The Ever Versatile Chicken

Chicken, so many ways, so little time. I love cooking with chicken, it's so versatile and almost everybody will eat it. Our favorite way to eat chicken is by roasting it with vegetables. How much more satisfying can it get? What about fried chicken with mashed potatoes? Delicious chicken salads, pot pies, cacciatore, with chicken the possibilities are endless. I hope you enjoy some of the recipes below.


Did you know? The chicken is a domesticated fowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003 there are more chickens in the world than any other bird.

It's been said the chicken was domesticated in India, but apparently recent evidence suggests that domestication of the chicken was already under in Vietnam a few thousand years ago. Domestic fowl were imported to Greece by the fifth century BC. Fowl had been known in Egypt since the 18th Dynasty. I wonder how they prepared their chicken back then. I'm sure it was roasted, but what other exciting, exotic ways of preparation did they use?

A roasted chicken right out of the oven is homey, comforting and makes a very satisfying meal.

Classic Roast Chicken with Vegetables

1 (3-4 lb.) chicken

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, halved
juice of 1 lemon

1 fresh rosemary sprigs
5 Red potatoes, halved
5 Carrots, whole or cut in half
1 large onion, quartered
1 small box button mushrooms

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Wash, and pat dry, chicken. Use your fingers to separate the skin from the flesh of the chicken. Rub salt, & pepper over and under the skin. Place halved lemon and rosemary inside the cavity. Tuck the wings under the back. Place chicken and vegetables in roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Roast about 1 hour or until cooked through. Remove chicken to cutting board and let rest for about 10 minutes before carving. See below for carving instructions. Remove vegetables to platter, add sliced chicken. If you want to make a pan gravy, skim fat off and proceed. Or skim fat off, turn burner on underneath pan, add some white wine and reduce to make a pan sauce. When reduced, swirl a pat of butter in and taste adjust seasonings and pour over chicken and vegetables or serve alongside.

Carving a Roasted Chicken - Set chicken on its side with the breast away from you. Place a fork against the thigh to steady chicken and using a carving knife, cut between the body and the leg to begin to separate the two. Pierce the breast with the fork to steady and complete the separation of leg from body by working the knife through the connecting joint. Set the leg aside on carving platter. Hold the breast down with fork. Using the knife, make an incision alongside the wishbone. Make a deep cut along the breastbone to remove breast meat. Slice breast meat into nice diagonal slices and place on platter. Separate the drumstick from the thigh by cutting through connecting joint while holding the leg steady with the fork. Turn the chicken over and repeat preceding steps on other side.

If you have any roasted chicken left, you can make a wonderful, simple sandwich using apples and cheddar.

Julia's Chicken, Apple, Cheddar Sandwiches

Thinly sliced roasted chicken

Four slices of wholegrain bread

butter, softened

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cheddar cheese, sliced

1 sweet crisp apple, peeled and cored and slice thinly

chutney (your favorite)

mayonnaise

Mix some mayonnaise and chutney together. In a non-stick pan heat some butter and add apple slices and cook for about 1 minute. Remove and set aside. Butter your bread slices on one side; add a little mayonnaise mixture to other side of bread, layer with cheddar, apple slices, chicken and season with salt and pepper. Press together and heat the pan to medium and place sandwiches in pan and cook until golden brown and cheese is melted on each side.

Exotic Indian Chicken - I don't recall who gave me this recipe, but it's very good.

1 Tbl. ground turmeric

4 tsp. gram masala (mixture of ground spices common in India) easy to find

8 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (2 1/2) piece ginger, peeled and chopped

1 jalapeno, stemmed and chopped

1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes (do not drain)
3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, but into 2-inch chunks

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

6 Tbl. butter

1 tsp. coriander seeds

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1 Tbl. paprika

1 large onion, chopped
1 cup heavy cream

cilantro

Cooked rice

In a blender, puree turmeric, 2 tsp. gram masala, garlic, ginger, jalapenos and 1/2 cup water. Put paste into a bowl. In same blender, puree tomatoes and strain through a sieve. In a bowl, mix 2 Tbl. paste, chicken, yogurt and salt; marinate for 30 minutes. Place oven rack 4" from broiler. Transfer chicken to foil-lined sheet tray; broil until cooked about 6 minutes each side.

Heat butter in large saucepan over medium high heat. Add coriander and cumin; toast about 5 minutes. Add paprika and onions; cook until soft about 8 minutes. Stir in cream and 1 cup water; boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining masala and chicken. Add rice to platter, spoon over chicken mixture and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Muffalata or Muffuletta - Most sources state that the muffuletta sandwich had its American debut in 1906 in the New Orleans French Quarter at Central Grocery, although others have claimed to have invented it. At the time Central Grocery was operated by Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant. The sandwich is popular with city natives and visitors, and has been described as "one of the great sandwiches of the world." Central Grocery still serves the sandwich that may use the original recipe, although some believe that Central Grocery altered its olive salad recipe some years ago. Other variations are served throughout the city. A traditional muffuletta consists of one muffuletta loaf, split horizontally. The loaf is then covered with a marinated olive salad, then layers of capicola, salami, mortadella, emmentaler, and provolone. The sandwich is sometimes heated through to soften the provolone.

I have had many a muffuletta at the Central Grocery and they are out of this world good! Their olive garlic spread is fantastic and makes the sandwich. This is one of our favorite sandwiches. I am loosely (very loosely) switching it up a little from the original version, but I'm sure you will enjoy this version too.

Julia's Chicken Muffalata

2 large red bell peppers (roasted & peeled)

1 round loaf of country bread
1 small jar pitted Kalamata olives

2 garlic cloves

3 Tbl. olive oil

4 slices provolone cheese

roasted chicken, sliced thinly

1 ruby red tomato, sliced thin

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

red leaf lettuce
ham, thinly sliced

 

With a sharp knife remove top portion of bread, about 1/2-inch off top. Pull out the bread inside, leaving about a 1/2-inch shell. In a blender process olives, garlic and olive oil, season with ground black pepper. Spread this mixture around in the hollowed out bread. In my version, I also spread with a thin layer of mayonnaise. Start by layering with cheese, tomato, ham, red pepper, lettuce, chicken, onions & drizzle with a little olive oil and start layering again in same manor. Continue layering pressing down lightly until you get to the top of bread. Rub some olive oil on top part of bread you cut off, then add top to sandwich. Wrap the sandwich in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Slice into wedges before serving.

Original Cobb Salad - in 1937, Brown Derby owner Robert Cobb went into the restaurants kitchen to fix a late-night snack for Sid Grauman, operator of Grauman's Chinese Theater. He found what he wanted and created the Cobb Salad. From then on, Grauman often requested that a Cobb salad be prepared for him. Soon, it became such a hit that film stars started requesting Cobb's salad and it was eventually added to the menu. Another story was told by Cobb's widow. Cobb came to work after a difficult visit to the dentist and asked his head chef to prepare something he could eat. The chef made up a salad of ingredients he knew Cobb would like and chopped it up finely. Cobb liked it and added it to the menu.

However it was created, it's fantastic and is one of my favorite salads, if prepared correctly. Cobb salad is one of the salads I taught my students how to make. Too many people (chefs) try to change up an original and sometimes it's nice to just have it the way it was intended.

Dressing:

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad: The original used watercress, but sometimes it's hard to find

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cored and shredded

1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped

blue cheese, (Roquefort) crumbled

8 slices cooked bacon, chopped

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes

2 ruby red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" cubes

2 boneless skinless chicken breast cooked and cut into 1/2" cubes

2 avocados, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 Tbl. minced chives, I've also seen scallions used

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing: Combine all into a blender and puree, season with salt and pepper.

Salad: This will serve 6. On a large platter, combine the lettuces. Arrange all of the other ingredients in their own nice rows upon the lettuce. Drizzle dressing over salad and season with salt and pepper, top with sprinkling of chives.

Cornish Hens with Mexican Twist (Cornish Hens were very popular a number of years ago, but people don't cook with them too much anymore. They are great for entertaining and everyone likes to have their own little hen)

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbl. cilantro, chopped

1 Tbl. lime zest

juice of 1 lime

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne
salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Cornish hens, washed and patted dry

2 Tbl. butter, melted

1 cup good quality chicken stock

Preheat oven to 450. Combine garlic, cilantro, lime zest, cumin, cayenne and salt in bowl. Slide your fingertips under skin to loosen and spread mixture under skin of each hen. Brush with melted butter which lime juice has been added and season with salt and pepper. Place in roasting pan and roast until cooked through. Add the stock after 10 minutes and baste a couple times during cooking. Transfer hens to platter and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Julia's Asian Style Chicken Slaw

3 chicken breasts, grilled and shredded (brush with oil, season with salt and pepper and grill)

2 jalapeno, cored, seeded and finely chopped

1 bunch scallions, chopped

4 Tbl. honey

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2 limes, juiced

6 Tbl. fish sauce

6 Tbl. soy sauce

2 Tbl. hoisin sauce

1 bag coleslaw mix

papaya or mango, skin removed and chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 cup cashews

black pepper (you will not need to season with salt as the soy and hoisin are pretty salty)

black sesame seeds

Combine the honey, rice vinegar, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, lime juice and soy in a bowl and whisk well. Stir in scallions and jalapeno. In a large bowl, pour mixture over cooked shredded chicken. In another bowl, add coleslaw mix, cilantro, and papaya. Toss with chicken mixture and place all on a platter. Sprinkle with cilantro, cashews and black sesame seeds. You can also use this mixture in a wrap for a sandwich.

Chicken Kiev - Though it's named for Ukraine's capital city, chicken Kiev is probably not a Ukrainian dish. Some say it was conceived by the French inventor Nicolas Appert in the 18th century; others claim it was created in a private club in Moscow in 1912. Either way, it's a wonderful dish. There is a Russian restaurant that Jerry and I have eaten at in Richland, WA and we think it's called Samovar (been too long and can't remember). The chicken Kiev was so good I kept asking Jerry to drive us back over to Eastern WA to eat there.

8 Tbl. unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. fresh dill, finely chopped

1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. garlic, minced finely

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

3 cups fresh bread crumbs

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs, beaten

oil for frying

Compound Butter: Stir together the butter, dill, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and cayenne in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, mixing well. Spread on a piece of plastic wrap into a rectangular shape and form into a long piece. Wrap butter in plastic and refrigerate a couple of hours until firm.

Place the chicken breasts between plastic wrap and using a mallet pound them evenly to 1/4-inch thickness. Season each breast with salt and pepper. Cut the chilled butter lengthwise into 4 equal bars and place 1 in the center of each breast. Fold end over butter and roll up each piece tightly to enclose butter. In a large saute pan pour oil in to 1/2-inch. Heat until oil registers 325 and add chicken and reduce heat to medium low, cook turning once until golden and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using tongs transfer to paper towels. Plate up on platter and sprinkle with extra parsley.

Buffalo Wings - The story goes; Buffalo wings were first prepared at the Anchor Bar, located in Buffalo, NY, October 3, 1964 by Teressa Belissimo, co-owner of the bar with her husband. Her son, Dominic arrived late one night unannounced with a group of his friends from college. Teressa needed a fast easy snack to serve them and she came up with the idea of deep frying chicken wings (which they usually saved for stock) and tossing them in cayenne hot sauce. She had some leftover celery sticks with blue cheese and that how we now have Buffalo wings. We owe it all to Teressa and her hungry son and his friends. Thanks, Teressa we love them!!

Peanut oil - cooks hotter without burning

4 lbs. meaty chicken wings, separated into 2 pieces, wing tips removed and reserved

12 Tbl. butter

2 cups hot pepper sauce

5 ribs celery, halved and cut into sticks

1 1/2 cups chunky blue cheese dressing

Preheat oven to 200. Pour oil into heavy pan to a depth of 2-inches and heat over medium until oil registers 350. Spread wings on tray and dry well, working in batches fry wings and stir so they don't stick together. Fry until golden about 12 minutes. Transfer to wire rack over a sheet pan and keep warm in oven until all wings are fried. Melt butter in large saute pan over medium heat, add hot sauce and whisk to combine, transfer wings to pan and toss to coat. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese.

Chinese Chicken in Tortillas - This is a great dish which I have served this dish for years and it's always a hit.

6 chicken breasts, cleaned and fat removed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 Tbl. brown sugar

1 Tbl. rice vinegar

2 tsp. soy sauce

Hoisin sauce

1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly

chopped cilantro

small flour tortillas, warmed or thick crepes

In a large bowl, add pepper, cinnamon, ginger, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce, mixing well. Add chicken breasts and marinate at least 6 hours. You can also put into a ziplock bag to marinate, turning occasionally. Drain off marinade from chicken and grill chicken until cooked through. Allow to cool and slice thin into pieces. To serve; on a platter, add chicken & tortillas. In small bowls, add scallions, cilantro and hoisin. Spread some hoisin on tortilla, add some chicken, top with a little scallion and cilantro.

Julia's Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Burgers

1 lb. ground chicken

salt and freshly ground black pepper

dash of Worcestershire sauce

4 Tbl. finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed)

2 tsp. finely shredded lemon zest

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 Tbl. fresh basil, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

4 good quality buns

Lettuce, chopped

4 pieces of provolone cheese

In a bowl mix chicken with salt, pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tsp. lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce and jalapeno. Mix gently to form into burgers. Heat your grill, brush grill with oil and cook burgers to desired doneness, just before removing add cheese to melt.

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, 1 tsp. lemon zest, and chopped basil. Spread a little butter on buns and grill, remove and add mayonnaise mixture and top with burger.

Julia's "That 70's Burger"

In the late 70's I was experimenting with cooking and came up with these for a party. Everyone liked them and I've been making ever since. I originally used ground beef, but now we use ground chicken or turkey.

Topping:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chutney

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

Patties:

1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken or turkey

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

4 Tbl. basil, finely chopped

4 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped and toasted

6 slices cheddar cheese

6 nice quality seeded buns, split

Shredded romaine lettuce

1/2 cup chutney for top of burger

vegetable oil for brushing grill

butter, softened

Topping: Put all ingredients in small bowl and mix, put aside.

Patties: In a large bowl, combine chicken or turkey, onion, basil, Worcestershire, salt and pepper and mix well and form into patties. In a small pan add macadamia nuts and toast lightly, remove and coarsely chop.

Brush grill with vegetable oil, add patties and cook until desired doneness. Add 1 Tbl. chutney on each burger, add chopped nuts and top each burger with cheddar cheese on top; melt cheese. Brush buns with a little butter and place on grill to toast lightly.

Assembly: Remove buns, top each bun with a little of topping mixture on top and bottom of bun. Add shredded lettuce on bottom, place burger on and serve.

We have to end with a dessert and no, it's not made with chicken.

Spicy Pear Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce

3 firm pears, peeled, cored and diced

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup pecans, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl add pears and sugar, stir and set aside. Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. In another bowl, soft together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla, add raisins and nuts and mix in with the flour, gently mix in the pear/sugar mixture. Bake approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Caramel Sauce: Serve warm
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix the water and sugar in a large heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a medium brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Watch it carefully at the end, as it can burn quickly. Stand back to avoid splattering, and gradually add the cream and the vanilla extract. Simmer until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. If it becomes too thickened stir in another 1/4 cup of cream and gently heat.

Bon Appetit

"We will not fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the

twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the

dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed"

1 Cor 15:51b-52