The Perdue Chicken Cookbook · Chapter 4Preface Why I Chickened Out (3)
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"Madam, I'm not satisfied," Dumaine replied.
"But you have been making coq au vin for 30 years," the woman protested. "How can you not be satisfied?"
"That, madam, was practice."
According to Herbert, Dumaine's version of coq au vin uses red wine, white wine, and brandy, and it takes a good twenty-four hours to prepare. This version is a lot simpler, but still very good. The day I made it, I couldn't find pearl onions or small onions in my local supermarket, so I used a large white onion, chopped. The pearl onions would have been prettier, but the taste was fine. 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 roaster breast 1 cup dry red wine salt and ground pepper to taste 1 sprig each of fresh thyme and rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon each, dried 1 clove garlic, minced 16 pearl onions, if available, otherwise 8 small white onions, peeled and quartered, or 1 large onion, chopped. 1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 cup water 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add breast and brown on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Add wine, seasonings, garlic and onions. Cover and simmer 60 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer 10 to 15 minutes longer or until breast is cooked through. Drain juices into a small saucepan; blend cornstarch and water; stir into pan juices and cook, over medium heat, stirring constantly, one minute or until sauce thickens and clears. Carve breast and serve with wine sauce. Garnish with crumbled bacon and parsley.
BREAST WITH APPLE-PECAN STUFFINGServes 4 Make sure that the pecans you use are fresh. In the shell, they'll last in a cool dry place for six months. Shelled pecans should be kept in the refrigerator, in an air tight container. If you plan to keep them for longer than half a year, freeze them. 1 roaster breast salt and ground pepper to taste 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided 1/4 cup hot chicken broth or water 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped 1/2 cup chopped pecans Preheat oven to 375oF. Season breast inside and out with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 4 tablespoons butter, broth, apples and pecans. Stuff breast cavity and cover with aluminum foil. Carefully place breast, skin side up in roasting pan. Rub remaining butter over breast and bake about one hour and 15 minutes until juices run clear with no hint of pink when pierced. Remove stuffing and carve half of breast. BUTTERMILK PECAN CHICKENServes 4 The pecan halves are more appetizing-looking when you put them on top of the chicken during the last ten minutes of baking; the nuts get a delicious-looking brown. I come back to this recipe when I want something that's never fail. 1 egg 1/2 cup buttermilk 3/4 cup pecan halves, divided 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup ground pecans 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons sesame seed 4 chicken breast halves 1/4 cup oil In a mixing bowl beat egg with buttermilk. Chop 1/2 cup of pecans coarsely, reserving remaining halves for garnish. On a sheet of wax paper mix together chopped pecans, flour, paprika, salt, pepper and sesame seed. Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk mixture; then pecan mixture. Pour oil in shallow baking pan. Place chicken breasts, skin side down, in pan and turn to coat with oil; finishing with skin side up. Bake, uncovered, at 350oF 45 to 50 minutes, or until cooked through. During last 10 minutes of baking, place reserved pecan halves on top of chicken.
CHICKEN AVOCADO MELT Serves 4 For years I made it a kind of hobby to ask cookbook authors and recipe contest winners how they came up with their recipes. Since I don't invent recipes myself, the people who create the real winners seem to me as mysterious and impressive as someone who composes a hit song or writes a best selling novel. My favorite example of this is Marge Fortier, who won the $10,000 Grand Prize at the National Chicken Cooking Contest. She didn't do any tinkering, tasting, and adjusting the way most of us would. No, the complete idea for her recipe for Chicken Avocado Melt came to her seemingly out of nowhere. "I was vacuuming the living room," she told me, "when all of a sudden, I don't know how, the complete idea for the finished recipe just came to me. She grabbed a pencil and jotted down the entire recipe on the notepad that she always keeps handy$and won $10,000. Her recipe calls for chicken breast halves, but you can simplify things a little if you use thin sliced boneless roaster breast pieces instead. 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or 1 thin sliced boneless roaster breast 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 tablespoon water 1/3 cup cornmeal 3 tablespoons cooking oil 1 ripe avocado, peeled, sliced 1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 cup sour cream, divided 1/4 cup sliced scallion greens 1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper cherry tomatoes parsley sprigs Preheat oven to 350oF. Pound the chicken to 1/4" thickness. If using thin sliced breast, skip the previous step. In a shallow bowl, mix the cornstarch, cumin, garlic, and salt. In another bowl mix egg and water. Place cornmeal in a third small bowl. Coat chicken first with the cornstarch mixture, then with the egg, and finally with the cornmeal. (Marge Fortier says, "I always use cornstarch because it comes out thinner than flour".) In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken and saute for two minutes on each side "to firm up the crust", then remove pieces to a shallow baking pan. Before putting cutlets in oven, top them with avocado slices and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Top each chicken breast with sour cream and a sprinkling of scallions and red pepper. Garnish with cherry tomato halves and parsley. Serves four. CHICKEN IN MUSTARD SAUCEServes 4 Home economist Michelle Scicolone developed this recipe for Perdue, and she has an ultimate compliment for it: "It's what I make all the time when I'm cooking at home." You get crunchiness and crispness but it's not fried. According to Michelle, it comes out just fine with any mustard that you have on hand or any chicken parts you have around. 1 roaster boneless breast or thin sliced boneless breast 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced (2 cups) 2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley l tablespoon minced shallot or scallion l/8 teaspoon ground pepper l/2 cup chicken broth l/4 cup dry white wine l tablespoon Dijon mustard Slice breast thinly if using whole breast. In large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add breast slices a few at a time, placing them so that pieces do not touch. Saute about 2 minutes per side, until chicken is lightly browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Heat remaining oil. Add mushrooms, parsley, shallot and pepper. Stirring frequently, cook 2 minutes. Stir in broth and wine; bring to a boil and cook until liquid is reduced by half (about 1/3 cup). Reduce heat to low; stir in mustard until well blended. Spoon over chicken. HOT PINEAPPLE BREAST Serves 4-6 My teenage son Carlos says he likes this better cold the next day with a small handful of slivered almonds tossed over it. Myself, I like it hot, served over rice. If you have leftover chicken broth (as you probably will if you're using canned chicken broth), use it as part of the liquid you use to cook the rice. Also, if you like peppers to stay a bright green and don't mind if there's still some crunch to them, add them at the same time that you add the cornstarch rather than earlier in the recipe. They look pretty that way and pick up the bright red of the pimentos. 1 roaster boneless breast cut into 1/4" by 2" strips 4 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 green pepper, cut into strips 1 cup celery, sliced diagonally 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, with liquid 3/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 4-ounce can pimento, drained and cut into strips 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add chicken and saute for 5 minutes. Add green pepper and celery and cook 3 minutes, stirring. Drain pineapple, reserving liquid. Add drained pineapple, 1/2 cup of pineapple juice, broth, onion and tarragon. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Blend cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to make a smooth paste. (If you like the sauce quite thick, use an extra teaspoon of cornstarch.) Add to skillet and continue to cook, stirring, until thickened. Add pimento and serve immediately. LAYERED CHICKEN (Hawaiian) Serves 6-8 If you have a sweet tooth, this recipe could end up one of your favorites. Frank likes it a lot. Besides tasting delicious, it's also quite versatile. Once when I was making it, I happened to have leftovers of both chicken and rice, so I substituted them for the first two ingredients in this recipe. I also omitted the water and pineapple juice. If you make this substitution in the recipe, you won't need to bake it, but instead only keep it in the oven long enough to heat it through. It's not quite as delicious as the original, but it's still very good. By the way, the layered arrangement of this dish is typically Hawaiian; don't stir or mix the ingredients. 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1-1/2 cups quick-cooking rice, uncooked 1 can (3-1/2-ounces) shredded coconut 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained…reserve juice 3/4 cup water 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 4 tablespoons orange marmalade 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 4 tablespoons soy sauce 2-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger Preheat oven to 350oF. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Place half of chicken in bottom of large shallow baking dish. Arrange rice in layer on top of chicken, then remaining chicken in layer. Add layer of coconut; then layer of pineapple chunks. Dot marmalade in spaces between chunks of pineapple. Mix water, lemon juice and pineapple juice; pour over layers. Pour melted butter or margarine and soy sauce over all. Sprinkle ginger on top. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes or until chicken and rice are done. Remove cover during last 5 minutes of baking for browning. LEMON-PARSLEY BREASTServes 4 I have a friend who grows garlic in California who is a member of the Society of the Lovers of the Stinking Rose. He says, "The most common misconception about garlic is that garlic breath is bad breath." He and his fellow Lovers of the Stinking Rose believe that on the contrary, it's mouthwash breath that is unpleasant. Their slogan is, "Get rid of mouthwash breath; eat garlic!" This recipe probably won't give you either mouthwash breath or garlic breath, since cooked garlic is quite mild in its effects. 1 roaster boneless breast salt and ground pepper to taste 4 tablespoons melted butter or margarine, divided 1/4 cup bread crumbs 2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley 2 tablespoons minced shallots or scallions 1 clove garlic, minced 1 lemon, thinly sliced Preheat oven to 375oF. Season breast with salt and pepper. Pour 3 tablespoons melted butter into a baking dish. Add chicken to dish and turn to coat with butter. In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, parsley, shallots and garlic and spoon over chicken. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Top with lemon slices. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. MARYLAND BREAST OF CHICKENServes 4 This recipe calls for scallions. If you have trouble finding scallions, ask for green onions; they're the same thing. 3/4 cup butter or margarine, divided 1/4 pound fresh crab meat (or frozen, thawed) 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 1 teaspoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs salt and ground pepper to taste 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 roaster breast 1 tablespoon vinegar Preheat oven to 375oF. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and toss in a mixing bowl with crab meat, scallions, horseradish, tomato paste, lemon juice, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. With your forefinger carefully loosen skin from the neck end of the chicken breast to form a pocket, taking care not to detach sides or bottom. Stuff crab mixture between breast and skin. Rub breast with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in roasting pan. Bake approximately one hour, until skin is brown and meat is tender. Remove to serving platter and keep warm. Skim off any fat from drippings; add wine and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce pan juices to about 1/4 cup and remove from heat. Whisk in remaining butter, strain into a sauceboat and serve separately. QUICK SWEET AND SOUR BREASTServes 4 In most cases, I prefer fresh produce to canned. Tomatoes are, at times, an exception. If you're buying out-of-season tomatoes, and if you don't know the source, there's a good chance that they were picked green and artificially ripened. One tomato grower told me she'd rather eat cotton than an out-of-season tomato because the taste was so disappointing. There is some good news on the subject, though. Tomatoes retain their flavor during canning exceptionally well, and canned tomatoes are picked vine ripe. If you want the next best thing to a vine-ripened tomato, and it's winter, try canned tomatoes, as suggested in this recipe. 1 roaster boneless breast salt and ground pepper to taste flour 5 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 medium onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 medium green pepper, chopped 1 cup canned chopped tomatoes (with liquid) 1 can (8-1/4-ounces) cubed pineapple (plus 2 tablespoons pineapple juice from can) 3 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons vinegar 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water Cut roaster breast into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper; coat with flour and set aside. In saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and cook onions, garlic and green pepper for 5 minutes stirring often. Add tomatoes, pineapple and juice, ketchup and vinegar. Stir and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Saute chicken, half at a time, until golden and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Drain and place on serving dish. To sauce in pan, add dissolved cornstarch; cook, stirring, over high heat until sauce thickens. Pour over chicken pieces. STUFFED BREAST PARMENTIERServes 4 Parmentier, a French food writer from 200 years ago, popularized the use of potatoes. Before him, people worried that potatoes might be poisonous. Today, when the name "Parmentier" occurs in a recipe, it's a signal that there will be potatoes in it. 1 roaster breast salt and ground pepper to taste 1 pound boiling potatoes, unpeeled 1/4 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/2 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened Preheat oven to 375oF. Season breast inside and out with salt and pepper to taste. Boil potatoes in salted water to cover until just tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss with bacon, onion, celery, bread crumbs, sour cream and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff breast and neck cavities with potato mixture, wrapping exposed stuffing with foil. Place chicken breast-side-up in roasting pan. Rub skin with butter. Bake approximately 1-1/2 hours, until tender. Transfer to serving dish; remove foil and serve. RECIPES WITH CORNISH HENS
Have you ever wondered just what a "Cornish game hen" is?
It's a very young bird, usually about 5 weeks old, as opposed to a broiler, which is 7 weeks, or a roaster, which is 12 weeks. Typically, they're tenderer and slightly lower in fat than older birds.
All Cornish game hens are very young chickens, but the Perdue Cornish game hens have something else special about them. Frank directed the Perdue geneticists to breed the broadest breasted Cornish hens in the industry. Like the Perdue Roasters, the Perdue Cornish have exceptionally broad breasts. The ratio of meat to bone is therefore particularly favorable. BUFFALO-STYLE CORNISH PIECESServes 2 You can re-use the frying oil called for in this recipe, or any deep frying recipe, for that matter. As long as you never heat the oil to the smoking point and as long as you strain it through cheese cloth to remove any particles of food, you can use it over and over again. The oil is still good as long as it retains it's golden color. When it has turned a dark brown, it's time to replace it. If you don't have cheese cloth handy for straining, laundered nylon stockings make a good substitute. Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 scallion, thinly sliced 1 small clove garlic, minced 2 fresh Cornish game hens salt and ground pepper to taste oil for deep frying 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 2 tablespoons Tabasco In a small serving bowl prepare dressing by blending mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in blue cheese, parsley, lemon juice, scallion and garlic. Chill. Quarter hens and remove backbones. Pat pieces dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil to 375oF or until a small cube of bread sizzles when placed in oil. Deep-fry hens 10 minutes, turning once. Drain well. In a small bowl blend melted butter and hot sauce; brush on chicken pieces. Serve warm with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing. CORNISH SAUTE WITH SUMMER SQUASHServes 2 To keep the olive oil called for in this recipe in its best condition, store it in an airtight container in a cool cupboard away from the light. It's not necessary to refrigerate it, and besides cold temperatures will make it cloudy and difficult to pour. 2 fresh Cornish game hens salt and ground pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 medium zucchini, sliced 1 medium yellow squash, sliced 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Halve hens and remove backbones. Season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add hen halves and brown on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 to 4 minutes. Add squash, broth, parsley and lemon juice. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until hens are cooked through. GRECIAN HEN SAUTEServes 2 Do you know the easiest way to peel the fresh tomatoes called for in this recipe? Place the tomatoes in boiling water for about 20-40 seconds and you'll find that the skin slips off quite easily. The riper the tomato, the quicker the skin loosens in boiling water. 2 fresh Cornish game hens 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 1 and 1/2 teaspoon minced, fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried salt and ground pepper to taste 1/2 cup white wine 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and quartered 1/4 pound feta cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes 2 tablespoons ripe olives, sliced Cut hens into quarters and remove backbones. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken and brown 5 to 6 minutes per side. Add garlic, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper and wine. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook 10 minutes. Stir in cheese and olives. Cook 5 minutes longer or until hens are cooked through. Remove bay leaf before serving. HENS NORMANDY WITH APPLESServes 2 If you're not using the apples in this recipe the day you buy them, store them in the refrigerator. Apples age five times faster at room temperature than they do in the refrigerator so they'll keep fresher longer if you store them in the refrigerator instead of in a fruit bowl. 2 fresh Cornish game hens salt and ground pepper to taste 1 tablespoon minced, fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 2/3 cup apple juice 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled 1/3 cup chicken broth or white wine 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Put 1/2 of sage in each cavity. Tie legs together and fold wings back. Place hens in a flame proof baking pan just large enough to hold them comfortably. Brush with melted butter. Add apple juice to baking pan. Bake at 350oF 30 minutes, basting several times. Core and quarter apples; add to pan and baste. Bake 30 minutes, until hens and apples are tender, basting several times. Remove hens and apples to serving platter; keep warm. On top of stove, bring pan drippings to a boil; add broth or wine and cook until reduced by half. Stir in cream; cook 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Pour sauce over hens and apples. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. WINE-COUNTRY CORNISHServes 4 When you buy (or pick) the tomatoes called for in this recipe, store them at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator. The tomato farmers say that refrigerator temperatures destroy a tomato's flavor and texture. Try to use tomatoes soon after you buy them while they're still at their best. 4 fresh Cornish game hens salt and ground pepper to taste 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 1/2 teaspoons minced, fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Fold wings back and tie legs together. In a Dutch oven large enough to hold all 4 Cornish, over medium-high heat, heat oil. Brown hens on breast side. If you don't have a pan big enough to do four at a time, brown one or two at a time. Remove hens and reserve. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in flour. Add remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir. Return hens to Dutch oven breast side up, and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Cornish are done when juices run clear with no hint of pink when thigh is pierced. RECIPES WITH CHICKEN PIECES In the early 1970s, 75% of the chicken sold was whole chicken. Today it's less than 25%. If you want to substitute all legs or all breasts or some other combination, look at the table in the Introduction, page s 12-13 for a chart showing equivalent amounts of the different parts. BATTER FRIED CHICKENServes 4 I bet you can make this in less time than it takes to drive to the local fast food place and wait in line for service and drive back again. It should cost a lot less too. Remember, you can re-use the frying oil many times. Just don't let it get so hot that it smokes and be sure to strain it after you've finished with the frying. 1-1/3 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup milk 1 egg, beaten 1 chicken cut in serving pieces Oil for deep frying In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients; add milk and egg gradually to make batter. Dip chicken in batter. In a deep fryer heat oil to 350oF. Add chicken and fry for 15 to 25 minutes until cooked through. BEER AND PRETZELS CHICKEN Serves 4 This dish is at its best when the bacon and pretzels are finely chopped. Use your blender or food processor to make the job easy. 1/3 cup flour 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 teaspoon ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1/2 cup beer 1 egg 1/2 cup finely crushed pretzels 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled 3 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley 1 chicken cut in serving pieces In a mixing bowl combine flour, paprika, salt, ginger and pepper. Add beer and egg; beat with a hand beater to make smooth batter. Mix crushed pretzels, Parmesan cheese, bacon and parsley in a large plastic bag. Dip chicken pieces one a time in batter; then place in bag with pretzel mix and shake to coat. Place coated chicken pieces in shallow baking pan, skin side up. Bake, covered, at 350oF for 30 minutes. Remove cover. Continue baking, uncovered, about 30 minutes longer or until chicken is cooked through. CAPITAL CHICKEN Serves 4 This is rather highly seasoned dish. Your family might prefer it with a little less ginger—but then again, maybe they'll love it this strong. 1 chicken, cut in serving pieces 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon flour 2 cloves garlic, sliced 1/2 cup rose wine 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup oil 1/4 cup water Preheat oven to 350oF. Place chicken in single layer, skin side up, in shallow baking pan. In a mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered for about 1 hour or until cooked through, basting occasionally. CHICKEN ORANGE-ANO Serves 4 When you're making this recipe, what if you find that your brown sugar has hardened into a brick and you can't measure it anymore? I used to take a hammer and wallop it and then use the pieces. But then a sugar cane producer told me that a short term emergency solution is to heat the sugar at 250 degrees in the oven until it softened. The advantage of this is that it works. The disadvantage is that whatever's left is twice as hard once it cools. You can re-heat it again, but it gets more brick-like with each heating. 1/3 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper 1 chicken, cut in serving pieces 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1 can (6-ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate 1 can (6-ounces) water 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg In a large plastic bag, combine flour salt and pepper. Add chicken pieces and shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chicken pieces and brown for 12 to 15 minutes per side. Remove chicken and reserve. Pour off and discard butter from skillet. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Return chicken to skillet. Cover and cook over low heat for about 1/2 hour, turning chicken several times until cooked through. FRUIT AND NUT CHICKENServes 4 Inflation hits all of us, but in this recipe, you'll find one ingredient has come down in price over the years. In fact, it's come down spectacularly. In Roman times, raisins weren't just expensive, they were money. You could buy a young slave for 2 amphora (jars) of raisins. 2 tablespoons oil 1 chicken cut in serving pieces 1-1/2 cups orange juice 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Ground pepper to taste 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup slivered almonds In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add chicken and brown for 12 to 15 minutes per side. Pour orange juice over chicken. Sprinkle salt, cinnamon, pepper, raisins and almonds on top. Cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until cooked through. OVEN BARBECUED CHICKENServes 4 This isn't new or unique, but it's good. Of course, you can always use your favorite prepared barbecue sauce if you prefer. 1 chicken, cut in serving pieces 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup chili sauce 1/4 cup vinegar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons oil Preheat oven to 350oF. Place chicken in single layer, skin side up, in shallow baking pan. In a mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until cooked through. PHOTO: Drumsticks in bowl of rice - bread & glass of wine - 3 RECIPES WITH GROUND CHICKEN Ground Chicken is a perfect substitute for ground beef in dishes such as spaghetti, chili, meatloaf, lasagna or even plain burgers. And ground chicken has fewer calories and less fat than ground beef. It will vary according to the individual manufacturer's formulations, but ground chicken usually averages 60% less fat than the U.S. Department of Agriculture standard permits for regular ground beef. (Regular ground beef is about 30% fat.)
I was surprised to learn that there's actually a double standard for the beef industry and the poultry industry when it comes to describing fat content. Beef can be classified as "lean" at 22.5% fat, while chicken is only "lean" if it contains 10% or less fat.