Poultry

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings (2 ½ hours prep)
4 chicken breasts, bone in w/ skin on
10 cups water
12 chicken bouillon cubes
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion, small dice
1 cup celery, small dice
2 cans refrigerated small buttermilk biscuits; 10 biscuits per tube
1 cup flour
6 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped (stems discarded), fine diced
½ tsp black pepper
Maggi (umami), to taste

You’ll need 2 large pots. One for boiling the chicken breasts (so you can preserve the water it’s boiled in) and one to cook everything together in (use something with a large top surface opening like a Dutch oven; I use a 7 qt Calphalon Dutch oven).
Place the chicken breasts in the pot and cover with 3 quarts of water. Cover and bring to a boil, continue boiling for 12 minutes. Remove the chicken from the water with tongs and spread it out on foil or a bake sheet to cool. Set the pot aside, reserving the water. Cook the chicken breasts and set them out to cool before continuing with the remaining steps; they need to cool for about 30 minutes before de-boning.
Pour 4 cups of water from the boiling pot into a one-quart container. Place all the bouillon cubes in the water and stir periodically as they dissolve. Add the pepper, thyme and Maggi. Set aside.
Melt the butter in the Dutch oven and sauté the onions and celery until soft. Add the bouillon mix and 6 more cups of water from the boiling pot. Bring to a simmering boil.
As the bouillon is heating, clean and break down the chicken breasts, tear into bite size pieces. Add into the bouillon.
Open 1 can of biscuits. Using a rolling pin, roll out each biscuit on a floured surface into about a 5”x5” circle; cut in half with a pastry cutter and then cut each half into thirds. Lower each piece into the bouillon, keeping each piece separated to prevent sticking together (having a sous chef is very helpful for this process). Repeat quickly with each of the remaining biscuits from the can. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring periodically, until the dumplings start to sink. Open the 2nd can of biscuits and repeat this process. Continue cooking for about another 5 minutes, stirring periodically, until all the dumplings just begin to appear translucent. Enjoy.

Blackened Duck Breast in Orange Sauce

Blackened Duck Breast (for two)

2 duck breast portions
½ cup blackening seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil on high heat in a heavy sauce pan with a top.  Score the skin on the duck breast in a criss-cross pattern.  Lightly coat the duck breast with seasoning and sear for 4-5 minutes on each side, reduce heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Orange Sauce for Duck Breast (for two)

Chicken Stroganoff

  • 2  pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves and/or thighs
  • 1  cup chopped onion
  • 2  10 3/4-ounce cans condensed cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic
  • 1/3  cup water
  • 12  ounces dried wide egg noodles
  • 1  8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
  • Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
  • Pimentos (optional)

 

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine the chicken pieces and onion. In a medium bowl stir together the soup and water. Pour over chicken and onion.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3-1/2 hours.

3. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. Just before serving, stir sour cream into mixture in cooker. To serve, spoon stroganoff mixture over hot cooked noodles. If desired, sprinkle with black pepper. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source:  Recipe.com

Grilled Barbecue Chicken

6-12 Chicken pieces as desired
Paprika based rub or blackening spice
Barbecue sauce of choice

Start your grill (this recipe is made for cooking on a gas grill).

Place the chicken in a large pot with a cover and fill with cold water to about an inch over the chicken.  Put the cover on the pot and heat on high until the water begins to boil (it will take about 15 minutes for the water to start boiling).  Remove the cover and boil for 12 minutes. 

Drain the chicken and it spread out on large cookie sheets.  Sprinkle both sides with the rub.  Cook each side on the grill on high heat (with the cover down) for exactly 3 minutes on each side.  Reduce the heat of the grill to the lowest setting and move the chicken pieces to the coolest area of the grill (usually the forward edge).  Coat each side of the chicken pieces with barbecue sauce, close the cover and cook for 4 minutes.  Remove the chicken and allow it to rest about 5 minutes before eating.

Braised Breast of Duck with Peaches

Ingredients   

  • 1    tablespoon vegetable oil     
  • 3    each mushrooms, firm, medium size 
  • 4    each duck, half breasts, boned     
  • 2    tablespoons orange rind, grated     
  • 1    teaspoon    meat flavoring     
  • 1/4    cup orange juice     
  • 3/4    cup peaches, pureed fresh     
  • 1/3    cup heavy cream, whipped     
  • 2    tablespoons butter 
  • 1/2    teaspoon    garlic, finely chopped fresh     
  • 1    teaspoon    tomato paste 
  • 1    cup chicken stock, strong 
  • 1    tablespoon honey, light     
  • 1    teaspoon    guava jelly, or red currant jelly     
  • 4    each peaches, fresh, quartered     


Directions:
In deep heavy pot,heat oil.

Add 1 tbs butter. Let it melt and foam.
Add mushrooms. Stir over high heat 2 minutes.

Remove mushrooms with slotted spoon and set aside.  Lightly brown duck breasts on both sides and remove from pan.  Season the duck breast on both sides.  Cook skin side down over medium low heat for 10-12 minutes, or until skin is crispy. Once skin is crispy turn over duck breast and continue to cook for one more minute.

Reduce heat to low; add 1 tbs butter and melt it.
Add garlic and orange rind. Stir over low heat 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste and meat flavoring. Blend. Add stock, orange juice and honey.
Stir over moderate heat until mixture boils. Add peach puree and jelly.
Bring to a boil. Place breasts in pot and coat with sauce.
Cook over low heat about 20 minutes or until done.
Arrange breasts on heat-proof serving platter or gratin dish.
Whisk whipped cream into sauce.
Add mushrooms and peaches.
Spoon sauce mixture over breasts. Brown top lightly under broiler.

Makes 5 to 6 servings.



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