Southern Comfort (30 page)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with ¾ teaspoon of the sea salt and all of the ground pepper. Heat an ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and decrease the heat to medium. Cook the chicken until the skin is a nice golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the thighs over and cook for 1 more minute. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate, skin side up.

Add the onion, celery, garlic, raisins, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to the pan. Cook the vegetables until nice and soft, about 5 more minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the white wine and mustard to the pan. Cook until the wine is reduced slightly, then add the stock and nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan, skin side up. The liquid should not cover the skin.

Cover the pan and braise the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes. Uncover the pan and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate. Add the heavy cream to the pan and place it over medium-high heat. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the celery leaves and parsley, spoon the sauce over the chicken, and serve.

In a large bowl, combine the salt, pepper, Worcestershire, egg, tomatoes, flour, and beef together with your hands until thoroughly blended. Divide the mixture into six equal patties. Form the patties into rounds that are 4 inches in diameter and ½ inch thick. Chill the patties for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat a griddle (or a heavy, cast-iron pan) on medium heat and coat with the olive oil. Lay your patties on the griddle and cook for at least 5 minutes per side, forming a nice crust on the outside and making sure the patty is hot in the center.

Serve the burgers on your favorite bun with all the fixin’s.

To cook the quail, be sure your grill is clean and nicely oiled. Preheat the grill until nice and hot.

Using a food processor, process the butter with the soy sauce, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes until dark brown and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Stuff each quail with 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture, and using a pastry brush, brush it all over the skin as well. Season the quail with salt and pepper. Lay each quail, with space between them so they don’t touch, around the hottest spot of the grill. Grill on each side for about 30 seconds, constantly brushing the top with the butter mixture before flipping. Repeat this process for about 5 minutes, turning every 30 seconds, until the internal temperature of the quail registers 130°F on an instant-read thermometer, and the skin is lacquered.

Transfer the cooked quail to a platter and brush with the honey-soy butter before serving.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the wine, bacon, thyme, and garlic and cook until the liquid reduces to ½ cup. Strain the reduction into a small saucepan and reserve.

To make the spice rub, using a clean coffee grinder (or one dedicated to grinding spices), grind together the peppercorns, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger until you have a fine powder. Season the venison thoroughly on all sides with the spice rub.

To cook the venison, heat a large sauté pan with olive oil over high heat until it is smoking. Carefully place the venison in the pan and sear it for 1 minute on all sides. Place the pan in the oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the venison reads 130°F. Let the venison rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing.

To make the sauce, heat the red wine reduction over low heat, then add the honey and champagne vinegar. Once the reduction comes to a slow simmer, whisk in the butter and remove the pan from the heat. Slice the venison into ¼-inch slices and serve with the red wine sauce.