Superb Chicken Recipes

MY FAVORITE SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.
• Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.
• Now, salt the chicken-I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.
• Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone-I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
• Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip-until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.

SUPERB CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Render bacon in a large pan.
• Add onion and cook it down.
• While onion is cooking, beat eggs and some of the milk together to make an egg wash.
• Mix 1/2 of the Bouqet Garni with enough flour to bread all the chicken.
• Remove onions and bacon from pan, leave grease in pan to fry chicken.
• Flour chicken.
• Dip in egg wash.
• Flour again, coat well.
• Fry chicken in pan, add oil if needed.
• Brown very well on both sides.
• Put chicken into 350°F oven to finish cooking.
• Return onions and bacon to pan.
• Add soup, stock, the rest of the milk, the rest f the Bouquet Garni and garlic Stir vigorously until a gravy forms.
• Serve gravy as a side dish to chicken.

SUPERB CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Method.
• -1. Place chicken into a large frying pan in a single layer. Pour pineapple juice over chicken. Set pineapple pieces aside. Add thyme to chicken. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat.
• 2. Set chicken aside to cool in poaching liquid. Remove chicken, reserving 1/4 cup poaching liquid. Slice chicken diagonally.
• 3. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in curry powder and chutney. Remove from heat. Stir through mayonnaise and reserved poaching liquid.
• 4, Tear lettuce leaves in half. Place onto a serving platter. Top with sliced chicken, pineapple pieces, mango, avocado and macadamia nuts. Drizzle with dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
• Variation: Try replacing the chicken with cooked prawns and the mango with peeled ripe peaches.
• If you're watching the kilojoules, replace the mayonnaise with Greek-style yoghurt and leave out the nuts.