365 More Ways to Cook Chicken (365 ways) (25 page)

3.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add leeks and tarragon to pan, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened, about 8 minutes. Add wine and broth. Return chicken to pan. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

4.
Add cream, morels, peas, and asparagus. Simmer, uncovered, until asparagus and morels are just tender and chicken is white to bone, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chervil or parsley before serving.

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 53 to 58 minutes Serves: 4 to 6

This recipe comes from a friend who lives in one of the several Basque communities in Nevada and Idaho.

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

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  

• 1 large onion, chopped
  

• 1 celery rib, chopped
  

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed through a press
  

• 1 pound waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks
  

• 1 cup baby carrots
  

• ¼ pound smoked ham, cut into ½-inch dice
  

• 1½ cups chicken broth, preferably reduced-sodium
  

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  

• ¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
  

• 1 (14½-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
  

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 51 minutes Serves: 6

Flouring chicken first helps it to brown nicely and also thickens the stew.

• ¼ cup flour
  

• ¼ teaspoon salt
  

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  

• 1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
  

• 2 cups chicken broth
  

• ¾ cup dry white wine
  

• 2 teaspoons crumbled dried leaf sage
  

• 4 slim carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  

• 2 small parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  

• 1½ cups frozen pearl onions
  

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  

• ¼ cup chopped parsley
  

1.
Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag. Add chicken a few pieces at a time and shake to coat with flour. In a large frying pan, heat oil. Cook chicken in 2 batches over medium-high heat, stirring often, until lightly browned all over, about 8 minutes per batch.

2.
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add broth, wine, 1 teaspoon of the sage, carrots, and parnsips. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pan, and simmer 25 minutes.

3.
Add onions, mustard, and remaining 1 teaspoon of sage. Simmer, covered, until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 1 hour Serves: 4 to 6

Canned chiles makes this easy. Chicken wings can now be purchased with the tips already removed, which saves a lot of time.

• 4 pounds chicken wingettes (wings with no tips)
  

• 1 teaspoon salt
  

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 1 large onion, chopped
  

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
  

• ⅓ cup sliced black olives
  

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  

• 1 cup chicken broth
  

• 1 (14½-oimce) can stewed tomatoes
  

• 1 (4-ounce) can chopped mild green chiles
  

• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or parsley
  

1.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken in batches and cook, turning once or twice, until browned, about 10 minutes per batch. Remove chicken to a platter as it browns.

2. Add onion to pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin and cook 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes, and chopped chiles. Return chicken to pan.

3.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until chicken is very tender, about 30 minutes. Add olives and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes longer to thicken sauce slightly. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Prep: 15 minutes Cook:48 minutes Serves: 4 to 6

Frozen artichoke hearts are a boon to busy cooks. They are relatively inexpensive, always available, and require no preparation.

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

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 1½ teaspoons dried marjoram
  

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  

• 1 medium onion, chopped
  

• 1 small fennel bulb, chopped
  

• 1 large garlic clove, minced
  

• 1 bay leaf
  

• 1 (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
  

• ½ cup dry white wine
  

• ½ cup chicken broth
  

• 1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
  

• 1 tablespoon ouzo, Pernod, or other anise liqueur (optional)
  

1.
Season chicken with salt, pepper, ¾ teaspoon marjoram, an d ½ teaspoon thyme. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add chicken and cook over mediumhigh heat, turning once or twice, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate.

2.
Add onion, fennel, and garlic to pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until onion and fennel are softened, about 5 minutes. Add bay leaf, tomatoes with their liquid, wine, broth, and remaining marjoram and thyme. Add chicken to pan along with any juices that have accumulated on plate.

3.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add artichokes and ouzo and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Serves: 6

The Asian ingredients called for here are available in Asian markets and in many large supermarkets, too.

• 3 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
  

• 2 cups chicken broth, preferably reduced-sodium
  

• 1½ tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass or 1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest
  

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
  

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  

• 6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
  

• 6 scallions, cut into 1-inch diagonal slices
  

• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin julienne strips
  

• ¼ cup nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
  

• 1 to 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, minced
  

• 1 teaspoon honey
  

• ½ teaspoon hot chili oil
  

• 3 tablespoons slivered fresh basil leaves
  

1.
In a large saucepan, bring coconut milk, broth, lemongrass, and ginger to a boil. Add chicken, cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes.

2.
Add mushrooms, scallions, carrot, nam pla, jalapeño pepper(s), honey, chili oil, and 2 tablespoons of basil. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon of basil and serve at once.

Baking and roasting are interchangeable terms. In chicken cookery, baking refers to cut-up parts and roasting to the whole bird. Both are done in a shallow pan in the oven, usually uncovered, to allow heat to circulate and crisp and brown the skin nicely. The dry oven heat actually caramelizes the exterior of the chicken to impart the characteristic rich, mellow flavor.

There is nothing quite like a golden brown, juicy roasted chicken. Over the years, I’ve learned a few tips for best results. I don’t truss the bird in the classic manner, but I do tie the legs together with string to prevent the drumsticks from overcooking and drying out. Then I put the chicken on a shallow rack in a pan that is just a little larger than the bird, so that the drippings are concentrated and less likely to evaporate; the intense drippings produce wonderful gravy. I begin cooking the chicken at a high oven temperature to promote browning of the skin and to seal in juices, then reduce the heat for even and thorough cooking. Basting is of dubious value—I’ve not found basted chickens to be any moister than unbasted ones, and each time you open the oven door, the temperature drops at least 25 degrees. As for doneness, some roasting chickens have their own pop-up timers, but I like to double-check by inserting an instant-reading thermometer into the thigh away from a bone. Finally, I make the gravy right in the roasting pan set over the stove burner, which is a little awkward if the pan is large, but really makes the most of all those caramelized bits in the bottom of the pan that give gravy such great flavor.

There are a few tricks to chicken baking, too. Be sure to use a shallow pan large enough to allow at least 1 inch of space between the chicken parts placed in a single layer. Check for doneness, which means juices should run clear when pricked with a knife tip after the minimum cooking time in order to avoid overcooked, dry chicken. Breast pieces and wings will take less time than thighs and drumsticks.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 1½ hours Serves: 4

Use any fresh herbs you have on hand or mix a few. I particularly like flat-leaf parsley with thyme, sage, chives, tarragon, or dill.

• 1 whole frying chicken (about 3½ pounds)
  

• 1 cup sprigs of fresh herbs, preferably a mix of 2 or 3 including flat-leaf parsley
  

• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  

• 2 teaspoons butter, softened
  

• 1 cup chicken broth
  

• ¼ cup dry white wine