Mac and goat cheese.
Makes 6 servings 4 sprigs of rosemary (divided) Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup vegetable oil (a neutral vegetable or olive oil) (divided)
4 bone-in chicken thighs
8 ounces good-quality macaroni noodles 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped shallot 1 cup chicken stock 2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (divided)
Preheat oven to 440 degrees to roast the chicken, and set a pot of salted water over high heat to cook the noodles.
Take 2 sprigs of rosemary, remove needles from the stem and chop until fine. Mix chopped rosemary with about 1⁄2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Rub chicken thighs with a small amount of the oil to coat, then season with the rosemary mixture.
Set seasoned thighs on a roasting pan and rack, and roast in preheated oven until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Time will vary depending on size of thighs.
While thighs are in the oven, make rosemary oil.
Take remaining rosemary and remove needles from stem. Put them in a blender and add 3⁄4 cup oil. Blend about 30 seconds, then let rosemary steep in the oil until needed.
Remove chicken thighs from oven and let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skin if you used thighs with skin on. (Feel free to chew on the now-crunchy seasoned chicken skin, it's really good). Pull chicken off the bone into bite-size shreds and pieces, and set aside.
(If desired, you can deglaze the pan you roasted the chicken in at this point. Use the chicken stock in this recipe. After scraping the bits off the pan with the stock and a wooden spoon, the now-fortified stock can be used in the sauce.)
Meanwhile, add macaroni to the boiling, salted water. Cook according to package directions. I often find myself pulling my pasta out a minute or so ahead of time, as I'm not a fan of overcooked pasta. This recipe does well with al dente pasta, so be sure to try the noodles a minute or two before the box says to see if they are almost done.
When pasta is al dente, drain and run a little cold water on them so they stop cooking. Add a few drops of oil and coat the pasta using your hands. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is hot, add shallot and sweat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Do not let shallot brown. Add stock and let reduce by half or a little more if you like. If you’re using a weak stock, reduce it to 1⁄4 cup to extract more flavor.
Still over medium heat, add the cream and let reduce by half. If you wish, you can strain the rosemary out of the rosemary oil at this point. Add reserved chicken, noodles, 3 ounces of the goat cheese,
1⁄8 to 1⁄4 cup of the rosemary oil, and salt and pepper. The pepper works really well in this recipe, so feel free to add a little extra.
Stir ingredients to combine. You may need to continue to reduce for a few minutes until the sauce is nice and creamy and sticks to the pasta. The pasta will cook a little more during this step of the recipe, which is why we want to be sure not to overcook it the first time around.
Plate family style on a large platter, and crumble remaining 1 ounce goat cheese over the top. Drizzle with about 1⁄8 cup rosemary oil.
Notes: Many of these steps can be done ahead of time; for example, cooking the noodles, roasting the chicken and making the rosemary oil. The dish itself should be prepared last minute if possible, as the sauce doesn't sit for long periods of time very well.
To request a recipe, write “You Asked for It,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Box 371, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0371; fax to (414) 224-2133; email jdemski@journalsentinel.com. Include complete restaurant name, address and phone number and your name, city of residence and phone number. Column compiled by Joanne Kempinger Demski.