Jeff McInnis

Chef Jeff McInnis

The DiLido Beach Club | Miami Beach

Lemon and Apricot Roasted Chicken with Sardinian Couscous “Risotto”, Pistachio, Manchego

Chef Jeff McInnis of The DiLido Beach Club — Miami Beach, FL
Adapted by StarChefs.com

Yield: 10 Servings

Ingredients:

Preserved Lemon:
• 5 pounds salt
• 30 sticks cinnamon
• 1 cup star anise
• 1 cup Szechuan peppercorns
• ¼ cup diced fresh ginger
• 1 cup lemongrass
• 1 quart lemons, quartered
• 1 quart lemon juice

Brown Chicken Jus:
• 20 pounds chicken bones
• 4 onions, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 4 sticks celery, chopped
• 4 leeks, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bunches scallion, chopped
• 8 pieces ginger, sliced into coins
• 1½ cups tomato paste
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
• 1 bunch parsley stems
  
  Slow Roasted Tomato:
• 15 Roma tomatoes, cored, peeled and quartered
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 60 sprigs thyme
• Salt and pepper

Apricot Glaze:
• 2 cups white wine
• 2 dried arbol chiles
• 1½ cups Turkish apricots
• 2 cups chicken stock
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
  Chicken:
• 4 small chickens
• 1½ Tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 4 lemons, halved
• 2 heads garlic, halved
  
  Couscous “Risotto”:
• 10 shallots, finely diced
• 1 carrot, brunoise
• 4 cloves garlic, diced finely
• 1½ quarts Sardinian couscous
• 2½ cups white wine
• 1½ gallon Brown Chicken Jus
• 1½ cups roasted salted pistachios
• 2 Tablespoons Preserved Lemon brunoise
• 2 cups thin strips of Manchego cheese
• Salt and pepper
  
  To Assemble and Serve:
• Fresh thyme
• Manchego cheese
• Pistachios

Method:
For the Preserved Lemon:
Combine salt, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, ginger, and lemongrass. In a bucket, layer the salt mixture with the lemons until full. Add lemon juice to cover. Place a weight over the top to ensure lemons are fully submerged. Reserve at room temperature for 30 days.

For the Brown Chicken Jus:
Roast bones at 350°F until golden brown. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, leeks, garlic, scallions, and ginger over medium heat in a deep pot until starting to color. Add tomato paste. Add chicken bones, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, skim, add thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and parsley, and simmer for 10 hours. Reduce jus until flavor has reached desired concentration.

For the Slow Roasted Tomato:
Combine tomatoes with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Roast in a 150°F degree oven for 3 hours.

For the Apricot Glaze:
Bring white wine and chiles to a boil. Add apricots, chicken stock, lemon juice, and salt and reduce by half. Remove from heat, transfer to blender and puree until smooth. Reserve in a cool place

For the Chicken:
Rub chickens with Apricot Glaze and thyme, and season. Stuff the inside cavity with lemons and garlic. Truss chickens and place on a wire roasting rack breast side down and roast in a 350°F until done. Remove from oven and reserve at room temperature. Using gloves, shred chicken into bite size pieces.

For the Couscous “Risotto”:
Sweat shallots in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add carrot and garlic. Add couscous, stirring constantly until lightly toasted. Add wine, stirring until reduced by half. Add 1 cup at a time of Brown Chicken Jus while stirring until couscous is cooked al dente. Add the pistachio, Preserved Lemon, Manchego cheese, Chicken, Roasted Tomatoes, and season.

To Assemble and Serve:
Place Couscous into a Tajine or bowl. Garnish with thyme, Manchego shavings, and pistachios.

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