365 More Ways to Cook Chicken (365 ways) (22 page)

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 1½ hours Serves: 6

• 8 cups chicken broth
  

• 1 cup dry white wine
  

• 2½ pounds chicken thighs
  

• 1 medium onion, quartered
  

• 1 large celery rib, quartered
  

• 1 garlic clove, halved
  

• 10 whole peppercorns
  

• 4 whole cloves
  

• 1 large bay leaf, broken in half
  

• 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
  

• 1 cup wild rice
  

• 3 carrots, thinly sliced
  

• ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
  

• 1 cup heavy cream or half- and-half
  

• ⅓cup chopped parsley
  

• tablespoons dry sherry or Madeira
  

• 1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  

• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  

1.
In a large soup pot, combine broth, wine, chicken, onion, celery, garlic, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaf, thyme, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over nigh heat. Skim off any foam as it rises. Reduce heat to medium, cover pot, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 40 minutes.

2.
Remove chicken from pot; let cool, then pull meat from bones and tear into bite-sized pieces. Strain broth; let cool, then skim off fat. (Or make ahead, refrigerate, and lift off solidified fat.)

3.
In a large saucepan, bring defatted broth to a boil. Add wild rice, partially cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes. Add carrots, mushrooms, chicken meat, and cream. Cover and simmer until carrots and rice are tender, about 20 minutes.

4.
Stir in parsley, sherry, and Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Serves: 4 to 6

You can use leftover cooked chicken here, if you have it. Quick-cooking brown rice is a great new product to keep on hand for when time is short.

• 1 large onion, chopped
  

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  

• 1tablespoon vegetable oil 1
  ½
  teaspoons dried savory
  

• 4 cups chicken broth
  

• 2 (14
  ½
  -ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
  

• 1 cup quick-cooking brown rice
  

• ¾ pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  

• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  

• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  

1.
In a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add savory, broth, stewed tomatoes, brown rice, and chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes.

2.
Add mixed vegetables and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 20 to 23 minutes Serves: 4

Whether you serve it hot or cold, this is a fine way to highlight leftover chicken.

• 2 tablespoons butter
  

• 3 medium leeks (white part only), chopped (about 2 cups)
  

• ¾ pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced
  

• 6 cups chicken broth
  

• 3 cups frozen peas
  

• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint or 2 teaspoons dried
  

• 1 cup half-and-half or light cream
  

• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken (about ¾ pound)
  

• ½ teaspoon Tabasco, or to taste
  

• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and 3 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.

Add peas and simmer until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Stir in mint.

3. In batches, puree soup in a food processor until smooth. Return to pan and add remaining 3 cups of broth, half-and-half, chicken, and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If serving hot, return to a simmer. If serving cold, refrigerate at least 2 hours until well chilled.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 7 minutes Serves: 6

Unsweetened coconut milk and lemongrass are both available in many supermarkets and in Asian food stores.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, preferably peanut oil
  

• ½
  pound thinly sliced skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into ½-inch strips
  

• 1 garlic clove, minced
  

• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
  

• ¼ cup finely chopped lemongrass stalks or 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  

• 2 teaspoons minced fresh or canned jalapeño pepper
  

• 8 cups chicken broth
  

• 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
  

• 2 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (1 cup), or 1 cup drained canned straw mushrooms
  

• 2 stalks of bok choy with leaves, thinly sliced on the diagonal (about 2 cups)
  

• ¼ pound soba noodles or capellini
  

• ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
  

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
  

In a large saucepan, heat oil over high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add carrot, lemongrass, gin ger, jalapeño, broth, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Add mushrooms, ok choy, and noodles. Cook until pasta is tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in scallions and lime juice and serve at once.

“A chicken in every pot” was an effective campaign slogan because everyone could relate to it. There are few things more warming, comforting, and secure than coming home to a house filled with the fragrance of a simmering chicken stew. Since braised and stewed chicken dishes are popular in every major cuisine, the feeling must be universal.

With a few exceptions, the process of stewing or braising is based on browning the chicken and perhaps some aromatic vegetables such as onions and garlic in a little oil or butter, adding a small amount of liquid and seasoning, then cooking the mixture covered on the stovetop or in the oven until all ingredients have blended to a flavorful finish.

Stews are very forgiving, which means they taste just as good if cooked longer than directed, often taste better reheated the next day, and allow for all sorts of ingredient substitutions. This also adds to the comforting nature of making a stew, especially for novice cooks. So, if you are just starting out, this might be a good place to begin.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 48 to 53 minutes Serves: 4 to 6
Serve this easy goulash variation with buttered wide noodles.

• 1 chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
  

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  

• 1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika
  

• 2 cups chicken broth
  

• ¼ cup dry white wine
  

• ¼ cup tomato paste
  

• ½ teaspoon dried savory
  

• ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
  

• 1 cup drained sauerkraut
  

• ⅔ cup sour cream
  

1.
Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once or twice, until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan.

2.
Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle paprika over onion and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, tomato paste, savory, caraway seeds, and sauerkraut.

3.
Return chicken to pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until chicken is tender and white to bone, 30 to 35 minutes.

4.
Stir in sour cream. Cook, uncovered, about 2 minutes, to heat through, but do not let boil.

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 1 hour 16 minutes Serves: 4 to 6

• ¼ cup flour
  

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 1 chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
  

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  

• 1 large onion, chopped
  

• 1 carrot, chopped
  

• 1 celery rib, chopped
  

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed through a press
  

• 1
  ½
  teaspoons dried thyme
  

• 1 bay leaf
  

• 1½ cups apple cider
  

• ½ cup dry red wine
  

• 2 medium turnips, peeled and cubed
  

• 1 large tart green apple, cored and cubed
  

• 2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  

1.
Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag. Add chicken a few pieces at a time and shake to coat lightly with flour. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken in 2 batches and cook, turning once or twice, until browned all over, about 8 minutes per batch. Remove chicken from pan.