Blended traditions create something new

IN THE KITCHEN by Ann Harwood:  Celebrating our multicultural society by showcasing dishes that provide a blend of textures, flavors and colors.

"Illustration
Illustration by Judy Martin

   It happens that the supper menu I’ve been planning for late September is composed of foods from all over the world. It is a wonderful blend of textures, flavors and colors.
   I was planning the menu to take advantage of late season corn and September plums. But without planning to, I came up with a "fusion" menu of my own — a chicken dish from Sicily, with historic influences from the Arab world; couscous from Morocco; lime butter inspired by Southeast Asia; plum crisp (it reminds me of a German tart my mother loved), and corn on the cob from the best of American cooking traditions.
   How lucky we are to have such an enriched culinary language and repertoire, both being a result of the many peoples who have come together to call themselves American.
   This fall, to celebrate our wonderful blended culture, I have decided to plan a number of menus showcasing foods brought from many traditions to create something new — the rich cookery tapestry that we call new American cooking.
   Nothing in the menu below is difficult. Foods with flavors reminiscent of different cultures need not be hard to prepare, although some traditional foods certainly are.
   I will try to work through my menus from easier to more challenging, so that everyone will be able to participate in a multicultural food festival.

LATE SEPTEMBER SUPPER FOR FOUR

Sicilian Braised Sweet & Sour Chicken
Couscous
Corn on the Cob with Basil Lime Butter
Plum Crisp
SICILIAN BRAISED SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN (Pollo Agrodolce)
adapted from Chef Erica DeMane
   1 frying chicken, cut up, or two legs, two thighs, two breast halves, or just legs and thighs
   salt, freshly ground black pepper
   flour to dust the chicken
   light olive oil for sautéing
   1 medium onion, chopped
   1 rib of celery, diced
   1 medium carrot, diced
   1 tablespoon sugar
   2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
   ½ cup dry white wine
   1 cup homemade chicken stock or reduced-sodium canned broth
   1 bay leaf
   ¼ cup golden raisins
   2 tablespoons capers
   ¼ cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, lightly toasted*
   1. Season chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Heat a small amount of oil in a nonstick skillet and cook chicken over medium-high heat until golden brown on all sides. Remove chicken to platter.
   2. Add a little more oil to skillet and cook onion, celery and carrot, stirring from time to time, until onion begins to look translucent. Add sugar and vinegar and let bubble for about 1 minute. Lightly season vegetables with salt and pepper.
   3. Add chicken pieces back to skillet. Bury them in the sauce, spooning some vegetables over chicken. Add wine and let it cook until almost evaporated. Add chicken stock or broth and bay leaf. Cover and simmer until chicken is just tender, 20-30 minutes.
   4. Add raisins and capers and simmer uncovered about 5 more minutes to blend the flavors. Serve chicken topped with sauce and a sprinkle of nuts.

Serves 4

   (This dish can be made earlier in the day on a weekend or the day before and gently reheated at serving time. The recipe can be easily doubled. Just use two large skillets.)
   * Nuts are best toasted on a jelly roll pan in a 350-degree oven until light golden.
   Boneless Chicken Quicker Weeknight Variation:  Use 4 boneless chicken breasts instead of the in-bone pieces. The boneless chicken will brown faster and cook much faster in the sauce, about 5-10 minutes at a low simmer. Therefore, in order for the sauce flavors to have enough time to blend, let the vegetables simmer covered (about 10 minutes) before adding the browned chicken back to the skillet.
COUSCOUS
   1 tablespoon butter
   1-1/3 cups plain couscous
   pinch salt
   ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
   1-1/3 cups boiling water
   In medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add couscous, cinnamon and salt. Remove from heat and stir until butter is absorbed. Add water and cover. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
BASIL BUTTER
   4 tablespoons butter, softened
   1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
   4 large basil leaves, finely chopped
   freshly ground black pepper
   dash ground hot red pepper
   In small bowl, cream butter and lime juice together with back of large spoon. Work in basil and peppers. Pack into ½-cup bowl, such as small soufflé dish or custard cup. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
PLUM CRISP
   1 cup sugar
   ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
   pinch ground cloves
   1/3 cup flour or 3 tablespoons cornstarch
   grated zest of one orange
   6 cups Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered
   3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
   ¼ teaspoon vanilla
   1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a nine-inch, deep dish pie plate. In medium bowl, mix together cinnamon, cloves, flour or cornstarch, and zest. Add plums. Mix orange juice and vanilla together and add to plum mixture.
   2. Pour into prepared dish and bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle topping all over top, piling it a bit higher in the center. Bake another 20 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling all over. Cool to warm before serving, with low-fat vanilla ice cream, if you like.
   Topping:
   2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
   2/3 cup flour
   1/3 cup butter, sliced into pats
   handful sliced almonds (the kind with the brown edges)
   In small bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Using pastry blender, two table knives or your fingertips, work butter into flour mixture until you have coarse crumbs. Add nuts.