Tastemaker Toronto Sample Recipes

May 15, 2019

We had a great weekend at Tastemaker Toronto at Evergreen Brickworks this past weekend. The turnout was incredible. We partnered with Chef Adam Alguire who cooked up amazing samples using our pasture raised chicken from Marita Fields: whole bird on a toothpick. It consisted of poached chicken breast on the bottom, chicken leg rillette in the middle, topped off with a drop of wild ramp aioli.

The samples were definitely a hit, so here is the recipe for those that want to give it a shot. The best part about this recipe is that it focuses on utilizing the entire Chicken.

Ingredients for Chicken Brine

• 85g Coarse Salt
• 70g White Sugar
• 1 Lemon
• 1 tbsp Black Peppercorn
• 4L Water
• 6pc Bay Leaves
• ½ bunch Parsley
• ½ bunch Thyme  

Method for Chicken Brine

1. Bring all ingredients together to a boil in a large pot.  Let cool to room temperature. To speed up the process, you can substitute half of the water with ice and add it after the ingredients have boiled together to quickly cool the brine.

2. Pick down the thyme and parsley and put into a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Pulse the mixture to bruise up the herbs to increase their flavour and mix together the ingredients. The cure will take on a slightly green tint and smell very fragrant.  

How to use the Whole Chicken

• 1 Whole Chicken (Pasture Raised)
• 1L Duck Fat  

Method for Chicken Breasts

1. Remove the breasts from the chicken and place them in the Chicken brine overnight.

2. The following day, place the breasts as well as 1 cup of the brine and 1 cup of water into a small pan and bring to a simmer.

3. After 5 minutes turn off the burner and allow the chicken to cool in the liquid. You can store the cooked chicken in this liquid until you are ready to use it. This is a great way to prepare chicken if being served cold for salads or sandwiches.

Method for Chicken Legs & Wings

1. Remove the legs and wings from the chicken.

2. Cover these in the Herbed cure so that they are completely covered.

3. Return to the fridge for 2 hours and then rinse off the cure under cold water and pat dry with a towel.

4. Heat the duck fat up until completely liquid and place in a deep pan with the chicken legs. Cover the pan with foil or a lid and put into the oven at 300F for 2 to 3 hours.

5. It is ready when the chicken falls off the bone. Let cool for 20 minutes and then remove the chicken from the fat.

6. Pick down all the meet and place in a bowl set over another bowl of ice.

7. With a wooden spoon, mix the picked down chicken leg and wings with 1 cup of the fat used to confit the legs.

8. Continue to stir over the ice until the mixture is completely cooled. You can flavour the rillette with any herbs or spices that you like.

9. If you do not continue to stir as it cools down, the fat will not emulsify into the meat making it solid and not spreadable.

10. The rillette is great served cold! Spread on some toast or crackers with mustard.

Now let’s make a Soup!

Take the remaining carcass from the bird and cover it with cold water. Bring up to a simmer and allow it to simmer for 4 hours. Remove the carcass and pick down any meat left behind. Return to the cooking liquid and cool for a quick chicken soup.

Thank you to everyone involved in Tastemaker Toronto. We honestly had such a great time, and are already looking forward to the next event!

How to try NIKU Farms

Check out all the packages available on NIKU Farms  You also have the option to subscribe to one of our subscription plans. You choose the frequency to get recurring deliveries of pasture raised meat directly from your local farmers. All of the meat is delivered individually vacuum packed in an insulated box, so there is no need to be home when it gets delivered. Check out the different subscription plans here.

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