Breakfast, lunch, dinner…life by Missy Robbins
September 30, 2017 by Jenny
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…
Life!: Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen by Missy
Robbins with Carrie King is one of those books that just feels
right just by looking at the cover. I have an affection for books
from the UK and this title has that feel about it. Beautifully done
with full page photographs, the recipes set out perfectly with
ingredient amounts in bold font and spatially arranged for ease in
following makes this book even more visually appealing. The recipes
range from totally approachable to somewhat elevated so that
novices and experienced cooks alike can find joy within these
pages.
Robbins was born to parents that were foodies before foodies
were foodies. She calls her mother the Jewish Martha
Stewart – the ultimate entertainer. But her parents love of food
and traveling the world experiencing great dishes was not the
impetus for her career in food. That didn’t occur until an epic
dinner at Charlie Trotters in 1992.
Throughout the book her story of how she brought balance back into
her life weaves in and out – an inspirational tapestry woven
between recipes and gorgeous food. This book was born from the time
she took to recharge from the grueling, difficult hours of being a
chef to opening her own restaurant in Brooklyn, Lilia.
Cacio e pepe kugel, Grilled squid, lemongrass, chiles, garlic, and Baked salami, brown bread, mustard show the range of recipes you will find in Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Her chapter entitled the Art of Grocery Shopping was recently excerpted in an article in Vogue and her advice on pantry staples is spot on.
Special thanks to Rizzoli for sharing Missy’s famous Polenta crusted fried chicken, fennel pollen, chiles recipe and offering three copies of this book for our members in the US. Be sure to scroll down to enter.
polenta crusted fried chicken, fennel pollen,
chilies
Add this recipe to your Bookshelf (click the
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serves 4-6
Fried chicken is pure indulgence and joy, which is also how I would characterize the memory of when this recipe was born. During a laid-back and spontaneous afternoon hanging out with my then-neighbor, now business partner, Sean, we turned on the TV and saw that the esteemed chef, Sean Brock, happened to be making fried chicken on a show. This made us both really hungry and sent us immediately to the store to buy ingredients and make our own fried chicken dinner. This an ode to chef Sean, because his southern techniques are tried and true, but I deviate a little by adding my own flavors. I think he might approve because the result is still sweet, spicy, crunchy, and tender-all the things you want in a crispy bird.
for brining and marinating
- 1 gallon water
- 1 ¼ kosher salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 5 green tea bags
- 1 whole chicken, broken down into 6 or 8 pieces
- 1 quart buttermilk
1. Bring the water, salt, sugar, and honey to a boil. Add tea bags, turn the heat off, and let the tea steep for 10-15 minutes.
2. Cool the brine mixture down in an ice bath. Once cold, submerge the chicken parts, making sure they are fully covered. The chicken should sit in the brine for 45 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Discard brine.
4. Cover the chicken with buttermilk and let sit for another 30 minutes.
for the dredge
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup finely ground polenta
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons finely ground chili flakes
- 3 tablespoons finely ground fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 cups buttermilk
1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Remove one of the chicken pieces from the buttermilk, allowing the excess to run off before dredging it in the seasoned flour and polenta mix. Once coated transfer it to a sheet tray lined with parchment. Repeat until all the chicken is dredged and coated. Leave the sheet tray in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. If you’re in a pinch, leave the chicken in the fridge for several hours.
3. Sift the remaining flour mix to get rid of any clumps and reserve it for just before frying.
4. Once the chicken has rested, dip each piece of chicken into the remaining buttermilk and dredge in the leftover seasoned flour for a second time-this time a very light coat. Set aside.
for the fry
- 2-3 cups canola oil
- 2-3 cups olive oil
- 2-3 cups chicken schmaltz
- kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fennel pollen, for dusting
- 1 tablespoon ground chili flakes, for dusting
1. Put an equal amount of the oils and chicken fat in a large heavy-bottomed cast-iron pan. (How much you need depends on whether you have a 12- or 15-inch pan; just be sure not to fill it so high that the fat will bubble over.) Slowly heat the fat to 350ºF, using a thermometer to gauge.
2. Carefully add the chicken pieces skin side down, individually, so that they are in one layer in the pan. You may have to fry in batches depending on the size of your pan.
3. Depending on the sizes of your pieces, cooking times will vary. Fry each for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until it starts to get crispy and golden. Then use tongs to turn each piece over and repeat until it is completely cooked through. If it starts to get a little too dark, turn the oil down to 325ºF.
4. Transfer the chicken from the pan to a sheet pan or plate lined with paper towels to drain. Season with a dusting of salt, fennel pollen, and chili flakes.
-From Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…Life! Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen by Missy Robbins with Carrie King/Rizzoli Publishing. Photograph by Evan Sung.
The publisher is offering three copies of this book to EYB Members in the US. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.
Which recipe in the index would you try first?
Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won’t be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Please be sure to check your spam filters to make sure you receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on November 6th, 2017.
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