Jeff McInnis Recipes
Lemon and Apricot Roasted Chicken with Sardinian Couscous "Risotto," Pistachio, Manchego
Yield: 10 Servings
Ingredients:
Preserved Lemon:
5 pounds salt
30 sticks cinnamon
1 cup star anise
1 cup Szechuan peppercorns
¼ cup diced fresh ginger
1 cup lemongrass
1 quart lemons, quartered
1 quart lemon juice
Brown Chicken Jus:
20 pounds chicken bones
4 onions, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 sticks celery, chopped
4 leeks, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bunches scallion, chopped
8 pieces ginger, sliced into coins
1½ cups tomato paste
3 sprigs thyme
4 bay leaves
2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
1 bunch parsley stems
Slow Roasted Tomato:
15 Roma tomatoes, cored, peeled and quartered
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
60 sprigs thyme
Salt and pepper
Apricot Glaze:
2 cups white wine
2 dried arbol chiles
1½ cups Turkish apricots
2 cups chicken stock
½ lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
Chicken:
4 small chickens
1½ Tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 lemons, halved
2 heads garlic, halved
Couscous "Risotto":
10 shallots, finely diced
1 carrot, brunoise
4 cloves garlic, diced finely
1½ quarts Sardinian couscous
2½ cups white wine
1½ gallon Brown Chicken Jus
1½ cups roasted salted pistachios
2 Tablespoons Preserved Lemon brunoise
2 cups thin strips of Manchego cheese
Salt and pepper
To Assemble and Serve:
Fresh thyme
Manchego cheese
Pistachios
Method:
For the Preserved Lemon:
Combine salt, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, ginger, and lemongrass. In
a bucket, layer the salt mixture with the lemons until full. Add lemon juice
to cover. Place a weight over the top to ensure lemons are fully submerged.
Reserve at room temperature for 30 days.
For the Brown Chicken Jus:
Roast bones at 350°F until golden brown. Sauté onions, carrots,
celery, leeks, garlic, scallions, and ginger over medium heat in a deep pot
until starting to color. Add tomato paste. Add chicken bones, cover with water,
and bring to a boil. Lower heat, skim, add thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns,
and parsley, and simmer for 10 hours. Reduce jus until flavor has reached desired
concentration.
For the Slow Roasted Tomato:
Combine tomatoes with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Roast in a 150°F
degree oven for 3 hours.
For the Apricot Glaze:
Bring white wine and chiles to a boil. Add apricots, chicken stock, lemon juice,
and salt and reduce by half. Remove from heat, transfer to blender and puree
until smooth. Reserve in a cool place
For the Chicken:
Rub chickens with Apricot Glaze and thyme, and season. Stuff the inside cavity
with lemons and garlic. Truss chickens and place on a wire roasting rack
breast side down and roast in a 350°F until done. Remove from oven and
reserve at room temperature. Using gloves, shred chicken into bite size pieces.
For the Couscous "Risotto":
Sweat shallots in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add carrot
and garlic. Add couscous, stirring constantly until lightly toasted. Add
wine, stirring until reduced by half. Add 1 cup at a time of Brown Chicken
Jus while stirring until couscous is cooked al dente. Add the pistachio,
Preserved Lemon, Manchego cheese, Chicken, Roasted Tomatoes, and season.
To Assemble and Serve:
Place Couscous into a Tajine or bowl. Garnish with thyme, Manchego shavings,
and pistachios.