chicken in milk

ingredients

• 1 x 1.5kg organic chicken
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 115g or ½ a pack of butter
• olive oil
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 good handful of fresh sage, leaves picked
• zest of 2 lemons
• 10 cloves of garlic, skin left on
• 565ml milk

method

A slightly odd, but really fantastic combination that must be tried.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5, and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken. Season it generously all over, and fry it in the butter and a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even colour all over, until golden. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the oil and butter left in the pot. This will leave you with tasty sticky goodness at the bottom of the pan which will give you a lovely caramel flavour later on.

Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Baste with the cooking juice when you remember. The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce which is absolutely fantastic.

To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide it onto your plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Serve with wilted spinach or greens and some mashed potato.

Baked Herbed Crepes with Chicken and Mushrooms

Ingredients

12 Basic Crepes

Filling:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter
4 cups (1 L) halved button mushrooms
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
1/4 cup (50 mL) dry sherry, or sodium-reduced chicken stock
1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL) sodium-reduced chicken stock
1 cup (250 mL) milk
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup (250 mL) shredded fontina cheese

Preparation

Filling: In saucepan of simmering water, cover and poach chicken until no longer pink inside, about 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and let cool; dice and set aside in large bowl.

Meanwhile, in skillet, melt 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the butter over medium-high heat; saute mushrooms, onion, garlic and half each of the salt and pepper until golden and almost no liquid remains, about 5 minutes.

Add sherry and bring to boil; boil until evaporated, about 1 minute. Scrape into bowl with chicken.

In saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium heat; whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in chicken stock, milk, nutmeg and remaining salt and pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking often, until smooth and thickened, about 8 minutes. Whisk in Fontina cheese until smooth.

Reserve 2 cups (500 mL) of the sauce; stir remaining sauce into chicken mixture. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate filling and reserved sauce separately until filling is firm enough to roll, about 2 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

In small saucepan, reheat sauce over medium heat, whisking until smooth. (Or microwave on high in microwaveable bowl for 2 minutes, whisking once.) Spread 1/2 cup (125 mL) sauce in greased 13- x 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish.

Spoon about 1/3 cup (75 mL) filling in line along centre of each cr?. Roll up and arrange snuggly, seam side down and in single layer, in prepared dish. Drizzle with remaining sauce. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.)

Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven until golden, bubbly and heated through, about 35 minutes. 

Chicken Tetrazzini

Serves 8  Prep Time 10 minutes  Cooking Time 20 minutes

5 cloves garlic, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons flour
6 cups milk
1 cup deboned and cubed cooked chicken 
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs, divided
garlic powder to taste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
250 grams spaghetti, cooked al dente
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1  In a pan, sauté garlic and celery with butter. When the garlic is fragrant, add the flour; mix. Gradually pour in the milk while stirring constantly so the sauce doesn’t stick to the pan.
2  When the sauce is no longer watery, but also not too thick, add the chicken, mushrooms, and 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs. Add garlic powder if you like it more garlicky. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
3  Add noodles to the sauce and mix well. Place the pasta and sauce in an 8x8-inch glass baking dish, then top with Parmesan cheese and remaining breadcrumbs. Bake in a preheated 400ºF oven until the top is golden brown.
Serving tip: Serve some celery sticks with the pasta—you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how well the fresh flavors complement the creamy sauce. This recipe also works just as well with leftover turkey

Chicken Meatballs in Cranberry-Chili Sauce

Serves 6 to 8  Prep Time 25 minutes  Cooking Time 20 minutes

For the meatballs
500 grams ground chicken meat
1/2 cup panade (bread cubes soaked  in low-fat milk)
oil for sautéing 
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped pickle relish
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

For the sauce
1 cup cranberry sauce (from whole berry if available; if not available,  jelly will do)
2/3 cup sweet chili ketchup
1/2 cup water

1 Make the meatballs: Combine all ingredients and form the mixture into balls. Sauté until half cooked. Set aside.
2 Make the sauce: In a pan, mix cranberry sauce, ketchup, and water. Simmer and add the precooked chicken balls. Let meatballs soak in the sauce and simmer for an additional 15 minutes on low heat. Serve with mashed potatoes, if desired.

General Tsao's Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 pinch white pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
•  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 dried whole red chilies
• 1 strip orange zest
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
•  
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken cubes; sprinkle with salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and white pepper; mix well. Mix in 1 cup of cornstarch a little bit at a time until the chicken cubes are well coated.
3. In batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cooking until they turns golden brown and begin to float, about 3 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to cool as you fry the next batch. Once all of the chicken has been fried, refry the chicken, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Cook until the chicken turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in the green onion, garlic, whole chiles, and orange zest. Cook and stir a minute or two until the garlic has turned golden and the chiles brighten. Add 1/2 cup sugar, the ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut oil; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute. Stir the chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce.

Braised Oriental Chicken

Serves 2 to 3  Prep Time 5 minutes  Cooking Time40 minutes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
700 grams chicken pieces (drumstick, thigh, breast, and wing)

For the sauce
1 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon cooking wine
1 piece star anise
2 tablespoons green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
black pepper to taste
8 leaves bok choy
1/4 cup leeks, green part sliced diagonally

1  Heat oil in a large frying pan. Sear the chicken pieces until brown on all sides. Set aside.
2  In a medium stockpot or casserole, combine all the ingredients for the sauce except for the cornstarch, pepper, bok choy, and leeks. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken and cook, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and tender.
3  Transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Add the dissolved cornstarch to the sauce and let it thicken. Season with pepper. Add the bok choy leaves and leeks. Mix well. Pour sauce over the chicken. Serve with steamed rice.

Sweet Chili Chicken

Serves 4 to 5  Prep Time 15 minutes  Cook Time 15 minutes

250 grams chicken leftovers (about 1/4 of a whole chicken)
1 small carrot                               
1 small red pimiento
1 small green pimiento     
3 stalks onion leeks               
1/4 cup butter or margarine               
1 piece hot chili pepper         
1 cup banana ketchup                    
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sugar 
salt and pepper to taste

1  Cut chicken leftovers into serving  portions. Slice carrot, pimientos, and leeks into narrow strips.
2  Melt butter in medium skillet. Half-cook vegetables. Remove from butter and set aside. Crush the hot chili pepper in the butter. Add in the chicken cutlets. Stir and allow to fry in the butter for a minute or so. Pour in the banana ketchup, oyster sauce, and sugar. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3  When done, arrange chicken pieces in a serving platter. Pour sweet chili sauce on it and garnish with half-cooked veggies. 

Chicken Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:
500g chicken breast, cut into small pieces (1/2" square)
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (410g) of diced tomato
1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/4 cup tomato paste
cooking spray
3 1/3 cup cooked pasta

Instructions:

Spray frypan with nonstick cooking spray. Sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms for approximately 5 minutes over low heat. Add raw chicken pieces. Cook chicken over medium high heat until no longer pink. Once chicken is cooked, add tomatoes, paste, balsamic vinegar, and spices to the mixture. Mix together and simmer over medium low heat for 20 minutes.

Serve with a side of garlic bread and your favourite vegetable.

All in One Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 yellow), cut into thin strips
• 1 ¹/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium sweet onion, thickly sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• ¹/2 teaspoon salt
• ¹/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can sliced white potatoes, drained
• ¹/4 pound sliced mushrooms
• ¹/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and bell peppers over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned, stirring occasionally.
    
2. Add the chicken, onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.
    
3. Stir in the potatoes, mushrooms, and parsley. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the potatoes are heated through.