Publican Chicken Recipes

THE PUBLICAN GRILLED WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Debone and pre-salt the chicken: First, stand the chicken up on its neck and cut down both sides of the backbone to remove it. Trim away the loose fat at the tail end. Make a slit at the breastplate, clear away the membranes on either side with your finger, and pop the breastplate out; remove it in one piece. Slice away the ribcage on both sides. Make a slit on either side of the thigh bone, tuck the knife underneath the bone, scrape the meat to the knee joint, pop the bone out and remove, as well as any cartilage remaining from the backbone.Repeat with other side. Finally, remove the wishbone. Tuck the wings under the chicken. Salt the chicken on both sides with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and refrigerate for 24 hours. (Reserve bones and trimmings for stock.)
• Marinade: Sprinkle remaining teaspoon of salt over coarsely chopped garlic on a cutting board. Chop together until the garlic is minced, then transfer to a bowl. Add black pepper, Espelette pepper, oregano, olive oil, and lemon juice; whisk to combine. Pour the marinade over the chicken and make sure the entire chicken is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Heat one side of your grill to medium-high, the other to medium-low. For a charcoal grill, use a chimney stuffed loosely with paper at the bottom; place the charcoal on top, and light the paper. Allow the coals to heat for about 20 minutes before pouring them onto one side of the grill. Replace the grill grate and allow it to heat up for 5 minutes.
• The grill should be very hot. Allow excess marinade to drip off the chicken; then, quickly and carefully place the chicken skin-side down over direct heat and allow to cook for several minutes. (If flames flare up, move the chicken away from the coals.) When the skin is golden and lightly charred, move the chicken to the cooler side of the grill. Keep the breasts furthest from the heat, as the leg and thighs take longer to cook. Cover the grill; control the temperature by using the vents on the lid and under the grill. They should both be open halfway. Continue cooking, 3-4 minutes.
• Check on the chicken and adjust placement as needed to control heat exposure; cover grill and continue cooking, 5-7 minutes. Once the skin is charred golden-brown, flip the chicken and finish cooking over indirect heat with the grill covered, about 10-12 minutes. The chicken is done when it registers 165 degrees F, or the juices from the drumstick run clear.
• Remove chicken from the grill. Rest the chicken prior to carving, 5-7 minutes. Carve the chicken: Cut each breast into two pieces, and separate the legs from the thighs. Arrange on a platter and dress with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving.

TIMPANO ALLA "BIG NIGHT"

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: Place flour, eggs, salt and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. (A large-capacity food processor may also be used.) Add 3 tablespoons water and process. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture comes together and forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead to make sure it is well mixed, about 10 minutes. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. (The dough may be made in advance and refrigerated overnight; return to room temperature before rolling out.)
• Flatten dough on a lightly floured work surface. Dust top with flour and roll it out, dusting with flour and flipping the dough over from time to time, until it is about 1/16-inch thick and is the desired diameter. (To calculate the diameter for the dough round, add the diameter of the bottom of a heavy 6-quart baking pan, the diameter of the top of the pan and twice the height of the pan.) Grease the baking pan generously with butter and olive oil. Fold dough in half and then in half again, to form a triangle, and place in pan. Open dough and arrange it in the pan, gently pressing it against the bottom and the sides, draping extra dough over the sides. Set aside.
• Prepare the filling: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have salami, provolone, hard-cooked eggs, meatballs and ragù sauce at room temperature. Stir 1/2 cup water into sauce to thin it. Toss pasta with olive oil and allow to cool slightly before tossing with 2 cups sauce. Distribute 4 generous cups of pasta on bottom of timpano. Top with 1 cup salami, 1 cup provolone, 3 eggs, 1 cup meatballs and 1/3 cup Romano cheese. Pour 2 cups sauce over ingredients. Repeat process to create additional layers until filling comes within 1 inch of the top of the pan, ending with 2 cups sauce. Pour beaten eggs over the filling. Fold pasta dough over filling to seal completely. Trim away and discard any double layers of dough. Make sure timpano is tightly sealed. If you notice any small openings cut a piece of trimmed dough to fit over opening. Use a small amount of water to moisten these scraps of dough to ensure that a tight seal has been made.
• Bake until lightly browned, about 1 hour. Cover with aluminum foil and continue baking until the timpano is cooked through and the dough is golden brown (and reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees), about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 30 or more minutes to allow timpano to cool and contract before attempting to remove from pan. The baked timpano should not adhere to the pan. To test, gently shake pan to the left and then to the right. It should slightly spin in the pan. If any part is still attached, carefully detach with a knife.
• To remove timpano from pan, place a baking sheet or thin cutting board that covers the entire diameter on the pan on top of the timpano. Grasp the baking sheet or cutting board and the rim of the pan firmly and invert timpano. Remove pan and allow timpano to cool for 30 minutes. Using a long, sharp knife, cut a circle about 3 inches in diameter in the center of the timpano, making sure to cut all the way through to the bottom. Then slice timpano as you would a pie into individual portions, leaving the center circle as a support for the remaining pieces. The cut pieces should hold together, revealing built-up layers of great stuff.

PUBLICAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, Espelette pepper or hot paprika, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Flatten chicken and add to marinade, turning it until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
• Prepare a grill, arranging coals or gas flame so it is hot on only one side. Place chicken skin-side down on unheated side of grill (so it will cook by indirect heat). Grill, basting every 5 minutes and turning chicken once about halfway through, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced near joint of thigh, about 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken from grill and allow to rest 5 minutes. Carve as desired, and serve.

COCK-A-LEEKIE

Steps:

• Place chicken stock in a large saucepan and place over high heat to bring to a boil. Meanwhile, set aside a large bowl of ice water. When stock is boiling, add leeks and poach for 2 minutes. Remove with tongs and place in ice water until cool, then drain.
• Add star anise and chicken pieces to broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is just done, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken and anise to a bowl and add enough hot broth to just cover; set aside. Return remaining broth to high heat and reduce to 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Meanwhile, in a medium pan of lightly salted water, boil red potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add prunes and cream to reduced broth. Boil until prunes are soft and sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add leeks and continue to cook until leeks are lightly browned, another 5 minutes. Transfer bacon and leeks to paper towels to drain; keep warm.
• Season sauce with salt to taste. Drain potatoes and toss with mint. Drain chicken (broth may be reserved for another use), discarding star anise. To serve, place chicken on a plate, ladle with prune sauce, and top with leeks and bacon. Add potatoes and serve.