Barbara Rich — Lead Chef, Culinary Arts

How to Roast Chicken Like a Pro

aday — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 16:56:21 +0000

How to Roast Chicken Like a Pro aday Tue, 12/03/2019 - 11:56 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/roast%20chicken%20header.jpg.webp?itok=WV2lqGJA Chef Barbara demonstrates roasted chicken with the perfect complement on Epicurious. December 4, 2019

By Barbara Rich — Lead Chef, Culinary Arts

Epicurious' 4 Levels series features three chefs making their takes on classic dishes, followed by analysis from a food scientist. On this week's episode, the lead chef of our Culinary Arts program, Barbara Rich, prepares a flavorful chicken dish with crunchy bread salad.

Chef Barbara says she likes roasting because you can have the whole chicken with white and dark meat without the mess of cooking stovetop. Her pro trick: Place sprigs of thyme underneath the chicken skin for 24 hours before roasting. The seasoning permeates the meat and dries out the skin for crispiness.

Watch Chef Barbara demonstrate how to make bread salad in the video and get her simple roast chicken recipe below.

Roast Chicken

Yields 2-4 servings

1 3.5-pound chicken
1 tablespoon salt
Pepper, to taste
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme

Pat the chicken dry, inside and out.
Season the chicken with the salt, using a just little bit for the cavity. Season with pepper as desired.
Using your finger, release the skin from the breast meat and place the thyme sprigs under the skin over each breast.
Place the chicken in a leak-proof container and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Heat the oven to 475 F.
Place a cast iron pan in the oven 20-30 minutes before you want to cook.
Set the chicken backside down into the pan. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. If chicken gets too dark or pan begins to smoke, turn heat down by 25 degrees.
Flip the chicken over onto the breast and roast 20 minutes.
Flip back to the backbone and finish cooking for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Save all juices to pour over cooked and cut chicken.

Bread Salad

Ingredients

1 loaf ciabatta, crusts removed
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup white wine or champagne vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups baby greens (arugula, watercress or mustard greens)
Salt and black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Tear the crustless bread into slightly larger than bite-sized pieces.
Place onto a baking tray and into oven.
Lightly toast bread so it's crunchy on the outside and still chewy on the inside. Approximately 8 minutes.
Toss the toasted bread in a large bowl with the scallions, pine nuts, vinegar and oil.
Once the roast chicken has cooked, drain the juices from the pan and chicken into the bowl with the bread and other ingredients.
Toss thoroughly to combine with the greens.
Adjust seasoning to your liking with salt and pepper.
Serve under the cut-up roast chicken for presentation.

Study Culinary Arts with Chef Barbara at ICE's New York campus.

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Love it!

Submitted by jayefromjersey on December 23, 2019 2:57pm

I have made this a couple of times now. The first time with chicken the second with Cornish Hens. This is the BEST way to bake a chicken. I love it!

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Chef Barb's Earthy French Omelet Recipe

aday — Thu, 30 May 2019 18:24:08 +0000

Chef Barb's Earthy French Omelet Recipe aday Thu, 05/30/2019 - 14:24 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/omelet%20header.jpg.webp?itok=8DS8JcO7 ICE's Culinary Arts lead chef demonstrates how to make an elevated omelet with pro toppings and techniques. March 1, 2022

By Barbara Rich — Lead Chef, Culinary Arts

Epicurious' four levels videos show how amateur and home cooks' recipes and methods compare to ICE's professional chef approach. In this episode, Chef Barb Rich prepares a French omelet with wild mushrooms, goat cheese, a trio of herbs and pro piping and whisking techniques.

This tangy, moist take on an omelet is one of Chef Barb's favorite things to make for dinner. The key elements of the distinct flavor include roughly chopped and roasted mushrooms, high-moisture goat cheese, a generous pinch of fresh herbs and plenty of butter. Here's how to prepare it like a chef:

Use a piping bag to fill the omelet evenly and easily.
Crack your eggs away from the bowl you're mixing in and use two hands to separate the shells.
Whisk up and over in a circular motion, vigorously to ensure the whites and yolks are completely homogenized.
To cook the eggs evenly in the pan, stir in little circles with a spatula, moving around in a big circle.
When the eggs are 85% done, cut off the heat and spread them back out like you're frosting a cake.

Watch the video to see Chef Barb demonstrate her techniques and get the complete recipe below.

French Omelet with Roasted Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Herbs

Yields 1 serving

1/2 pound oyster mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
3 eggs
1 teaspoon chives, cut
1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chervil, chopped
2 teaspoons butter, cold
Sea salt, divided
Fresh ground black pepper

Heat oven to 375 F. After removing the “root” from the oyster mushrooms, tear into bite-sized pieces. Toss with the olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Place onto a sheet tray. Roast until crispy and well browned. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Once cooled, roughly chop the mushrooms.
Fold the mushrooms into the softened goat cheese and season with more black pepper if desired. Place mixture into a piping bag. Set aside.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and add a pinch of sea salt and the fresh herbs. Whisk with a fork to thoroughly combine.
Heat a non-stick pan with the butter over high heat and as soon as it starts to bubble, add the eggs.
Stir constantly to ensure the eggs cook evenly. Once they are 85% cooked, turn off the heat and spread the eggs evenly over the surface of the pan.
Pipe in the mushroom-goat cheese mixture.
Roll the omelet off the pan to serve.

Learn more classic French techniques in ICE's Culinary Arts program.

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Turn off the heat when 85% done

Submitted by Robert on June 15, 2019 10:29am

"Cutting off the heat when the eggs are 85% done" I think is the secret. When I cook omelettes, I have been turning down the heat but the eggs end up too dry. Since I have an electric stove top, I think I will just pull the pan off the hot burner. Thanks for sharing your recipe! - Robert @ MillicanPecan.com

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How to Make Balsamic Pearls

aday — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 19:25:19 +0000

How to Make Balsamic Pearls aday Wed, 02/20/2019 - 14:25 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/balsamic%20pearls%20header.jpg.webp?itok=USCH3o85 Culinary Arts Lead Chef-Instructor Barb Rich experiments with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena hydrocolloids. February 22, 2019

By Barbara Rich — Lead Chef, Culinary Arts

ŷ��Ƭ chefs are innovating with Italy's Balsamic Vinegar of Modena in sweet and savory dishes and drinks. Here, Culinary Arts Lead Chef-Instructor Barbara Rich combines Balsamic Vinegar of Modena pearls with white bean puree and yellow beets on charcoal crackers.

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena has a very fruity note to it, and I find it to be very light. It has a nice sharpness that really goes beautifully with food. Here, I used the ingredient to create a bright hors d’oeuvre that combines a crunchy, dark black cracker, a silky white bean puree, a dash of color from the yellow beets, and a flavor and color pop from our black balsamic pearls.

My favorite element of this recipe is the balsamic pearls. Balsamic adds a nice hit of acidity that pairs really well with the beets and bean puree. When the balsamic-agar mixture drops into the oil, it sinks into the thicker, cold medium, and the agar forms a skin around the droplet of balsamic, which creates these pearls.

Visually, the balsamic pearls provide a more elevated presentation than you would get by simply drizzling balsamic to finish the dish. The pearls make the balsamic hold its flavor. If I drizzled it over the top, it would spread, and the flavor would get diluted. These provide a concentrated hit of that beautiful balsamic flavor.

Beyond the visual, eating an hors d’oeuvre is about the fun. You want different textures to contrast with one another for that one bite. With this recipe, we have the crunch of the cracker, the creaminess of the bean puree, firmness from the square beets and a great flavor pop from the balsamic pearls. Here's how to make the well-balanced bite.

Charcoal Crackers

Yields approximately 25 pieces

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon charcoal powder
1 pinch sea salt
3 1/2 teaspoons melted coconut oil
3 1/2 teaspoons brown rice syrup
Up to 2 teaspoons water

Heat conventional oven to 350 F.
In the food processor, combine the oats, sunflower seeds, flour, charcoal and salt. Process until smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine the oil and syrup.
Add the liquid to the food processor, pouring water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together. Can add a bit more if needed.
Divide the dough into two equal portions by weight.
Roll out between sheets of parchment paper, until 1/8-inch thick.
Remove the top sheet and score the crackers into 12-14 per batch.
Bake until lightly browned, approximately 15-20 minutes.
Cool completely, then break into individual crackers.

White Bean Puree

Yields 2-3 cups

Ingredients

1 cup dry cannellini beans, soaked overnight
1/2 carrot, peeled and cut in half
1 stalk celery
1/2 yellow onion
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons toasted cumin seeds
2 teaspoons toasted fennel seeds
Salt

Directions

Drain the beans and rinse.
Place into a small pot with carrot, celery, onion, bay, cumin, fennel and a pinch of salt.
Cover the beans with cold water by 2 inches.
Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cooking until very tender.
Pour the beans with their cooking liquid into a pan to cool.
Remove the vegetables and bay. Drain the beans once cooled, reserving the cooking liquid.
Puree the beans in the food processor until completely smooth. Use some of the cooking liquid as needed. Puree should be the consistency of peanut butter.

Yellow Beets

Yields 1 cup

Ingredients

1/2 pound yellow beets

Directions

Heat convection oven to 375 F.
Wash the beets and remove the ends.
Place into a hotel pan with 2 inches of water.
Cover pan tightly with foil and roast beets until tender.
Remove from oven, cool slightly and peel.
Cut beets into brunoise.

Balsamic Pearls

Yields 3/4 cup

Ingredients

2 cups canola oil
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons agar flakes

Directions

Place the oil in a small bowl and set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Place the balsamic in a small pot and sprinkle the flakes in. Let sit 10 minutes.
Heat the balsamic and agar to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the flakes.
Once dissolved, let cool just slightly.
Using a dropper, form drops of the balsamic by squeezing them into the cold oil.
Remove from oil with a strainer, and set on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Learn more about our partnership with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and browse our chefs' recipes.

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