If you wanted to "dish" on some well-known divas of the culinary world, a ticket to the Oct. 18 Secret Ingredient cooking school could land you with a real scoop.
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The second-annual event brings three entertaining Southern chefs to the Imperial Theatre stage. Damon Lee Fowler of Savannah is one of the South's leading culinary preservationists and author of Classical Southern Cooking, which highlights the fresh-picked fruits and vegetables of the Southern table.
The school's two other presenters, Sara Foster and Virginia Willis, are chefs who have worked alongside two divas of dining: Martha Stewart and Nathalie Dupree.
Ms. Foster, who owns and operates Foster's Markets in Durham and Chapel Hill, N.C., is a former chef of the grand dame of "good things," Ms. Stewart, who wrote the forward to The Foster's Market Cookbook. The book will make you want to hop in the car for a drive to North Carolina for a sampling of Ms. Foster's flavorful, home-style classics.
Ms. Willis is a caterer, teacher, author and culinary-TV producer who worked for four seasons with Nathalie Dupree's PBS cooking segments, and served as kitchen director for Martha Stewart Living Television.
If that isn't impressive enough, Ms. Willis served as an editor of The All-New Joy of Cooking, authored Pasta Dinners 1,2,3 and served as executive producer on The Discovery Channel's Epicurious cooking series. Ms. Willis has prepared meals and events for Martha Stewart, President Clinton, Aretha Franklin and Julia Child.
Mr. Fowler, Ms. Foster and Ms. Willis are coming to Augusta to donate their time for a worthy cause. The Secret Ingredient is a fund-raiser for Safe Homes of Augusta, a domestic violence intervention center that provides services to victims of domestic violence and their children in a 12-county area.
I'll serve as the event's emcee, and I hope you'll join me Oct. 18 for culinary inspiration and fun.
To get into the spirit of the event, this week's recipe for Fricassee of Chicken with Vinegar and Tomato (Poulet au Vin de Vinaigre) comes from Ms. Willis, a classically trained chef who graduated with honors from L'Academie de Cuisine and L'Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne in France.
"This country French recipe was one of my finale exam dishes at Ecole De Cuisine LaVarenne," Ms. Willis said. "Delicious and simple, this recipe has become a real family favorite."
It has been years since I've seen a recipe for chicken fricassee, and I think you'll be thrilled with this flavorful dish when you prepare it at home. Bone-in pieces of chicken are browned in butter, and then a hefty eight cloves of fresh garlic are added. The garlic simmers in the butter until soft and golden brown, and then the dish is drained, eliminating much of the fat from the chicken skin and butter.
The addition of red wine vinegar to this dish adds wonderful flavor. The vinegar is allowed to reduce in the pan with the chicken, then tomatoes, chicken broth and fresh herbs are added. The whole dish takes about an hour to prepare, but much of the cooking is done unattended.
Serve this saucy fricassee with buttered egg noodles, white rice or crusty French bread. A crisp green salad tossed with a simple vinaigrette would complete your meal. For an additional French accent, whip up a package of chocolate mousse for dessert.
FRICASSEE OF CHICKEN WITH VINEGAR AND TOMATO
1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces*
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted preferred
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 cup chicken stock or water**
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Season chicken pieces well on all sides with salt and pepper. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy-duty pot until foaming. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook until rich golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn over to brown the underside, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the garlic cloves to the skillet, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until the garlic just begins to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Then, holding the cover on the pan so the chicken and garlic don't fall out, pour off the excess fat.
Return the pan to the heat. Add the vinegar and simmer uncovered until reduced, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and herbs. Stir to combine; cover and cook until the chicken is tender, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Remove the chicken pieces to a warmed serving dish. Increase the heat to high and simmer the sauce until concentrated and lightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutritional information per serving using chicken with skin: 665 calories, 49 grams fat, 15 grams saturated fat, 215 milligrams cholesterol, 49 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 350 milligrams sodium
Nutritional information per serving using skinless chicken: 341 calories, 13 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 215 milligrams cholesterol, 49 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 350 milligrams sodium
Note: The recipe was analyzed using chicken broth.
Nutrition analysis provided by Michelle Baglio, a licensed and registered dietitian of the Augusta District Dietetic Association. Send questions via e-mail to augustadietitian@yahoo.com.
COMING Oct. 15: Dad's Gingered Pot Roast
See Karin prepare the recipe at noon Tuesday on WJBF-TV (Channel 6).
* * * *
COOKING SHOW
WHAT: The Secret Ingredient: Insider Tips for the Seasoned Gourmet
WHEN: 2 p.m. Oct. 18
WHERE: Imperial Theatre, 745 Broad St.
COST: $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Tickets are available at Georgia Bank & Trust locations, Dillard's and Stein Mart.
INFORMATION: 736-2499
Write to Karin Calloway in care of The Augusta Chronicle Newsroom, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903. Or send e-mail to karin.calloway@comcast.net. You can find previous Quick Cooking recipes through the online archive at augustachronicle.com/karin.
