Chicken, always a crowd pleaser

CHICKEN is everybody’s favourite meat, popular food sites are awash with recipes every day, it’s easy to prepare, easily available and a crowd pleaser.

With the school holidays upon us there will be more hungry mouths to feed, chicken hits the spot, its tasty, full of protein and popular. So why not increase your chicken repertoire with my tasty chicken recipes this week.

Happy cooking!

Butterfried chicken with oyster sauce and mushrooms

1½ lbs boneless chicken

½ cup corn-starch

1 egg

4 dried black mushrooms, soaked for 20 minutes and sliced

*reserve water from mushrooms

1 onion, sliced

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 tbs butter

½ tbs minced garlic

Marinade:

2 tbs dark soy sauce

1 tbs rum

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp pure roasted sesame oil

Sauce

½ cup water

½ cup mushroom water*

½ cup oyster sauce

¾ tsp sugar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp pure roasted sesame oil

1½ tsp corn-starch

Divide chicken into six pieces, gently pound to flatten.

Rub marinade onto chicken and let stand for about 10 minutes.

Place corn starch in a plate, and place egg. Lightly beaten into a shallow bowl.

Dip chicken into egg and dredge in corn starch.

Heat one tablespoon oil and butter in a frying pan and pan fry chicken until cooked, about 4 minutes per side.

Remove and keep warm.

Combine sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil in a wok, add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, add mushrooms and stir fry for a couple of minutes more.

Add sauce mixture and cook until bubbly.

Pour over chicken steaks and sprinkle with chopped chives

Serves 4 to 6

Hot n’ spicy wings

For the sauce:

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 onions, minced

4 cloves garlic minced

¼ cup celery finely chopped

½ cup ketchup

1 hot pepper seeded and chopped or to taste

2 tbs brown sugar

3 tbs white vinegar

3 tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs chili powder

½ green bell pepper, chopped

Heat oil in saucepan, add garlic, onion, peppers and sauté until fragrant.

Add the balance of the ingredients and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until thick and bubbly.

Sauce will keep refrigerated for about one week.

Serves 6

For the wings:

16 wings, split wing and drumstick

1 tbs minced garlic

1 tbs ground chives

1 tbs lime juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the wing tip from the wings, (keep to use in stock)

Marinate the wings and small drumsticks in garlic, chives, vinegar, salt and black pepper.

Let stand for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place wings in an ovenproof baking tray, or dish, bake for about 20 minutes turning once until lightly browned.

Baste with sauce and remove to oven for about 5 minutes more.

Serve hot.

Serves 4

Grilled chicken with orange, red onion and parsley mojo

1 4½ lb chicken, cut into quarters, washed and cleaned

Mojo:

¾ cup orange juice

¼ cup lime juice

1 tsp salt

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

¼ cup chopped parsley

½ cup olive oil

½ tsp cumin

Place all the ingredients into a blender, process until incorporated.

Reserve about ¼ cup mojo

Cover chicken in remaining mojo and marinate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill to medium heat, grill chicken turning frequently so as not to burn, grill until cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Brush on the additional mojo and serve.

Herbaceous roasted stuffed chicken with fresh herbs

1 3½ to 4 lb chicken

1 tbs minced garlic

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs minced fresh chives

1 sprig rosemary, rough chopped

6 tbs fresh French thyme

2 tbs wine vinegar

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbs soft butter

Combine all the above ingredients and rub onto chicken, refrigerate until ready for use.

Stuffing

Giblets from chicken about ⅓ cup minced liver and gizzards, washed with lime juice.

2 tbs vegetable or olive oil

4 cloves garlic

1 large onion, finely chopped

½ cup chopped chives

2 pimento peppers, seeded and chopped

1 hot pepper seeded and chopped

⅓ cup fresh thyme

2 cups, fresh bread crumbs, un-toasted

2 tbs raisins

¼ cup grated cheese (optional)

¼ cup chopped parsley

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mince two cloves garlic and combine with black pepper and salt, add to minced giblets.

Prepare stuffing:

Heat oil in a large sauté pan; add garlic and onion, sauté until fragrant.

Add giblets and sauté until brown in colour. Add chives, pimento and hot pepper, and thyme.

Stir and fry for four minutes until all the herbs become fragrant.

Add the breadcrumbs and raisins, stir to combine, gradually add a small amount of chicken stock at a time.

Stir until stuffing comes together. Add cheese and parsley, stir.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Cool stuffing.

Stuff bird with stuffing, close cavity with tooth-pics or string.

Rub bird with butter, bake for 1½ hours basting with pan drippings occasionally.

Check it after 1 hour and 15mins.

Remove bird from oven when juices from meat runs clear when checked with a metal or wooden skewer.

You can continue baking for a further 10 mins to further crisp the skin.

Remove stuffing immediately.

You can bake the chicken without the stuffing, bake it for one hour.

Serves 4 to 6

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