Books: The Perdue Chicken Cookbook
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Mitzi Perdue >> The Perdue Chicken Cookbook
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What's the best way to carve a chicken?
HERE HAVE ILLUSTRATION SHOWING HOW
Some of your recipes call for roasters. I don't live in an
area where Perdue chicken is sold, and I haven't been able
to find roasters in the stores. What exactly is a roaster,
and can I substitute a broiler?
A Perdue Oven Stuffer Roaster is a 12 week old bird
especially developed for a broad breast. Roasters are
bigger than broilers, and have a more favorable meat to
bone ratio than broilers. Because they are older birds,
they also have a much deeper, richer flavor. You can use
broilers in roaster recipes, but plan on the chicken's
being done sooner and having a noticeably milder flavor.
Frank, by the way, is the man responsible for
creating the roaster market. Back in the early 1970s, when
few people had ever heard of a roaster, he was the one who
worked to breed these broad-breasted birds, and who put the
effort into advertising so people would learn about the new
product. He surprised his colleagues by how determined he
was in his developing and marketing efforts. One of the men
who worked with Frank told me that he was amazed that
Frank, who will hang onto an old pair of shoes to save $50,
was willing to spend millions to let people know about the
product, and further, he did it without a qualm, because he
had such belief in it. If you haven't tried an Oven Stuffer
Roaster and you're visiting the East Coast, try one, and
you'll see why Frank believed in it so much.
Chapter One: CHICKEN FOR EVERYDAY
Napoleon's cook once bet that he could cook chicken a
different way every day of the year. The cook found that
this was an easy bet to win, and I can see why, having
looked at the recipes in Frank's files. Chicken's
versatility seems almost endless. Perdue Farms home
economists have been developing chicken recipes since the
early 1970s and as a result, Frank has more than 2000
chicken recipes. If only Napoleon had chosen to bet with
me, I could have won even if he'd said the bet was for six
years!
In this chapter, you'll find some of Frank's and my
favorites for every day cooking. But there are different
kinds of every day cooking, so I've divided the chapter
into three sections to take care of three different every
day situations.
The first section, Fast Food Chicken from Your
Refrigerator, is for when you're in a hurry and want dinner
on the table in the shortest possible time. None of these
recipes takes more than 15 minutes, and many are ready in
five. However, you will find special tricks to make the
food more interesting than just heat and serve.
The second section, Perdue Plus Five, is for when you
don't mind if dinner isn't ready for another hour or so,
but you want your part of the preparation to be as brief as
possible. The recipes in this section use only five
ingredients in addition to chicken, salt, and pepper, and
all of the recipes are simple to prepareathough they may
take awhile to cook.
The third section, Family Favorites, is for relaxed
times. When you don't mind spending some time putting
together something your family will really like, try this
section.
FAST FOOD CHICKEN FROM YOUR REFRIGERATOR
(PHOTO: The most valuable player on the TV Football-
party table might be Perdue Done It!)
Frank loves to tell people that they can pick up
delicious, fast-food chicken within easy walking
distanceatheir refrigerators. "When you're hungry and in a
hurry," he says, "you don't need to rush across town for
great chicken. You can just walk (slowly) to your
refrigerator and pick up my Perdue Done It! chicken."
Although fried foods are notoriously high in fat,
particularly fast food ones. Perdue Done It! is an
exception. Frank flash fries the Perdue Done It!
products. They are in oil for seconds only. Further, to
assure the chicken is as low in saturated fat as possible,
Perdue uses only polyunsaturated soybean oil.
In the recipes that follow, I've used generic nuggets,
cutlets, tenders, and other fully cooked products.
However, try for the Perdue Done It! if you live in the
Perdue marketing area, which is the East Coast and some of
the Mid Western states. The Perdue nuggets, cutlets and
tenders come from white meat fillets, while some of the
other brands are pressed and formed from dark meat chicken
and don't have the best texture or flavor.
TENDERS, AND NUGGETS
Chick on a Biscuit: Split hot baked biscuits. Fill each
with a breaded chicken nugget and a thin slice of ham; top
with mustard.
Chicken Mexicali: Top cutlets or tenders with prepared
salsa and avocado slices.
Chicken Parmesan: Top partially heated cutlets with
spaghetti sauce and sliced mozzarella cheese; broil briefly
to melt cheese.
Super Caesar Salad: Quarter heated nuggets and toss with
croutons, Romaine lettuce, and Caesar salad dressing.
Holiday Crepe: Heat breast tenders and place on a warm
crepe. Top with cranberry sauce and roll up; serve with
sour cream.
Japanese Meal-in-a-Bowl: Prepare Japanese-style noodle
soup (ramen) as directed. Add heated chicken breast
nuggets or tenders, sliced scallions and a dash of soy
sauce. (I often put this in a Thermos and bring it to
Frank at his office when he's working late.)
Nugget Sticks: On metal skewers, alternately thread 4 to 5
chicken breast nuggets with 2 inch pieces of bacon. Heat
in oven as directed on nugget package. Dip into prepared
chutney or sweet-sour sauce.
Stir-Fry Snack: Stir-fry wings in a little oil with red
bell pepper strips, scallions and sliced water chestnuts.
Season with soy sauce. Serve over rice.
Substantial Sub: Split a loaf of Italian bread lengthwise.
Pile on heated breaded chicken cutlets or tenders,
provolone cheese, sliced tomato, sweet onion, pimentos and
shredded lettuce. Douse with bottled salad dressing and
dig in.
Tenders Under Wraps: Brush Boston lettuce leaves with
prepared hoisin sauce or Chinese-style duck sauce. Place a
heated tender or 2 nuggets and a piece of scallion on top.
Roll up lettuce around tender, securing with a toothpick.
PRECOOKED HOT & SPICY WINGS
Chicken Antipasto: Arrange hot & spicy wings on platter
with slices of provolone cheese, sliced tomatoes, marinated
artichoke hearts and olives.
Out-of-Buffalo Wings: Warm hot & spicy wings and arrange
with celery sticks around a blue cheese dip. Combine 3/4
cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese and 1 minced
scallion in a small bowl.
Speedy Arroz Con Pollo: Prepare a box of Spanish rice mix
as package directs. During last 10 minutes of cooking
time, add 1 package hot & spicy wings, 1 package thawed
frozen peas and 1/2 cup sliced olives. ed chicken, toasted
almonds, and chopped scallions. Blend in mayonnaise
flavored with curry powder and spoon back into pineapple
shell to serve.
Cheesy Chick: Prepare packaged stuffing mix as directed,
adding 1 cup shredded Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese. Stuff
whole roasted chicken or Cornish hens with mixture; heat
until warmed through.
Chicken Frittata: Shred roasted chicken or cut breaded
chicken into cubes. Add to beaten eggs, along with
mushrooms, onions, and any leftover vegetables. Cook
mixture quickly, forming into an open-faced omelet or
frittata.
Chicken Normandy: Arrange cut-up roasted chicken or
Cornish hen meat in a shallow baking dish and scatter
thinly sliced apples around pieces. Cover and heat until
hot and apples are tender. Stir in a little light or heavy
cream and warm to serve.
Chicken Reuben: Thinly slice roasted chicken. Pile on
sliced rye that's been spread with Russian dressing. Top
with prepared sauerkraut, a slice of Swiss cheese, and
another slice of rye. Grill or pan fry sandwiches until
cheese melts.
Chicken Sesame: Brush roasted chicken or Cornish hens with
bottled salad dressing; sprinkle surface with sesame seeds
and heat as directed.
Fabulous Fajitas: Slice roasted chicken into strips.
Saute in oil, adding lime juice, garlic, and ground cumin
to taste. Roll up in warm flour tortillas and top with
chunks of avocado, chopped scallion, and cherry tomatoes.
Pasta Pizazz: Saute pieces of roasted or breaded chicken
with sliced zucchini, chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, and
garlic. Add a dash of heavy cream and toss with hot cooked
spaghetti or noodles.
Power Pita: Slice roasted chicken and stuff into a whole
wheat pita bread. Top with shredded carrots, alfalfa
sprouts, red pepper strips and a tablespoon of dressing
made of plain yogurt seasoned with lemon juice, curry
powder and salt and pepper to taste.
Stir Fried Chicken: Dice roasted chicken into a wok or
skillet and stir-fry with scallions, celery, mushrooms, and
peas. Add cooked rice and soy sauce to taste; toss well.
Super Spud: Halve a baked potato and top with shredded
roasted chicken mixed with a little mayonnaise. Pile on
shredded Swiss cheese, bacon bits, and chopped chives; bake
or microwave until cheese melts.
Taco Perdue: Cube roasted chicken and serve in taco
shells, topped with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes,
onion, shredded cheese, and taco sauce.
PHOTO: Harvest fruit adds seasonal flavor to chicken - 3
Golden Nugget Salad: Heat 1 package of chicken breast
nuggets. Combine with Romaine lettuce, halved cherry
tomatoes and diced avocado. Toss with your favorite
dressing.
NUGGETS OR TENDERS WITH DIP
Fully cooked breaded chicken breast nuggets (14-18 per
package)
or
Tenders (6-8 per package)
Following package directions, warm nuggets or tenders in a
conventional oven or, using package tray, heat in a
microwave oven. Serve with ketchup or your favorite
mustard. For myself, I've been trying some of the more
exotic mustards from the supermarket and sometimes I put
out several kinds in pretty little dishes that I'd
otherwise use for nuts. Instead of a wine or cheese
tasting, my guests end up trying different mustards.
PERDUE PLUS FIVE
When was the last time you baked a pie from scratch?
I'm asking you this question because I'm guessing that
you're like many other people who've told me that today
they'd never have time to bake a pie from scratch. They
might have once, but they don't have the time any more.
In the last few years I've asked this question to
dozens and dozens of audiences when giving talks. Almost
always, I get the same answer: that people who once had had
the time to do a lot of cooking now seldom do. The want to
eat well, they enjoy cooking, but they just can't find the
time.
If you were to ask me that question, I'd have to
answer that I haven't found time to bake a pie from scratch
in years either. Frank keeps me so busy that sometimes I
think that I'm married to a whirlwind. People joke that
he's the only man you'll ever meet who can enter a
revolving door in the compartment behind you and come out
ahead of you. They also joke that he doesn't get ulcers$but
he's a carrier.
Knowing quick recipes has become more important to me
than ever, and this section contains a selection of the
best. The heating and cooking time may take an hour or so,
but your part in the kitchen should be no more than fifteen
minutes. In this section, you'll find uncomplicated
recipes with few steps, and none of the recipes have more
than five ingredients in addition to chicken, salt, pepper
and water.
If like me, you also are looking for ways to prepare
meals that taste good, look good, give you more
satisfaction than microwaving a store bought frozen dinner,
but don't require a long time in the kitchen, this section
is for you.
BAKED ONION CHICKEN Serves 4
Recipes don't get much easier on the cook than this. Anne
Nesbit developed it for Perdue Farms. One of her jobs as a
Perdue home economist was to translate some of the world's
most successful recipes into ones that were both easy to
assemble and quick to prepare. "I'm an admirer of simple
recipes," says Anne. "My heart was in this work because I
believed in it. People want food that looks good and
tastes good, but they don't have time to put a lot of work
into getting there." I've never met Anne, except over the
phone, but from this comment, I know I would like her. The
recipe isn't fancy, and it may be old-fashioned, but it's a
treasure when you're in a hurry.
1 chicken, cut in serving pieces
dehydrated onion soup mix
Preheat oven to 350oF. Roll chicken in dry soup mix, using
about as much mix as you would salt. Place chicken in a
single layer, skin side up, on baking sheet. Bake,
uncovered for 55 to 65 minutes until cooked through.
BASIC FRIED CHICKENServes 4
This is fried chicken in its simplest form. It's good
enough so that the last time I made it, the grandchildren
were making off with pieces almost as fast as I could cook
them. Frank's daughter Anne Oliviero particularly
recommends basic fried chicken served cold the next day for
picnics. She and her family love to explore some of the
islands off the coast of Maine, where they live, and cold
fried chicken is just about always on the menu.
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper or to taste
1 chicken cut in serving pieces
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
In a large plastic bag combine flour with salt and pepper.
Shake chicken in bag with mixture. In a large, deep
skillet over medium heat, melt shortening. Cook chicken
uncovered, heat for 20 to 30 minutes on each side or until
cooked through.
OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN, SOUTHWESTERN STYLE
Any basic fried chicken recipe may be adapted for oven
frying. It is a useful technique when cooking larger
quantities of chicken and is less messy than stovetop
frying. (Especially if you have a self-cleaning oven.)
Simply follow the basic cooking instructions as given in
the Southwestern version below.
1 chicken, cut in serving pieces
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon Tabasco, optional
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Place chicken in a large bowl. Sprinkle with Tabasco.
Pour buttermilk over all and allow to marinate for 10 to 15
minutes. Preheat oven to 425oF. Place 1/2 inch of oil in
the bottom of a heavy baking pan large enough to hold
chicken without crowding. Place pan in oven to heat for 10
minutes. In a plastic bag combine remaining ingredients.
Shake chicken in seasoned flour. Remove pieces one at a
time and quickly slip into hot oil. Place in oven and bake
for 20 minutes. Turn and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer
or until chicken is cooked through. Drain chicken on
crumpled paper towels.
BASIC ROAST CHICKENServes 4
Sometimes there is nothing else that will fill the bill
like roasted chicken. Here's the easiest way to do it.
You can brush the surface with melted butter, margarine or
oil, but it isn't really necessary.
1 whole chicken
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 package (7-1/2-ounces) stuffing mix, prepared as directed
on package
Sprinkle cavity of chicken with salt. Stuff with favorite
prepared stuffing. Or skip stuffing if you're really in a
hurry. Place chicken in baking pan (no rack needed).
ROASTING CHART
Approximate Additional Cooking
Cooking Time Amount of Time if Stuffed time
at 350F Stuffing if Stuffed
Broiler/Fryer 1-1/4 to 2 hours 1-1/2 to 2 cups 15
to 20 minutes
(2-1/2 to 4 pounds)
Oven Stuffer Roaster 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours 3 to 3-
1/2 cups 20 to 25 minutes
(5 to 7 pounds)
Cornish Game Hen 60 to 75 minutes 1/2 to 3/4 cup 15
to 20 minutes
(18-24-ounces)
BIRD OF PARADISEServes 4
The recipe calls for a chicken cut in serving pieces, but
naturally you can substitute any parts that you
particularly like, such as breasts or thighs. Three breasts
or 6 thighs with drumsticks attached would come out to
about the same amount as the 1 chicken called for in this
recipe.
1 chicken, cut in serving pieces
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sherry
Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl
combine egg and milk. Place cheese in a shallow baking
pan. Dip chicken in egg mixture; then roll in cheese. In
a large, deep skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add
chicken and brown for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Add
sherry. Cover and cook at medium-low heat for 35 to 45
minutes or until cooked through.
CORN CRISPED CHICKENServes 4
I grew up on this recipe. It's not new, but it's good and
the preparation time is minimal. If you don't have
cornflakes, you can substitute almost any breakfast flakes
as long as they don't have raisins in them. (The raisins
can scorch in the oven.) For variation, you can add 1
teaspoon dried italian seasonings or 1 teaspoon chili
powder or 3/4 teaspoon curry powder to the cornflake
crumbs.
1 cup cornflake crumbs
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
1 chicken, cut in serving pieces
Preheat oven to 350oF. On a sheet of wax paper combine
cornflake crumbs, salt and pepper. Place evaporated milk
in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in milk; then roll in
seasoned crumbs. Place chicken, skin side up, in a baking
pan. Bake, uncovered for 1 hour, or until cooked through.
CUTLET PAILLARDS WITH BASIL BUTTERServes 4
When I made this recipe, I happened to be in a hurry, and
didn't have time to get fresh basil so I used dried basil
instead. Frank liked it and had seconds. The name
"Paillard," by the way, comes from a European restaurant
famous at the end of the 19th Century.
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or 1 thin sliced
boneless roaster breast
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil, or 1 tablespoon dried
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and ground pepper to taste
lemon slices, for garnish
Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to
1/2 inch thickness. If using thin sliced boneless Roaster
breast, omit placing in plastic wrap and pounding. Brush
cutlets lightly with oil, Grill over hot coals 3 to 4
minutes per side, rotating to form crosshatch marks
characteristic of paillards, or broil 3 to 4 minutes per
side or until cooked through. Place butter, basil, garlic
and lemon juice in a small pan and melt on the side of the
grill. Spoon butter over paillards and season with salt
and pepper. Garnish with lemon slices.
EASY OVEN CHICKENServes 4
This recipe has been one of my favorites since college
days. The true chicken flavor comes out with just a touch
of garlic.
1 chicken, cut in serving pieces
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 small clove garlic, minced
Preheat oven to 350oF. In a shallow baking pan arrange
chicken in a single layer, skin side up. Pour oil over
chicken. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Bake,
uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until cooked through.
HONEY LEMON CHICKENServes 4
This recipe was originally designed for broiling, but this
version requires less attention. 1 chicken, cut in serving
pieces
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Preheat oven to 350oF. In a shallow baking pan arrange
chicken in a single layer, skin side down. In a small bowl
combine honey, lemon juice and salt. Pour half of this
sauce over chicken. Bake, covered for 30 minutes. Remove
cover; turn chicken. Pour other half of sauce on chicken.
Replace cover. Bake another 25 to 30 minutes or until
cooked through, removing cover last 10 minutes for
browning.
HONEY-MUSTARD BAKED BREASTServes 4
Have you ever been concerned about whether the honey you
have in your cupboard is fresh or whether it should be
thrown out? Not to worry! Honey is itself a natural
preservative and samples of honey have been found in the
tombs of Ancient Egypt that were still edible. If it's
crystallized, it may look bad, but it's still a wholesome
food. Just heat it gently until it reliquifies.
1 whole boneless roaster breast
salt and ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
Preheat oven to 350oF. Season breast with salt and pepper.
Combine butter, honey, mustard and curry powder. Spoon
half of sauce into a shallow baking dish. Add breast and
turn to coat well. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour or
until cooked through. Turn and baste with remaining sauce
once during cooking time.
IT'S A DILLY CHICKEN
When I read this recipe in the files, I noticed several
hand-scrawled notes saying that it was really good, and
someone described it as "a dilly of a recipe." Yet from
reading the recipe, it didn't sound as special as the notes
indicated, especially since the ingredients include canned
mushrooms rather than fresh. I was curious enough that I
went to the kitchen and made the recipe, expecting that
this would be one of the recipes that I wouldn't include in
this book. But to my surprise, I discovered that yes, dill
seed and canned mushrooms, along with the juice from the
mushrooms, really do something terrific for chicken. It's
not rich or creamy, but there's an attractive, aromatic
flavor that permeates the chicken.
1 chicken, cut in serving pieces
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 can (4-ounces) whole small mushrooms (with liquid)
1/2 teaspoon dill seed
Preheat oven to 350oF. In a shallow baking pan arrange
chicken, skin side up, in a single layer. Add salt,
pepper, mushrooms (with liquid from can) and dill. Cover
with foil. Bake at for 1 hour or until cooked through.
KIWI GLAZED CORNISH HENSServes 2
Kiwifruit is only sweet and mild when it's fully ripe. A
kiwifruit grower told me that kiwifruits are ripe when
they're "soft as a baby's bottom." When they're underripe,
they taste like something between a lemon and a crabapple.
If your kiwifruit is hard when you bring it home, give it a
couple of days to ripen on your kitchen counter.
2 fresh Cornish game hens
salt and ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ripe kiwifruit, peeled and mashed
Preheat oven to 350oF. Remove giblets. Season hens inside
and out with salt and pepper. Tie legs together, fold
wings back and arrange in baking pan. In a small saucepan
over medium-low heat, melt butter. Brush hens with 2
tablespoons butter, reserving remainder. Put hens in oven,
and while they are cooking, prepare kiwi glaze. Add sugar
to remaining butter in pan and heat over medium-low until
sugar dissolves. Add mashed kiwi and cook one minute.
Remove from heat. After 45 minutes of cooking time, brush
hens generously with kiwi glaze. Continue baking for 15 to
20 minutes or until juices run clear with no hint of pink
when thigh is pierced.
FAMILY FAVORITES
In contrast to the preceding recipes, these recipes have
more ingredients and require more preparation time, but if
you've got the time, they're worth it. If you want to
minimize time in the kitchen using these recipes, here are
some suggestions.
Tips for Saving Time in the Kitchen
_To halve baking time, select boneless chicken
breasts. Cooking time is only 15-20 minutes at 350oF. A
bone-in breast takes 35-45 minutes.
_Stir fry chicken can be done in as little as 4
minutes.
_Cook double batches and freeze the extras in serving
size packages. On days when time is short, pop a package
into the microwave for "fast food."
_Take advantage of your supermarket's time-saving
convenience items. If you're in a hurry, don't bother to
slice and chop your fresh ingredients. The salad bar has
probably done it for you. You can also find time savers
such as shredded cheese and frozen chopped onion. (The
supermarket industry has watched restaurants and fast food
stores take more and more of your food dollars away each
year. They're now doing everything they can think of to
reverse this trend and make supermarket shopping so
attractive, quick, convenient and economical that you'll
want to cook at home.)
_Learn to cook chicken in the microwave. A pound of
broiler parts that would take 40 minutes in a 350 degree
oven takes only 6-10 minutes in the microwave. See Chapter
Four, Chicken in the Microwave.
SOUPS
PHOTO: Pot of soup with fresh vegetables surrounding
outside - 2
Wherever there are people and chickens, there are
chicken soups. Virtually every immigrant group arriving in
America brought along favorite chicken soup recipes and
often the treasured family soup pot, too.
If you grew up on canned, frozen, and dried soups, you
may not realize how easy it is to make truly wonderful
soups at home. If so, try it for yourself, perhaps with
these American classics. All the soups are based on a key
ingredient: rich, homemade chicken stock, made from either
whole birds or from parts, in about three hours. Stock
takes little tending, just slow easy cooking to bring out
all the flavor and wholesome goodness. Why not try making
one of these soups now? And then, with the help of your
freezer, enjoy the results many times in the coming months.
Basic Guide to Chicken Soup
_Older, larger birds, such as the 5-7 pound roasters,
make the best soups. An older bird will have developed more
of the rich, intense chickeny flavor than the younger,
milder-flavored broilers or Cornish hens. I've made soup
from broilers and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't as good as
it could be.
_Use roaster parts if you want to save time. They
cook faster and are excellent when you need only a small
amount of broth. The richest flavor, by the way, comes
from the muscles that are exercised most, which happen to
be the dark meat muscles. All parts will make satisfactory
soup, but the legs, thighs and necks provide the fullest
flavor.
_For clear, golden broth, do not add liver. It turns
stock cloudy. And avoid a greenish cast by using only
parsley stems and the white parts of leeks or scallions.
_As the stock cooks down, foam will float to the top.
Skim it off, or strain it out through double cheesecloth
when the stock is complete. Tie herbs and greens in
cheesecloth as a "bouquet garni," so you won't
inadvertently remove them during the skimming.
_Always simmer stock over low to medium heat. It's not
a good idea to boil the stock for the same reason it's not
a good idea to boil coffee; too much of the flavor would
boil away into the air. _Leftover vegetables and those past
their prime are good pureed in cream soups. When
thickening such recipes with egg, prevent curdling by
stirring a cup of hot soup first into egg, then back into
soup. Also, be careful to keep the soup from boiling once
you've added the egg.
_Most soups develop better flavor if you'll store
them, covered, in the refrigerator for a day or two. To
seal in the flavor while you're storing the soup, don't
remove the fat that's on top. When you're ready to serve
the soup you can lift the congealed fat off as a sheet. To
remove the last particles of fat, place unscented paper
towel on the surface. Draw towel to one side and remove.
_When freezing stock, allow 1/2- to 1-inch head room
in containers so soup can expand. Freeze some in quart-
sized or larger containers for use in soups. Ladle the
rest into ice cube trays or muffin cups for adding to
vegetables, sauces, or gravies. Freeze and then transfer
frozen stock cubes to a plastic bag or freezer container
and keep frozen until ready to use.
_Soup may be stored in the refrigerator two or three
days or frozen for three to four months. When reheating,
make sure to bring the broth to a boil. Soups enriched
with eggs are, unfortunately, not good candidates for
reheating; they're apt to curdle.
BASIC CHICKEN STOCK
Makes about 8 cups
If you need to, you can make the following substitutions
for the roaster: 1 stewing hen or spent fowl (5-7 pounds);
2 fresh young chickens (2-4 pounds); or 6 pounds fresh
chicken parts, preferably dark meat portions. (As I
mentioned earlier, young chickens will not provide as rich
a flavor as the older birds but the taste will still be
good.) Cooking times for meat will vary from 3 hours for
stewing hens or spent fowl, to 1-1/2 hours for 2 smaller
birds to slightly less time for parts. In each case, time
from beginning of simmer and return bones to stock for an
additional 1/2 hour after you've removed the meat.
Chicken stock is delicious served as a simple broth
with herbs, shredded or julienne vegetables, slivers of
meat, or rice. It also is the base from which countless
other soups are made.
1 roaster (5-7 pounds)
chicken giblets, except liver
1 large bay leaf
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
4 quarts water or enough to cover chicken generously
1 cup dry white wine, optional
2 medium onions, quartered
2 large carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced, optional
1 bunch fresh parsley, stems only
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Remove giblets from roaster and discard bird-watcher
thermometer, if it has one. Place roaster along with
giblets in a large stockpot (8 to 10 quarts) or other large
sauce pot. Wrap bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, and thyme
in cheesecloth as bouquet garni; tie closed with string.
Add to stockpot along with remaining ingredients. Cover
pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 2-1/2 hours or
until meat is tender. Carefully skim stock from time to
time with a ladle or spoon to remove fat particles and
foam.
To check roaster for doneness, pull back a leg or cut into
meat close to bone; it is cooked when no pink color remains
in meat. Remove pieces with a slotted spoon. Cut away
meat from bones and return bones to stock; simmer 30
minutes longer. (See Chapter 10: Cooking with Leftovers
for uses for the cooked meat.)
Strain stock through a fine sieve. If you want, prepare in
advance to this point and refrigerate or freeze. Skim off
top fat before using.
To make a soup, bring as much stock as needed to a simmer.
Then follow the soup recipe, adding chicken, vegetables,
thickeners, seasonings, and garnishes.
CHICKEN-IN-EVERY-POT SOUPServes 4-6
For the best flavor, use fresh vegetables, varying them
according to the season. Speaking of fresh vegetables, do
you know how to tell a good carrot? Look at the "crown,"
(that's the stem end). If the crown is turning brown or
black or has regrowth visible where the stem was, you've
got a carrot that's been around awhile. If the crown and
shoulders are a bright orange, you've got a nice, fresh
carrot.
1 cup potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, in 1/4-inch by 2-inch sticks
1 cup celery, in 1/4-inch by 2-inch sticks
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans, in 2-inch pieces
2 cups cooked chicken, in 1/4-inch by 2-inch julienne
strips
1 cup zucchini, in 1/4-inch by 2-inch sticks
Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough salted water to
cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook
potatoes 5 minutes; drain, rinse under cold water and set
aside. In large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring
broth and sherry to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
Add onions, carrots, and celery and simmer 5 minutes. Stir
in green beans and chicken and heat soup to boiling. Add
zucchini and potatoes and simmer 1 minute longer or until
vegetables are as tender as you like them.
Variation: Chicken Minestrone
Add 1 cup chopped stewed tomatoes in their juice and 2 cups
cooked, drained fusilli or other pasta and 1/2-cup cooked
kidney beans when adding zucchini and potatoes. Stir in
1/2-cup grated Parmesan cheese just before serving. Other
fresh vegetables may be added according to their cooking
times. Minestrone happens to be one of Frank's favorites,
although he skips the cheese because of its cholesterol.
NEW ENGLAND CHICKEN 'N' CORN CHOWDERServes 4-6
Chowders are thick soups which take their name from the
large French pot used in soup-making called a "chaudiere."
You can use fresh corn in this recipe, but I deliberately
suggested frozen corn first because frozen corn can
actually taste sweeter and fresher than the fresh corn you
buy at the supermarket. Corn loses 50% of its sweetness in
just 24 hours at room temperature, and it can take days for
corn to get from the fields to the supermarket to your
house. In contrast, frozen corn is rushed from the fields
to the freezer in just a few hours, and once frozen, it
stops losing its sweetness. Strange as it may seem, with
corn, frozen can taste fresher than fresh.
1/4 pound bacon or salt pork, diced
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups peeled potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn or kernels from 2 ears of
corn
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup (1/2-pint) heavy cream
Oyster crackers, for garnish
In large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute bacon for 3
minutes until its fat has been rendered. Add onions and
celery and cook 3 minutes longer. Stir in broth and bring
to a boil, whisking constantly. Add potatoes and corn,
season with salt and pepper and cook 5 to 10 minutes or
until tender. Stir in chicken and cream, simmer 3 minutes
and serve with oyster crackers.
Variation: Shellfish Chowder
Add 1 cup chopped green pepper and 1 cup cooked crab or
shrimp to soup when adding chicken.
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