Holiday Blizzard

Washington and points north are experiencing the full fury of a Nor' easter today, less than a week before Christmas. We have probably fifteen inches of snow now, and it is still coming down pretty hard. Fortunately I managed to get to the grocery store last night after work. Though it was mobbed, I did lay in enough supplies to make it through the weekend without any problem. I always suspect that we could last a couple of weeks if it were necessary, but I hope that I never need to put that suspicion to the test.

Last night's dinner included some of my favorite things that I haven't cooked in a long while. We started with a cauliflower and Stilton cheese soup, which is delicious and very easy. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, diced

1 rib celery, diced

2 T butter

One head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 potato, peeled and cut into large dice

2 c. chicken stock

1 c. milk

5 oz. (or to taste) Stilton, crumbled

salt and white pepper

In saucepan over medium heat saute the onion and celery until soft. Add cauliflower, potato, and stock, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until cauliflower is tender, 20 - 25 minutes. Puree soup with blender (for smooth texture) or immersion blender (for slightly chunkier texture). Add milk to soup in pan over low heat, stir to combine, and add Stilton. Heat soup to melt cheese, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the main course I prepared a roasted chicken with a bulgur stuffing under the skin. Here is that recipe:

Bulgur Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 small or 1/2 large onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T olive oil

1 c. bulgur

2 c. chicken stock (actually I used some leftover turkey stock)

1 pinch saffron threads

Saute onion and garlic in oil in medium saucepan over medium flame. After they turn golden add the bulgur and stir to coat with oil. Add chicken stock and saffron, and bring to boil. Cover and turn heat to low; cook 15 minutes. Take off of the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes. (Can be prepared ahead.) Fluff the bulgur and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chicken:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spatchcock a 3 1/2 - 4 pound chicken. (Spatchcocking involves removing the backbone and flattening the chicken out.) Work your hand under the skin on the breast, and loosen the skin over the breast and down both leg quarters. When the stuffing is cool enough to work with, put it under the skin of the bird, down both leg quarters and over the breast. If there is leftover stuffing, make a bed of it in a lightly greased roasting pan (I actually used a large cast iron skillet) and place the chicken on top of it. It will absorb the drippings, which will make it even more delicious. When the chicken is ready to go into the oven, sprinkle the skin with some kosher salt. Place the chicken in the oven and turn the temperature down to 375 degrees. Roast, basting several times, until chicken is done, approximately 1 hour. (I generally shoot for a thigh temperature of about 165 degrees, and then let the meat rest for 10 minutes or so. A spatchcocked bird cooks faster than an intact bird.)

With dinner we had a 2006 white wine from Domaine du Tunnel, the Saint Peray Cuvee Prestige, 80% Roussane and 20% Marsanne. It was a very pleasant though subtle wine, and it paired well with the chicken.