STEW FROM BAVARIAServes 4 If you like mild sauerkraut, instead of just draining it, as the recipe suggests, rinse it in a colander or strainer. 1 roaster boneless breast, cut into bite-size pieces salt and ground pepper to taste 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 pound sauerkraut, drained 1 can (16 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce 1 large apple, peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) Season breast pieces with salt and pepper. In a flame proof casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add chicken and onions. Saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. In a bowl combine sauerkraut, cranberry sauce and apples. Spoon over chicken and onions and toss gently. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with walnuts just before serving.
MAIN DISH RECIPES RECIPES WITH CHICKEN BREASTS Unlike women, chickens have only one breast. A single serving would usually be a breast half. The recipes that follow will refer to "breasts" and "breast halves." A cutlet is a breast half (or thigh) that is both skinless and boneless and sometimes has been pounded to flatten. A scaloppine is a cutlet sliced almost in half lengthwise and then opened, like the wings of a butterfly or a thin slice from a large roaster breast. To save time, look for chicken scaloppine which have already been made for you: the Perdue thin-sliced Oven Stuffer Roaster Breasts are ready-made scaloppine.
The recipes will also specify whether to use a chicken breast or a roaster breast. You can interchange them, but the results will be different. A roaster has a more intense flavor and is juicier. It's also bigger, and requires longer cooking. BAKED BREASTS WITH CHEESEServes 4 When the Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters and Roaster Parts first came out, Frank used to have recipe cards put in each one because it was a new product and most people didn't know how they should be cooked. The practice was discontinued once Roasters became well-known. The woman in charge of distributing recipes told me that sometimes the recipes on the cards became family favorites, and when a person lost one of the family favorite cards, he or she would actually take the trouble to write to Frank for a replacement. I asked how often this happens and learned that over the years, Frank has received thousands of letters requesting replacement cards. This is one of the recipes that people have asked for over and over again. 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided 1 roaster boneless breast salt and ground pepper to taste 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley 1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried 1/2 cup chicken broth 3 tablespoons dry white wine 3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons bread crumbs Preheat oven to 375oF. Lightly butter a shallow baking dish. Place chicken in baking dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper, scallions, parsley, and thyme. In a measuring cup combine broth and wine and pour over chicken. Cover and bake 20 minutes. In a small bowl combine cheeses and bread crumbs. Remove chicken from oven and sprinkle with cheese mixture. Dot with remaining butter and place under broiler until cheese is melted and golden. BERLINER SCHNITZEL BREASTServes 4 You'll notice that the "hard-cooked" egg in this recipe isn't called "hard-boiled." The reason is that the egg producers tell me that it's better never to boil an egg, but rather to cook it until it's hard in water that's just below boiling. If you cook your eggs in boiling water, they'll end up with an unattractive greenish color where the yolk meets the white. At lower temperatures, the yolk will be more tender and won't discolor. 1 roaster boneless breast or a package of thin sliced boneless roaster breast. 2 eggs 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste Ground pepper to taste 1/3 cup flour 1 cup dry breadcrumbs vegetable oil 6 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons capers, drained 1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley Separate fillets from breast halves and then cut breast halves in half, lengthwise. Place breast pieces between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound chicken to a 1/4-inch thickness to form scaloppine. If using thin sliced breast skip this step. In a shallow bowl beat eggs with salt and pepper. Place flour and bread crumbs on sheets of wax paper. Dredge chicken in flour then dip in egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Heat 1/4-inch oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove to serving platter. Pour oil from skillet and wipe clean. Add butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Add lemon juice and capers carefully to avoid spatters; pour over schnitzels. In a small bowl toss together hard- cooked egg and parsley and sprinkle over top. Serve with buttered noodles. BONELESS BREAST PARMESANServes 4 To get the best flavor from the tomatoes, make sure your supermarket doesn't store them on the chilling shelf and don't refrigerate them when you bring them home. Store them at room temperature and use them soon after you buy them. 1 roaster boneless breast or thin sliced boneless roaster breast 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided Ground pepper to taste 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup flour 1 pound fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped 1 small clove garlic, minced 3/4 cup olive oil, divided 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried Separate fillets from breast halves and then cut breast halves in half, lengthwise. Place breast pieces between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4" thickness to form scaloppine. If using thin sliced breast, skip the previous step. In a shallow bowl beat eggs with 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour on a sheet of wax paper. On another sheet of wax paper combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dredge cutlets in flour, dip in egg and roll in bread crumb mixture. Refrigerate while making sauce. In a small serving bowl combine tomatoes, garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, basil and salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining oil. Add chicken and saute for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Transfer to a warmed serving dish. Pass sauce separately. BREAST COQ AU VIN Serves 4 The famous food writer, Malcolm R. Herbert, tells a story that I've always loved about coq au vin (chicken in wine). According to Herbert, a lady lavished praise on Alexander Dumaine, one of France's outstanding chefs, for his version of chicken in wine.
"Madam, I'm not satisfied," Dumaine replied.
"But you have been making coq au vin for 30 years," the woman protested. "How can you not be satisfied?"
"That, madam, was practice."
According to Herbert, Dumaine's version of coq au vin uses red wine, white wine, and brandy, and it takes a good twenty-four hours to prepare. This version is a lot simpler, but still very good. The day I made it, I couldn't find pearl onions or small onions in my local supermarket, so I used a large white onion, chopped. The pearl onions would have been prettier, but the taste was fine. 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 roaster breast 1 cup dry red wine salt and ground pepper to taste 1 sprig each of fresh thyme and rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon each, dried 1 clove garlic, minced 16 pearl onions, if available, otherwise 8 small white onions, peeled and quartered, or 1 large onion, chopped. 1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 cup water 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add breast and brown on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Add wine, seasonings, garlic and onions. Cover and simmer 60 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer 10 to 15 minutes longer or until breast is cooked through. Drain juices into a small saucepan; blend cornstarch and water; stir into pan juices and cook, over medium heat, stirring constantly, one minute or until sauce thickens and clears. Carve breast and serve with wine sauce. Garnish with crumbled bacon and parsley.
BREAST WITH APPLE-PECAN STUFFINGServes 4 Make sure that the pecans you use are fresh. In the shell, they'll last in a cool dry place for six months. Shelled pecans should be kept in the refrigerator, in an air tight container. If you plan to keep them for longer than half a year, freeze them. 1 roaster breast salt and ground pepper to taste 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided 1/4 cup hot chicken broth or water 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped 1/2 cup chopped pecans Preheat oven to 375oF. Season breast inside and out with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 4 tablespoons butter, broth, apples and pecans. Stuff breast cavity and cover with aluminum foil. Carefully place breast, skin side up in roasting pan. Rub remaining butter over breast and bake about one hour and 15 minutes until juices run clear with no hint of pink when pierced. Remove stuffing and carve half of breast. BUTTERMILK PECAN CHICKENServes 4 The pecan halves are more appetizing-looking when you put them on top of the chicken during the last ten minutes of baking; the nuts get a delicious-looking brown. I come back to this recipe when I want something that's never fail. 1 egg 1/2 cup buttermilk 3/4 cup pecan halves, divided 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup ground pecans 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons sesame seed 4 chicken breast halves 1/4 cup oil In a mixing bowl beat egg with buttermilk. Chop 1/2 cup of pecans coarsely, reserving remaining halves for garnish. On a sheet of wax paper mix together chopped pecans, flour, paprika, salt, pepper and sesame seed. Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk mixture; then pecan mixture. Pour oil in shallow baking pan. Place chicken breasts, skin side down, in pan and turn to coat with oil; finishing with skin side up. Bake, uncovered, at 350oF 45 to 50 minutes, or until cooked through. During last 10 minutes of baking, place reserved pecan halves on top of chicken.
CHICKEN AVOCADO MELT Serves 4 For years I made it a kind of hobby to ask cookbook authors and recipe contest winners how they came up with their recipes. Since I don't invent recipes myself, the people who create the real winners seem to me as mysterious and impressive as someone who composes a hit song or writes a best selling novel. My favorite example of this is Marge Fortier, who won the $10,000 Grand Prize at the National Chicken Cooking Contest. She didn't do any tinkering, tasting, and adjusting the way most of us would. No, the complete idea for her recipe for Chicken Avocado Melt came to her seemingly out of nowhere. "I was vacuuming the living room," she told me, "when all of a sudden, I don't know how, the complete idea for the finished recipe just came to me. She grabbed a pencil and jotted down the entire recipe on the notepad that she always keeps handy$and won $10,000. Her recipe calls for chicken breast halves, but you can simplify things a little if you use thin sliced boneless roaster breast pieces instead. 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or 1 thin sliced boneless roaster breast 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 tablespoon water 1/3 cup cornmeal 3 tablespoons cooking oil 1 ripe avocado, peeled, sliced 1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 cup sour cream, divided 1/4 cup sliced scallion greens 1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper cherry tomatoes parsley sprigs Preheat oven to 350oF. Pound the chicken to 1/4" thickness. If using thin sliced breast, skip the previous step. In a shallow bowl, mix the cornstarch, cumin, garlic, and salt. In another bowl mix egg and water. Place cornmeal in a third small bowl. Coat chicken first with the cornstarch mixture, then with the egg, and finally with the cornmeal. (Marge Fortier says, "I always use cornstarch because it comes out thinner than flour".) In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken and saute for two minutes on each side "to firm up the crust", then remove pieces to a shallow baking pan. Before putting cutlets in oven, top them with avocado slices and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Top each chicken breast with sour cream and a sprinkling of scallions and red pepper. Garnish with cherry tomato halves and parsley. Serves four. CHICKEN IN MUSTARD SAUCEServes 4 Home economist Michelle Scicolone developed this recipe for Perdue, and she has an ultimate compliment for it: "It's what I make all the time when I'm cooking at home." You get crunchiness and crispness but it's not fried. According to Michelle, it comes out just fine with any mustard that you have on hand or any chicken parts you have around. 1 roaster boneless breast or thin sliced boneless breast 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced (2 cups) 2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley l tablespoon minced shallot or scallion l/8 teaspoon ground pepper l/2 cup chicken broth l/4 cup dry white wine l tablespoon Dijon mustard Slice breast thinly if using whole breast. In large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add breast slices a few at a time, placing them so that pieces do not touch. Saute about 2 minutes per side, until chicken is lightly browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Heat remaining oil. Add mushrooms, parsley, shallot and pepper. Stirring frequently, cook 2 minutes. Stir in broth and wine; bring to a boil and cook until liquid is reduced by half (about 1/3 cup). Reduce heat to low; stir in mustard until well blended. Spoon over chicken. HOT PINEAPPLE BREAST Serves 4-6 My teenage son Carlos says he likes this better cold the next day with a small handful of slivered almonds tossed over it. Myself, I like it hot, served over rice. If you have leftover chicken broth (as you probably will if you're using canned chicken broth), use it as part of the liquid you use to cook the rice. Also, if you like peppers to stay a bright green and don't mind if there's still some crunch to them, add them at the same time that you add the cornstarch rather than earlier in the recipe. They look pretty that way and pick up the bright red of the pimentos. 1 roaster boneless breast cut into 1/4" by 2" strips 4 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 green pepper, cut into strips 1 cup celery, sliced diagonally 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, with liquid 3/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 4-ounce can pimento, drained and cut into strips 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add chicken and saute for 5 minutes. Add green pepper and celery and cook 3 minutes, stirring. Drain pineapple, reserving liquid. Add drained pineapple, 1/2 cup of pineapple juice, broth, onion and tarragon. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Blend cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to make a smooth paste. (If you like the sauce quite thick, use an extra teaspoon of cornstarch.) Add to skillet and continue to cook, stirring, until thickened. Add pimento and serve immediately. LAYERED CHICKEN (Hawaiian) Serves 6-8 If you have a sweet tooth, this recipe could end up one of your favorites. Frank likes it a lot. Besides tasting delicious, it's also quite versatile. Once when I was making it, I happened to have leftovers of both chicken and rice, so I substituted them for the first two ingredients in this recipe. I also omitted the water and pineapple juice. If you make this substitution in the recipe, you won't need to bake it, but instead only keep it in the oven long enough to heat it through. It's not quite as delicious as the original, but it's still very good. By the way, the layered arrangement of this dish is typically Hawaiian; don't stir or mix the ingredients. 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1-1/2 cups quick-cooking rice, uncooked 1 can (3-1/2-ounces) shredded coconut 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained…reserve juice 3/4 cup water 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 4 tablespoons orange marmalade 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 4 tablespoons soy sauce 2-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger Preheat oven to 350oF. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Place half of chicken in bottom of large shallow baking dish. Arrange rice in layer on top of chicken, then remaining chicken in layer. Add layer of coconut; then layer of pineapple chunks. Dot marmalade in spaces between chunks of pineapple. Mix water, lemon juice and pineapple juice; pour over layers. Pour melted butter or margarine and soy sauce over all. Sprinkle ginger on top. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes or until chicken and rice are done. Remove cover during last 5 minutes of baking for browning. LEMON-PARSLEY BREASTServes 4 I have a friend who grows garlic in California who is a member of the Society of the Lovers of the Stinking Rose. He says, "The most common misconception about garlic is that garlic breath is bad breath." He and his fellow Lovers of the Stinking Rose believe that on the contrary, it's mouthwash breath that is unpleasant. Their slogan is, "Get rid of mouthwash breath; eat garlic!" This recipe probably won't give you either mouthwash breath or garlic breath, since cooked garlic is quite mild in its effects. 1 roaster boneless breast salt and ground pepper to taste 4 tablespoons melted butter or margarine, divided 1/4 cup bread crumbs 2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley 2 tablespoons minced shallots or scallions 1 clove garlic, minced 1 lemon, thinly sliced Preheat oven to 375oF. Season breast with salt and pepper. Pour 3 tablespoons melted butter into a baking dish. Add chicken to dish and turn to coat with butter. In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, parsley, shallots and garlic and spoon over chicken. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Top with lemon slices. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. MARYLAND BREAST OF CHICKENServes 4 This recipe calls for scallions. If you have trouble finding scallions, ask for green onions; they're the same thing. 3/4 cup butter or margarine, divided 1/4 pound fresh crab meat (or frozen, thawed) 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 1 teaspoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs salt and ground pepper to taste 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 roaster breast 1 tablespoon vinegar Preheat oven to 375oF. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and toss in a mixing bowl with crab meat, scallions, horseradish, tomato paste, lemon juice, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. With your forefinger carefully loosen skin from the neck end of the chicken breast to form a pocket, taking care not to detach sides or bottom. Stuff crab mixture between breast and skin. Rub breast with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in roasting pan. Bake approximately one hour, until skin is brown and meat is tender. Remove to serving platter and keep warm. Skim off any fat from drippings; add wine and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce pan juices to about 1/4 cup and remove from heat. Whisk in remaining butter, strain into a sauceboat and serve separately. QUICK SWEET AND SOUR BREASTServes 4 In most cases, I prefer fresh produce to canned. Tomatoes are, at times, an exception. If you're buying out-of-season tomatoes, and if you don't know the source, there's a good chance that they were picked green and artificially ripened. One tomato grower told me she'd rather eat cotton than an out-of-season tomato because the taste was so disappointing. There is some good news on the subject, though. Tomatoes retain their flavor during canning exceptionally well, and canned tomatoes are picked vine ripe. If you want the next best thing to a vine-ripened tomato, and it's winter, try canned tomatoes, as suggested in this recipe. 1 roaster boneless breast salt and ground pepper to taste flour 5 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 medium onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 medium green pepper, chopped 1 cup canned chopped tomatoes (with liquid) 1 can (8-1/4-ounces) cubed pineapple (plus 2 tablespoons pineapple juice from can) 3 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons vinegar 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water Cut roaster breast into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper; coat with flour and set aside. In saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and cook onions, garlic and green pepper for 5 minutes stirring often. Add tomatoes, pineapple and juice, ketchup and vinegar. Stir and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Saute chicken, half at a time, until golden and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Drain and place on serving dish. To sauce in pan, add dissolved cornstarch; cook, stirring, over high heat until sauce thickens. Pour over chicken pieces. STUFFED BREAST PARMENTIERServes 4 Parmentier, a French food writer from 200 years ago, popularized the use of potatoes. Before him, people worried that potatoes might be poisonous. Today, when the name "Parmentier" occurs in a recipe, it's a signal that there will be potatoes in it. 1 roaster breast salt and ground pepper to taste 1 pound boiling potatoes, unpeeled 1/4 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/2 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened Preheat oven to 375oF. Season breast inside and out with salt and pepper to taste. Boil potatoes in salted water to cover until just tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss with bacon, onion, celery, bread crumbs, sour cream and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff breast and neck cavities with potato mixture, wrapping exposed stuffing with foil. Place chicken breast-side-up in roasting pan. Rub skin with butter. Bake approximately 1-1/2 hours, until tender. Transfer to serving dish; remove foil and serve. RECIPES WITH CORNISH HENS
Have you ever wondered just what a "Cornish game hen" is?