For poultry, the sky’s the limit

Gerard Craft | Sardella

Spice roasted chicken with charred Brussels sprouts and preserved lemon at Sardella has a smoky depth of flavor that Chef Gerard Craft has created not with a spice rub, but with a spice brine and a spice butter. The flavor-packed butter is made with dried Guajillo and New Mexico chiles, caraway and coriander seeds, cumin, fresh mint, olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt and garlic.

Braised duck lasagna

Devon Quinn | Eden
What’s good for the duck is good for the diner? That’s the philosophy behind a few menu items at Eden, including this braised duck lasagna with puffed wild rice by Devon Quinn, chef and partner of Eden in Chicago. “We have done a couple of dishes incorporating the natural feeding habits of whatever protein we’re cooking,” Quinn says. “Wild rice is an important water fowl food; biologists report that ducks eat it at every stage of their growth.” The wild rice is puffed like popcorn in fryer oil, adding that all-important crunch factor. 

Crostini Toscani is made with chicken liver, sieved egg and housemade dill pickle.

Jared Sippel | Italienne

Crostini Toscani with chicken liver, sieved egg and housemade dill pickle combines flavors and textures in a shareable small plate made to delight diners. This menu item, by Chef Jared Sippel, is a platform for showcasing chicken liver’s rich qualities. Available on the Taverna side of Italienne, the more casual-dining area, the crostini is a good example of the French food with an Italian accent (and vice versa) selection at Italienne.