365 More Ways to Cook Chicken (365 ways) (45 page)

1.
Spread one side of bread with butter and cut each slice into 3 strips. Lay half of bread strips in bottom of a buttered 1½-quart baking dish (8 inches square). Sprinkle half of cheese, ham, and chicken over bread. Make another layer with remaining bread, cheese, ham, and chicken.

2.
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour custard over bread, pushing bread down into milk to make sure it is saturated. Let stand 15 minutes.

3.
Bake, uncovered, until pudding is evenly puffed and golden brown and a knife inserted off center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cut into squares to serve.

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 38 minutes Serves: 6

If you can’t get bulk chorizo sausage, remove casings from link sausage and crumble the meat. This is a deliciously rich whole meal corn bread that is wonderful served with a big spinach salad.

• ½ pound bulk chorizo or other garlicky sausage
  

• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  

• 1 medium onion, chopped
  

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  

• 1 cup flour
  

• 1 tablespoon sugar
  

• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

• ¾ teaspoon salt
  

• ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  

• 3 eggs
  

• 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
  

• ½ cup milk
  

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  

• 2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken (about ½ pound)
  

• 4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese with chiles (1 cup)
  

• ½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
  

• 1½ cups bottled chunky salsa
  

1.
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large frying pan, cook chorizo over medium heat, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and onion to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Pour off any excess fat.

2.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and pepper. In another mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, and melted butter until well blended. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and add liquids all at once. Stir just until blended. Add chicken, cheese, corn, and chorizo. Stir only until blended; do not overmix.

3.
Spoon evenly into a buttered 8x12-inch baking dish or other shallow 2½-quart casserole. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cut warm pudding into squares. Serve with salsa.

Chicken is by nature one of the lower-fat ways to obtain complete proteins. Along with its great versatility, the low-fat properties of chicken are among the major reasons why consumption has soared in recent years.

Though the skin of the chicken contributes most of the fat, studies have shown that in dishes such as roasted chicken, in which the fat drips away, there is no greater fat content if the skin is discarded after cooking. Many people feel that the skin contributes to the flavor of the dish during cooking. Consequently, skin-on chicken can also be low in fat as long as the skin is removed before eating.

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are now a supermarket staple, but the newest items in the chicken case are skinless chicken breasts, thighs, and even drumsticks on the bone. Cooking on the bone results in a richer flavor with no added fat. The problem with chicken cookery is often the fat that is sometimes added to a recipe to enhance flavor.

Throughout this book, a serious attempt has been made to keep fat content as low as possible. This chapter, in particular, however, presents a collection of recipes that use little or no added fat, replacing it with lots of power-packed flavor ingredients, such as herbs, spices, fruits, and aromatic vegetables. Skillet cooking is done in very little oil or other fat, but using a nonstick frying pan will help, too. Finally, for best results, use peak ingredients, from fresh produce to dried herbs and spices.

Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 12 to 15 minutes Serves: 4

This is a master recipe for poached boneless chicken breasts. Vary the herbs to your taste and substitute wine for the lemon juice, if you wish. The chicken can be served warm in its cooking broth or refrigerated and used for salads or sandwiches, with the broth kept reserved for another use.

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• ¼ teaspoon salt
  

• 1½ cups chicken broth
  

• ¼ cup lemon juice
  

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
  

• 4 thin lemon slices
  

• 4 sprigs of fresh tarragon or parsley
  

1.
Season chicken with pepper and salt. Place chicken in a frying pan or saucepan just large enough to hold it in a single layer. Pour in broth and lemon juice, adding water if necessary to barely cover chicken. Sprinkle with lemon zest and chopped tarragon.

2.
Cover pan and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until chicken is white throughout but still juicy, 12 to 15 minutes.

3.
Serve chicken and broth ladled into shallow soup bowls. Garnish with lemon slices and tarragon sprigs.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 12 to 15 minutes Serves: 6

A mustard crumb coating protects and flavors the delicate chicken. While I like to use whole wheat bread crumbs, regular white will also do.

• ¼ cup grainy Dijon mustard
  

• ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise
  

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or ¾ teaspoon dried
  

• 1 garlic clove, minced
  

• 1½ cups whole wheat bread crumbs (from about 3 slices of bread)
  

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  

• Lemon wedges
  

• Sprigs of fresh dill or parsley, for garnish
  

1.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or coat with nonstick cooking spray. In a shallow bowl, whisk together mustard, mayonnaise, dill, and garlic. Stir together bread crumbs and pepper and spread on a plate or sheet of waxed paper. Use your hands to flatten chicken to an even thickness.

2. Dip chicken into mustard mixture, then dredge in crumbs, turning to coat completely. Place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.

3.
Bake until chicken is white throughout and coating is golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with lemon wedges and dill sprigs.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 20 to 25 minutes Stand: 5 minutes Serves: 4

Here, the highly seasoned broth used to steam the chicken doubles as the liquid for cooking the couscous.

• 2 cups chicken broth, preferably reduced- sodium
  

• ½ cup dry white wine
  

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• 1 large garlic clove, crushed through a press
  

• 1 (1-inch) piece lemon peel, yellow part only
  

• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
  

• 6 whole peppercorns
  

• 4 whole allspice berries
  

• 4 whole coriander seeds
  

• 2 thin slices of fresh ginger
  

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  

• 2 slender carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  

• 1 cup couscous
  

• ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
  

• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  

1.
In a deep saucepan or bottom of a steamer, combine broth, wine, and salt. In a piece of cheesecloth or a spice bag, tie together garlic, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, allspice, coriander, and ginger. Add to broth. Insert a steamer rack into pan and arrange chicken and carrots on rack. Cover tightly and bring just to a boil. Cook over medium heat, until chicken is white throughout and carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a carving board and place carrots in a bowl. Cover both with foil to keep warm. Remove spice bag from broth; measure and reserve
1¼
cups broth.

2.
Place couscous in a heatproof serving bowl. Bring reserved broth to a boil and pour over couscous. Cover bowl and let stand 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Add cooked carrots and scallions to couscous and toss with a fork to fluff up.

3.
Slice chicken and arrange in a fan shape over warm couscous. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 10 to 12 minutes Serves: 4

Parchment paper is the traditional wrap for presenting foods “en papillote,” but aluminum foil also works well. This elegant-sounding cooking method is simply steaming in the oven, which seals in flavors and moisture—excellent for low-fat chicken cookery. Serve in the wrap and allow each person to slit open the pretty package.

• 1 pound thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets
  

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 2 small leeks (white part only), thinly sliced
  

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
  

1.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil into 12x15-inch rectangles. Fold in half from short end and cut out large half hearts along folds, like valentines. When unfolded, hearts should measure about 14 inches wide and 12 inches long.

2.
Divide chicken among hearts, placing on one side of hearts. Spread mustard over chicken, then sprinkle on dill, pepper, leeks, and olive oil. Fold hearts over and crimp edges neatly to seal completely.

3.
Place on a baking sheet and bake until parchment is puffed and lightly browned and chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. (Open one packet and check to be sure chicken is cooked through.) Serve at once.