GRRRRAAAAAAIIIINNNNNNNNNSSSSSS
Silly, I know, but I thought it was cute. And it also happens to be the subject of today's story and tonight's menu- grains. I've been experimenting with different grains for a couple years now, of course the old standby, rice, LOVE wild rice (although technically it's grass seed, not a grain), quinoa, which I love, and today it's farro.
Farro was a tough one for me to find around here !! A lot of the "better" stores don't carry it, heck even quinoa, as popular as that is, isn't in some supermarkets. Since I live way out in the country it's a roadtrip to Des Moines if I want something unique. I found farro at Williams Sonoma just by chance. The Chef and I were at the mall (something that NEVER happens) and I dragged him in there so I could drool over the cookware and Wusthofs. They have a small food selection and voila !! Farro was among the selections. A bit pricey for our budget but I really wanted to try it.
So anyway, a lot of research went into this grain. It's origins, how to cook it, how it's served, recipe after recipe. I found lots of great ideas, but I am an experimenter in the kitchen. I am going to create something new. So let's get to it.
Garlic Butter Chicken with Vegetables and Farro
2 1/2 cups water
1 tb good quality chicken base
herbs- I used a mixture of parsley, thyme, chive, chervil and black pepper
Bring the above to boil, cover and let simmer. I've read cooking time ranges from 30 to 90 minutes so I tasted a grain at about 30 minutes, still pretty firm, at 45 minutes I thought it was nicely done but NOT very bulked up so I did the unthinkable and threw in about 1/2 cup long grain rice in there to bulk up the quantity (told you I was into experiments). Next time I'd use 2 cups farro.
For the rest of my dish-
3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
8 oz package fresh mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 medium onion, cut in thin wedges
1 bunch fresh asparagus, tips trimmed and set aside, stems cut into 1 inch pieces
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 olive oil
same herbs as above
Using the herbs, garlic and olive oil, toss the chicken, set aside to marinate while farro cooks.
When farro is nearly done, heat large skillet or wok, add a little more oil and stir fry vegetables adding the tips at the last minute or so, set aside in large bowl.
Stir fry chicken til done through, melt 1/2 stick BUTTER- do not use margarine- lecture to follow. Heat until butter is melted but NOT browned, pour over vegetables and farro and toss and serve.
I also added about a handful of chopped red bell pepper- we stock up in the summer and freeze it to use later so I had it on hand- just tossed it in the bowl and the hot veg and meat thawed it out.
This makes a BIG bowl of yumminess, so either have friends over or enjoy leftovers for a day or so.
The dish reminds me a lot of risotto. The butter binds everything together in a creamy saucy texture. I kept my seasonings kind of French-style but you could definitely go with an Italian twist, some sliced peppers, maybe Italian sausage instead of chicken- it's very flexible. Add what you like, leave out what you don't.
I've also found a couple other grains I have been researching and can't wait to try, kamut, which requires presoaking and some planning ahead and millet- birdseed to most people but I found it in a gourmet grocery shop so I'm going to eat it.
Now for the lecture. Margarine- filthiest word in the kitchen. NEVER ever ever substitute margarine for butter in a recipe. EVER. For one thing, it's disgusting- nothing but chemicals and harmful saturated fats. I don't care how light or healthy your product claims to be, it's nothing but chemicals and water- leave a pat of butter and a pat of margarine out on a few warm days and see which grows mold. Besides the chemical grossness, it contains so much WATER which will alter the texture of your finished dish, whether it's a sauce or baked goods. It even makes your toast soggy. Yuck. So stick with my advice here and go with butter all the time.
No comments:
Post a Comment