2007 Riverside County Fair

National Date Festival 
 

Date Glazed Chicken Breasts Queso Fundido with Date Chipotle Salsa

by Executive Chef Perry Mascitti

Marinade

1 cup                   Dates, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup                Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup                Balsamic Vinegar

                       

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients in a small saucepan, simmer for 5 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Blend until smooth. Remove from pan and place in a mixing bowl.

 

Add:

6 each                 8 oz Chicken Breast with skin on

 

Marinate chicken breasts for 30 minutes. Remove breasts and dry off excess liquid, dust each breast in a bowl containing 2 cups of flour. Place chicken breasts in a frying pan with 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and sauté skin side down first, then turn over and sauté until browned on the other side. Remove from pan when chicken is thoroughly cooked and brush leftover marinade onto chicken breasts. Set aside.

 

Date Chipotle Salsa

1 cup                   Dates, pitted and finely chopped

1 cup                   Mango, small diced

1 cup                   Tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup                Scallions, chopped

1 cup                   Cilantro, chopped

2 cups                 Chicken Stock

1/2 cup                Lime or Lemon Juice

1/2 cup                Olive Oil

1/8 cup                Chipotle Chiles, canned and chopped

2 tablespoons     Garlic

      

Mix well in a bowl. Set aside.

 

Queso Fundido

3 cups                 Cacique Cheese, soft Mexican Cheese (fresh Mozzarella will work)

                           medium diced

3 cups                 Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

1 cup                   Chorizo, cooked and drained, chopped like ground meat

1 cup                   Cream

1/2 cup                Water

Cooking Spray

      

Assemble Ingredients

 

Spray 10" x 10" casserole dish with cooking spray. Place ingredients for Queso Fundido on the bottom of the casserole dish. Set chicken breasts atop, be sure they do not touch each other. Pour Salsa mixture on top of chicken and cover with foil. Bake in oven for 35 minutes, check chicken for doneness; oven temperatures may vary. When chicken is finished baking, remove from oven. Place melted cheese sauce on serving plate, add chicken breasts and garnish with slices of Avocado. Serve with Spanish Rice and Black Beans.   Serves 6.

 

Date Tower Roulade with Barhi-Grand Marnier Coulis

by Room Chef Enrique Leon

Barhi-Grand Marnier Coulis

1 cup                Barhi dates, pitted and chopped

1 small              Yam, peeled and diced (1/4 inch)

1/2 cup             Apple Juice

1 Tbs each       Lemon and Orange Zest

1/4 cup             Grand Marnier

1/4 cup             Whiskey or Rum

                         Unsalted Butter

 

In a small sauce pan add Dates, Apple Juice, Lemon and Orange Zest; boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add Grand Marnier and Whiskey or Rum. Stir for 5 minutes, let it cool down. Place in blender and mix until contents turn to paste. Sauté yam in a small pan with unsalted butter for 1 minute, then add to paste mixture in blender, blend for 15 seconds.  

Spread paste mixture onto mashed dates, about a 1/4 of an inch thick. Roll sheet, securing ends. Slice roll into 1 inch thick rolls and place on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Bake in oven 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or until brown.

 

Phyllo Crust

5 - 8 sheets      Phyllo Dough, thawed

1/2 cup             No-Salt Butter, melted and clarified*

2 cups               Dates, pitted

 

Using a carving board, place sheets of Phyllo Dough, one at time spreading melted butter onto each layer as you assemble. Cover with plastic until you finish pulping the Dates. Take each Date and with a small spatula mash the date into a pulp. Remove with the spatula and place each pulped date in a row onto the Phyllo Dough, covering half of the sheet, lengthwise.