From the ArcaMax Publishing, Recipes by Zola Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/zola/s-374254-535716
Where to Eat Before it's too Late...
You people are an inspiration. Sometimes you write me to ask for
recipe ideas. Sometimes you just write to say hello and let me know
how a column affected you or made you laugh. And then there are times
when you write to me about something that makes ME think. This column
is about one of those emails I received last week.
The email started off with a reader who said she and her group travel
to Chicago every year and they always struggle over which restaurants
they are going to eat at while here. This is when I know I have a real
group of "foodies" on my hands. Most people come to a conference and
either eat at the conference or just wander out of the facility and
find food.
Not these people. They want to dine. They want to soak up the
atmosphere. They want to enjoy the authentic Chicago. I commend them.
In the email the woman asked me to recommend some restaurants. They
figured that if Zola lives in Chicago she ought to make a pretty good
restaurant recommendation source; comprehensive even. And they would
be right! I used to tell people I've eaten my way from one end of this
city to the other. I used to say that when I was skinny. Now I don't
think it sounds so good, but I still feel the emotion. I am proud of
so many things Chicago has to offer and I'd put our culinary prowess
up against even the most highly touted food centers in the world. News
Flash!: Chicago's Stephanie Izard just won America's Top Chef
competition! Stephanie used to own a little bistro down the street
from my place. It was called Scylla, and my husband and I were big
fans.
Anyway, back to the restaurants. I wrote back asking her to narrow her
request. I could spend an afternoon giving restaurant recommendations.
I could do it by cuisine type. I could do it based on budget. I could
do it by neighborhood location. I could do it by featuring the newest
or even the venerable. You get my drift. I needed to be narrowed down.
Then I'd be prepared to shoot off a list.
Her email came back later that afternoon. She asked for American steak
houses and Italian. Chicago used to be the "butcher capital to the
world" so beef made perfect sense. Italian, as she pointed out, is
universally loved, so everyone would be happy with Italian
restaurants. Then she added the kicker that really made me think. She
said, "Zola, if you found out you had to move and you could only eat
at three Chicago restaurants before you had to ship out and never
return, which places would you pick?"
I was blown away. No one had ever set me up with a challenge like that
one before. I really had to think. My easy way out was to answer her
steak request and then her Italian request so that was 7 or 8
restaurants that I could type up in a flash. I was stopped dead by her
last request. I realized it was one of the most difficult food-related
decisions I could make. I interpreted it to be, "If you could only eat
three more dinners in your life, and you had to eat them in Chicago
restaurants, which ones would you pick?" It sent me into a tizzy.
My brain went into overdrive. First I focused on the ones I had
already given her in the Italian and steak categories. I had to ask
myself, if I were picking the last three, would any on those lists
make my final? Then my mind started racing all over town. As my brain
settled on each restaurant, the menu came into focus and I tried to
factor in what I'd order so I knew if that was a perfect choice.
I realized a couple of things that were new to me. I decided, that as
a good cook myself, I could get lots of good food. What was going to
be a deciding factor in the myriad of good, and even fabulous, Chicago
restaurants was going to be the atmosphere. My mind started conjuring
up the smells, the music, the lighting, how comfortable the seating is
, the service- all of these things more than the food. Interesting
observation for a food writer, I thought. The creativity of the menu
was important, and did they branch out beyond things that I'd cook in
my own kitchen? Or did that matter?
What I wanted was all of those things clustered into one restaurant.
Or at least three.
And you know what? In the final analysis and the time allowed, I
couldn't do it. I gave her three and gave her my reasoning but I told
her I really needed time to visit about 50 or I was always going to
feel like I had left something behind.
Then I took it another step, and I'm going to invite you to do this
too. I took my internal conversation to cocktail hour. I had a few
minutes with my husband before I had to head off to a business dinner.
I was sitting with him on our roof deck as the sun was fading and I
told him the story of the email and I followed it up with the
question, "Which three would you pick?"
Right away he turned it back on me. "Which did you choose? He wanted
to know". "You're not getting off that easy", I said. "You give me
your list first and then I'll share mine". Dead silence. Then he
started trying to guess mine instead of being forced to pick his own.
It was the funniest thing to watch. Very interesting. No giggling. I
had to just let him fight with it. And oddly enough, his list didn't
match mine; although just about every restaurant I've eaten in, I've
eaten in with him. He knows my tastes and I know his, but our lists
didn't match.
So here's my challenge to you. At the dinner table, or even better, at
a dinner party with friends, pose the question. Unless your town only
has three restaurants, I bet this will make for interesting
conversation. It's not politics, but it's a conversation that can
generate some passionate consideration as each person lobbies for
their favorite restaurants and why they've chosen them.
Good luck and feel free to report out at: Zolacooks@gmail.com
Today's recipe was inspired by the woman's inquiry. It got me thinking
about what I want to eat if each meal might be my last one. One of my
favorite French Bistro dishes is Chicken Under a Brick. I decided I
had to figure out how to make it myself. Most places make it in a wood
burning oven. I don't have one so I had to make adjustments. It
worked. I hope you like it and enjoy it soon.
Cheers,
Zola
P.S. Remember a while back, when the readership of this newsletter hit
500,000 subscribers? I challenged you at that time to help me grow the
list to a million subscribers by year end. Well, the half way point is
here. I just got news that we have more than 700,000 subscribers now!
So, tell your friends. Send them the link to sign up. Let's get this
viral marketing thing really rolling! And for those already accustomed
to sending your friends my way to read Zola, Thank You!
Chicken Under a Brick
Serves 2 --but can be easily
multiplied
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
Advance prep: This dish calls from some equipment from the garden. You
actually do need a brick or flat rock that you have cleaned, dried and
covered thoroughly in aluminum foil. The weight on top of the chicken
while it's cooking is what makes the fabulous, crispy crust. For the
pan I use cast iron. You need something sturdy and non-stick that can
handle 400 degree heat in your oven. One option instead of a brick is
to use another, smaller cast iron pan and rest it on top of the
chicken instead of the brick. Most folks who have one cast iron pan
have a set of them so this is definitely an option.
I promise, this is worth it. This will be the crispiest, and moistest
chicken you've ever had.
Ingredients:
2 organic chicken breast halves with bone in, skin
on. (Traditional Chicken Under a Brick recipes would call for half
chickens; including dark meat but for dietary purposes let's just
focus on white meat)
Olive oil spray
1/2 tsp of chopped
herbs. I just use the Italian blend from a jar
2 Tbl of olive
oil
Salt (preferably sea salt)
You'll need an oven-proof pan. I use my medium cast iron pan for this
dish. You need a pan that can go from stove top to oven and this one
is perfect. Don't try to use a non-stick pan. It won't work.
Wash and thoroughly dry your chicken pieces. Spray the skin side with
olive oil spray and then dust with your Italian herbs/spices or
chopped herbs. Now grate a generous amount of sea salt over the skin
side of the chicken. The secret to this dish is the crusty topping the
chicken will have and French Bistro cooking is not afraid of salt on
special occasions. You choose when to stop grating the salt. You know
your taste.
Heat the 2 Tbl of olive oil in your pan on medium high. When it's hot
but not burning add the chicken, skin-side down. It will immediately
start to spit and bubble. Cover with your brick or another cast iron
pan. You need weight on the chicken. Turn the heat down to medium-low.
Cook on medium- low for 12 - 15 minutes. During this time the fat in
the chicken skin will break down and help form your crust. It will
give you a texture sort of like crispy-fried bacon. The fat on the oil
with the pressure is where the magic occurs.
After the time has passed carefully remove your weight and turn your
chicken over. Set the weight aside, safely, and transfer your chicken
to the oven. Bake at 375 for another 12 - 15 minutes. Check the
chicken to make sure it's done by putting a small slice into the
thickest part. The juices should be clear; not pink. The time needed
will depend on how large your chicken breast pieces are. I use large
ones for this simple dish.
I serve this with simple, fork-smashed, boiled red potatoes topped
with butter and zucchini cut into chunks and sauteed in a drizzle
Italian salad dressing and olive oil. Authentic, twice as fast as a
regular roasted chicken and crispy and juicy. Let me say it again.
Crispy and juicy. Serve immediately. If you wait you'll start to lose
the crispy.
Send email to Zola at zolacooks@gmail.com.