Slow cooker chicken in milk and Potatoes Romanoff

Aimee’s Slow-Cooker Chicken in Milk Prep Time: 20 minutes  Cook Time: 4 hours  Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 4 to 5 pound roaster chicken

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon cooking oil

8 garlic cloves, peeled

2 cinnamon sticks

2 cups 2% milk

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Zest of two large oranges

Instructions

1 Season the chicken all over with the salt and pepper. Melt the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan and brown the chicken on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken to a slow-cooker, breast side down.

2 Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of oil from the pan and add the garlic and cinnamon. Cook it for about 2 minutes, then transfer to the slow-cooker.

3 Pour the milk, thyme, and orange zest into the slow cooker and use a spatula to mix well and make sure the chicken is well coated. Cover the slow cooker and cook on High for 4 hours, or Low for 6 hours.

   Strip House Potatoes Romanoff

Twice-baked potatoes take on bold new dimensions of flavor in a rich, creamy gratin with shallots and cheddar cheese. This dish is one of the signature sides at Strip House, a steakhouse in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The potatoes need to be baked a day in advance, so plan accordingly. 

Ingredients:

3 large russet potatoes, about 2 lb. total, unpeeled and scrubbed  

3/4 cup minced shallots 

2 1/2 cups grated white cheddar cheese 

2 tsp. kosher salt 

1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper 

1 1/2 cups sour cream 

Preheat an oven to 425ºF. 

Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and pierce several times with a fork. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove the foil and let the potatoes cool to room temperature. Place the potatoes on a plate, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

The next day, preheat the oven to 350ºF. 

Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the potatoes, including the skins. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle the shallots, 1 3/4 cups of the cheese, the salt and white pepper on top. Using your hands, gently toss the mixture together to combine, then fold in the sour cream in 2 additions. 

Transfer the potato mixture to a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish; do not compress. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup cheese on top. Bake until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serves 6.