Books: The Perdue Chicken Cookbook
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Mitzi Perdue >> The Perdue Chicken Cookbook
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RECIPES WITH THIGH & DRUMSTICKS
If you haven't liked dark meat up until now, try these
recipes with an open mind. Thigh meat, drumsticks, or the
meat from any well-exercised muscle, has more flavor and is
apt to be juicier. If Frank were going by taste alone and
forgetting about calories, he would always choose thigh
meat.
I was present at a taste testing at Perdue when Teri
Benson, a Food Technician, asked the dozen or so
participants to rate the flavor of various parts of a
chicken. The chicken was ground and fried in patties so
none of us could identify which parts we were eating. We
also couldn't be influenced by what our neighbors thought
because each patty was coded and the breast meat or the
thigh meat on my plate was in a different position from
what they'd be on my neighbor's plate. The test was
replicated with many different groups, but the results were
fairly uniform: people prefer the flavor and juiciness of
thigh meat. Try a few of these recipes; you may discover
some new family favorites.
WALDORF SALADServes 4
You could use other apples in this recipe, such as Red
Delicious or Granny Smith, but the McIntosh with its
characteristic crispness, juiciness, and mildly tart flavor
works particularly well in this recipe. You can tell a
McIntosh by its two-toned red and green skin.
1 quart chicken broth
4 roaster boneless thigh cutlets
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 to 2 McIntosh apples, unpeeled in 1/2-inch cubes (about 1
cup)
1/2 cup walnut halves
1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce
In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, bring chicken broth
to a boil. Add chicken and simmer over low heat for 30
minutes, uncovered. Drain thighs and cut into bite-size
pieces. Reserve broth for other use. In a mixing bowl
blend together lemon, mustard, oil, parsley, and salt and
pepper. Toss warm chicken with sauce and allow to cool.
Toss with remaining ingredients and serve on beds of Bibb
or Boston lettuce.
DRUMSTICKS WITH HERB SAUCEServes 2
When serving this recipe, take a tip from Bev Cox, a woman
who not only is responsible for many of my favorite Perdue
recipes over the years, but who is also famous for being
one of the best food stylists around. She likes to have the
garnishes mirror the seasonings, so if she had, for
example, this chicken recipe with basil in it, she'd be apt
to garnish it with fresh basil. She also believes that
garnishes should be edible. These chicken drumsticks with
new potatoes and green beans would be a simple dinner, but
sprinkle the new potatoes with chopped chives, stick a red
pepper ring around the green beans and you have something
that looks special as well as tastes special.
5 roaster drumsticks
salt and ground pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce:
1/4 cup minced fresh basil, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/4 cup minced, fresh parsley
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon capers
1/4 cup olive oil
Preheat oven to 375oF. Place drumsticks in a baking pan
and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine
garlic and olive oil and baste drumsticks generously. Bake
drumsticks for 60 to 75 minutes until tender and cooked
through, turning and basting once. Meanwhile, in a bowl
make sauce by whisking together remaining ingredients.
Serve drumsticks, passing sauce separately.
DRUMSTICKS ZINGARAServes 2
The word "zingara" is from a French sauce with mushrooms,
ham, and truffles. In this version, I've skipped the
truffles.
5 roaster drumsticks
3/4 cup (3-ounces) minced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup (1/4 pound) minced ham
1/2 cup minced shallots or scallions
3 tablespoons Madeira or brandy, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons minced, fresh tarragon, or 1/2 teaspoon
dried
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened, divided
salt and ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375oF. Pull back the skin of each
drumstick and cut lengthwise slits in the meat in 4 places.
Pull skin back into place In a mixing bowl, combine
mushrooms, ham, shallots, 1 tablespoon Madeira, tarragon, 3
tablespoons butter and salt and pepper. Stuff mixture
under the skin of each drumstick and secure with
toothpicks. Melt remaining butter and baste drumsticks.
Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until tender and cooked
through. Remove to a serving platter and remove
toothpicks. To drippings in pan, add 2 tablespoons Madeira
and bring to a boil, stirring. Pour sauce over drumsticks.
CHILI THIGHS RELLENOS
If you're making this recipe and you're not sure how old
the eggs you have in your refrigerator are, the chances are
that they're still good. As long as they're clean, dry,
have been kept cold and have no cracks, and weren't cooked,
they'll last for months in your refrigerator and still be
suitable for cooking in dishes like this. Eggs that are
several months old won't have the quality of a perfectly
fresh egg, and I wouldn't use them for frying, but they're
still edible. Do be sure they've been kept cold and have no
cracks and are clean.
4 roaster boneless thigh cutlets
1 can (4-ounces) whole, mild green chilies, seeded
1 egg, beaten
salt and ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (8-ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Open thighs and lay flat. Divide chilies in four equal
amounts and place in the center of each thigh. Roll up and
secure with toothpicks. In a shallow bowl, combine egg and
salt and pepper to taste. Dip thighs in egg and roll in
bread crumbs. Refrigerate 15 minutes. In a large skillet,
over medium heat, melt butter with oil. Add thighs and
cook, turning, 10 to 12 minutes or until brown on all
sides. Spoon tomato sauce over thighs. Reduce heat to
medium-low reduce heat and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or
until thighs are cooked through. Sprinkle with cheese;
cover and cook 2 minutes longer.
INDONESIAN STIR-FRY THIGHSServes 4
This recipe originally called for much more ginger, but I
like a milder flavor, so I reduced it. You may want to
increase the amount suggested here if you like highly
seasoned food. To store fresh ginger, keep it in the
refrigerator in a plastic bag along with a dampened paper
towel to keep it from drying out.
4 roaster boneless thigh cutlets
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce, divided
3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons rice wine or white distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons minced, fresh ginger or to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or ground pepper
pinch ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup carrots, cut in match stick strips
1 cup peeled cucumber, halved, seeded and cut into match-
stick strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
Cut thighs into 1/8-inch strips. In a wok or large skillet
over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken and stir-fry
for 2 minutes Add 4 tablespoons soy sauce, molasses,
vinegar, seasonings, garlic and ginger; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and steam chicken 5
minutes, stirring once, until tender. In a small bowl
dissolve cornstarch in remaining soy sauce and reserve. Add
carrots and steam, covered, 2 minutes. Stir in cucumber,
scallions and cornstarch mixture and stir until liquid
comes to a boil. Serve over hot fluffy rice.
ISLAND THIGHSServes 4
One of the best money-saving tips I know for buying food is
one you can use in this recipe. A Pennsylvania mushroom
grower told me that when you see slightly browned mushrooms
on sale$and they're often a fraction of the price of the
cosmetically perfect mushrooms$buy them. The mushroom
flavor will be more intense since the mushrooms are older;
they'll have dried slightly so you won't be paying as much
for water; and you won't see the discolorations anyway if
you're using the mushrooms for cooking. I've tried his
recommendation many times, and I think he's right.
4 roaster boneless thigh cutlets
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (4 ounces)
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 cup chicken broth
1-1/2 cups fresh snow peas or 1 package (6 ounces) frozen
snow peas, thawed
3/4 cup seedless, green grapes, halved
2 teaspoons slivered lemon peel
1 teaspoon minced, fresh ginger, or 1/4 teaspoon ground
Cut thigh cutlets into 1/4" by 2" strips. Toss with
cornstarch to coat well. In a wok or large skillet, over
medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken and saute until
browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and
scallions. Saute, stirring until mushrooms are golden,
about 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook,
stirring, until sauce is thickened and smooth. Reduce heat
and simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over rice.
POJARSKI STYLE THIGHSServes 4
Pojarski style dishes use ground meat. They are typically
made from beef, veal, salmon, or chicken. One of the most
famous Pojarski dishes is salmon shaped to look like a pork
chop. Doing the same thing with chicken tastes and looks
delicious and costs a lot less.
1 package fresh ground chicken (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup sour cream, divided
salt and ground pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley
Mix ground chicken with 1/4 cup sour cream, plus salt and
pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes. Form
mixture into four "chop" shaped cutlets and coat each
lightly with flour. In a large skillet over medium heat,
melt butter. Add cutlets and saute for 7 to 8 minutes on
each side until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove
to a serving dish and keep warm. Add mushrooms to skillet
and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add remaining sour cream and mix
well. Spoon sauce over cutlets. Sprinkle with fresh dill.
STIR-FRIED THIGHS WITH BEANSPROUTSServes 4
Stir frying isn't more difficult than regular frying, but
one big difference is that the pan is kept hotter than
would be usual for American-style frying. To tell if it's
hot enough, place your frying pan$or wok if you have
one$over high heat. The pan or wok is hot enough if a drop
of water dropped onto it sizzles and then evaporates. Add
the oil, and let the oil heat until it's almost at the
smoking point. When adding the ingredients, stir them
constantly until done.
4 roaster boneless thigh cutlets
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg white, slightly beaten
salt to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil, as needed
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red, sweet, bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 pound (2 cups) snow peas, sliced diagonally
1/2 pound (4 cups) beansprouts, washed and drained
1/4 cup soy sauce
few drops Tabasco, to taste
Cut thighs into 1/4" strips. In a shallow bowl, combine
cornstarch, egg white and salt. Add chicken, turning to
coat well. Cover and refrigerate one hour. In a wok or
large skillet over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add
thighs and garlic and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Remove
chicken and set aside. Add additional oil to wok, if
necessary. Add pepper strips and stir-fry one minute.
Remove and set aside. Add scallions and snow peas and
stir-fry one minute. Add beansprouts and cook, tossing, 2
minutes. Return chicken and pepper to wok and toss. Add
soy sauce and Tabasco. Heat thoroughly. Serve over hot
cooked rice.
SWEET AND SOUR THIGHSServes 4
Cornstarch yields a more transparent sauce, and has
roughly twice the thickening power of flour. The
transparency makes it appropriate for oriental recipes like
this one.
4 roaster boneless thigh cutlets
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 1/2 cups sliced green pepper
2/3 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced scallions, stems included
1 can (8-1/2-ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
6 ounces fresh or frozen (thawed) snow peas
1 can (8-3/4-ounces) pineapple chunks in syrup
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Cut thighs into bite size pieces. In a wok or large
skillet, over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add thigh pieces
and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add green pepper, celery,
scallions and water chestnuts. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Add
snow peas, pineapple and syrup and chicken broth. Reduce
heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. In
a small bowl, blend together cornstarch, sugar, ginger,
vinegar and soy sauce. Add to wok and cook until sauce is
slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve over hot cooked
rice.
SZECHUAN STIR-FRY THIGHSServes 4
The woman in charge of supervising the entire Perdue recipe
program, says that this is her personal favorite.
4 roaster boneless thigh cutlets
4 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 cup carrots, cut into matchstick strips
1/2 cup cashews
1 teaspoon hot chili pepper, finely chopped, or to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cut boneless thighs into strips (about 1/4" x 2"). In a
wok or large skillet over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons
oil. Add chicken and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove
chicken and reserve. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to
wok and add carrots, cashews, chili pepper, garlic and
ginger. Stir-fry 3 minutes until carrots just begin to
soften. Return chicken to wok. In a small bowl blend
together soy sauce, sherry and cornstarch. Add to wok and
cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens.
Serve over hot cooked rice.
THIGH CHILIServes 4
This is a healthy, low-cholesterol chili.
4 roaster boneless thigh cutlets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 can (16-ounces) tomatoes, chopped, with liquid
1 can (16-ounces) kidney beans, drained
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt and ground pepper to taste
Tabasco, to taste
Cut chicken into bite size pieces. In a Dutch oven over
medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken, onion, garlic and
green pepper and cook, stirring until chicken loses its
pink color. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Simmer,
covered, over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until
chicken is tender. Adjust seasonings according to taste.
THIGH FLAUTASServes 4
You can tell if your avocado for the guacamole in this
recipe is ripe by whether it yields to gentle pressure when
you hold it between your palms. If there's some "give" to
it, it's ripe. If it feels hard, like a baseball, it's not
ripe. Wait a few days, and it will have a richer, creamer
texture and flavor. You can speed the ripening by keeping
the avocado in a paper bag, at room temperature, along with
a banana or pear or apple. These fruits give off a ripening
factor and the paper bag concentrates the ripening factor.
4 roaster boneless thigh cutlets
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 pound Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
(about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red or green chili salsa
salt to taste
8 flour tortillas
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/3 cup sour cream, optional
Guacamole:
1 large ripe avocado
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon red or green chili salsa
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat bring chicken
broth to a boil. Add boneless thighs, reduce heat to
medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Remove
thighs, reserving broth for other use. Shred meat and
place in a mixing bowl. Toss with 1-1/2 cups cheese,
salsa, and salt to taste. Divide mixture among tortillas
and roll up, securing with a toothpick, if necessary. In a
large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/2-inch
oil. Fry flautas in hot oil, turning to brown lightly on
all sides. Transfer to serving dish and keep warm. To
make guacamole, scoop out avocado flesh, chop and toss with
lemon juice. Combine lightly with remaining ingredients.
Serve flautas topped with guacamole, remaining cheese and
sour cream, if desired.
Chapter Two. Chicken for the Microwave
When I was organizing this chapter, I was tempted to
include all of these microwave recipes in the "Cooking for
Everyday" chapter. After all, the microwave is certainly
becoming part of our everyday life.
The reason I didn't is$well, there are two reasons.
First, if I put all the microwave recipes in one chapter,
you won't have to waste time hunting for them. Second,
there are a number of tips on using the microwave
successfully, and I thought you might like to have them all
in one place, also.
The microwave is a wonderful convenience, but in my
case, I used to use it for reheating foods or for boiling
water and not much else. Are you the same? Ah, but there's
so much more to it than that! Having spent time with the
Perdue food technologists and home economists, and
especially after studying the techniques and recipes from
Rita Marie Schneider, the home economist who developed the
majority of the Perdue microwave recipes, I'm a convert
now. I've come to appreciate the versatility of the
microwave as well as the speed.
There's a reason I happen to have spent time with the
Perdue experts. Once when Frank was microwaving nuggets for
himself at HIGH, he found that by the time all of them were
heated, one of them was badly overcooked and therefore,
dried out and$what a dirty word this is in the Perdue
household!$tough. Frank didn't know that the microwave was
the problem and instead assumed it was his product that was
at fault.
How can I even tell you about the crisis that one
tough "tender" caused! Frank didn't seem as upset when a
whole processing plant burned down the year before. Because
of that one tough tender, he called the plant manager, the
quality control people, the packaging people, the man who
wrote the cooking directions, the food technologists, the
woman who runs the tasting lab, and probably half a dozen
other people as well. It didn't matter that it was the
weekend$the situation had to be addressed immediately! He
kept repeating disconsolately, "I have no right to sell a
product like this."
Eventually, one of the Perdue food technicians came
out to our house and checked the microwave and suggested
that we'd get more even cooking if we used MEDIUM HIGH. She
said that at this setting, the microwaves reach an
equilibrium so heating is much more even. And when there
are no hot spots and no cold spots, the chicken gets
uniformly warm with no dried out tough parts.
While she was there, she had a number of other tips
for me as well, and as I talked with other Perdue people, I
collected still more. By now, knowing a few little tricks
about the microwave, I know how to make much better use of
it. Because of the time it saves in cooking, and the time
it saves in clean-up (no baked on bits of food to scrub), I
use the microwave about as often as my oven.
Tips for Using Your Microwave
_The best microwave tip I know is, learn about
the "cold spots" in your microwave so you don't end up with
unevenly cooked chicken. To learn your microwave's "cold
spots," line the bottom of your microwave oven with wax
paper and then spread an eighth-inch layer of pancake
batter over it. Turn the oven on HIGH, and then check it at
30 second intervals. At some point, (in my case after a
minute and a half), you'll see that in some places the
batter is dried out and hard, while in others, it's still
soupy, as if the heat hadn't touched it. Once I made this
check, I gained an immense respect for the fact that
microwaves don't necessarily cook evenly, and I've made
sure to compensate ever since by stirring or turning foods
as directed in microwave recipes.
_Do not use utensils with metal trim (including the
gold trim on fine china), handle clamps, or fastening
screws. Metal trim can cause arcing (sparking). Aluminum
foil, in small amounts on the other hand, won't cause
arcing in most microwaves as long as it doesn't touch the
sides of the oven.
_The coverings used in microwave cooking have definite
purposes: use plastic wrap to steam and tenderize; use wax
paper to hold in heat without steaming; use paper towels to
absorb moisture, yet hold in heat.
_To obtain a crisp, crunchy crumb-coated chicken,
first cook covered with wax paper, then switch to a paper
towel covering and, finally, complete cooking with chicken
uncovered.
_If the bony parts of your chicken are overcooking
before the meatier parts are done, shield the bony parts by
placing strips of thin aluminum foil over them.
_If you're microwaving chicken livers, prick each one
to allow steam to escape. Before I knew this tip, I've had
them explode in the oven.
_Microwave recipes usually call for smaller amounts of
seasonings than conventionally cooked dishes. Microwaving
tends to intensify flavors, so you won't need as much
seasoning.
_Don't ignore the standing time called for in some of
these recipes. In microwave cookery, standing time allows
further cooking to occur after you have removed the food
from the microwave oven. Covering the food holds heat in
and speeds this final, important step. When I've cheated on
this step, I've found the chicken hard to carve and
undercooked.
_When possible, arrange food in a circular or donut
shape; without corners, food cooks more evenly from all
sides. For example, if you're cooking drumsticks, arrange
them like a wagon wheel with the meatier portions at the
outer edge, and the drum stick end in the center.
_Thin foods cook faster than thick foods because
microwaves lose power after they penetrate food.
_Ingredients also affect cooking time. Foods higher
in sugar or fat heat faster and to higher temperatures than
do those with lower sugar or fat content.
_When the recipe says "70% power," or MEDIUM HIGH,
don't be tempted to get things done faster by going for
100% power. At 70% power, the microwaves cook the product
more slowly but also more evenly, so there's less worry
about cold spots.
ROASTED CHICKEN WITH ALMOND SAUCEServes 4
Of course you can serve the pre-cooked chicken just as it
comes from the store, without doing anything else to it at
all. I've done this many times with our Perdue Done It!
roasted chicken when I've been in a hurry. But this recipe
only takes a few extra minutes and you'll have a show piece
at the end. As you're making it, be glad for a moment that
you're not making this recipe in the year 1911. A typical
recipe in a the December issue of The Wisconsin Farmer
assumes that you've already plucked the bird and removed
its head and feet. It directs you "to singe the bird over a
burning newspaper on a hot stove." The stove would
probably have been a wood-burning one, and in all
probability, it would have been up to you to get the wood
for the stove. When I think of then and I think of now, I'm
glad that "We've come a long way, baby".
1 roasted chicken
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Amaretto or other almond liqueur
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
Heat pre-cooked roasted chicken in its own microwave tray
following package directions.
In 2-cup glass container, combine cornstarch, broth,
liqueur and lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and
microwave at HIGH (100% power) 3 or 4 minutes until bubbly
and thick; stir twice during cooking. Add almonds. Slice
chicken onto a platter and top with sauce.
FIVE-MINUTE ROASTED DRUMSTICKS
1 package roasted chicken drumsticks (4-6 per package).
Following package directions, warm roasted drumsticks in a
conventional oven or, using package tray, heat in a
microwave oven. Brush with your favorite bottled barbecue
sauce.
CHICKEN POCKET SANDWICHESServes 4
You could use regular chicken breasts for this, but the
roaster breast has a richer, more chickeny flavor.
("Chickeny" is a word, by the way. Frank uses it all the
time, and he ought to know.)
1 roaster boneless breast
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
4 pita breads
Lettuce leaves
1 container (8-ounces) plain yogurt
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks. In 3-quart microwave-safe
utensil, combine olive oil, lemon juice, onion, garlic,
salt, oregano, and Cayenne pepper; add chicken chunks and
stir. Cover with wax paper; microwave at HIGH (100% power)
10 minutes or until chicken has turned white. Stir mixture
3 or 4 times during cooking. Let stand, covered, 5
minutes. Cut each pita bread into 2 pockets, line with
lettuce and spoon in chicken. In small bowl, combine
yogurt and green onion; serve over chicken.
CHICKEN A LA MONTMORENCYServes 6
Any recipe with the word "Montmorency" is apt to have
cherries in it. The sauce for this one is particularly
good and Frank liked it enough to spread the leftovers on
toast the next day at breakfast. If you don't want to
microwave the roaster breast, just cook it in your oven,
following the package directions. When I'm in a hurry, I
use this microwave recipe, but breasts are the hardest part
of the chicken to keep tender in a microwave because
they're fairly dry to begin with, and if you overcook them,
they'll get tough.
1 roaster breast
1 can (16-ounces) pitted dark sweet cherries
1/4 cup dry red wine
Water
5 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons red currant jelly (optional)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Salt and ground pepper to taste
Place breast, skin side down, on microwave-safe roasting
utensil. Cover with wax paper; microwave at HIGH (100%
power) 5 minutes. Reduce power to MEDIUM HIGH (70% power)
and cook 12 minutes per pound. Halfway through cooking
time, turn breast, skin side up; brush with drippings in
utensil. Re-cover with wax paper; complete cooking. Let
stand, covered, 15 minutes. Test for doneness after
standing; juices should run clear with no hint of pink
when breast is cut near bone.
Drain cherries, reserving syrup in a 4-cup glass container.
Place cherries and red wine in small bowl. Add enough
water to cherry syrup to measure 1 cup. Stir in
cornstarch, mixing until well blended. Microwave at HIGH 3
minutes, stirring twice. Stir cherries with wine into
thickened syrup. Continue cooking at HIGH 1 to 2 minutes
or until mixture thickens and boils for 1 minute. Add
jelly, if desir
ed, and butter; stir until smooth.
To serve, slice chicken and place on warm platter. Spoon
some of cherry sauce over chicken slices; pass remaining
sauce.
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