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Vineyard Chicken

A couple of months ago, I flew to New Orleans for the wedding of one of my best friends in the world, and spent the majority of my time there eating. Surprise! I ran rampant around that gorgeous city chugging chicory coffee, plowing through a scary number of steaming hot beignets, nibbling on praline bacon, buying multiple bottles of hot sauce, and swigging Everclear slushies at inappropriately early times of day (when on Bourbon Street....).

By the time I left, I was thoroughly in love with the place, and convinced it was one of the greatest food cities on the planet. And so, of course, I picked up a spiral bound copy of River Road Recipes, the community cookbook compiled by The Junior League of Baton Rouge, and dedicated to Louisiana cooking. The book was first published in 1959, so the recipes in there reflect that time period, and are satisfyingly simple and, at times, downright odd (anyone in the mood for some turtle soup?). I'd forgotten how good old-school, homespun cooking could be, and how fun it was to read recipes that sound like they could've been scribbled on a piece of notebook paper by your grandmother.

This Vineyard Chicken, submitted by a Mrs. Ronaldo Coco, gets it's winsome name from the white wine that infuses it, and it is honestly one of the best chicken preparations in recent memory. It's also dead easy--the instructions don't exceed six sentences--yet, somehow gives you a batch of fall-off-the-bone tender chicken nestled in a delicious sauce made of wine, paprika, lemon, and butter. That sauce is like gold--spoon it over your rice or potatoes or whatever you may be serving this dish with.

You go, Mrs. Ronaldo Coco.

Vineyard Chicken
Ingredients:
1 3 lb. chicken, butchered into 8 pieces (or 3 lbs worth of legs and thighs)
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup minced parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place chicken, skin side down, in large casserole. Blend all other ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and discard. Turn chicken skin side up; increase temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes, basting a couple of times. Increase temperature to 425 degrees for the last 30 minutes of baking time, basting a few times. Serves 4.

Favorite Things 07.07.14

I haven't done one of these posts in a while. Here are just a few of the things I've been loving lately, including one perfect denim jacket, milk bottles as glasses, an old-school radio with amazing sound, and a sleek backpack from everyone's favorite break-through brand.

1. This precisely ripped Acne jean jacket is the jean jacket of my dreams. So soft and oversized and comfortable.
2. Uribe is a new jewelry line out of London. I love their slightly skewed version of classic gold hoops.
3. Beautiful new cookbook from the gal behind Jewels of New York.
4. I've finally gotten the hang of the Fujifilm x100s (a photog favorite), and I'm loving it a lot.
5. Perfect backpack that will be coming with me on all summer travels.
6. Spontaneously purchased these bright-blue-lensed Ray Bans a couple of weekends ago, and they haven't left my face since.
7. Really good true red polish. Jin Soon is the best.
8. Recently discovered Orlebar Brown's swimsuits. Amazing fit.
9. Milk bottles as glasses.
10. Old-school kitchen radio with fantastic sound.
11. One of my favorite hand soaps in a great, beachy scent.

Roasted Salmon with Potatoes and Herbed Creme Fraiche

Salmon is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite fish. I eat it smoked on a bagel, slathered with homemade sriracha and roasted, seared in golden olive oil, and wrapped snugly in a heavy-duty foil packet with a smattering of herbs and veggies and thrown into the oven. And if you stumble upon the good stuff--salmon that is fresh and fatty and in-season, it doesn't really matter what you do to it, it will taste like butter and please the toughest dinner crowds imaginable.

You'll want to shop for wild salmon because the wild stuff > farmed, every single time. Unfortunately, unless you live in Alaska or the Northwest, where fresh salmon will apparently jump out of the waters and into your bare, eagerly waiting hands, salmon is only in season from mid-to-late summer. Fortunately, that time is now, so carpe diem, and all that, because come fall, you'll be staring glumly at a glass case full of pale, farmed salmon serving as your only sad options. And you don't even want to think about the toxic, unsanitary conditions those poor little guys are raised in, believe me.

But back to happier times! Summer! Yay. Here is a new favorite way to utilize one of the best jewels of the season. This preparation takes a decidedly Nordic bent, and uses the brightness of fresh herbs mixed with a dab of creamy creme fraiche to season the fish, and pairs the whole thing with tender young potatoes. So good.

Roasted Salmon with Potatoes and Herbed Creme Fraiche
Ingredients:
Potatoes
1 1/2 lbs small, waxy potatoes, scrubbed
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Salmon and Assembly
1 1 1/2 lb piece of wild salmon, skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, dill, and/or tarragon, plus tarragon and dill sprigs for serving

Directions:
Potatoes
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1"; season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 15-20 minutes; drain and pat dry. Let cool slightly, halve potatoes and toss with oil; season with salt.

Salmon and Assembly
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place salmon, skin side down, on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet; rub with 1 Tbsp. oil and season with salt. Roast until medium-rare (mostly opaque but still slightly translucent in the center), 10-15 minutes. Break up salmon into pieces, removing skin if desired.

Whisk creme fraiche and chopped herbs in a small bowl; season with salt.

Spread herbed creme fraiche on plates and top with salmon, potatoes, and tarragon and dill sprigs; drizzle with oil.