Only in Central New York

Look closely.  Yes that is what you think it is.  Actually, this photo was taken before the snow really began to come down!  That's right snow!  Just five minutes after it had been hailing.  About an hour later the sun was so bright driving back to Syracuse that I had to grab for my sunglasses for all the glare.  You gotta love Central New York.

But this is the tip of the iceberg.  One of the many things to love about Central New York is the reason I was out in a sudden May snowstorm to begin with--a wine and cheese tasting sponsored by the local Slow Food Convivium held at Circa Restaurant in Cazenovia.  I had some last minute change of dinner plans so I was able to hang out for a couple of hours with some wonderfully passionate foodies and farmers and enjoy New York State farmstead cheeses and wines from the Finger Lakes, Long Island and Niagara regions.  It was a fun and affordable event that provides me another reason to say--join Slow Food! 

Slow Food is all about celebrating good food, food traditions and the pleasure of sharing it with friends--new and old.  The Central Leatherstocking Convivium (think local chapter) has held some fantastic events and dinners over the past few years and a new Convivium is beginning in Syracuse--I'll keep you posted.

So you'd think that that would be enough excitment for the day but I still had dinner to prepare.  I had chicken marinating since the morning and was looking forward to trying out a recipe from Suzanne Goin.  Well let me just say--you have to make this dish!  This Saffron Chicken with Parmesan Pudding, spring onions and sugar snap peas was amazing!  It was relatively simple to prepare and it would be perfect dinner party fare--or just Sunday dinner fare--the kind you serve if you want to feel as if you having a fancy dinner out.  The chicken was incredibly flavorful and we couldn't get enough of the crunchy sugar snap peas that had been sauteed in saffron butter.

This dish represents how we're faring with the Eat Local Challenge--it is a mix.  The chicken was not local but was sustainably raised.  The spring onions came from a Hudson Valley farm but I picked them out on Saturday at the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City.  The parmesan was made with a huge hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano that I've had in the fridge for a bit but all the dairy products in it came from our good friends at Evans Farmhouse Creamery. 

To top it off, we paired this dish with a bottle of the very rare and very delicious 2005 Pheasant Ridge Traminette wine.  There were only about 20 cases of this wine made this year due to the weather this winter.  I was told back in January that this was going to be a special bottling and it really is.  This wine is made from the Traminette grape--a member of the family of grapes that produce Gewurtztraminer.  It is very different from the 2002 vintage--a bit cloudy in the glass, fragrant with fruit--pineapple and melon that carries through on the palate.  This wine was made for drinking with food and it was absolutely perfect with the saffron chicken and parmesan pudding--I mean PERFECT.  Check out the Pheasant Ridge website and place an order before they run out.  This is a Central New York exclusive worth seeking.

Saffron Chicken with Parmesan Pudding, Spring Onions and Sugar Snap Peas as adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin

• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 boneless chicken breasts, about 5 ounces each, skin on
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons sliced flat leaf parsley
• 1 lemon, zested
• 3/4 pound sugar snap peas, sliced on the diagonal into 1/4 inch-thick pieces
• 1 1/2 cups sliced spring onions plus 1/2 cup sliced spring onion tops
• Parmesan pudding recipe (see below)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Note:  Marinate the chicken the night before or the morning of serving.  You can make the pudding ahead of time and refrigerate it covered.  Bring it to room temperature about an hour before serving, rewarming it in a 400 degree oven 15 to 20 minutes uncovered, until it is hot and begins to brown slightly around the edges.  For tonight's meal, I made the pudding first and prepared the chicken and vegetables while the pudding baked in the over--the timing was perfect.

Toast the saffron in a small pan over medium heat until it just dries and becomes brittle.  Pound the saffron to a fine powder in a mortar.  Dab a tablespoon of the softened butter into the saffron powder, using the butter to scoop up about half of the powder.  Set aside.

Stir 4 tablespoons olive oil into the mortar, scraping carefully with a rubber spatula to incorporate all of the saffron powder.

Toss the chicken breasts gently with the saffron oil, 2 teaspoons thyme, the parsley and the lemon zest, coating the chicken well.  Marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat for two minutes.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.  Swirl in 1 tablespoon olive oil and wait a minute.  Place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan (you might have to work in batches).  Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the skin is crispy and golden brown.  Turn the breasts over, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook them a few more minutes, until just cooked through and springy to the touch.  Transfer the chicken to a rack to rest.

Return the pan to the stove over medium heat for a minute.  Add the remaining two tablespoons butter, and when it foams, add the sliced spring onions, sugar snap peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, and the remaining teaspoon thyme.  Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the onions are translucent.  Add the saffron butter and one tablespoon of water.  Swirl the pan, and when the liquid comes to a simmer, toss in the onion tops.  Immediately remove from the pan from the heat and taste for seasoning. 

Arrange the chicken on a large platter and spoon the vegetables over it.  Serve with hot Parmesan Pudding.

Parmesan Pudding

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk (or low fat milk works great too)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 extra-large egg
• 1 extra-large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a medium pot over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add the butter, and when it foams, whisk in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and cook for about 5 minutes, being careful not to let the flour burn.  Slowly pour in the milk and cream, whisking constantly to incorporate it.  The butter and flour will sieze up and get pasty first.  Continue whisking vigorously as you add the liquid, and the mixture will become smooth.  Cook a few more minutes, until warm to the touch.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Whisk the egg and egg yolk together in a small bowl.  Slowly drizzle the eggs into the cream mixture, whisking continuously until combined.  Stir in the cheese, and seaon with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Pour the mixture into an 8x6-inch (or equivalent) baking dish, and cover tightly with foil.  Place the baking dish in a roasting pan, and add hot water tot he pan until it comes halfway up the outside of the custard dish.  Place the pan in the oven and bake about 1 hour, until the pudding is just set.

Comments

[bibliochef]

Nice site. Everywhere I went, I heard it snowed in Syracuse yesterday or so. Spared Geneva. The parmesan pudding dish looks great. we can get local chicken in our area, but not sure where. I might have to join the eat local challenge to put my eating where my ideas are.Do you have favorite local chefs? Let me know at my site. I will add a link to yours on my site in the next little while.