Picnic Recipes From Sara Moulton
July 18, 2003 -- Pack your picnic basket with Sara Moulton's amazing picnic dishes.Check out the recipes Moulton showed off on Good Morning America.
Jean Anderson’s Oven-Fried Chicken
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter• 3 garlic cloves, minced• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs (recipe below)• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano• 2 teaspoons kosher salt• Freshly ground black pepper to taste• One 3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces (or all thighs, wings, or breasts if desired)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter and garlic. Heat over medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Pour into a large bowl and cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl mix the bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Dip each chicken piece, one at a time, into the melted garlic butter. Transfer to the bread crumb mixture and turn until coated on all sides.
Arrange the chicken in one flat layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle on any of the remaining melting butter.
Bake until lightly browned and just cooked through, 50 to 60 minutes.
Homemade Bread Crumbs
• 6 slices homemade-style white bread
Toast your bread lightly in a 350 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes
After bread cools, cut off and discard the crusts from the bread and tear into large pieces.
Place in a food processor or blender and process until very fine. Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Grilled Potato and Corn Salad with Chipotle Mayonnaise
• 1 large red bell pepper• 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil as needed• 1 1/2 pounds large red potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices• Kosher salt to taste• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar• 3 medium ears corn, husks removed• 1/4 cup plain yogurt• 1/2 cup mayonnaise• 2 small canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (available in many supermarkets) seeded and minced to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon of the adobo sauce• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill and let the coals burn down to a gray ash. (alternatively, preheat the broiler and arrange the broiling pan about 5 inches from the heat).
Rub the pepper with a small amount of the oil and place on the grill. Grill or broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat, turning frequently, until charred on all sides, about 10 mintues.
Transfer the pepper to a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. When cool enough to handle, peel the pepper, remove the seeds, and chop fine. Let the fire cool to medium heat.
Toss the potatoes with a spoonful of the oil, add salt to taste, and arrange in one flat layer on the grill or under the broiler. Grill or broil, turning often, until browned and tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and toss with the vinegar while still hot.
Rub the corn with the remaining oil, season with salt, and grill or broil, turning often, until light or golden on all sides, about 10 minutes. Cut the corn off the cob and add to the bowl with the potatoes.
In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, mayonnaise, chipotle, and salt to taste. Add the chipotle mayonnaise, red pepper, and cilantro to the potatoes and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6
Tomato Pie
• 1/2 recipe Basic Pie Pastry Dough (recipe below)• 3 large tomatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices• Kosher salt for sprinkling• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard • 1 cup coarsely grated Gruyere cheese• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme• 1 garlic clove, minced• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • Additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Roll the dough into an 1/8-inch thick round on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, cut off any excess dough from the edges, and prick the bottom lightly with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line the shell with foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the weights and foil. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes more or until light golden. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Turn up the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and drain in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes. Spread the mustard over the bottom of the shell and sprinkle the cheese over it. Arrange the tomatoes over the cheese in one overlapping layer. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the tomatoes are very soft, 35 to 40 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the parsley, thyme, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste to blend. Sprinkle the pie with this mixture while hot and spread out gently with the back of a spoon. Serve the pie hot or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.
Basic Pie Pastry Dough
• 2 cups all-purpose flour• 1 teaspoon table salt• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled• 4 to 6 tablespoons ice-cold water or more as needed
Mix the flour with the salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and use 2 knives or a pastry cutter to blend until the mixture resembles the texture of small peas (Alternative: combine the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse once or twice to blend. Add the butter and process until blended, about 20 seconds, then transfer to a large bowl).
Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the water. Mix quickly with a fork to form a soft dough. Add another teaspoon of cold water if the dough appears to be too dry. Turn out onto a floured work surface and work gently into a rough ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The pastry dough can be made up to a day in advance or kept frozen for up to a month.
Variation: For sweet pastry, reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon and add 2 tablespoons sugar to the flour and salt. Makes enough for two 9-inch tart shells or a double-crust pie
Recipes shown on GMA, courtesy of Sara Moulton, copyright © 2003.