Feng Li Su - Taiwanese Pineapple Pastries

Filling:
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1/4 c of water

Simmer pineapple and water slowly until the liquid is gone - it will take several hours. Cool and refrigerate until use.  Makes about a cup -- you will use all of it for the pastry recipe below.


Crust:  
1 c butter
1/4 c confectioner's sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t vanilla
2 1/2 c cake flour
1/4 corn starch
1/4 t salt

Pre heat oven to 325.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix remaining ingredients together and add to butter mixture.  Chill the dough a 1/2 hour.  Pinch off 1" balls, roll each out and put a little spoonful of filling in each, pinch together to close the dough around the filling.  The traditional shape is a square.  Bake on parchment for 20-25 minutes, until the bottoms brown. 

Fried chicken two different ways

For 1 chicken.

Michelle Bernstein's marinade:  

3 cups of butter milk or 2 cups of milk +1 cup of yogurt
2 tablespoons thyme

1 tablespoon tarragon 

6 cloves of garlic 

2 shallots 

1 Tablespoon fennel seed

1 Tablespoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

Add all ingredients to a blender and purée until smooth.

Lefty's cajun marinade:  

3 cups of buttermilk or 2 cups of milk +1 cup of yogurt

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons thyme

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne

Mix together 

Directions:

•  Place chicken in a Ziplock bag with marinade and
  refrigerate overnight.  1 tablespoon of kosher salt mixed with 3/4 cup of flour for dredging
• Heat oil to 350, dredge in flour, and fry until done. 

Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce

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This is a nice weeknight dinner dish because you can marinate the chicken in the morning and stick the bird in the fridge, or you can cook it the night before and then either warm it up in the oven or give it a little finish on the grill just before you serve it.  

For the chicken:  

1 chicken

3 garlic cloves, chopped (I put mine through a garlic press)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)

1/4 cup olive oil

Set oven at 400 degrees F and spatchcock the chicken, laying it on a broiler pan or roasting pan.  (I usually put some whole garlic cloves or small halves of potatoes under the chicken to roast with it)  Combine all other ingredients in a small bowl and then rub it on the chicken, including under the skin.  Roast until done, 165 degrees.  

• The sauce:  
• 2-3 fresh jalapeños, stem removed and quartered -- remove the seeds as well if you don't like it too hot
• 1 tablespoon aji Amarillo paste
• 1 cup cilantro
• 2 tablespoons grated cotija cheese or Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 sour cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine except mayonnaise and sour cream in a blender and blend until smooth.  put it into a  small bowl and stir in the mayonnaise.  (Tip:  This makes a couple of cups of sauce -- if you won't need to use all of it, you can stop here and freeze some of it, and when you need it next thaw it  and then add the mayonnaise and sour cream .)  

I usually serve the sauce in the bowl or a little pitcher on the table and let people spoon what they want to over the chicken.    You can make the sauce a day or two ahead of time -- it will thicken up a little in the fridge.