Vintage Nebraska

Cornish Game Hens Ricardo

INGREDIENTS

2 Cornish game hens, halved
1 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup Nebraska Edelweiss white wine

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Rinse hens and pat dry. Rub remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on the inside and outside of the hens. Stuff the garlic and parsley mixture under skin and around each bird. Season with salt and pepper. Place seasoned hens in an airtight, plastic container. Sprinkle with rosemary, and pour wine over birds. Cover, and refrigerate at least overnight to marinate.
Preheat grill for low heat.
Remove hens from marinade, and place on heated grill. Cook for 40 minutes, turning once, or until done.

Spinach and Ricotta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Lemony White Wine Sauce


	Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 2 servings

Stuffing:
1 cup cooked, chopped, and drained fresh spinach
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 cup Gorgonzola
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg

Sauce:
1/2 cup dry Nebraska LaCrosse white wine
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Chicken:
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Make the Stuffing: In a bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, Gorgonzola, and bacon and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the egg, mix well, and set aside.

Make the Sauce: Combine the wine and stock in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a sauce-like consistency. Whisk in the mustard, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Make the Chicken: Place each chicken breast between 2 doubled-up sheets of plastic wrap, and pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness with a meat-pounder or rolling pin. Divide the stuffing between the breasts, mounding it along the center of each. Fold the bottom edge of each breast over the stuffing, fold in the sides, and roll forward until completely wrapped, to form a tight rolled package. Secure each flap with a toothpick. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, to taste.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Cover the skillet, turn the heat down to low, and cook until just cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the sauce into the skillet over high heat and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Slice the chicken into medallions, divide among plates, and spoon some of the sauce over each. Garnish with parsley and erve immediately.

ROAST TURKEY WITH PROSCIUTTO-HAZELNUT CRUST

Hazelnuts and prosciutto are combined in a seasoned butter that coats the turkey as it roasts, and also flavors the gravy.

Prosciutto butter
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts
1 1/2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons crushed black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
9 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
3 green onions, chopped

Gravy base
Neck, heart, and gizzard reserved from one 16- to 18-pound turkey
3 large shallots, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry Nebraska LaCrosse white wine
1 large fresh thyme sprig
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups low-salt chicken broth

Turkey
1 16- to 18-pound turkey
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled, halved
5 large fresh thyme sprigs
2 large fresh summer savory sprigs
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns

5 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth

1/4 cup all purpose flour

For prosciutto butter:
Place butter in large bowl. Mix in hazelnuts, vinegar, thyme, crushed pepper, garlic, and salt. Mix in prosciutto and green onions.

For gravy base:
Melt 2 tablespoons prosciutto butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add neck, heart, gizzard, shallots, and bay leaf; sauté until brown, about 20 minutes. Add wine, thyme, and rosemary; boil until liquid is reduced almost to glaze, about 3 minutes. Add 4 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until giblets and neck are tender, about 1 hour. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig. Transfer neck and giblets to work surface. Chop enough giblets to measure 1 cup. Remove meat from neck and chop. Combine neck meat and chopped giblets in bowl with broth from pot. (Prosciutto butter and gravy base can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill butter; bring to room temperature before using. Chill gravy base until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)

For turkey:
Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325°F. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Starting at neck end, slide hand between skin and breast, thigh, and leg meat to loosen skin. Set aside 1/4 cup prosciutto butter for gravy. Spread 1 cup prosciutto butter over turkey meat under skin. Spread 1 cup prosciutto butter over outside of turkey. Sprinkle turkey inside and out with salt and pepper; place on rack set in large roasting pan. Place onion and next 4 ingredients in main turkey cavity. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely.

Roast turkey uncovered 1 1/2 hours. Tent turkey with foil; add 2 cups broth to pan. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, occasionally basting with pan drippings and adding more broth to pan, about 2 hours longer. Transfer to platter; tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will increase 5 to 10 degrees).

Strain pan juices into 8-cup measuring cup; spoon fat off top. Add reserved gravy base. Add enough chicken broth to mixture to measure 5 cups total. Melt reserved 1/4 cup prosciutto butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add flour; whisk 1 minute. Gradually add pan-juice mixture, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking frequently, until gravy is very slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve turkey with gravy.

Makes 12 servings.

CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE AND BASIL

Chicken
4 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned

1/2 cup fresh goat cheese (such as Nebraska Montrachet) (about 4 ounces)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 basil leaves, shredded or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 egg, beaten to blend
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter melted

Mushroom-Wine Sauce
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup Nebraska LaCrosse wine
2/3 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 4 pieces
Salt and pepper

For chicken: Preheat oven to 350°F. Pound chicken between sheets of waxed paper to thickness of 1/4 inch using meat mallet. Pat chicken dry.
Combine cheese, green onions and basil in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread cheese mixture lengthwise over half of each chicken piece. Tuck short ends in. Roll chicken up, starting at one long side, into tight cylinders. Tie ends with string to secure. Dip chicken in egg, allowing excess to drip into bowl. Roll in breadcrumbs, shaking off excess. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate.)

Place chicken in 8-inch square baking dish. Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter over. Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

For sauce: Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add wine and boil 3 minutes. Add stock and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and swirl in 4 tablespoons cold butter 1 piece at a time. Season sauce with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Remove string from chicken. Cut rolls crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Fan on plates. Serve immediately, passing sauce separately.

Serves 4.

Spicy Southern Barbecued Chicken

MAKE-AHEAD

ACTIVE TIME: 1 HR 15 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 45 MIN
SERVES: 4

ingredients

Kosher salt
Cold water
One 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons pure ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1 cup of Nebraska Edelweiss wine

directions

In a large bowl, dissolve 1/4 cup of kosher salt in 2 quarts of cold water. Add the chicken and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over low heat until softened. Add the paprika, ancho powder and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of Nebraska Edelweiss wine, the brown sugar and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomato paste and molasses and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and let cool.
Light a grill or preheat the oven to 500°. Drain the chicken and pat dry, then grill over a moderately low fire, turning a few times, until just cooked through; about 25 minutes for the white meat; about 35 minutes for the dark. Alternatively, in the upper third of the oven, roast the chicken, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet, until just cooked through; 25 minutes for the white meat; 35 to 40 minutes for the dark.
Set aside half of the barbecue sauce; brush the remaining sauce on the chicken. Continue grilling or roasting the chicken for 10 minutes, or until nicely glazed. Serve with the reserved sauce.

MAKE AHEAD The barbecue sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH WHITE ASPARAGUS AND MOREL SAUTÉ WITH CRÈME FRAICHE

What to drink: Red wine that's both earthy and light — try a northern Rhône Syrah blend like Saint-Joseph.

6 large chicken leg-thigh pieces (about 5 1/2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley plus 6 sprigs

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1/2 cup dried morels (about 3/4 ounce)
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry Nebraska Edelweiss white wine
1/4 cup dry Sherry
4 cups low-salt chicken broth

White Asparagus, Morels, and Leeks
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Toss chicken pieces with peel, thyme, and chopped parsley in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Let chicken pieces stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; let stand 15 minutes more.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add chicken pieces, skin side down; cook until deep brown, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over; reduce heat to medium and cook 2 minutes. Arrange in single layer in large ovenproof pot. Pour off all but 4 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add onion, leeks, morels, and bay leaves to skillet; sauté over medium heat until vegetables are golden, about 7 minutes. Add wine and Sherry; increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Add 6 parsley sprigs. Pour vegetables over chicken. Cover pot with plastic wrap, then foil. Bake until chicken is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Transfer chicken pieces to rimmed baking sheet; roast in oven until brown, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, strain vegetable-broth mixture into medium saucepan. Press on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Boil liquid until reduced to 3 cups, about 15 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange chicken on large platter. Spoon reduced juices over. Arrange white asparagus, morels, and leeks over and around chicken. Top each chicken leg with dollop of crème fraîche and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE AND MUSHROOMS

4 chicken breast halves with skin and bone
All purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped carrot
1/3 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 14 1/2- to 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup dry Nebraska LaCrosse white wine

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; dust with flour. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and sauté 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to bowl. Add onion, carrot, celery, parsley and garlic to skillet; sauté 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices and wine. Boil sauce until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Return chicken to sauce. Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken and sauce to plates and serve.

CORNISH GAME HEN WITH RASPBERRY-RED WINE SAUCE

This elegant but easy recipe is the perfect entrée for a romantic dinner.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

1 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-pound Cornish game hen, halved
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil

4 shallots, chopped
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2/3 cup dry Nebraska Frontenac wine
2/3 cup frozen raspberries
2 teaspoons (or more) sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat oven to 500°F. Sprinkle hen halves with thyme, salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add hen halves, skin side down, and cook until brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer hen halves to baking sheet (do not clean skillet). Roast until juices run clear when thigh is pierced, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add shallots and sauté over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add broth, wine, raspberries, 2 teaspoons sugar and allspice. Boil until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, scraping up browned bits and crushing raspberries, about 12 minutes. Strain wine sauce into small bowl. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper; add more sugar, if desired. Serve hen halves with sauce.

Serves 2.

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