Braised Oxtail

The Italians invented this wonderful use of day-old bread: to soak up the extra red wine vinaigrette and juice of the fresh tomatoes in a salad. This version adds lemon-herb roasted chicken and California raisins to counter the spicy bite of the greens.

Yield: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients	Amounts
For the Chicken:
Roasting chicken, 4-5 lb.	1 ea.
Coriander seed	1 Tbsp.
Thyme sprigs, fresh	6 ea.
Bay leaves	2 ea.
Salt	2 tsp.
Pepper, coarsely ground	½ tsp.
Garlic cloves, minced	4 ea.
Lemon, juiced and shell reserved	1 ea.
Olive oil	2 oz.
Raisin Bread Salad	6 servings

For the Bread Salad:
Red wine vinegar	1 Tbsp.
Warm water	3 Tbsp.
Raisins, natural	1/3 cup
Stale country-style bread, crust removed and torn into 1-inch pieces	6 cups
Olive oil	5 Tbsp.
Dijon mustard	1 Tbsp.
Champagne vinegar	2 Tbsp.
Kosher salt	1/2 tsp.
Pepper, freshly ground	to taste
Chicken jus (from the roasting pan)	1/3 cup
Garlic cloves, slivered	3 ea.
Scallions, thinly sliced	4 ea.
Mixed arugula and frisée	3 cups

Method

1. For the Chicken: Rinse the chicken in cool water and pat dry. Place the coriander seed into a spice grinder along with the leaves from the thyme sprigs and the bay leaves. Grind this mixture to a rough powder and then add the salt and pepper. Mix this powder with the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. This is your marinade.

2. Loosen the skin over the breast of the chicken by running your thumb between the meat and the skin working from the neck towards the legs. Divide the marinade into 3 parts and put one third under the skin that covers the breast, rub one third into the cavity of the chicken and add the shells of the lemon to the cavity, and after trussing the chicken, pour the final third over the outside of the chicken. Set the chicken aside under refrigeration for 2 to 24 hours for the flavors to develop.

3. Preheat an oven to 375°F. Roast the chicken on a rack over a shallow roasting pan basting often until golden brown and tender and the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced at the thigh joint, about 1 hour.

4. Transfer to a warmed platter and let rest for several minutes while preparing the salad. Carve and serve with bread salad.

5. Deglaze the roasting pan with a little water and reserve the resulting jus to use as an ingredient in the bread salad recipe.

6. For the Bread Salad: Combine the red wine vinegar and water in a small bowl, add the raisins, and let stand for 1 hour to plump. Put the bread in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toast the bread in oven until golden brown. Set aside.

7. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

8. Whisk together the mustard, champagne vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the chicken jus. Add the bread and toss to coat. Set aside. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and scallions and cook for 2 minutes over a moderate heat. Add the garlic and scallions to the bread mixture. Drain the raisins, add them and toss the salad. Place in a baking dish and bake for 5 minutes.

9. Cover the salad and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

10. In a bowl, toss the salad greens with the above, taste and adjust the seasoning as required. Divide the salad among 6 plates, and serve with roast chicken.