365 More Ways to Cook Chicken (365 ways) (8 page)

3.
Pour sauce over chicken in roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, basting chicken several times with sauce, 1 hour, or until an instant-reading thermometer inserted into fleshy part of chicken (not near bone) registers 180°. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Prep: 15 minutes Stand: 4 hours Cook: 30 to 40 minutes Serves: 6

Jerk here refers to the marinade, not to the chicken or to the cook! If the weather is inclement, bake the chicken in a 375°F. oven.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  

• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  

• 3 tablespoons orange juice
  

• 1½ tablespoons lime juice
  

• 1 tablespoon sugar
  

• ¼ cup finely chopped scallion greens
  

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  

• 1 Scotch bonnet or jalapeno pepper, minced
  

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  

• 1 teaspoon dried leaf sage
  

• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• ½ teaspoon cayenne
  

• 1 chicken (about 3½ pounds), cut into 8 pieces
  

1.
In a large shallow dish, combine all ingredients except chicken. Add chicken and turn to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 8 hours.

2.
Prepare a medium-hot barbecue fire or preheat a gas grill. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade. Grill, turning and basting with reserved marinade occasionally, until richly browned and juices run clear when pricked, 30 to 40 minutes. (Stop basting at least 5 minutes before chicken is done.) White meat will take less time than dark meat.

Prep: 15 minutes Marinate: 4 hours Cook: 30 to 40 minutes Serves: 4

A tandoor is a slow-roasting clay oven that produces tender and succulent results for yogurt-marinated foods. Grilling over indirect heat yields a similar effect.

• 1 cup plain yogurt
  

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  

• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  

• 1 teaspoon paprika
  

• ½ teaspoon turmeric
  

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  

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

• Lemon wedges, for garnish
  

1.
In a large shallow dish, combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, cardamom, cumin, paprika, turmeric, salt, and cayenne. If desired, pull skin off chicken. Add chicken to marinade, turning to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 8 hours.

2. Prepare a medium-hot barbecue fire, using tongs to push coals to one side of the grill, or preheat a gas grill for an indirect fire. Remove chicken from marinade and set on grill away from coals. Grill, turning occasionally, until browned and chicken juices run clear, 30 to 40 minutes. (White meat will take less time than dark meat.)

3.
Serve hot, garnished with lemon wedges.

Prep: 20 minutes Stand: 30 minutes Cook: 16 minutes Serves: 6

In Japan, this quick-cooking dish is usually prepared tableside. You can do this with an electric skillet and an attractive tray of the prepared ingredients. For beef sukiyaki, substitute thinly sliced steak and beef broth. If you can’t find cellophane noodles, ladle the sukiyaki over rice.

• ¼ pound cellophane noodles (bean threads)
  

• 2 cups chicken broth, preferably reduced-sodium
  

• ½ cup soy sauce
  

• ½ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
  

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  

• 4 cups sliced napa (Chinese) cabbage (about 4 ounces)
  

• ¼ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
  

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced across grain
  

• 4 cups sliced fresh spinach (about 6 ounces)
  

• 6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
  

1.
Soak noodles in a bowl of very hot tap water to cover 30 minutes. In a small dish, combine broth, soy sauce, mirin, and ginger.

2.
In a large frying pan, heat oil. Add onion and cook over medium heat, until just softened, about 4 minutes. Arrange layers of cabbage, mushrooms, chicken, spinach, and scallions in pan. Pour soy sauce mixture over all. Simmer, partially covered, until chicken is white throughout and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

3.
Drain cellophane noodles and add to pan. Simmer 2 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls.

Prep: 10 minutes Stand: 1 hour Cook: 35 to 40 minutes Serves: 6

This light, aromatic chicken can be baked or grilled. I like to use skinned drumsticks, but any cut of chicken can be substituted. Five-spice powder, a Chinese blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, and nutmeg, is found in the spice section of most supermarkets and in Asian groceries.

• 12 chicken drumsticks (about 2½ pounds)
  

• ¼ cup soy sauce
  

• ¼ cup dry sherry
  

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  

• 1 garlic clove, minced
  

• 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
  

• 12 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
  

1.
Pull off and discard skin from chicken. In a shallow dish just large enough to hold chicken, combine soy sauce, sherry, ginger, garlic, and five-spice powder. Add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate 1 to 4 hours. Add scallions to marinade during last 30 minutes.

2.
Preheat oven to 375°F. or prepare a medium-hot fire in a barbecue grill. Remove chicken from marinade. Bake chicken in a shallow pan or grill, turning occasionally. In either method, brush with marinade from time to time. Cook until juices run clear when chicken is pricked, 35 to 40 minutes. During last 10 minutes, lay scallions on top of chicken in oven or grill over coals just until softened and browned.

3.
Serve chicken with scallions.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 5 to 7 minutes per batch Serves: 4 to 6

For fried food with the least grease, use a thermometer to be sure the oil stays at the correct temperature.

• 2 cups flour
  

• 1 teaspoon salt
  

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  

• 1 teaspoon sugar
  

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus oil for deep-frying
  

• 2 eggs, beaten
  

• 11/3 cups beer
  

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
  

• 2 to 3 cups assorted raw vegetables, such as mushroom caps, broccoli or cauliflower florets, or zucchini chunks
  

• Bottled tempura or teriyaki dipping sauce
  

1.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar. Whisk in 1 tablespoon oil, eggs, and beer until smooth. Batter will be thin.

2. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a deep-fryer or wok to 365°F. Dip chicken pieces and vegetables in batter to coat completely. Remove with a slotted spoon and let excess batter drip back into bowl. Fry in batches without crowding until crust is a rich golden brown and crisp and chicken is white throughout, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

3.
Serve immediately with dipping sauce on the side.

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 27 minutes Serves: 6

For a wonderful buffet party main course, serve the curry with rice and surround with dishes of as many condiments as you wish. Raisins, shredded coconut, mango chutney, chopped cucumber, and chopped peanuts are all good choices.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  

• 1 medium carrot, chopped
  

• 1 cup chopped scallions
  

• 2 tablespoons curry powder
  

• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  

• ½ teaspoon dried mint
  

• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken
  

• 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
  

• 1½ cups chicken broth
  

• ½ cup heavy cream
  

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
  

1.
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper, carrot, and scallions and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2.
Add curry powder, coriander, and mint. Cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken, coconut milk, and broth. Simmer, partially covered, 15 minutes.

3.
Stir in cream and lime juice. Simmer 5 minutes.

Appetizers do more than quell the pangs of hunger before a late dinner party or an interminable cocktail party. They set the stage and the tone of the whole event. As such, it’s worth doing better than the usual dips or bowl of salted nuts.

However, spending lots of time preparing hors d’oeuvres is certainly not my culinary bag, nor is it yours, I suspect. On the other hand, I do like to nosh and nibble so much that sometimes I can happily make a meal on snacks!

For easy appetizers that are sturdy enough to become a hefty snack or even the main event, chicken is superb. The following are some of my favorite chicken appetizers. They run the gamut, but the ones I like best are the livers and the wings—parts of the bird that are rarely highlighted anywhere else but take beautifully to bite-sized portions and the assertive seasonings that are the hallmark of a memorable appetizer.