The Perdue Chicken Cookbook
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Mitzi Perdue >> The Perdue Chicken Cookbook
Learn to cook chicken in the microwave. A pound of broiler parts that
would take 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven takes only 6-10 minutes in the
microwave. See Chapter Four, Chicken in the Microwave.
SOUPS
PHOTO: Pot of soup with fresh vegetables surrounding outside - 2
Wherever there are people and chickens, there are chicken soups. Virtually
every immigrant group arriving in America brought along favorite chicken
soup recipes and often the treasured family soup pot, too.
If you grew up on canned, frozen, and dried soups, you may not realize how
easy it is to make truly wonderful soups at home. If so, try it for
yourself, perhaps with these American classics. All the soups are based on
a key ingredient: rich, homemade chicken stock, made from either whole
birds or from parts, in about three hours. Stock takes little tending, just
slow easy cooking to bring out all the flavor and wholesome goodness. Why
not try making one of these soups now? And then, with the help of your
freezer, enjoy the results many times in the coming months.
Basic Guide to Chicken Soup
Older, larger birds, such as the 5-7 pound roasters, make the best soups.
An older bird will have developed more of the rich, intense chickeny flavor
than the younger, milder-flavored broilers or Cornish hens. I've made soup
from broilers and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't as good as it could be.
Use roaster parts if you want to save time. They cook faster and are
excellent when you need only a small amount of broth. The richest flavor,
by the way, comes from the muscles that are exercised most, which happen to
be the dark meat muscles. All parts will make satisfactory soup, but the
legs, thighs and necks provide the fullest flavor.
For clear, golden broth, do not add liver. It turns stock cloudy. And
avoid a greenish cast by using only parsley stems and the white parts of
leeks or scallions.
As the stock cooks down, foam will float to the top. Skim it off, or
strain it out through double cheesecloth when the stock is complete. Tie
herbs and greens in cheesecloth as a "bouquet garni," so you won't
inadvertently remove them during the skimming.
Always simmer stock over low to medium heat. It's not a good idea to boil
the stock for the same reason it's not a good idea to boil coffee; too much
of the flavor would boil away into the air. oLeftover vegetables and those
past their prime are good pureed in cream soups. When thickening such
recipes with egg, prevent curdling by stirring a cup of hot soup first into
egg, then back into soup. Also, be careful to keep the soup from boiling
once you've added the egg.
Most soups develop better flavor if you'll store them, covered, in the
refrigerator for a day or two. To seal in the flavor while you're storing
the soup, don't remove the fat that's on top. When you're ready to serve
the soup you can lift the congealed fat off as a sheet. To remove the last
particles of fat, place unscented paper towel on the surface. Draw towel to
one side and remove.
When freezing stock, allow 1/2- to 1-inch head room in containers so soup
can expand. Freeze some in quart-sized or larger containers for use in
soups. Ladle the rest into ice cube trays or muffin cups for adding to
vegetables, sauces, or gravies. Freeze and then transfer frozen stock cubes
to a plastic bag or freezer container and keep frozen until ready to use.
Soup may be stored in the refrigerator two or three days or frozen for
three to four months. When reheating, make sure to bring the broth to a
boil. Soups enriched with eggs are, unfortunately, not good candidates for
reheating; they're apt to curdle.
BASIC CHICKEN STOCK
Makes about 8 cups
If you need to, you can make the following substitutions for the roaster: 1
stewing hen or spent fowl (5-7 pounds); 2 fresh young chickens (2-4 pounds);
or 6 pounds fresh chicken parts, preferably dark meat portions. (As I
mentioned earlier, young chickens will not provide as rich a flavor as the
older birds but the taste will still be good.) Cooking times for meat will
vary from 3 hours for stewing hens or spent fowl, to 1-1/2 hours for 2
smaller birds to slightly less time for parts. In each case, time from
beginning of simmer and return bones to stock for an additional 1/2 hour
after you've removed the meat.
Chicken stock is delicious served as a simple broth with herbs,
shredded or julienne vegetables, slivers of meat, or rice. It also is the
base from which countless other soups are made.
1 roaster (5-7 pounds)
chicken giblets, except liver
1 large bay leaf
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
4 quarts water or enough to cover chicken generously
1 cup dry white wine, optional
2 medium onions, quartered
2 large carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced, optional
1 bunch fresh parsley, stems only
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Remove giblets from roaster and discard bird-watcher thermometer, if it has
one. Place roaster along with giblets in a large stockpot (8 to 10 quarts)
or other large sauce pot. Wrap bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, and thyme in
cheesecloth as bouquet garni; tie closed with string. Add to stockpot along
with remaining ingredients. Cover pot and simmer over medium-low heat for
2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Carefully skim stock from time to time
with a ladle or spoon to remove fat particles and foam.
To check roaster for doneness, pull back a leg or cut into meat close to
bone; it is cooked when no pink color remains in meat. Remove pieces with a
slotted spoon. Cut away meat from bones and return bones to stock; simmer
30 minutes longer. (See Chapter 10: Cooking with Leftovers for uses for the
cooked meat.)
Strain stock through a fine sieve. If you want, prepare in advance to this
point and refrigerate or freeze. Skim off top fat before using.
To make a soup, bring as much stock as needed to a simmer. Then follow
the soup recipe, adding chicken, vegetables, thickeners, seasonings,
and garnishes.
CHICKEN-IN-EVERY-POT SOUP Serves 4-6
For the best flavor, use fresh vegetables, varying them according to the
season. Speaking of fresh vegetables, do you know how to tell a good carrot?
Look at the "crown," (that's the stem end). If the crown is turning brown
or black or has regrowth visible where the stem was, you've got a carrot
that's been around awhile. If the crown and shoulders are a bright orange,
you've got a nice, fresh carrot.
1 cup potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, in 1/4-inch by 2-inch sticks
1 cup celery, in 1/4-inch by 2-inch sticks
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans, in 2-inch pieces
2 cups cooked chicken, in 1/4-inch by 2-inch julienne strips
1 cup zucchini, in 1/4-inch by 2-inch sticks
Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough salted water to cover. Bring to a
boil over medium-high heat. Cook potatoes 5 minutes; drain, rinse under
cold water and set aside. In large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring
broth and sherry to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Add onions,
carrots, and celery and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in green beans and chicken
and heat soup to boiling. Add zucchini and potatoes and simmer 1 minute
longer or until vegetables are as tender as you like them.
Variation: Chicken Minestrone
Add 1 cup chopped stewed tomatoes in their juice and 2 cups cooked, drained
fusilli or other pasta and 1/2-cup cooked kidney beans when adding zucchini
and potatoes. Stir in 1/2-cup grated Parmesan cheese just before serving.
Other fresh vegetables may be added according to their cooking times.
Minestrone happens to be one of Frank's favorites, although he skips the
cheese because of its cholesterol.
NEW ENGLAND CHICKEN 'N' CORN CHOWDER Serves 4-6
Chowders are thick soups which take their name from the large French pot
used in soup-making called a "chaudiere." You can use fresh corn in this
recipe, but I deliberately suggested frozen corn first because frozen corn
can actually taste sweeter and fresher than the fresh corn you buy at the
supermarket. Corn loses 50% of its sweetness in just 24 hours at room
temperature, and it can take days for corn to get from the fields to the
supermarket to your house. In contrast, frozen corn is rushed from the
fields to the freezer in just a few hours, and once frozen, it stops losing
its sweetness. Strange as it may seem, with corn, frozen can taste fresher
than fresh.
1/4 pound bacon or salt pork, diced
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups peeled potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn or kernels from 2 ears of corn
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup (1/2-pint) heavy cream
Oyster crackers, for garnish
In large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute bacon for 3 minutes until its
fat has been rendered. Add onions and celery and cook 3 minutes longer.
Stir in broth and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Add potatoes and
corn, season with salt and pepper and cook 5 to 10 minutes or until tender.
Stir in chicken and cream, simmer 3 minutes and serve with oyster crackers.
Variation: Shellfish Chowder
Add 1 cup chopped green pepper and 1 cup cooked crab or shrimp to soup when
adding chicken.
HEARTY LANCASTER CHICKEN, VEGETABLE AND DUMPLING SOUP Serves 4
This is a famous Pennsylvania summer soup made with extra vegetables for
hearty winter eating. You can substitute noodles for the dumplings, or add
crackers, pretzels - and some people have told me that even popcorn works.
I'm skeptical about the popcorn, but if you're feeling adventurous, give it
a try.
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup parboiled potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup parboiled carrots, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded green cabbage
1 cup thinly-sliced leek, white and tender green parts only, or 1 medium
onion, thinly sliced
1 package (10-ounces) frozen corn kernels from 2 ears of corn
Knepp
In large saucepan over high heat, bring broth to a boil. Add other
ingredients and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3 minutes while making
dumplings.
Knepp (Little Dumplings)
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon minced, fresh parsley, optional garnish
In small bowl, beat egg; stir in flour, water, salt, baking powder, and
nutmeg. Drop batter by half teaspoons into the simmering soup. When
dumplings rise to top, stir in parsley and serve.
Variation: Chicken Spinach Straciatella
Omit dumplings. Clean and stem 1/2 pound fresh spinach; stack and cut into
1/2-inch strips. Whisk together 2 eggs with 1/2-cup grated Parmesan cheese.
Stir in spinach with chicken, then heat soup just to boiling. Immediately
pour in the egg mixture in a thin stream, while stirring. The goal is to
end up with thread-like strands of cooked egg. Cook until soup simmers
again; stir gently just before serving.
STEW FROM BAVARIA Serves 4
If you like mild sauerkraut, instead of just draining it, as the recipe
suggests, rinse it in a colander or strainer.
1 roaster boneless breast, cut into bite-size pieces
salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 pound sauerkraut, drained
1 can (16 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 large apple, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Season breast pieces with salt and pepper. In a flame proof casserole or
Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add chicken and onions. Saute
until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. In a bowl combine sauerkraut,
cranberry sauce and apples. Spoon over chicken and onions and toss gently.
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with walnuts
just before serving.
MAIN DISH RECIPES
RECIPES WITH CHICKEN BREASTS
Unlike women, chickens have only one breast. A single serving would usually
be a breast half.
The recipes that follow will refer to "breasts" and "breast halves." A
cutlet is a breast half (or thigh) that is both skinless and boneless and
sometimes has been pounded to flatten. A scaloppine is a cutlet sliced
almost in half lengthwise and then opened, like the wings of a butterfly or
a thin slice from a large roaster breast. To save time, look for chicken
scaloppine which have already been made for you: the Perdue thin-sliced Oven
Stuffer Roaster Breasts are ready-made scaloppine.
The recipes will also specify whether to use a chicken breast or a roaster
breast. You can interchange them, but the results will be different. A
roaster has a more intense flavor and is juicier. It's also bigger, and
requires longer cooking.
BAKED BREASTS WITH CHEESE Serves 4
When the Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters and Roaster Parts first came out,
Frank used to have recipe cards put in each one because it was a new product
and most people didn't know how they should be cooked. The practice was
discontinued once Roasters became well-known. The woman in charge of
distributing recipes told me that sometimes the recipes on the cards became
family favorites, and when a person lost one of the family favorite cards,
he or she would actually take the trouble to write to Frank for a
replacement. I asked how often this happens and learned that over the
years, Frank has received thousands of letters requesting replacement cards.
This is one of the recipes that people have asked for over and over again.
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1 roaster boneless breast
salt and ground pepper to taste
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons dry white wine
3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly butter a shallow baking dish. Place chicken
in baking dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper, scallions, parsley, and
thyme. In a measuring cup combine broth and wine and pour over chicken.
Cover and bake 20 minutes. In a small bowl combine cheeses and bread
crumbs. Remove chicken from oven and sprinkle with cheese mixture. Dot
with remaining butter and place under broiler until cheese is melted and
golden.
BERLINER SCHNITZEL BREAST Serves 4
You'll notice that the "hard-cooked" egg in this recipe isn't called
"hard-boiled." The reason is that the egg producers tell me that it's better
never to boil an egg, but rather to cook it until it's hard in water that's
just below boiling. If you cook your eggs in boiling water, they'll end up
with an unattractive greenish color where the yolk meets the white. At lower
temperatures, the yolk will be more tender and won't discolor.
1 roaster boneless breast or a package of thin sliced boneless roaster
breast.
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup flour
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
vegetable oil
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Separate fillets from breast halves and then cut breast halves in half,
lengthwise. Place breast pieces between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound
chicken to a 1/4-inch thickness to form scaloppine. If using thin sliced
breast skip this step. In a shallow bowl beat eggs with salt and pepper.
Place flour and bread crumbs
End of
The Perdue Chicken Cookbook
by Mitzi Perdue
Copyright (C) Mitzi Perdue