Witty in the City

Pumpkin Chicken Thighs: Back by Popular Demand!

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Witty

I first posted about pumpkin chicken thighs after salvaging an unsuccessful attempt at pumpkin soup. The photos on that post are objectively horrendous, so I was puzzled when the recipe started gaining traction and popularity. I made the recipe again, and while it had potential, it wasn’t as good as I knew it could be. I took the post down because I wasn’t proud of it. And then people started asking for it back. So I set out to right my wrong and give you a recipe for pumpkin chicken thighs that I find much more delicious. The flavor of this sauce evolves as it lingers on the palate, from sweet to pumpkin to Japanese curry to a mildly spicy finish. I really enjoy it, and I think this recipe is a winner. But, stay tuned for a follow-up post later this week for a much savorier version of pumpkin chicken thighs- one that strays from the flavor profile in the initial recipe.

To begin, preheat your oven to 450º F. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of chicken stock, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with tin foil, and nestle in 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Pour the pumpkin sauce over the chicken thighs, making sure that they are fully coated on the tops and bottoms.

Bake the chicken thighs for 20 minutes. Then, remove them from the oven, and baste the tops of the thighs with the sauce.

Return the thighs to the oven, and bake them for another 20 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the tops of the thighs begin to brown. Allow the thighs to rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Remove the thighs from the baking dish, and set them on a serving plate. Whisk the sauce that remains in the baking dish until it is smooth and uniform. Spread the sauce on top of the chicken thighs, and then top them with some minced parsley for color. Dish out and gobble up. These thighs are a winner, and I’ll certainly be making them again.

Shopping list:

Chicken thighs- 1 pound
Pumpkin puree- 1/2 cup
Maple syrup- 2 tablespoons
Chicken stock- 2 tablespoons
Rice vinegar- 1 tablespoon
Sea salt- 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala- 1/2 teaspoon
Ground ginger- 1/2 teaspoon
Black pepper- 1/4 teaspoon
Cayenne pepper- 1/8 teaspoon
Parsley

Spicy Sausage Mac & Cheese with Broccolini

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Witty

I once ate a fantastic pasta with spicy sausage and rapini at Bibiana here in DC, and I’ve been in love with the flavor combination ever since. When David mentioned that I hadn’t made mac and cheese in a while, I couldn’t help but fuse the two for a very hearty winter meal. The gems of spiced, browned sausage are so delicious that you’ll mine them right out of your bowl. If you’re in the mood for something just a little lighter, I’ve got something for you too: a few slight tweaks, and you’ve got a fantastic pasta dish, which I also couldn’t help but whip up a few days later. Let’s do this!

For 4 generous servings of the mac and cheese version, boil 1/2 pound of fusilli. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and set it aside. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the mix-ins. Heat a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, and get 3 pork sausage links (about 10 ounces total). Slice the sausage casings, and pop the meat out of the casings and into the pan. Break the sausages up, and let them brown and cook through.

Season the sausage with 1/2 tablespoon of red pepper flakes and the secret ingredient, 1/2 tablespoon of CUMIN SEEDS! While the sausage cooks, slice 1 cup of broccolini. Once the sausage has lost almost all pinkness, add the broccolini to the pan, give it a stir, and turn off the heat.

Preheat your oven to 400º F. Time to make the cheese sauce. Shred 1.25 cups of gruyere cheese (I frequently use a mix of gruyere and cheddar) and grate 1/4 cup of parmesan. Melt 1.5 tablespoons of butter in a pot (for ease, use the pasta pot once it’s free), and then stir in 1.5 tablespoons of flour. Once combined, slowly whisk in 1.25 cups of milk. Stirring constantly, bring the milk to a boil, then down to a simmer until it thickens. Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese until it melts. Add the pasta, sausage, and broccolini to the pot, and stir to combine. Taste it, and season with salt, black pepper, and more red pepper flakes or cumin seeds if needed. Stir in the parmesan, and then transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish. Top the mac with the remaining shredded cheese, and bake it for 15-20 minutes until the top cheese is golden brown (you can broil if necessary). Once cooled slightly, serve and enjoy! Mac and cheese is the best because it reheats beautifully for a bonus meal.

If you don’t want to go so heavy on the cheese, then turn this meal into a pasta! For 2 generous servings, boil 1/4 pound of fusilli until it is al dente. Prepare 2 sausage links (about 6 ounces) as described above, with 1 teaspoon each of red pepper flakes and cumin seeds. Add 2/3 cup of sliced broccolini and 2 minced garlic cloves to the pan shortly after adding the sausage. Once the sausage has no pink left and the broccolini is tender, reduce the heat to low, and add the pasta to the pan. Add about 1/8 cup of pasta water to the pan, along with a generous drizzling of olive oil. Taste the pasta, and season it with salt, black pepper, and more red pepper flakes or cumin seeds as needed. Stir in a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese, and serve. Although this pasta certainly isn’t a “light” meal, it’s definitely lighter than the mac and cheese and delivers most of the same flavors. But given the choice…I’d go with the mac.

Shopping list:

Pasta- 1/2 pound
Sausage- 10 ounces
Broccolini- 1 cup
Red pepper flakes- 1/2 tablespoon
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tablespoon
Olive oil, salt, and pepper
Butter- 1.5 tablespoons
Flour- 1.5 tablespoons
Milk- 1.25 cups
Gruyere/cheddar cheese- 1.25 cups, shredded
Parmesan cheese- 1/4 cup, grated

Sparkling Sugar Cookies

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Witty

I came into possession of some very pretty sparkling sugar and knew that encrusting cookies with it would be the perfect showcase. Aside from pie crust cookies, dog treats, and hamentaschen, this was one of my first times making cut-out cookies, and I learned some helpful tricks along the way. These cookies are tasty, softish, and studded throughout with black vanilla beans. Without the sugar crust, they’d be perfect for icing, if you’re into that kind of tedium.

To make the cookies, soften 3/4 cups of butter at room temperature. Then, use an electric mixer to cream the butter together with 1 cup of sugar for a few minutes until the butter appears full and aerated.

Crack in 1 egg, and mix it in well. Repeat with a second egg. Cut open a vanilla pod, scrape out the beans, and mix them into the butter mixture. You could replace the vanilla bean with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract instead.

Time for the dry ingredients. Add 2.5 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the bowl. Stir the dough together until it is evenly combined.

Scrape the dough out of the bowl – it will be very sticky – and pile it onto some plastic wrap. Wrap up the dough, shaping it into a ball, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour until it is well-chilled.

The most important part in making these cookies is keeping the dough cold. Although not necessary, you could put some ice packs on your counter to cool it down before rolling out the dough. Lightly flour your counter and rolling pin, and remove about 1/3 of the dough from the refrigerator. Roll it out so that it is evenly 1/4 inch thick. Working quickly, use a cookie cutter to cut out one cookie, and transfer the cookie to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If you let the cookies linger on the counter, they will soften too much and be difficult to pick up. Repeat with the remaining dough on the counter.

Pour the sparkling sugar onto a plate, and press the top sides of the cookies into the sugar. The warmth of your hand will soften the cookies slightly and help the sugar stick. Put the cookies back onto the cookie sheet. Pile up the remaining scraps of dough, and set them aside. Remove another third of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and repeat the process until all of the chilled dough is used up. Form all of the dough scraps into a ball, and chill them for a second rolling. Also, transfer your sheets full of cut and sugared cookies into the freezer to chill before baking. Baking the cookies from frozen will stop them from spreading and help them maintain their edges.

While the cookies are chilling, heat your oven to 350° F. Once the cookies are cold and firm to the touch, bake them for approximately 8 minutes until they are just barely browned around the edges. Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheets for a few minutes, and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Repeat the process with the remaining dough in the refrigerator until it is all used up.

This recipe is adapted from the Pastry Affair.

Shopping list:

Butter- 3/4 cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Eggs- 2
Vanilla pod- 1 (or 2 teaspoons of extract)
Flour- 2.5 cups
Baking powder- 1 teaspoon
Salt- 1/2 teaspoon
Sparkling sugar

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