Tested Recipes from a Chicken Cookbook by Carole L. Philipps
Scripps Howard News Service
Never has the chicken looked so good as it does in The Artful Chicken (Stewart, Tabori & Chang) by Linda Arnaud with photos by husband Michel Arnaud. Subtitled "Great Recipes & Splendid Objects for the Passionate Collector," the book is filled with pictures of some of the prettiest, most collectible and decorative representations of the perennial barnyard dweller.
And if you are casting about for new ways with poultry, the recipes are as delightful for the taste buds as the illustrations are for the eye. The author begins the book's introduction this way: "This book is about food and art. I love to cook. I love to look. And I love to collect." The following 176 pages do not disappoint.
Arnaud, a fashion industry analyst for 25 years, used her extra time when traveling to learn about cooking. When her French-born husband, Michel Arnaud, opened a London pub, she moved from cooking as an avocation to cooking for the clientele.
The couple now live in upstate New York, and this is her first cookbook. But it is more than just a collection of recipes. It is a history of the venerable bird and a tribute to the chicken as a commercial and decorative icon.
The book is illustrated with a host of chicken-related collectibles and artwork from her own collection and from other collectors, antique dealers and companies, such as Quimper Faience, that have long incorporated chicken designs into their wares. The lushly photographed illustrations range from old French signage to primitive American weather vanes to bibelots and tableware from around the globe.
The book itself is a magnificent accomplishment for New York publishing house, Stewart, Tabori & Chang (the first is Andrew Stewart, home maven Martha's ex). The publisher is rightfully recognized for its dependable and high quality of printing, design and reproduction. The Artful Chicken was printed in Italy and offers such exquisite design touches as end papers with a collection of vintage chicken drawings in a chicken-wire grid.
The 85 recipes, many with enticing photos, are divided into chapters by cooking method: "Roast & Bake," "Grill & Broil," "Saute & Fry" and "Stew, Braise & Poach."
The book, of course, contains an index, plus information on "Chicken Safety Basics," a chart of smoking points of oils, a bibliography and a comprehensive list of sources for the beautiful chicken objects in the photos.
I chose these recipes to sample:
One of my favorites is Madame Arnaud's Roast Chicken, an adaptation of a favorite Sunday meal served by her mother-in-law in Grenoble, France, when Michel was a boy.
Once a staple in this country, the roasted chicken is a tradition that has been supplanted by nuggets, boneless breasts and precut pieces. And that is a shame. A well-roasted chicken is as flavorful and festive as any expensive beef, veal, lamb or pork roast.
Arnaud urges that we choose a free-range roaster or one that is organically fed, and that is an item difficult to find in the grocery meat case. But check any of the local specialty meat purveyors and you can find them, young, lean and extremely flavorful. Madame Arnaud's version is simple and succulent. It is seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh thyme and cooked on a rack over a chunked carrot and a sliced onion. The cooking juices and vegetables and a baste of chicken broth and dry red wine eventually are strained for a sauce to moisten and flavor the chicken.
Starting the chicken in a very hot oven, and turning it to brown all sides, results in a perfectly cooked bird with a uniformly crisp skin. Try to use large kitchen tongs and a rigid metal spatula for the turning to avoid piercing the skin with a fork and losing juices.
From the book's "Egg" chapter comes interesting savory variations on French toast. Offered here is Monterey Jack French Toasts. They are easy to make and can serve as the star of a simple lunch or supper when served with grilled onions, tomatoes or asparagus. The author passes salsa with the toasts as a condiment.
"The cheese used for the coatings can vary, as long as it can be shredded," Ms. Arnaud writes. So try other cheeses, shredding them yourself or purchasing pre-shredded cheese in the grocery dairy department. You also can vary the bread, though handmade breads from rustic to refined give the nicest results. Depending on which cheese you choose, you can serve mustards, chutneys or a variety of salsas alongside.
Cut into strips or squares, savory French toasts also make a tasty appetizer or hot hors d'oeuvres.
(Carole L. Philipps is living editor of The Cincinnati Post.)
Recipes:
Madame Arnaud's Roast Chicken
Monterey Jack French Toast
