February 26, 2008

Chicken Breasts

Chicken Kiev

Adjust quantities depending on how many people you're serving. Make 1-2 pieces of Chicken Kiev per person. Read the recipe through so you can time your dinner preparation.

  • Bone-in chicken breasts, split
  • stalk of celery
  • 1 carrot
OR, to save time:
  • boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 cups chicken broth
AND
  • butter
  • beaten egg
  • flour
  • bread crumbs
  • lemon
  • oil for frying
For bone-in chicken breasts:
Remove skin and bones, discard skin, cut in two.
Use bones to make broth for the sauce:
Put chicken bones in a pot, cover with water.
Bring to a boil, add diced celery and carrot and a little lemon peel
Reduce to simmer about an hour, adding more water if necessary.
Two cups of broth is needed for the sauce.
Strain to remove bones and peel.
Refrigerate broth so any fat separates.
When cool, skim fat off the top.
Reserve remaining broth to use in the sauce.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts and de-boned chicken:
Pound each piece of chicken with a mallet or a hammer covered with plastic wrap.
Chicken pieces should be flat and doubled in size.
Spread on each chicken piece:
  • 1 Tbsp softened butter
  • Salt and pepper
  • Dried thyme (or other herbs)
Roll each piece of chicken up.
Place on a dish, cover and refrigerate till the chicken rolls harden.

About 4 hours before dinner will be served, dredge each roll with:
  • flour
Roll in:
  • 1 large beaten egg
Coat in:
  • bread crumbs
Refrigerate for 3 hours.

In a pot on the stove, prepare the sauce:
  • 4 tbsp butter, melted
  • 4 tbsp flour, whisked in
  • 2 cups chicken broth, added while stirring with a whisk.
Taste and season the sauce.
When sauce thickens, lower heat and stir for 3 more minutes.
Add:
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 more tbsp melted butter.
Keep warm till chicken is ready.

Cook Chicken Kiev rolls:
Fry in deep fat (enough vegetable oil to cover) for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Serve chicken with sauce on the side, or drizzle sauce over the chicken rolls before serving.

Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken Breasts
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 pounds total)
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp Frank's hot sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
Marinade chicken:
In a large bowl, whisk buttermilk, hot sauce, mustard, garlic, pepper and 1 tsp. salt.
Add chicken and turn to coat.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

In another large bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan, flour, thyme, paprika, cayenne, 1 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp olive oil. Mix well.
Remove chicken from marinade, place in seasoned bread crumb mixture, turn to coat.
Place chicken on a rack and let sit 20 minutes.

Spread 1 Tbsp oil on a rimmed baking sheet and place in cold oven.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
After oven temperature reaches 400 degrees, wait 5 minutes then place coated chicken on the heated baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes or until crispy, golden and baked through.

Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots.

Southwest Chicken and Vegetables
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lbs total)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup chopped sweet onion
  • 1 sweet red pepper, sliced
  • 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
  • 2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed
  • 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
  1. Mix together, in a small bowl: 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper.
  2. Sprinkle chicken breasts with the spice mixture and set aside.
  3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
  4. Cook chicken in the skillet 7-8 minutes till browned and cooked through (temperature of chicken reads 160 degrees F.) Remove chicken onto a plate and tent loosely with foil.
  5. Add 1 Tbsp of oil to the skillet and sautee garlic over low heat 3-4 minutes until soft.
  6. Increase heat to medium, add onions and red pepper, cook 5 minutes.
  7. Add 2 cups corn, 2 cups lima beans, 1 tsp chili powder and 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, cook 5 minutes.
  8. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth or water and continue to cook until vegetables are heated through.
  9. To serve, scrape vegetables and drippings onto a platter and top with sliced or whole chicken breasts.