmer, add in the meatballs, then turn to low and cover. Cook for 30-45 minutes.

Prepare your favorite kind of pasta, mix with the sauce and enjoy!

Jerk Chicken (Spatchcocked and Oven Rosted)

Disclaimer: The pictures are not the best but the chicken was magical!

Preparation

Clean and dry the whole chicken then remove the spine of the chicken with kitchen sheers. You can then remove the wish bone or lay the chicken flat and push on the breast until it lies flat, I chose this method. 

The Brine

2 cups beer

4 quarts water

1 lemon sliced thin

2 cinnamon sticks

2 tbsp allspice berries

1tbsp ground nutmeg

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

I used a quart of hot water to dissolve the sugar and salt, then I added cold water and the rest of the spices. Refrigerate over night turning once if the brine does not completely cover the chicken.

Marinade/Rub

1 cup Belgian-style white beer

4 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers

1 bunch of scallions, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

8-10 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

2 tbsp ginger, chopped or micro planed

1 tbsp fresh thyme or dry if you don't have fresh

2 tsp all spice, ground

1 tsp nutmeg, ground

1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground

2 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp kosher salt

2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp oil, vegetable or olive

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. At this point you can marinate the chicken in the paste or apply and cook immediately. I rubbed some under the skin and brushed the rest on the top and bottom of the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 450 and check after 30 minutes, depending on the size of the bird it could take up to an hour for the internal temperature to reach 160.

The only thing I might change would be to not put the marinade under the skin and see if that would make the skin crispier. It was delicious but not crispy.

Enjoy!