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New Chicken Recipe, Cookbook Serve Up Taste Of Vermont

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 5, 2007

Sometimes you can spot a good recipe from a mile away and in this case, 1,500 miles away.

A mouthwatering recipe for maple and black pepper chicken came knocking at my door from a farm in Shelburne, Vt.

Actually, I came across the recipe while reading a food blog several weeks ago and prepared the dish immediately. The paired flavors of maple and black pepper, braided with fresh thyme and cider vinegar, delivered more than my taste buds could have ever imagined. I was wowed; I wanted more.

The rustic chicken dish is included in a newly published cookbook called "Cooking with Shelburne Farms: Food and Stories from Vermont" by Melissa Pasanen and Rick Gencarelli. I placed the book on hold with a phone call to Borders and within hours, it was in my still sticky syrup-coated hands.
Shelburne Farms is not your typical farm. If you're from Vermont, you probably know it's a nonprofit environmental education center, working farm, inn and National Historic Landmark situated on 1,400 acres along Lake Champlain.
Countless visitors have experienced the farm-fresh meals while enjoying the beauty of a farm and its breathtaking landscape.

For more than 35 years, Shelburne Farms has dedicated itself to conservation. In addition to being a dedicated supporter of local agriculture, the farm practices rural land use that is environmentally and culturally sustainable.

"Cooking with Shelburne Farms" is not your typical cookbook either. Delightfully diverse, the larger-than-normal print book offers a taste of Vermont's country-style cooking, without ever leaving home. The easy-to-follow recipes range from simple to complex, with each offering a "Before You Start" paragraph that provides helpful advice on everything from making prep work easier to choosing alternative ingredients.

Throughout the book are informative snippets, from how to put together a cheese plate to helpful hints on fitting spontaneous picnics into your life. The book features basic Vermont ingredients, including milk and cheese, maple syrup, wild mushrooms, root-cellar vegetables and apples.

I recommend the maple and black pepper chicken, salmon with creamed mushrooms and kohlrabi and the Inn at Shelburne Farms maple-ginger vinaigrette.

Others I'm anxious to dive into include the whole-pea salad with deviled, farm barn eggs, scalloped potatoes with mushrooms and Canadian bacon, and the chocolate-sour cream cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting.

We couldn't get enough of the maple and black pepper chicken. The aroma of the dish is amazing. The sweetness of maple balances nicely with the cider vinegar and the light heat of black pepper in the sauce. Enjoy it for a weeknight supper with crusty bread and a green salad.

MAPLE AND BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN
1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

2 bone-in chicken breast halves (modified from a whole chicken in the original recipe)

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with rack set in the second-highest position. With a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, coarsely grind the peppercorns and set them aside.

Pat the chicken breast dry and season them well with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan or skillet set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 3-4 minutes until shimmering. Put the chicken breasts into the pan - skin side down - and cook for 7-9 minutes, without moving, until the skin is golden brown. Remove the chicken to a baking dish or roasting pan. Reserve the frying pan.

Roast for 30-35 minutes until the chicken flesh closest to the bone is opaque. An instant-read thermometer should register about 165 degrees.

While the chicken is roasting, make the sauce in the frying pan. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and set the pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, thyme and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes or until the shallot starts to color. Add the vinegar and simmer for 1-2 minutes, using a spatula to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the maple syrup and ground peppercorns and simmer for about 8-10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by about half. Adjust seasoning to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Lynn Kessel can be reached at lkessel@mac.com or P.O. Box 286, Ruskin FL 33575-0286. Readers are encouraged to send their favorite recipes, comments and suggestions.

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