Books: The Perdue Chicken Cookbook
M >>
Mitzi Perdue >> The Perdue Chicken Cookbook
Pages:
1 |
2 | 3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18
HEARTY LANCASTER CHICKEN, VEGETABLE AND DUMPLING SOUP
Serves 4
This is a famous Pennsylvania summer soup made with extra
vegetables for hearty winter eating. You can substitute
noodles for the dumplings, or add crackers, pretzels $ and
some people have told me that even popcorn works. I'm
skeptical about the popcorn, but if you're feeling
adventurous, give it a try.
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup parboiled potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup parboiled carrots, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded green cabbage
1 cup thinly-sliced leek, white and tender green parts
only, or 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 package (10-ounces) frozen corn kernels from 2 ears of
corn
Knepp
In large saucepan over high heat, bring broth to a boil.
Add other ingredients and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3
minutes while making dumplings.
Knepp (Little Dumplings)
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon minced, fresh parsley, optional garnish
In small bowl, beat egg; stir in flour, water, salt, baking
powder, and nutmeg. Drop batter by half teaspoons into the
simmering soup. When dumplings rise to top, stir in
parsley and serve.
Variation: Chicken Spinach Straciatella
Omit dumplings. Clean and stem 1/2 pound fresh spinach;
stack and cut into 1/2-inch strips. Whisk together 2 eggs
with 1/2-cup grated Parmesan cheese. Stir in spinach with
chicken, then heat soup just to boiling. Immediately pour
in the egg mixture in a thin stream, while stirring. The
goal is to end up with thread-like strands of cooked egg.
Cook until soup simmers again; stir gently just before
serving.
STEW FROM BAVARIAServes 4
If you like mild sauerkraut, instead of just draining it,
as the recipe suggests, rinse it in a colander or strainer.
1 roaster boneless breast, cut into bite-size pieces
salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 pound sauerkraut, drained
1 can (16 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 large apple, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Season breast pieces with salt and pepper. In a flame
proof casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt
butter. Add chicken and onions. Saute until lightly
browned, about 5 minutes. In a bowl combine sauerkraut,
cranberry sauce and apples. Spoon over chicken and onions
and toss gently. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for
20 minutes. Sprinkle with walnuts just before serving.
MAIN DISH RECIPES
RECIPES WITH CHICKEN BREASTS
Unlike women, chickens have only one breast. A single
serving would usually be a breast half.
The recipes that follow will refer to "breasts" and
"breast halves." A cutlet is a breast half (or thigh) that
is both skinless and boneless and sometimes has been
pounded to flatten. A scaloppine is a cutlet sliced almost
in half lengthwise and then opened, like the wings of a
butterfly or a thin slice from a large roaster breast. To
save time, look for chicken scaloppine which have already
been made for you: the Perdue thin-sliced Oven Stuffer
Roaster Breasts are ready-made scaloppine.
The recipes will also specify whether to use a chicken
breast or a roaster breast. You can interchange them, but
the results will be different. A roaster has a more
intense flavor and is juicier. It's also bigger, and
requires longer cooking.
BAKED BREASTS WITH CHEESEServes 4
When the Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters and Roaster Parts
first came out, Frank used to have recipe cards put in each
one because it was a new product and most people didn't
know how they should be cooked. The practice was
discontinued once Roasters became well-known. The woman in
charge of distributing recipes told me that sometimes the
recipes on the cards became family favorites, and when a
person lost one of the family favorite cards, he or she
would actually take the trouble to write to Frank for a
replacement. I asked how often this happens and learned
that over the years, Frank has received thousands of
letters requesting replacement cards. This is one of the
recipes that people have asked for over and over again.
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1 roaster boneless breast
salt and ground pepper to taste
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons dry white wine
3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 375oF. Lightly butter a shallow baking
dish. Place chicken in baking dish and sprinkle with salt,
pepper, scallions, parsley, and thyme. In a measuring cup
combine broth and wine and pour over chicken. Cover and
bake 20 minutes. In a small bowl combine cheeses and bread
crumbs. Remove chicken from oven and sprinkle with cheese
mixture. Dot with remaining butter and place under broiler
until cheese is melted and golden.
BERLINER SCHNITZEL BREASTServes 4
You'll notice that the "hard-cooked" egg in this recipe
isn't called "hard-boiled." The reason is that the egg
producers tell me that it's better never to boil an egg,
but rather to cook it until it's hard in water that's just
below boiling. If you cook your eggs in boiling water,
they'll end up with an unattractive greenish color where
the yolk meets the white. At lower temperatures, the yolk
will be more tender and won't discolor.
1 roaster boneless breast or a package of thin sliced
boneless roaster breast.
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup flour
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
vegetable oil
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Separate fillets from breast halves and then cut breast
halves in half, lengthwise. Place breast pieces between
sheets of plastic wrap. Pound chicken to a 1/4-inch
thickness to form scaloppine. If using thin sliced breast
skip this step. In a shallow bowl beat eggs with salt and
pepper. Place flour and bread crumbs on sheets of wax
paper. Dredge chicken in flour then dip in egg and coat
with breadcrumbs. Heat 1/4-inch oil in a large skillet
over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute for 3 to 4
minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove to
serving platter. Pour oil from skillet and wipe clean.
Add butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Add
lemon juice and capers carefully to avoid spatters; pour
over schnitzels. In a small bowl toss together hard-
cooked egg and parsley and sprinkle over top. Serve with
buttered noodles.
BONELESS BREAST PARMESANServes 4
To get the best flavor from the tomatoes, make sure your
supermarket doesn't store them on the chilling shelf and
don't refrigerate them when you bring them home. Store
them at room temperature and use them soon after you buy
them.
1 roaster boneless breast or thin sliced boneless roaster
breast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
Ground pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup flour
1 pound fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried
Separate fillets from breast halves and then cut breast
halves in half, lengthwise. Place breast pieces between
sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4" thickness to form
scaloppine. If using thin sliced breast, skip the previous
step. In a shallow bowl beat eggs with 3/4 teaspoon salt
and pepper. Place flour on a sheet of wax paper. On
another sheet of wax paper combine bread crumbs and
Parmesan cheese. Dredge cutlets in flour, dip in egg and
roll in bread crumb mixture. Refrigerate while making
sauce. In a small serving bowl combine tomatoes, garlic,
1/4 cup olive oil, basil and salt and pepper. In a large
skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining oil. Add
chicken and saute for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until
cooked through. Transfer to a warmed serving dish. Pass
sauce separately.
BREAST COQ AU VIN Serves 4
The famous food writer, Malcolm R. Herbert, tells a story
that I've always loved about coq au vin (chicken in wine).
According to Herbert, a lady lavished praise on Alexander
Dumaine, one of France's outstanding chefs, for his version
of chicken in wine.
"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.
I was also surprised to learn how complicated it is to
make ground chicken. If I weren't connected with the
industry, I would have thought that to get ground chicken,
you just put it in a grinder the way you do to get
hamburger, and that would be it. Ah, but it's not so! The
fibers of chicken meat are shorter and more delicate than
beef. To get the right texture took a full year of
experimentation and fine tuning at Perdue. The skilled and
knowledgeable food scientists working on the project had to
discover which parts of the bird tasted best in hamburger,
what size holes the meat should be forced through in the
grinding machine, what temperature would be best, and so
on. A difference of a mere 2 degrees in the meat's
temperature meant the difference between a desirable
texture and one that was merely passable.
I remember when the food scientists were first
developing the ground chicken, that hundreds of people,
including me, were involved in the taste testings. I also
remember the first time Frank and I tried ground chicken
outside of the laboratory. It happened at a barbecue at
his son's house. Jim and Jan Perdue had chicken hamburgers
and beef hamburgers grilling side by side, and Frank beamed
like a kid with a new toy when he saw how the chicken
burgers stayed plump and didn't shrink. Meanwhile the
hamburgers, being 20% fat, were dwindling into hockey
pucks.
Basic Cooking Guide for Burgers:
Saute: Shape one package fresh ground chicken into
patties. Saute in a small amount of oil over high heat, 1
to 2 minutes on each side to brown. Reduce heat to medium
and continue to cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side until
thoroughly cooked and springs back to the touch.
Broil: Shape one package fresh ground chicken into
patties. Broil on a rack 4-inches from heat 5 to 6 minutes
on each side until thoroughly cooked and springs back to
the touch.
Grill: Shape one package fresh ground chicken into
patties. Place burgers on hottest area of lightly oiled
grill 1 to 2 minutes on each side to brown. Move burgers
toward the outside of the grill and continue to cook 5 to 6
minutes on each side until thoroughly cooked and springs
back to the touch.
CHICKEN STROMBOLI Serves 4
I've had this at a restaurant, made with bread dough, but I
liked it better using this recipe with pie crust dough.
The day I made it, I was late (as usual), and took a short
cut: I used prepared pie crusts, the kind that come frozen
and already shaped in aluminum pie pans.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 large green pepper, thinly sliced
1 package (about 1 pound) fresh ground chicken
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 prepared recipe pie crust mix
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add
onion and pepper and saute 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken,
tomato paste and seasonings and cook 8 to 10 minutes until
chicken is cooked through. Preheat oven to 375oF. Roll
out prepared pie crust into a round 1/8 inch thick. Cut
circle in quarters to form 4 wedge shaped pieces. Place
1/4 of filling on the wide rounded end of each wedge; fold
in sides and roll up. Place stromboli seam-side down on
baking sheet, brush with butter and bake 30 minutes until
pastry is lightly browned.
CHICKEN BURGERS BORDELAISEServes 4
These are good just as they are, but I've also found that
they're wonderful made into little cocktail sized meat
balls to pass during parties. By the way, at one of my
parties, I tried to determine whether it was better to use
the maximum amount of pepper and mustard in this recipe or
the minimum. Some guests liked the meat balls highly
seasoned, and others preferred them mild, so I guess one
isn't better than the other; it's just what your family or
guests like.
1 package (about 1 pound) fresh ground chicken
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)
1-1/4 cups red wine
1/4 cup minced shallots or scallions
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 to 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Form chicken into 4 burgers. Press pepper into both sides.
In a large, non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat, heat
oil. Add burgers and brown for 2 minutes on each side.
Salt burgers lightly and reduce heat to medium-low.
Continue cooking 5 to 6 minutes per side until thoroughly
cooked through. While burgers are cooking, combine wine,
shallots, sugar, mustard and thyme in a saucepan. Cook
over high heat 5 to 6 minutes until liquid is reduced to
3/4 cup. Remove burgers from skillet and keep warm. Add
wine mixture to skillet and stir over medium heat to
combine with pan juices. Whisk in butter and parsley.
Spoon sauce over burgers and serve.
Pages:
1 |
2 | 3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18