Milk Street Recipes

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Nancy - 2 cups of sake is the correct amount. The cooking method for the chicken in this recipe is poaching - i.e., submerging food in liquid and cooking over a low temperature. In order to fully submerge the chicken pieces we needed 4 cups of liquid. It's not unusual to poach chicken or fish in wine, so we chose to use half water and half sake here to add light, bright flavor to the poaching liquid and, subsequently, the sauce. Sometimes the chicken likes to float up to the surface causing the top to be a bit exposed. We flip it over to make sure, if it does, the chicken still cooks evenly. I hope that helps explain things. You can strain and save the poaching liquid in the refrigerator and use it as you would chicken broth for making pan sauces, cooking rice, etc. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Sally - You will likely get a fair amount of burst beans if you haven't added salt to the soaking water. This is because when unsalted beans cook their interiors end up swelling faster than the skins can handle. You can add salt to the cooking water which can reduce the amount of burst beans by about 10%, but I think my advice would, unfortunately, be to start over. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Adam - I imagine you can do most of these recipes on the grill. I don't have all of our skewer recipes in my head, but I think most would be best grilled over high heat to achieve the kind of char you want. However, I would still set up your grill for indirect cooking. That way you have a cooler zone to transfer them to if you find they are getting too much char. Good luck! Best, Lynn

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Dale - You can search for recipes by using the small magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner. Or you can click the "RECIPES" tab on the upper left side of the webpage and scroll through the recipes. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Kristi - I'm so sorry that you're having difficulty with this recipe. I spoke with Courtney Hill, who developed the recipe, and she isn't 100% sure what went wrong, but suggested a few possible causes for your issues. First, make sure you are using brown basmati rice, not brown long-grain rice. This could make a difference in the cooking time and liquid-to-rice ratio. Courtney also recommends really rinsing and draining the rice well. You want to rinse until the water runs clear and then make sure to drain off any excess water. Let me know if this doesn't solve the problem and I'll check in with Courtney again! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Adam - Are you using a heavy duty aluminum baking sheet with at least 1" sides? I realize when we say "rimmed baking sheet" we are leaving that pretty open for interpretation. In most cases, any old sheet will do, but in this case you want to make sure you're not using a "cookie sheet" or "jelly roll pan." These are often too lightweight and either have no sides or very low sides. I haven't made the coriander-roasted chicken but I've done the traybake with pomegranate molasses - same technique - about a dozen times and never had issues with overcooking or smoking. For the garlic, it's important to make sure you put it in the center of the baking sheet and surround it with the chicken on all sides. You need the chicken to create a wall, essentially, to protect the garlic from overcooking. Other than those two things, I'm not sure what else could have gone wrong. Let me know if either of these things might have caused the issues. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Chas - I spoke with our digital content team and we, unfortunately, don't have a filtering system in place in our search engine at the moment. However, we are currently working on website upgrades and this is definitely something we are working on! We appreciate your suggestion and always take these issues into consideration as we further improve our digital experience. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Heath - For this recipe you will need a pound of shiitakes, which is the weight before stemming. Shiitake mushroom stems are very fibrous and not very pleasant to eat. However, don't throw them away! They are a great source of umami - just throw a handful in to flavor soups or stews and then strain out before serving. You can freeze them and use directly from the freezer. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Allyson - We haven't tried this at Milk Street, but maybe someone else on the board has done it and can weigh in here. Good luck! Best, Lynn

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Adam - Saffron is like tea in that it should be steeped in hot liquid to really enhance it’s flavor and aroma. After 10-15 minutes of steeping in the broth in the recipe, the liquid will grow deep orange in color and is ready to add. If you'd like you can simply crush the threads a bit with your fingers before adding to the water, but it's really not necessary. This method is a little simpler and more common in recipes that already call for water or broth (like our Risotto alla Milanese). For dishes that do not call for liquid, grinding the saffron to a powder with a little salt or sugar (to act as an abrasive) in a mortar and pestle will allow you to steep it in a smaller amount of water so you can add it to any dish at any point. Hope that clears it up! Best, Lynn