CHICKEN
“Poultry is for the cook what canvas is to the painter.”
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
19th Century French gastronome
And so it would seem. Officially called Gallus Gallus, there are endless recipes for roasting, stewing, frying, baking, saucing; boned, skinned and stuffed. When President Herbert Hoover declared “a chicken in every pot” to make political points, he was paraphrasing King Henry IV of France (1553-1610) – “I want there to be no peasant in my kingdom so poor that he is unable to have a chicken in his pot on Sundays.” As interesting as that may be, it wasn’t until after World War II that chicken was within reach of most American families. Only the affluent and chicken farmers could manage what we now take for granted as every day fare. Here we share with you a mere 8 chicken recipes with 6 suggested side dishes. Enjoy!
ROAST CHICKEN
Serves 4-6
Yes, everybody has a recipe for Roast Chicken. But not like this one. This is based on a recipe from author Lillian Hellman and has changed but slightly over the years. To our minds it is the only Roast Chicken that is crispy and moist at the same time. We try a “new” recipe every so often and always say “why didn’t we have the Lillian chicken?” Start a day ahead. It has to refrigerate overnight.
INGREDIENTS
1 roasting chicken
Butter as needed – no margarine, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground pepper as needed
Lemon juice
1-2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered, optional
2 cloves garlic in slivers
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin Olive Oil
Fresh oregano sprigs and leaves
Cheesecloth for lining the cavity of the chicken. (This is a neat trick for any poultry, including the Thanksgiving turkey. It allows you to remove the stuffing in one movement without leaving anything behind. Especially important with turkey dressing/stuffing.)
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse the chicken inside and out making sure to remove anything in the cavity. Pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Place on a paper towel lined plate and place in the refrigerator, uncovered, over night. The skin will dry and make it crispy when roasted. That’s a secret.
About 2 hours before serving time, preheat the oven to 400°. Squeeze lemon juice evenly into the cavity. Line the cavity with dampened cheesecloth. Toss onion, bell pepper and garlic with olive oil and salt and pepper. Pack cheesecloth lined cavity alternately with onion, bell pepper and garlic, and some sprigs of oregano. Coat the outside of the chicken well with butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and oregano leaves, rubbing it into the skin. Place in a roasting pan and place into the
oven. Roast 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the chicken, until the skin is crisp.
MASHED POTATOES SUPREME
Serves 8
These are just THE BEST mashed potatoes on the planet. There is nothing better to serve with Roast Chicken. Add a simple steamed vegetable – broccoli, asparagus or Brussels sprouts come to mind – and you have Sunday dinner fit for royalty or at least company.
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Milk as necessary and, perhaps, not
Parsley, chopped for garnish if desired
INSTRUCTIONS
Place potato pieces and garlic cloves in a large pot and cover with cold water. Salt lightly. Place a vegetable steamer over potatoes, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
After potatoes have steamed 15 minutes, place cauliflower florets in steamer basket over potatoes and steam until very tender – about 15 minutes. Remove steamer basket and cauliflower from saucepan and cool slightly. Continue to cook potatoes until tender. When potatoes are done, drain, reserving potatoes and garlic. Return pan to heat and shake over open flame until potatoes are dry. Set aside.
Place cauliflower and butter in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until very smooth, adding milk if necessary – usually not.
Mash potatoes with garlic by hand or with a ricer. (Do not use a food processor unless you want glue.) Combine with cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley. May be reheated in a microwave, if necessary.
CHICKEN POT PIE
Serves 6 – halves well for smaller families
We love Chicken Pot Pie! There is something so “homey” about it! If you have left over Roast Chicken you can use it here or buy a rotisserie chicken or microwave chicken pieces. And if you have gravy, by all means use it for all or part of the chicken broth.
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chopped onion or more to taste
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1-3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup whole milk
2-1/2 to 3 cups cubed chicken
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup diced carrots
½ cup sliced mushrooms
Small jar of diced pimento, if desired
Double crust pie pastry, recipe follows
INSTRUCTIONS
In a 2-quart saucepan heat butter until melted. Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles. Stir in broth and milk all at once and combine with a whisk until smooth. Stirring constantly, heat to boiling. Boil and stir one minute. Stir in chicken, peas and carrots. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425°. Prepare pastry. Roll a little more than half the pastry into a 12-inch round. Lift into a 9-inch x 2-inch ungreased cake pan. Do not trim overhang. Pour chicken mixture into prepared pan. Roll remaining pastry into an 11-inch round. Place on top of chicken mixture and, with the overhang, turn the edges under and flute. Cut slits near the center to allow the steam to escape. Bake 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
DOUBLE CRUST PIE PASTRY
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening – COLD
2 Tablespoons butter – COLD
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons COLD water
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening and butter with a pastry blender until particles resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly with vinegar and stir with a fork to moisten flour. Sprinkle with water, a Tablespoon at a time, while stirring with a fork until the pastry holds together. Form into a ball, flatten into a disc and smooth the edges. Roll as desired.
The following two recipes are our favorites using chicken and Italian sausage, a combination that we are especially fond of. They play off each other beautifully. The first is a New Orleans Cajun recipe using the culinary “holy trinity” of both Cajun and Creole cooking: onions, peppers and celery. The second I learned in my first international cooking class at Cabrillo College from Instructor and mentor Claire Biancalana. Claire later became president of the college and is still my inspiration.
CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE MAQUE CHOUX
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon canola oil
¾ pound Italian Sausage in ½-inch balls
(See B is for Beans for recipe if you want to make your own sausage)
3 pounds chicken thighs with skin, excess fat removed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 medium onions, chopped
I yellow or red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large celery rib, sliced
2 sprigs fresh oregano
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 15 ounce cans corn kernels, drained – reserve 2 Tablespoons of liquid
1 pint basket cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Crusty rolls for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown sausage balls. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken, skin side down, in fat remaining in Dutch oven. Turn over and brown underside. Transfer to another plate and set aside.
Pour off all but 1 Tablespoon of fat from Dutch oven. Sauté onions, bell peppers, celery, oregano, chili, and salt over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add corn and reserved 2 Tablespoons liquid and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in sausage and tomatoes.
Nestle chicken into mixture; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through – about 40 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in soup plates with crusty rolls for mopping up juices.
POLLO DI SALSICCE – CHICKEN WITH SAUSAGE
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS
3 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned and sliced lengthwise into 1/2 –inch thick strips
½ cup extra -virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon leaf sage
2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon extra- virgin olive oil
3 Italian sausage, sliced (or the equivalent in homemade Italian sausage from B is for Beans)
¼ cup butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 large onions sliced in ½ moon thin slices
¼ cup dry red wine
1 pound can Italian Tomatoes, drained
Parmesan cheese, grated
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix together olive oil, leaf sage, garlic, lemon juice, salt and red pepper. Pour over chicken strips in a shallow baking dish and marinade, covered, in the refrigerator at least 4-6 hours and up to overnight.
In a large skillet heat 1Tablespoon of oil and fry the sausage until well browned. With a slotted spoon transfer sausage to a cooktop casserole or Dutch oven. Discard fat from skillet. Add butter to the skillet and sauté mushrooms. Add to casserole. Sauté onions over low heat until soft and caramelized – about 20 minutes. Remove to casserole. Drain the chicken strips, reserving the marinade, add to the skillet and sauté until opaque and lightly browned. Add to the casserole. Add reserved marinade, wine and tomatoes to the skillet and cook, breaking up the tomatoes, uncovered 25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour over chicken-sausage mixture, stir to combine and reheat. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese. NOTE: drain off olive oil if necessary.
CHICKEN ADOBO FILIPINO
Serves 4
A humble home-style dish I learned when in the Navy and stationed at Sangley Point in the Philippines oh, so many years ago – lifetimes actually! I think I lived on this and Pancit and Dim Sum steamed buns the two years I was there. And I have never grown tired of them!
INGREDIENTS
4 chicken legs and thighs
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon canola oil
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 large bay leaf
Steamed rice for serving, if desired
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash chicken and dry thoroughly. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and brown well. Turn and brown the other side – about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Pour off all but 1 Tablespoon of fat from the pot and cook garlic over moderately low heat until golden. Do not burn or it will be bitter. Add vinegar, soy, peppercorns and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Return chicken to the pot, skin side down, and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove cover and turn chicken skin side up. Continue cooking until sauce thickens and coats chicken – about an additional 15 minutes. Serve with steamed rice if desired.
BUTTERY BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
Serves 6
A rest in a sour cream-lime based marinade overnight in the refrigerator and this melt-in-your- mouth delight will fascinate your palate and please your tummy. Really, really EZ! Served with Baked Parmesan topped Cherry Tomatoes and Microwaved Rice Pilaf it is fit for guests as well as family!
INGREDIENTS
6 chicken breast halves
8 ounces sour cream
1-1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons celery salt
1 teaspoon paprika, Hungarian preferred
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 Tablespoons solid shortening, melted
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. In a 9x9-inch baking dish, combine sour cream and next seven ingredients. Add chicken breasts and turn to coat evenly with marinade, covering each piece well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and grease lightly. Place bread crumbs in a pie plate. With tongs, remove chicken from marinade and coat with bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on prepared pan. Discard any remaining marinade. Combine melted butter and shortening and evenly spoon half over chicken pieces. Bake 45 minutes. Spoon remaining butter and shortening evenly over chicken. Bake until chicken is tender and golden brown – about 15-20 minutes longer.
BAKED PARMESAN CHERRY TOMATOES
Serves 2-3 – may be doubled
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon extra -virgin olive oil
1 12 ounce basket cherry tomatoes – or grape tomatoes work well too
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour oil into a broiler proof baking dish. Add tomatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle, in order, with salt, pepper, parsley and Parmesan cheese – Do Not Toss. Preheat oven to 400° (350° will work with the Chicken Breasts but allow extra time.) Bake tomatoes until plump but not split – about 12 minutes. Switch on broiler and broil until tomatoes split and cheese is browned – about 3 minutes.
MICROWAVED RICE PILAF
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 cup jasmine rice or other long grain rice
2 teaspoons chicken bullion
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
¼ cup minced fresh Italian parsley
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon hot sauce such as tabasco
1 cup water
INSTRUCTIONS
Place rice in an 8-cup microwave safe bowl. Add remaining ingredients in order and stir to combine. Microcook, uncovered, on high 13 minutes and 30 seconds or until liquid is absorbed. Stir with a fork to combine and serve.
THAI BASIL CHICKEN
Serves 4
If there is one world cuisine that we love, it’s Thai. It has the right fusion of fire and flavor we look for when we want spice! This is a simple stir-fry that needs to marinate a bit, but is easy to wok in a flash. Serve with steamed rice and the Thai cucumber relish that follows to cool the heat.
INGREDIENTS
Thai Marinade:
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
4-5 serrano chili peppers
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup dry sherry
½ cup canola oil
1 pound chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ pound thin green beans in 1-1/2-inch lengths
¼ pound yellow summer squash or chayote in 1/8-inch diagonal slices
1 large carrot in 1/8-inch diagonal slices
1 onion, in thin half- moon slices
4-5 serrano chili peppers, seeded and chopped
3 Tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
Salt to taste
Chili oil to taste
Thai Cucumber Relish, recipe follows
Rice for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine marinade ingredients in a nonreactive bowl and add chicken cubes, tossing to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature at least 1 hour or refrigerate at least 4 hours. The longer, the hotter.
Remove chicken cubes from marinade, allowing the marinade to drain back into the bowl. Strain marinade and reserve.
Heat a wok over high heat until almost smoking. Add chicken cubes to wok and stir-fry over high heat until chicken is almost done – about 3 minutes. Really stir-fry – don’t allow the chicken to sit on the bottom of the wok at all. Remove chicken from wok and set aside.
Allow the wok to return to almost smoking and add beans, carrots and reserved marinade. Cook 2 minutes, stirring, and then add squash and onion. Continue stirring 2 minutes more. Turn off heat. Return chicken to wok and toss to coat evenly. Add basil and season with salt and chili oil to taste. Serve with rice and Thai Cucumber Relish.
THAI CUCUMBER RELISH
This doubles nicely if you are so inclined.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup rice vinegar – not seasoned – or white vinegar
¼ cup sugar
4-inch piece cucumber, unpeeled
1 medium carrot, peeled
6 shallots or ½ red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 serrano chilies, finely sliced into rounds with seeds
1 Tablespoon chopped peanuts
INSTRUCTIONS
Boil vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is syrupy. Quarter cucumber lengthwise and very thinly slice into triangles. Halve carrot and thinly slice into half rounds. Add cucumber, carrot, shallots and serrano to sugar mixture and combine. Chill until serving time. Toss with peanuts just before serving.
TANDOORI MURG – Indian Spice Roasted Chicken
Serves 4
From Thailand to India and a different kind of spicy. Based on the recipe from Gaylord India Restaurant in Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco - considered to be the best Indian food this side of New Dehli. Don’t know if that is true, but it is terrific. Served with Kismis Pillau (rice pilaf) and Rayta, another cucumber relish to diminish the heat, it is a step into yet another exotic culture. Start a day ahead, if you want to marinate overnight. That’s what we prefer. But we like spicy!
INGREDIENTS
8 chicken thighs, with bone, skinned
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
For The Spice Paste:
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger root, cut in quarters
1 cup plain yogurt, no sugar
Juice of 1 lemon or large lime
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon Spanish or Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin.
2 red onions, for garnish
For The Yogurt Sauce:
½ cup plain yogurt
1 Tablespoon minced red onion
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Pinch chili powder or cayenne pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Remove any fat from the chicken. Make 3-4 diagonal cuts about ¼ inch deep in the meaty side of each thigh. Place in a container in a single layer, skin side up.
For The Spice Paste: In a food processor fitted with the steel blade and with the motor running drop the garlic cloves through the feed tube and mince. Then drop the ginger through the feed tube and mince. Add remaining paste ingredients and pulse to combine. Spread the spice paste evenly over the chicken. Cover and marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or in the refrigerator overnight for a spicier flavor.
Halve the onion through the root end and thinly slice into quarter moons. Reserve enough to measure 1 Tablespoon minced onion for the yogurt sauce. Place remaining onion slices in a bowl of iced water to crisp and refrigerate until serving.
For The Yogurt Sauce: Combine minced onion, yogurt, lime juice and chili powder or cayenne in a small bowl and set aside.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a rack over the foil and coat with cooking spray if you want. Without crowding, arrange chicken thighs on the rack, skin side up, with the marinade that clings to them. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Place broiler rack so chicken will be 3 inches from the heat source. Preheat broiler for at least 30 minutes. Slide chicken under broiler and broil for 8 minutes. Remove, turn skin side down, drizzle with remaining oil. Return to broiler and broil until lightly browned and cooked through – about 6 minutes.
Drain onion slices well. Top chicken with yogurt sauce and onion slices. Serve any remaining onions slices at the table.
KHEERA KA RAYTA – Cucumber in Yogurt
INGREDIENTS
1 medium cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise and seeded, cut into 1/8-inch strips, then crosswise into ½-inch pieces
1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 small, firm, ripe tomato, cut crosswise into ½-inch thick rounds, sliced into 1/2–inch strips, then
Into ½-inch cubes
1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro or to taste
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon ground cumin, toasted in a small skillet over low heat 30 seconds
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine cucumber, onion and salt in a small bowl, mix thoroughly and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Squeeze the mixture gently in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess liquid. Place in a medium bowl and add tomato and cilantro and toss together gently but thoroughly. Combine yogurt and toasted cumin and pour over cucumber mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
KISMIS PILLAU – Indian rice pilaf
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup long-grained rice, Basmati preferred
1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup raisins
¼ cup toasted slivered almonds, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large pot. Combine cloves, cinnamon and cardamom and fry lightly for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rice and stir until each grain is well coated. (You may stop at this point and continue later). Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and water and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer 25-30 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in the raisins and almonds.
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