The Epicurious Cookbook by Tanya Steel Read Free Book Online Page A

baking sheet and lay the dough on top. Spread the mashed roasted garlic evenly over the dough and arrange the onion, tomatoes, and mozzarella evenly on top of that.
    4. Bake the pizza until the crust is golden on the bottom and the cheese is melted, 12 to 15 minutes.
    5. Garnish the pizza with the grated Parmesan, balsamic reduction, toasted pine nuts, and arugula. Serve immediately.
    do ahead:
    The BALSAMIC REDUCTION can be cooled and refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 weeks.
    The VEGETABLES can be roasted and refrigerated, in separate covered containers, for up to 3 days.
    braised chicken with tomatoes and olives
    With only twenty-five minutes of active prep time, even a less-experienced cook can add this timeless chicken recipe to his or her repertoire. The simple dinner utilizes produce of southern France—olives, onions, and fennel—cooked in the same pan as the chicken and sauce. Substitute a combination of dried thyme, fennel, basil, and savory if you can’t find herbes de Provence. Serve this in the backyard with a baguette and a bottle of Côtes de Provence, and have yourself a true
pique-nique français.
    YIELD: MAKES 4 SERVINGS
    1 pound ripe tomatoes (3 to 4 medium), cut into wedges
    1 large onion, cut into wedges, leaving root ends intact
    ½ cup drained brine-cured black olives, pitted if desired
    4 large garlic cloves, sliced, plus 1 teaspoon minced
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
    ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
    1½ teaspoons salt
    ¾ teaspoon black pepper
    1 whole (3½ pound) chicken
    Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
    Crusty bread, for serving
    Equipment: kitchen string
    1. Preheat a convection oven to 400°F or a regular oven to 425°F, with the rack in the middle.
    2. Toss together the tomatoes, onion, olives, sliced garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, the fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a 13 by 9-inch or other 3-quart shallow baking dish. Push the vegetables to the sides of the dish to make room for the chicken.
    3. Stir together the minced garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, remaining teaspoon herbes de Provence, and remaining tablespoon olive oil.
    4. Remove excess fat from the chicken and pat dry, then rub inside and out with the seasoning mixture. Tie the legs together with string, then put the chicken in the baking dish.
    5. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 hour in a convection oven, 1 to 1¼ hours in a regular oven.
    6. Let the chicken stand 10 minutes before carving. Garnish with parsley. Serve with vegetables and pan juices.
    “I’ve been cooking for 30 some years, and this is one of the flat-out finest chicken dishes, period. Double the vegetables and serve it with basmati rice. Easy, elegant, and literally finger-lickin’ good.”
    Raedwulf, the Okanagan, Canada
    green pozole with chicken
    Chicken makes this ceremonial Aztec soup healthier than the pork-based original. While this does require some preparation, the extra time and effort pay off with an intense, flavorful entrée.
    YIELD: MAKES 6 GENEROUS SERVINGS
    FOR THE CHICKEN
    9 cups water
    1 Turkish or ½ California bay leaf
    1 large white onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
    6 garlic cloves, chopped
    2½ teaspoons salt
    3 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
    FOR THE SAUCE
    ½ cup hulled (green) pumpkin seeds, not roasted (2¼ ounces)
    1 pound tomatillos, husked
    2 fresh jalapeño chiles, quartered (including seeds)
    ¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro
    1 teaspoon dried epazote or oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    2 (15-ounce) cans white hominy, rinsed and drained
    Diced radish; cubed avocado tossed with lime juice; shredded romaine; chopped white onion; lime wedges; dried oregano
    Special equipment: Electric coffee/spice grinder
    COOK CHICKEN:
    1. Bring 8 cups of water, the bay leaf, half of the onion,