Pan roasted chicken with mushroom garlic gravy

Ingredients
5-6 bone in skin on chicken thighs
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
1 package mushrooms (chopped up)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp flour
7 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

In large deep skillet brown chicken on both sides. If you are married to my husband remove one piece of super crispy skin and stick it on a plate for him to dunk in hot sauce. Otherwise the skin should remain on the entire time. Add in chicken stock, salt, pepper and garlic. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and has clear juices when you poke it. Remove chicken and pour stock and garlic in a separate container. Add mushrooms to pan and cook down until brown. If you like you can put a small amount of cooking spray in the pan so they don't stick but they don't need oil or anything else. Once they brown reduce heat and add in the butter. Once the butter is melted sprinkle in the flour and combine. Cook for about a minute until it is all a golden brown. Don't burn it but you don't want the flour to taste like paste so it needs to cook a little. Crank the heat up to high and pour your liquid and garlic back in, whisking vigorously. It should start to thicken right up. Put the chicken into the gravy reduce heat to low and simmer it for about 2 minutes so it gets all good and coated and the skin absorbs all of the flavor. Then pour it all over a giant helping of mashed potatoes.

Only use the water if your gravy turns out too thick. Gravy is kind of a science. If you don't have the right amount of flour it will either be too runny or too thick. I prefer to err on the side of too thick because I can just add some cream or water too thin it. If it is too thing (I've done this) you have to pour it all back into your container do the butter and flour thing all over again and then mix it all back up again!

Technically cooking the chicken in the broth is poaching it. But since I pan roast it first I used that in the name. I like poaching meat like that though because it stays so moist.

Steak fries and gravy

I was watching TV the other day and saw someone dunking a fry into gravy.  I got a craving and went to work in the kitchen.  I made it for my husband and a friend who came to dinner.  They both sopped up almost all their gravy with their fries and then started dunking in their steak.  I guess when I got up to get the baby his friend, who had run out of things to dip actually finished his gravy by drinking it.  This is a super quick cook.  Nothing fancy, nothing special, just a quick way to satisfy a craving.

4 large russet potatoes halved and quartered

3 cups vegetable oil

4 cups water

4 beef bouillon cubes

1/2 tsp pepper

3 tbsp unsalted butter

3 tbsp flour

salt

For potatoes

Preheat oven to 400.  Place cut up fries on large cookie sheet.  Lightly coat with oil (reserve remaining oil for frying).  Bake for 15 minutes turning once with a spatula to loosen the potatoes.  Remove potatoes and set aside.  Heat remaining oil in large pan over medium heat (the oil will ripple when it is ready). You can test on potato first, you want the oil to look like it boils softly when you put it in, not bubble and pop out of the pan.  Working in batches of about 10 place fries in oil and turn frequently.  Remove when fries are a golden brown.  Place on paper towels to dry and immediately salt to your taste.

For gravy

Bring water and bouillon to a boil.  Add pepper and boil about 10 minutes.  Pour broth into heat safe container and add butter to pan. Reduce heat to medium. When butter melts whisk in flour. Whisk until golden color.  Turn heat to high and pour broth back in whisking continuously.  Bring gravy to a boil to allow flour to bind and thicken.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low and allow gravy to simmer and thicken.  Pour and serve.

Quick gravy (beef)

4 cups water
5 bullion cubes
salt
pepper
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour

In small sauce pan bring water and bullion cubes to a boil. After bullion is dissolved pour into heat safe bowl. In same pan add butter and flour and whisk on high heat until butter and flour are combined and bubbling. Add pepper to taste. Allow color to darken slightly until mixture no longer smells like flour. While still on high heat pour broth back into pan and whisk quickly until sauce combines and begins thickening. Lower heat and stir occasionally until serving time. Sauce should be thick and glossy.

Tip. I pour my broth into a large measuring cup making it easier to pour back into the pan. Only butter works for this not margarine.

Tuesday's dinner, steak with carmalized onions & garlic, mashies with beef gravy and a caprese red onion salad.

First of all I'm a huge asshole who didn't take a picture even after my husband said are you sure you don't want a picture. But I didn't' because I didn't like the presentation. Yeah I suck I know. This is also another one of those recipes with absolutely no measurements to most of it.

Also the marinade and salad and gravy all tie in so I recommend using my marinade and not your own for this.

Steak
Place on tri tip whole in a large plastic bag add the following (stab it with a knife a few times first)
Balsamic vinegar, umm about a quarter cup
Soy sauce, about the same
5 cloves rough chopped garlic
Lot of pepper
Couple squirts lemon juice
Couple squirts hot sauce
About a tbsp or more of crushed red peppers
about 1.5 cups of water

Allow to marinate on counter for about an hour (on the counter brings the steak to room temperature causing it to be more tender when grilled.)

Throw steak on grill on low heat. I did my outside burners on low and the inside one off. I like to cook slow and steady it taste better and cooks more even.

Mashed potatoes
If you don't know how to make mashed potatoes, I can't help you.

Gravy.
2.5 cups chicken stock
3 beef bullion cubes (I use a lot when its beef because their bullion cubes tend to be less flavorful then chicken.)
Chopped onion, couple tbsp
chopped garlic, couple tbsp
Shit load of pepper
2.5 tbsp butter
2.5 tbsp flour

Bring broth and bullion to a boil and stir until bullion dissolves. Pour into heat safe glass and put butter, onions and garlic in pan and stir over medium heat until bubbly then add in flour and stir until combined and bubbly. Pour broth back in pan, add pepper and stir over high heat until it is almost boiling. Reduce to low heat and stir till it thickens. Keep on low heat and stir occasionally until serving time.

Caramelized onions and garlic
1 Onion sliced into quarter inch rings
lot of garlic sliced
Butter

Throw all this into a pan and allow to saute, being stirred often until onions caramelize. Watch heat level so as not to burn garlic.

Caprese salad with red onions
7 small sweet tomatoes chopped into bite size pieces
1/4 small red onion chopped thin
Basil chopped
about 1.5 cups chopped fresh mozzarella (bite size pieces)
1/2 cup balsamic
couple squirts EVOO
Kosher salt
Pepper

Toss in bowl. Leave on counter to bring to room temp.

When steak is done (about 20 minutes for medium rare) place on cutting board and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Slice into thin pieces and put on place. Top with onions and garlic. Plate mashies and top with gravy. Add your salad to the side and wala!

Sorry I have no pictures like I said I'm an asshole!