The Best Roast Chicken I've Ever Tasted!

My parents (and most Chinese immigrants) always complain the chicken meat in the U.S. has no flavor and don't taste like chickens because it's never fresh at the supermarket. So, I've always wanted to try roasting a whole chicken using a fresh-killed chicken. Lily's Eggs at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesdays is my favorite place to buy fresh, free-range chicken, quail and duck eggs and Lily's also sells free-range chickens that are killed the day before and never frozen. This past week, I was finally able to visit the market early enough before Lily's sold out of her free-range chickens.

The results were absolutely amazing. Not to toot my own horn but this was the BEST roast chicken I've EVER tasted; every single piece of meat was succulent and packed with rich, meat flavors. I'm sure the tasty factor was mostly due to the fact that the chicken was free-range and fresh-killed. The frozen and defrosted caged chickens that have traveled hundreds (if not thousands) of miles at the supermarkets never taste this good and the meat always taste bland unless you marinate it for a long time or douse it with sauce. I didn't marinate my chicken; I just prepped it and stuck it in the oven right away. There aren't a lot of pictures because it's really hard to prep dinner quickly by myself and take pictures too. Here are the delicious results:

The chickens are killed on Tuesdays and then sold at the market on Wednesdays. It's cleaned and vacuumed-packed. Unfortunately, they threw away the gizzard, liver and heart; that's the good stuff that I wanted to roast along with the chicken.

Weiser Farm (also at SM Farmers Market) is another favorite of mine to get potato recommendations (they have so many varieties) and whatever else they have in season. Besides delicious potatoes, the great guys at the stand recommended a very sweet and pungent onion and this strong garlic for my chicken. I forgot the variety name :P

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

-Wash the chicken (the inside cavity too) and pat dry with paper towels.

-Sprinkle garlic salt or kosher salt very liberally all over the chicken and inside the cavity too.

-Slice the onion and head of garlic in half and peel away the onion/garlic skins.

-Stuff the onion, half of the garlic, and a few fresh sprigs of thyme (I used rosemary too) inside the cavity.

-Use kitchen string and tie the chicken (Google this to learn how; I'm still learning to perfect this technique).

(The chicken is already done roasting in this picture.)

Brush the chicken with 1 to 2 tablespoons of melted butter and place the chicken breast-side up on a rack on top of a foil-lined pan. The butter will help keep the chicken skin moist and give it a nice golden hue.

Then, you can either lay sliced potatoes and carrots around the rack or roast them on a separate pan. I threw caution to the wind and decided to roast them on the same pan so the potatoes and carrots can cook in the dripped chicken juices and fat. Don't forget to sprinkle a little salt over the potatoes and carrots and if roasting on a separate pan, drizzle some oil on them.

Roast the chicken for about 60 minutes (time varies depending on chicken size and I think my chicken was around 4 to 5 pounds) and try to take it out quickly at the 45 minute mark and flip it so the skin on the other side gets a chance to crisp as well.

You can check whether it's done if the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh or if you have a meat thermometer, insert it into the inner thigh area and the chicken is done when it reads 165 degrees (note: instant-read thermometers cannot go in oven from the beginning).

Let the chicken rest 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the stuffing, then cut and serve.

Most delicious Roast Chicken ever! You won't be able to resist devouring the crispy skin. Give it a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you like.

The chicken's neck, roasted. This, along with the wings, is the best part. I wish bars would serve roasted chicken necks. It's the perfect bar food (in my heaven).

I know you can also get fresh-killed chickens at a chicken shop in Chinatown (on Broadway Ave., diagonally across from Cathay Bank) and there are a couple of places in San Gabriel Valley (one is on Garvey Ave). I can see the shops in my head but for the life of me, I cannot remember the names of the places. Ranch 99 supermarkets will sometimes have fresh-killed chickens too. However, it's just so nice to have Lily's Eggs as a source on the Westside.

Oxtail Stew: Comfort Food That Keeps You Warm

Ah. Been busy. Been sick. Had some fun in between.

This just means all the posts I've been meaning to write has been snowballing and I better tackle some before it drives me crazy in the back of my mind!

Oxtail Stew is one of my favorite comfort foods especially for the Fall and Winter seasons and I love to cook it for Sunday dinner when I have a couple of hours at home. My Uncle Ricky has taught me many important carnivore dishes over the years and he initially taught this to me as a Beef Short Rib stew so feel free to use short ribs if oxtail is not your thing. Both have become my favorites for Sunday dinners.

The first time my uncle showed me how to cook this, I was amazed that he was just eyeballing stuff and throwing them into the pot. After having made this many times, my "recipe" is not really exact because I eyeball everything now too. But that's okay. That's why sometimes cooking is more relaxing than baking because it doesn't always have to be exact.

Shop for your ingredients and have them handy on your kitchen counter.

Mix flour, kosher salt and black pepper in a large bowl and set aside. Or, use a large rubbermaid with a lid (useful later).

Rinse oxtails and pat dry with paper towels.

Use kitchen scissors to snip away excess fat and tough sinewy parts and discard.

Toss the oxtail in the flour mixture. I like using a large rubbermaid container and I just put the oxtail in in batches and put the lid on and shake - the oxtail comes out evenly coated every time.

Heat a large pot (or use a separate pan) and add canola oil. Sear the oxtail on all sides. Try not to crowd the oxtial because it won't sear properly. Sear in batches if necessary.

When it's pretty much seared, add diced onions if you like onions melted into the sauce of your stew. Or, you can save the onions to add last. I tend to do both.

Add chicken stock, stewed tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a medium boil and turn the fire on low and simmer for 2 to 2.5 hours total. Don't put a tight lid on the pot. Either tilt the lid to let out steam or use a lid that has a small hole for ventilation.

At the1.5 hour mark, add the cut carrots. After 15 minutes, add the cut potatoes and stew for 30 more minutes. Carrots and potatoes should have been peeled and cut (about 1 to 2 inch pieces) beforehand. Tip: If you can, get fresh carrots (with the greens still attached) at the Farmers Market - the sweet carrot flavor will really come through.

Check for doneness by inserting a fork into the oxtail; the meat should separate pretty easily. At that point, you can add mushrooms and sliced onions if you like - I did both here.

Stew for 15 more minutes after adding mushrooms and your stew should look like this. Do a quick taste test; add more kosher salt if you think the taste needs to be adjusted.

There you have it. Carbs, Protein and Veggies all in one pot :)

Oh, of course don't forget to plate it with a nice plate of steamed rice. Rice or a thick, crusty French bread is the perfect side dish pair with a stew because it'll soak up all the delicious, rich sauce. I cheat; I'm Chinese so I have two main entrees - rice and stew!

Shopping List for Oxtail Stew

(remember, measurements aren't exact but it's okay...it's cooking so eyeball it!)

• 1 Oxtail - about 3-4 lbs (Western markets will have it all cut up already; Chinese markets tend to have the whole tale at the meat counter so make sure you ask the butcher to cut it - you cannot do it at home!)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1.5 tablespoon kosher salt (have extra to salt stew later if necessary)
• 0.5 tablespoon black pepper (fresh ground if possible)
• 2 cans Stewed Tomatoes (I like Del Monte Original Recipe)
• 3 - 4 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 box/8 oz of crimini mushrooms (or any sturdy mushroom that'll be good at soaking up the sauce)
• 1 medium potato
• 1 medium brown onion
• 0.5 to 1 lb of carrots
• 1 - 2 tablespoon Canola oil - to coat pot/pan

To Parboil or Not to Parboil?

I am squarely in the camp of not parboiling pork spareribs when I cook ribs at home. A lot of recipes recommend parboiling to soften the meat but I think that removes a lot of flavor from the meat. So, my solution is to slooooooooow cook my ribs. It's not hard, it just takes time.

I live in an apartment with no access to a grill so I can't exactly make BBQ Ribs so here's my recipe for Apt Slow-Oven Baked Ribs. It takes at least 4 to 6 hours of cooking time and 24 hours to marinate but the results are worth it. Tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone meat that beats any ribs I can buy from a restaurant in LA.

I prefer spareribs over baby back ribs because it is meatier and less expensive. Choose a piece that's 3 - 4 pounds. A smaller piece is fine too but if you're doing all this cooking why not make more for friends or for a couple of meals?

The recipe will most likely give you extra dry rub. Save it in an airtight container so you can use it again in the future.

Wash and pat dry the ribs using paper towels. It is really important that you remove that tough membrane on the back of the ribs. Take a spoon and work your way under the membrane and slowly rip the whole thing off.

Ribs sans membrane. Use kitchen scissors to trim any leftover membrane and excess fat. As the ribs cook, fat will drip onto your pan so trim the excess fat or else you might have to take your pan out and pour out the fat.

Rub the dry rub all over the ribs (front and back). Wrap tightly in foil, put it on a tray or in a plastic bag in case of leaking and put it in the fridge to marinate for 24 hours.

After marinating, remove foil, pat away any moisture and excess dry rub and place the ribs on a rack on top of a tray. Bake at 275F for 4 to 6 hours. It may take the full 6 hours depending on the size of the ribs and oven temperature (I finally bought an oven temp gauge and found out my oven runs 25 degrees lower than what it's set for). Ribs are done when two ribs can easily be separated by hand (the ribs in the pic above are done cooking).

Okay, final stretch. To finish, add BBQ sauce. I like to use Bull's Eye Original Barbecue Sauce and for a spicy kick, I mix in a little tabasco sauce before I brush it on the cooked ribs (tabasco optional). Of course, brush sauce on both sides of the ribs.

Set the oven to broil and place ribs in for about 5 to 7 minutes. It will look bubbly as the fire heats the sauce. Then, take it out and flip and broil the other side. Monitor the broiling very closely by looking through your oven window. You don't want the ribs to burn; you just want the sauce to soak into the ribs. So, if it looks like it is burning, take it out immediately even if the time isn't up yet

Apt Slow-Oven Baked Ribs done! I served it with fresh corn from the farmers market and rice. I'm Chinese so I must have rice :)

Recipe for Dry Rub

(I mixed and matched dry rub recipes I've used in the past)

• 3/4 cup of white sugar
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup salt (I prefer Kosher which I think brings out the meat flavors better but regular salt is fine too)
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of black pepper (fresh ground if you can)
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Store extra dry rub in an airtight container for future use.

Road to (My) Seoul

Is the way to a man's heart really through his stomach? I'm not sure about men but I do know food is one way to my heart and soul. And all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ at Road to Seoul is a new road to my soul.

I'm very lucky to live so close to Koreatown in LA. I find so many new Korean restaurants I want to try that my "To Eat" list is always growing faster than I can eat or should eat. Luckily, I have friends and colleagues who indulge me; I formed a "Eat Drink & Be Merry" group at work and the names speaks for itself and below are pics from our recent outing.

Beef Sirloin (well marbled fat!), Beef Brisket, Black Pork Belly

Baby Octopus - it comes with a separate red spicy sauce for dipping

Bulgogi, Marinated Chicken, and half-cooked Baby Octopus

Pork Neck and Cow Tongue (a must!)

Except for the baby octopus, everything above were crowd favorites. It's definitely better to go to Korean BBQ in a large group in order to try more meats.

At Road to Seoul, the AYCE is $16.99 per person and that gives you nine meat choices to choose from and an order of steamed egg, Korean pancake and tofu soup is split amongst 3 to 4 people. In my experience, sometimes in a large group, it gets a little chaotic and the waitress will forget the soup or the steamed egg so remind them if they forget because that steamed egg is delicious. Of course, you will get banchan (a decent selection), rice wrappers for the meat and a huge bowl of salad with vinaigrette to go with your meat.

Last tip - In addition to the bean paste and hot sauce, you get a small plate of salt to dip your meat. If you like sesame oil, you can ask the waitress to add sesame oil to your plate of salt for a richer and more fragrant dip.

Road to Seoul

1230 S. Western Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90006

(323) 731-9292

*Takes reservations, good for groups big or small, pretty comfy, spacious seating, big-screen TVs usually showing sports and the mandatory blaring of English pop music.

Simple but Delicious Meal in 5 Minutes!

This is my revised 5-minute version of the Croque Monsieur/Madame. Well, okay, it's really a "fancy" ham and egg sandwich. But it's healthy, quick, easy and great as breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Slice a piece of fresh baguette in half and put two slices of Jamon Serrano or prosciutto on the baguette. I like going to Surfas for these two items because they sell fresh French baguettes and their jamon and prosciutto selection is great; plus I live close to by.

Scrambled. Overeasy. Sunny side up. Poached. Hardboiled. I love eggs and I can have them any time of the day. Here, I cooked one egg overeasy and I slow-scrambled the other one. I highly recommend slow scrambling your eggs because the eggs will come out moist and "eggy" without the need to add butter or milk. Just add a little oil to your pan and heat it up. As soon as you pour your eggs in, turn the fire real low - as low as possible. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon or a spatula that won't melt until the eggs looks solid.

Put warms eggs on top of your jamon so the eggs will melt the meat's fat. Add cheese in between if you wish. I had cherry tomatoes from my Farmers Market run so I added that to my meal for a balanced meal.

I'm a big fan of Farmers Markets. If you have one near you, stock up on whatever is in season; it'll give variety to your meals and help you get creative. I'm in sunny Los Angeles so I'm up to my ears in tomatoes right now and I'm using them as snacks, side dishes, and fresh pasta sauce. Get organic, free-range eggs from the farmers too. They are worth the splurge for that creamy orange egg yolk; your egg will actually taste like an egg.