butternut squash soup & crispy pressed chicken

butternut squash soup w/ potato bread croutons

 

OK I know it's still the beginning of the year, and we should be looking to healthier recipes. Per request, I have a really simple butternut squash soup and a recipe to make crispy chicken thighs without battering/frying - it's not really a recipe, more like a method. It's chicken under a brick... basically just rendering its own fat and crisping the skin up, leaving the chicken juicy and, well, perfect. Butternut squash soup and other purees, like cauliflower or even cream of (insert veg here) soup all have basically the same beginnings, and then there are fun add-ins.

butternut squash soup

• 1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded*
• 2-3 tablespoons of butter/olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3-4 cups chicken stock or water
  
  
  options
• an apple, peeled and cut into small pieces or 3 cloves minced garlic
• cayenne or nutmeg or a 1" piece of ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup of cream or 2 oz cream cheese

*To roast squash: If you have time and want to do less work, you can just cut off the top and bottom, then cut it down the middle and de-seed. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil and with a little oil, flesh side down. Put in preheated 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes, till it's really soft and scoopable. Then just continue with the following recipe, the way it's written, but you don't have to simmer as long.

Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. Cook the onions over medium heat (and optional garlic or apple) in the oil/butter till soft. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the whole thing in a blender, (with cream cheese if desired - it makes the whole thing sort of cheesey and rich) CAREFULLY. 

Put it back into the pot and bring to a simmer. Add cayenne or ginger or nutmeg, if you want to be fancy, and season with salt and fresh pepper. Stir in cream if you're using it. 

I topped it with homemade potato bread croutons - mostly because I had one last piece of bread in the bag.

crispety crunchity chicken

• chicken thighs, fat and excess skin cut off with a pair of scissors (don't use another cut of chicken)
• salt&pepper
• your favorite sauce or herbs - this can be made into bbq, teriyaki, or just spiced chicken. Of course I usually use cayenne & garlic pepper and sometimes I'll squeeze a little lime & serve with guacamole... whatever you fancy

Heat a pan large enough to hold your chicken without crowding. Heat it to medium-high and put a little oil in the pan - about a tablespoon or so to get the rendering started. Meanwhile, dry the chicken with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper and any herbs you want. If you're using sauce, be really light with the salt.

Put the chicken in, skin side down. Put a heavy pot or saucepan (I use my cast-iron skillet) on top of the chicken. If you don't have a heavy pot, put any large pot that covers all of the chicken and put in a giant can of tomatoes, or anything heavy that can withstand some heat. Obviously, the pot should be smaller than the pan, so the pot comes into direct contact with the chicken and is pressing against it.

Cook at medium for about 15 minutes, and take a peek (carefully!) at the skin. If it's brown and gorgeous and crispy, it's time to flip. If not, cover it back up and leave for another 5 minutes or so. If it's not yet even golden, the flame is too low. If the flame is too high, well it'll be smoking and burning and that's never a good thing. If there's too much liquid in the pan, VERY carefully drain some of it into the sink.

When the skin is very crisp, flip the chicken over to the flesh side down. watch out for splattering! Cook for another 8-10 minutes or so, unweighted.

After you've done this once, you'll see it's super easy and a super fast, healthy way to do chicken.