Chicken and Andouille Étouffee

Courtesy of Eric Cormier

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
Tony Chachere’s seasoning, to taste
1 pound andouille sausage cut in 1/2-inch slices
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
4 cups hot chicken stock, in all
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onion tops
hot cooked rice for serving

Add 1/2 cup oil to a skillet, preferably cast iron, set over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until a dark red-brown roux is achieved, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and 1 tablespoon Tony’s seasoning. Cook until onions are transparent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

To a very large, clean skillet set over medium-high heat, add remaining oil and chicken. Sautee until chicken is lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add andouille and cook until lightly browned and chicken is cooked throughout, about 7 minutes.

Add roux-vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Slowly add hot stock, stirring constantly, and continue cooking until a stew-like consistency is achieved, about 15 minutes. Correct seasoning with additional Tony’s, if desired. Garnish with parsley and green onions tops. Serve over hot rice.

The Ultimate Pan-Fried Chicken

1 3- to 4-pound fryer, cut into 8 pieces
1 quart buttermilk
1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon onion powder
peanut oil
lard

Remove excess fat from chicken pieces and place in a large bowl or container with fitted lid. Add buttermilk to cover, mix in hot sauce and Cajun seasoning, cover and let sit in place in refrigerator 2 hours or overnight.

Beat eggs in a large bowl until pale yellow. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients. Remove chicken from refrigerator and dredge each piece in flour mixture, then egg mixture, and back into flour mixture, dusting off any excess. Set aside on a plate until all pieces are coated. In a large cast-iron pot with a fitted lid, add equal amounts of peanut oil and lard until oil reaches 1/2- inch in depth. Heat oil over medium-high heat until a pinch of flour tossed in the pot sizzles (the oil temperature should be about 350° to 375°F).

Add chicken pieces to pot, but do not overcrowd. Reduce heat to medium, cover pot, and cook 5 to 7 minutes. Turn chicken pieces, cover, and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Remove lid and let the pieces cook 5 minutes more until golden brown. If necessary, cook chicken in batches and keep warm in a 300°F oven until all chicken has been fried.

Place cooked chicken pieces on crumpled paper towels to drain. Serve hot.

Chicken Florentine

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons shallots, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1-1/2 cups dry white wine
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed, drained
Few gratings of fresh nutmeg

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off any excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until the shallots are translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce reduces by half, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and sauté until heated through. Season the spinach to taste, with salt, pepper, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg. Arrange the spinach over a platter. Place the chicken on top of the spinach. Pour the sauce over and serve.

Curried Chicken Salad Recipe

1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups cooked diced chicken
1 1/2 cups seedless grapes, cut in half
3/4 cup celery, sliced
1/3 cup green onions w/tops, thinly sliced
2 Granny Smith apples
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1 medium cantaloupe (I don't have this for tonight, it's not in season)
lettuce leaves

In small bowl, blend mayo, yogurt, curry powder and salt; set aside.

Dice chicken and cut grapes. Core and slice apples, cut into small pieces. Chop pecans. Combine chicken, grapes, celery, green onions, apples and pecans in large bowl. Add mayo mixture; mix lightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Place cantaloupe slices on bed of lettuce and top w/chicken mixture.

Dr Pepper Sauced Boneless Wings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into nugget sized pieces
3/4 cup flour
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp. pepper
1/4 Tsp. garlic powder
1 can Dr. pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 Tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 TBSP butter
Oil for frying


Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture, coating completely. Put the coated chicken in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This will help the coating adhere to the chicken during frying.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the can of Dr. Pepper to a boil, reduce heat and simmer briskly until reduced to about 1/8th the amount. Add the brown sugar, ketchup, Tabasco and butter and simmer until a nice thick sauce. Set aside.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and fry in the oil until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. when all chicken is cooked, toss in the sauce until completely coated.

Chicken Tikka Masala

MARINADE INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon mango powder, optional
1 teaspoon chili powder, optional or to taste
Pinch of red food coloring, optiona, but it looks nice
Juice of 1 lime
10-ounces plain yogurt
Salt, to taste

About 1-1/2 pounds chicken, diced
3 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped, or to taste (I like tons)
1 large onion, very finely chopped
Chicken stock or water
Oil or ghee, for frying

Grind the spices and mix with marinade ingredients. Immerse chicken in marinade and leave in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Heat oil in a frying pan or wok until very hot. Stir fry chicken vigorously for about 5 minutes, you may need to do it in 2 batches, depending on the size of your pan. Remove chicken and keep warm.

Fry onion and garlic until just browning and return chicken with any remaining marinade, plus stock, plus more spices if you think the sauce needs it. An extra teaspoon of cumin and coriander may "lift" it a little. Simmer until chicken is cooked and sauce is nice and thick.

Serve with rice.

Stuffed Chicken Siena

Courtesy of Olive Garden

CHEESE FILLING/CHICKEN:
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
2 Tbsp Parmesan, grated
1/2 cup smoked Gouda, chopped
1/4 cup Fontina cheese, shredded
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp black ground pepper
1 Tbsp green onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg
2 Tbsp heavy cream

CHICKEN:
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (6-8 oz each), butterfly cut

FOR SIENA SAUCE/PASTA:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup green olives with pimiento, chopped
1/4 cup small capers, rinsed
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup tomatoes, diced
29 oz can tomato puree
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 medium red bell peppers, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp sugar
2 fresh sweet basil, chopped
1 lbs pasta (your choice), cooked according to package directions

Pre-heat oven to 450ºF.

CHEESE FILLING:

MIX all cheese filling ingredients in a mixing bowl until well-blended. Divide into 4 portions; refrigerate until ready to use.

PREPARATION FOR CHICKEN:
PLACE chicken on a cutting board and split to open. Spread cheese filling evenly on both sides.
FOLD one side over to the other and repeat with other breasts.
PLACE chicken in baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450ºF for 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

SIENA SAUCE:
HEAT olive oil in a small sauce pot; add garlic and sauté for one minute (do not brown). Add bell peppers and sauté until al dente. Add olives and capers and stir. Add red wine and bring to a boil. Add remaining ingredients except basil.
BRING to a boil, reduce to low heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Add basil to sauce and stir well; remove Siena sauce from heat.
PLACE one chicken breast and drained, cooked pasta on each plate. Evenly distribute Siena sauce over chicken and pasta. Garnish with chopped basil.

Apricot Mustard Glazed Chicken Breasts

1/3 cup honey mustard or Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves about 1 pound

Blend mustard, apricot preserves and ginger. Brush some mustard mixture on chicken. Grill or broil chicken, brushing with remaining mustard mixture frequently until done.

Bahamian Grilled Chicken

4 chicken breast halves, skin on, bone in
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 2 fresh limes or 1 lemon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely diced bacon
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper strips
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 cups diced canned tomatoes and their juices
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

TO GRILL THE CHICKEN - Season the chicken with salt and pepper and marinate in lime or lemon juice for 10 minutes. While this is marinating, heat the grill.

Grill for 10 minutes on each side or until just cooked through. Keep the skin on as you grill the chicken to keep it moist; you can take the skin off after cooking. While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE - In a 2-quart saucepan, over medium heat, heat the oil and bacon. When the bacon is brown, add the onion, green pepper and celery and cook, covered, over low heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Add the tomatoes and their juices, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons fine-chopped yellow onions
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup bleu cheese, crumbled into fine pieces
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 pound butter or margarine
2 tablespoons bottled hot sauce* or more to taste if you can take it
50 pieces chicken wings, either center or upper portion
Peanut oil for deep frying
Celery sticks for garnish

Mix the wine vinegar with the milk, and allow the milk to curdle. Add the yellow onion, garlic, parsley, mayonnaise, bleu cheese, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Mix well. Refrigerate before serving.

In a large skillet melt the butter or margarine over low heat, and stir in the hot sauce. Careful, this stuff may be too hot for your family. Try a bit that is mild first; then increase the amount of hot sauce to taste. Deep-fry the wing pieces in small batches in peanut oil at 385° for about 10 minutes, or until browned and crisp.

Drain on paper towels. (If you wish to avoid the fat in this dish, bake the wings in the oven at 400° for 25 minutes.) When all the wing pieces have been deep-fried, reheat the skillet containing the hot sauce, and toss the wings about in the hot sauce. Serve with the dressing for a dip and the celery sticks on the side.

This is one of those marvelously messy meals