January 11, 2008

Waldy Malouf, Chef & Co-Owner of Beacon Restaurant & Bar, NYC, shares a recipe he fine tuned over 20 years ago with a little help from some motherly inspiration: Braised Chicken with Tomato and Crisp Garlic.

Says Chef Malouf, "This recipe was originally inspired by my mother’s electric skillet chicken in tomato sauce (a weekly standard growing up with a working mother). It became one of my signature dishes and I have served it to the likes of James Beard, Andy Warhol, and Billy Joel. Throughout the years, this recipe has evolved into a family favorite every day dish. The recipe utilizes a traditional technique and method for making pan sauces. The method can be used with any number of quick cooking meats or fish, any number of stocks, herbs, spices, and spirits. Once the technique is mastered, it has countless applications."

Steal this recipe and learn Waldy Malouf's secret tricks of the trade. Here's how:


Method: Chicken

• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off the excess. In an ovenproof sauté pan, heat the oil, add the chicken skin side down and brown it over medium heat for 7 or 8 minutes, until it is crisp and golden.
• Turn the chicken over and continue to cook for another 3 or 4 minutes. If your sauté pan is not big enough to comfortably accommodate all the chicken, brown it in 2 batches.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. Let the fat continue to cook until the solids stick to the pan without burning and the fat is clear. Discard the fat and let the pan cool for a few seconds.
• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan, add the shallot and garlic and cook gently, stirring, until they are lightly browned. Add the chopped tarragon, wine, vinegar and bring to a simmer, stirring to incorporate all the browned bits. Reduce the liquid until almost dry and add the tomato sauce and stock. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer until slightly thickened. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up.
• Put the chicken in the oven and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Then remove cover and cook 15 minutes longer. Remove the chicken to a serving casserole, cover and keep it warm in the turned-off oven.
• Strain the sauce through a fine strainer into a small sauce pot. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce it until the sauce is thick and is a little shiny (about 15 minutes). Turn the heat to low, season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with chopped tarragon and garnish with the crisp garlic slices.

Method: Crisp Garlic Slices
This may be done in advance.

• Heat 1 cup of oil in a small sauté pan. (Oil should be at least a 1/2 inch deep).
• Place one slice of garlic in the oil. When it begins to brown and sizzle, remove it and carefully add the rest of the garlic and gently stir and continue to fry the garlic until light golden brown.
• Transfer to a paper towel lined small plate, season with salt and pepper and reserve.

Yields: 4-6

Watch the segment from TODAY:

Dredging is a technique where food is coated with a dry ingredient by first soaking in a wet coating, like milk or egg.

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About the Chef:

Waldy Malouf graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1975 having won First Prize in that year's Carras Culinary Competition. His extensive professional experience includes affiliations with The Four Seasons, La Côte Basque, the St. Regis Hotel, La Cremaillere (Banksville, NY), the Hudson River Club, and The Rainbow Room.

Just four short months after being named Chef/Director of Manhattan's beloved Rainbow Room, restaurant critic Ruth Reichl of The New York Times awarded the restaurant a remarkable three star review—its first—and one of only three, three-star reviews bestowed in 1997.

Waldy's newest venture, Waldy’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Penne, opened in July 2005 at 800 Sixth Avenue, between 27th & 28th Streets (212-213-5042). At Waldy’s, only high-quality, natural ingredients are used. He bakes his pizzas twice—first without the topping; then with. He also puts five cheeses together to create a unique and distinctive pie. All pies and penne are wood-fired, which imparts a wonderful smoky flavor and makes for a remarkable, crispy crust. The recipes have all been developed by Waldy.

Over the years, Waldy has garnered a distinguished reputation for establishing excellent rapport with his kitchen teams, and is viewed as a mentor by many in the industry. Further, he has developed and nurtured long-term, deeply felt relationships with local farmers and growers. "It is," he notes, "the rapport I've cultivated over a period of twenty years with local purveyors, vintners, and fishermen that gives my food substance, body, and emotion."

Visit Chef Waldy Malouf on the web @ beaconnyc.com & waldyspizza.com

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Cooking Class with Waldy Malouf

Learn the top-secret technique for making pan sauces from a top chef:

• The technique requires the browning of the meat or fish on top of the stove first.
• This is followed by clarifying and discarding the fat (unless a little is reserved for a roux or thickening agent).
• Then deglaze the pan with the introduction of an acidic liquid (wine, citrus juice, brandy, etc.) and aromatics.
• Reduce this liquid and aromatics and then add the stock or sauce base. Return the meat or fish to the pan, and then finish the cooking in the oven.

Serve these dishes with this recipe:

• On TODAY: Zucchini “Pasta” with Red Onion, Mint & Cherry Tomatoes
• On TODAY: Baked Macaroni and Roquefort