Midsummer Dinner...

The plan was to have dinner on the deck. I wanted to make something nice, but not overly complicated to celebrate the solstice and enjoy the early evening sun. I decided on a quick rice pilaf with browned vermicelli pasta cooked with a smoked-chicken stock for maximum flavor. I find that substituting chicken stock for water is an easy way to jazz up recipes. Making your own chicken stock after roasting or smoking a chicken is also a good way to make use of every part of the chicken – even the bones, skin, and other parts not normally consumed.

I rubbed down the chicken breasts in a mixture of curry powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. I then browned the chicken breasts in a little bit of rendered bacon grease. That's another staple that I like to keep on hand. It adds a nice smoky flavor and reduces sticking. After the chicken was a nice golden brown, I took them off the heat and began to caramelize some onions. Once the onions were nice and translucent, I added some more curry powder and some late harvest chardonnay. Late harvest chardonnays are sweeter and more like moscato dessert wines with a bright, citrusy flavor. I made a reduction sauce and then added the chicken back to the pan, letting the meat simmer in the amber-colored sauce. The chicken turned out moist, flavorful, and a nice accompaniment to the pilaf. With its bright, bold flavors, this was the perfect dinner to celebrate the season!