Round 1, Challenge 5 Chuck Federici
I have prepared Couscous Breaded Boneless Chicken Thighs with a Spicy Apricot Glaze and Butternut Squash and Ricotta Gnudi (dough-less raviolis) on a bed of Butternut Squash Puree. I went with my first ideas and worked from there. I recently read about gnudi and thought, "why not?" I wanted to try to repurpose the ingredients as much as possible. The ingredients were fine, and the only problem I experienced was with the gnudi. The first attempt looked like scrambled eggs. However, the second attempt was much better. My daughter and son-in-law were my taste testers for the spicy apricot glaze and, with a little tweaking, I figured out a good balance of spiciness. My wife tested the entire dish and thought it was a great combination of flavors! I really enjoyed my three-day process of shopping, preparing and cooking this dish. But, I admit, I needed some opinions on the presentation. I would definitely make this dish again. This dish would pair well with a chilled glass of pinot grigio.
- Mary J. Insprucker