Inventive ways with chicken

Press, 3 August 1981, Page 10

Inventive ways with chicken

COOKING with

Celia Timms

Chicken dishes that are new and different will, I hope, be welcomed because chicken has become a more frequent and general food on our every day menus. My personal reaction to chicken if eaten frequently, is that it tends to become a little tedious unless I keep changing the method of cooking it and the accompanying flavourings. The result is that I probably do more things with chicken than any other meat. Here are four recent inventions which I trust will be acceptable and enjoyed. Tropical Chicken .mThe name of this dish is derived from the fact that the chicken is accompanied by both bananas and pineapple and that I first made it in Australia with both of these fruit growing just outside the door. I used fresh pineapple but drained canned pineapple pieces could replace that. To serve four you need: A chicken • 1.5 kg. 2 tomatoes 1 onion 1 cup chicken stock or 2 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 1 cup hot water ~ 6 slices pineapple or 1 medium size can pineapple pieces 4 ripe bananas 4 tablespoons white wine or sherry 4 tablespoons butter < ’ 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon pepper

Method: Cut the chicken into quarters or pieces. Put 3 tablespoons of the butter in shallow baking dish or heavy-based pan and add chicken pieces. It can be cooked uncovered in a hot oven or on top of the stove. If in the oven, baste frequently and if on top of the stove, turn the pieces frequently — cooking time about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Peel, and seed the tomatoes and chop onion very finely or grate it. Melt remaining butter in small pan and add chopped tomato and onion; cook until soft; add chicken stock a little at a time and cook over medium heat until it is reduced in quantity. Cut fresh pineapple into cubes, or drain canned pieces well and saute in additional butter until lightly browned. Put tomato mixture through a sieve and add to pineapple in pan; simmer 3 minutes. Saute peeled bananas in butter until lightly browned all over. Remove cooked chicken to serving dish. Add wine to juices in which chicken was cooked, blending well then add to pineapple/ tomato. . Pour this over chicken and arrange the bananas around the dish. Serve very hot with freshly boiled rice.

Casserole of chicken

I admit this dish is. un-

usual, and it might at first reading appear to be involved, but it is really very simple and is prepared during two days. The , stuffed chicken is steamed with the sausages and bacon and left to become cold. A quickly cooked casserole is prepared the following day, which is well-flavoured. Sometimes I top it with a scone topping, just for extra measure. For 6 servings you need:

1 chicken - 1.5 kg 4 pork sausages (thick) 125 g bacon in thick rashers */2 cup frozen peas, cooked 3 small or 2 medium-size onions l*/i cups fresh breadcrumbs Herbs; salt and pepper to taste 1 egg; butter Onion soup powder or mushroom soup powder

Method: Prepare stuffing by frying a finely chopped or grated onion in butter until soft; add breadcrumbs, herbs and seasoning to taste a little melted butter and a beaten egg. Blend well and stuff chicken with the mixture. Secure opening with thread or skewer. Place the chicken in a pan with enough water to come about half-way up the bird; add remaining onion, quartered and a light sprinkling of salt. Simmer very slowly until chicken is almost but not quite cooked. Remove find from bacon and place this over top of chicken and add the sausages. Continue to cook for about 30 minutes. Leave to become cold in pan. I do this part of the preparation in a Crock Pot, which takes longer but provides the very slow cooking necessary. Skim off all fat, remove chicken, bacon and sausages and strain remaining stock. Cut chicken meat into pieces; slice sausages after removing skins; cut bacon into small pieces; cut stuffing into chunky pieces and assemble all in a casserole or ovenproof dish; add cooked peas. Put strained chicken liquor in pan and make up to generous cupful with milk; heat and add enough onion or mushroom soup powder to make a thin smooth sauce, stirring continually. Pfcur over contents of dish after tasting for seasoning and put into a 180 C oven until well heated.

Chickefi and rice casserole This is quite a colourful dish and therefore good as a hot dish for a buffet dinner.

The following, quantities will serve 6: , .

1 chicken, 15 kg ‘A cup flour; ts teaspoon salt; % teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon paprika; pinch

of nutmeg ‘A cup vegetable oil 6 pickling size onions 3 stalks celery; 1 green

pepper 3 carrots; Vz cup sliced mushrooms 1 clove garlic 1 cup long grain rice 2 cups tomato juice; 1 teaspoon sugar

Method: Put flour, salt, pepper and paprika into a bag and drop cut-up chicken (a few pieces at a time) into it. Shake well. Heat oil in pan and brown chicken pieces on all sides. Peel onions; cut celery into diagonal chunks; slice green pepper into rings; scrape carrots and cut into sticks. Using a deep casserole arrange a layer of chicken in base, cover with Ms cup rice and half of the mixed vegetables. Add sugar to tomato juice and pour in half of it. Add another layer of chicken, rice, vegetables and tomato juice. Cover and bake at 160 to 170 C for about 1% hours. Spiced chicken This recipe will probably have only limited appeal. It will be liked only by those who enjoy spiced food. It will serve 4 persons, and you need: 1 chicken - 1.5 kg

50g butter 1 teaspoon turmeric

2 whole cloves ‘A - ‘A teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste) ti teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon grated green ginger (or to taste) 1 clove garlic; 1 onion 1 small can pineapple pieces 1 cup white wine 2 egg-yolks

salt and pepper Method: Cut chicken into portions. Melt butter or heat oil in pan and brown chicken well on all sides; drain on absorbent paper. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan and saute until onion is soft Add turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, ginger to pan and cook for about a minute. Pour in the wine and juice from drained pineapple. Arrange chicken in ovenproof dish and add contents of pan. Cook in moderate oven (180 C for lVz hours or until chicken is tender. Half an hour before end of cooking time stir in drained pineapple pieces. When cooked, remove chicken pieces with slotted spoon; add beaten egg-yolks to casserole, storing to blend. Return chicken and replace in oven for 5 minutes. NOTE: This dish can be cooked in a heavybased pan on top of the stove over low heat. Serve with freshly boiled rice.