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When I was growing up, a beautifully golden brown chicken just appeared and was taken for granted each and every Shabbat dinner. I thought that it was a hidden commandment, perhaps the 11th, that said thou shalt always serve roast chicken on Friday night.

Delicious and appetizing as it was, it did get a bit predictable and tiresome week after week. My own kids used to warn me on Thursdays with the acronym A.B.C. (anything but chicken).

I still serve chicken on Friday nights, but each week it takes on a different personality and ethnicity. The combinations are endless, delicious and, to my palate, never boring.

Braised Cornish Hens with Caramelized Shallots and Soft Polenta

Serves 8

Polenta:

41⁄2 cups water

1 cup polenta

1 Tbs. olive oil

salt

Hens:

16 whole shallots, peeled

4 Tbs. very good olive oil

salt and pepper

4 cornish hens, quartered or halved

1⁄2 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

4 bay leaves

For the polenta: In a large pan bring water to a boil. Whisk in the polenta slowly and gradually. Stir constantly as you cook until it resembles creamy porridge, about

5-7 minutes. Stir in olive oil and salt to taste. Cover and set aside in a warm place until you are ready to serve.

For the hens: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook shallots in boiling water for 45 seconds. Drain and reserve. Sprinkle the hens with salt and pepper. In a large pan heat the oil. Add the hens and cook until they are golden, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Sprinkle the wine over the hens and when the wine has evaporated add half the stock, bay leaves and and the shallots. Cover the pan and place in the oven. Roast 10 minutes, remove cover and roast another 15-20 minutes or until hens are cooked. Remove from pan and keep warm. Skim fat from pan and add remaining stock. Simmer until slightly thickened and the shallots are brown. Remove bay leaves.

To serve, divide the polenta among 8 plates. Place a hen quarter over the polenta and spoon the shallots and sauce over all.

 

Chicken with Cognac and Porcinis

Serves 8

2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

4 Tbs. oil

8 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

salt and pepper

1⁄2 lb. fresh shitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced

3 Tbs. chopped shallots

1 Tbs. tomato paste

2 tsp. potato starch

3 Tbs. cold water

1⁄2 cup cognac

11⁄2 cups chicken stock

chopped parsley

Soak porcini mushrooms in hot water to cover about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Coarsely chop mushrooms and set aside.

In large skillet heat 2 Tbs. oil. Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound to 1⁄4 inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté about 2 minutes per side. Remove to platter and keep warm in low oven. Add remaining oil to skillet and heat. Cook dried and fresh mushrooms and shallots, covered, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl combine tomato paste, potato starch and cold water.

Add cognac and chicken stock to mushroom mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer about 2 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste mixture and simmer another 2 minutes until thickened. If sauce is too thick, add some mushroom liquid. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve sauce over chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Faith Kramer. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to [email protected].