Category Archives: Poultry

Hot Brown (traditional)

At Churchill Downs for the 142 running of the Kentucky Derby this year, I was entrusted with so many variations on the traditional Hot Brown that I initially found it hard to believe. Although it can be cooked on a grill with a quality skillet, it is best under a broiler. Highly suggested as a late night snack or better at breakfast in the early hours of the day when those who call themselves your guests are still around. Here then is what locals call “the Louisville alternative to late night ham and eggs”.

INGREDIENTS:
1 – 1/2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 – 1/2 Tablespoons of salted butter
1 – 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
About 1 pound roasted turkey breast. Slice thick.
4 slices of Texas toast. No crusts and cut diagonally in half
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half (lengthwise)
Paprika to dust over the top
Parsley lightly chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Grab a 2 quart saucepan. Melt butter. Slowly whisk in flour until it becomes the consistency of a roux or like thick paste. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes on medium – low heat, stirring frequently.

Whisk in heavy cream and continue to cook over medium heat until simmering, about 2 or 3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in the Romano cheese. Whisk until very smooth. Add nutmeg and then salt and pepper to your taste.

For each Hot Brown; place two halves of one slice of toast into a skillet or oven proof dish cover with one half of the turkey slices. Take two halves of the tomato and two of the diagonal corners of toast and set them along side the first piece of toast. Cover by pouring half the sauce over everything. Sprinkle with more grated Romano.

Place both dishes (or one at a time) beneath a broiler just until the cheese begins to melt and bubble up. When the cheese gets brown a bit, remove and cross the top with two pieces of cooked crispy bacon. Dust with paprika and also top with fresh parsley.

Suitable for the late evening or early morning hours.

Attributed to: Nyquist, Number 13. Winner of the 142nd Kentucky Derby.

Pineapple Stuffed Cornish Hens

Hey! You got pineapple inside of my Cornish Game hens. Hey that is pretty tasty!

INGREDIENTS:
4 Two pound rock Cornish cross hens
1 Sixteen ounce of canned pineapple chunks, packed in syrup.
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Enough sea salt to dust the interior cavity of the birds


DIRECTIONS:
Clean and rinse the hens. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Lightly salt the interior cavity of each hen with sea salt or regular salt. Drain the syrup and stuff the birds with pineapple chunks.

Use a grill safe string or spikes to truss the cavity closed. Set each bird crosswise on an rotating spit. One facing toward you, the next facing away. Secure so the birds do not lose grip and stay heavy side down. If you don’t have a spit. Simply turn hens every 15 minutes.

Combine the garlic salt, warm butter and lemon juice. Baste the birds with this mixture every 15 minutes or more and grill over medium coals. Test if fully cooked with a meat thermometer. Should take about an hour, no more than 1 and 1/2 hours.

Attributed to:  High surf and volcanic sand beaches

Mango Tango Chicken Salad

Grill up a set of boneless chicken breasts with the following marinade, slice and lay gently on a bed of escarole. You will have an eye and taste bud pleaser.

INGREDIENTS:
2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup lime juice
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon minced gingerroot
1 Tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5 or 6 ounces each)
2 large or 4 small heads of Belgium endive. Strip off only the leaves.
Escarole leaves, enough to make a bed beneath the grilled chicken

DIRECTIONS:
In a blender or food processor combine 1/4 of the mango slices, lime juice, sugar and ginger. Cover blend or process smooth.

In a small saucepan combine honey and pepper. Heat until mixture is warm.

Place chicken breasts on cooking grate. Grill chicken 10 to 12 minutes turning once and brushing with the honey mixture halfway though the estimated grilling time. Allow the chicken to cool. Slice diagonally into strips or cubes.

Line platter with escarole. Top with endive leaves. Arrange remaining mango slices and chicken slices on top. Drizzle with mango dressing.

Attributed to: My worn and tattered copy of Weber Grilling Times newsletter, circa 1997.

Crispy Curry Chicken Wings with Cucumber Sauce

A flavorful blend of soy sauce and chutney rises from a crisp wing crust. The cool cucumber sauce adorned with coriander is the perfect complement.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds chicken wings
4 Tablespoons curry powder
4 Tablespoons Major Grey’s chutney, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon soy sauce
CUCUMBER DIPPING SAUCE
1 cup plain yogurt
1 six inch cucumber, chopped fine and seeds removed
1/3 cup minced fresh coriander
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Chop off the wing tips. Cut the wings at the joint. In a large bowl combine curry powder, 2 Tablespoons of the chutney, lemon juice, salt and cayenne. Add the wings and toss to coat evenly. Allow the wings to marinate covered and refrigerated for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best. Toss the wings occasionally.

In a small bowl combine the remaining 2 Tablespoons of chutney and the soy sauce. Remove excess marinade and place the wings skin side up on a hot grill. Grill evenly for about 15 – 20 minutes or until the underside is done. Turn and baste with the sauce. Complete the cooking of the skin side checking if they are cooked through and skin is crispy not charred.

In a serving bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, minced coriander, lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve the cucumber sauce along side the wings and watch them disappear.

Peking Style Chicken Wings

Grab a bottle of Hoisin sauce and you are ready to grill up a pile of lip smacking Peking flavored drummettes and wings.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
6 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons minced green bell pepper
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco
4 pounds of chicken wings, remove wing tips, separate the wings at the joint

DIRECTIONS:
Add hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry to a large mixing bowl. Toss in the scallions, garlic, vinegar. Drizzle the honey over all and fold in the marmalade. Add orange and lemon zest, the minced bell pepper. Add Tabasco.

Add the chicken wings, stirring to coat evenly. Allow the wings to marinate, covered and refrigerated for at least 4 hours or overnight. Give the mixture a stir every once in a while.

Transfer the wings to a grill rack or foil, reserving the marinade. Fire up the grill to approximately 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn every 15 to 20 minutes and baste with reserve marinade. When done, discard the remaining marinade, serve wings on a bed of shredded lettuce or bok choi.

Attributed to: 1998 Cooking Show

Two At One Time Roast Chicken in Bag

When the crowd comes to town, roast two chickens at one time using a Reynolds (or similar) oven proof roasting bag.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Reynolds Oven Bag, large turkey size (19″ x 23 – 1/2″)
1 Tablespoon flour
2 medium onions, cut in eighths
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 whole roasting chickens (about 5 to 7 lbs. each)
Vegetable oil
Seasoned pepper
Seasoned salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Shake the flour into the roasting bag. Inflate the bag and twist the end with one hand and rotate the bag to coat the inner surface with the flour. This will help keep the bag from exploding. Place the bag into a 2 inch deep roasting pan.

Add vegetables to the oven bag. Brush the chickens with oil; sprinkle with seasoned salt and seasoned pepper. Place chickens in bag on top of the vegetables. Close the oven bag with the included oven proof nylon tie. Cut (6) 1/2 inch slits into the top of the bag.

Bake the birds until the chicken is tender, about 1 – 3/4 to 2 hours.

Reynolds cooking Tip: To prevent poultry from sticking to the oven bag. Spray with a nonstick cooking spray before you coat with flower. For more information on cooking up great beef and bird roasts write to the The Reynolds Kitchens g-2-5, P.O. Box 85583 in Richmond, VA 23285-5583

Turkey in a Bag

How can you guarantee moist and tender turkey, that slices into firm cuts and pulls easily from the bone? Use my favorite roasting method. Cook that bird in a roasting bag. This recipe is inspired by Reynolds.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Reynolds Oven Bag, large turkey size (19″ x 23 – 1/2″)
1 Tablespoon flour
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
12 to 24 pound turkey, thawed
1/2 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Shake the tablespoon of flour into the roasting bag. Settle the roasting bag into the floor or a large roasting pan that is at least 2 inches deep.

Add vegetables to the oven bag. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat all surfaces dry. Lightly stuff with your favorite stuffing, if you like. Brush the turkey with vegetable oil. Place the turkey into the oven bag on top of the vegetables.

Close the oven bag with the included (oven proof) nylon tie. Cut six 1/2 inch slits in top. Insert a meat thermometer through one of the slits and into the thickest part of the bird. Do not allow the point to touch any bones.

Bake that bird until the meat thermometer reads 180° Fahrenheit, about 2 to 2 – 1.2 hours for a 12 to 16 pound turkey, 2 – 1/2 to 3 hours for a 16 to 20 pound bird, and 3 to 3 – 1/2 hours for a 20 to 24 pound turkey. Add 1/2 hour for a stuffed turkey. Test the stuffing with the thermometer as well. Let stand in the bag for 15 minutes before opening.

Reynolds says that oven bags cook faster for two reasons. Oven bags keep moist heat close to the surface of the bird. That same moist heat keeps the turkey from drying out. Something we all want to avoid like cholesterol!

Goes well with all the normal Turkey Day stuff.

Seared Chicken Breasts with Red Onion Vinaigrette

Tangy and sturdy treatment for chicken.

INGREDIENTS:
4 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin on
1/2 cup olive oil, reserve 1 Tablespoon more
1 cup red onions, diced
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup Burgundy or any red wine
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
3 Tablespoons canned tomato puree
1 Tablespoon corn oil

DIRECTIONS:
Bring 1 Tablespoon of olive oil up to popping hot temperature and saute the onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until tender. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

In saucepan add (chicken) stock, wine, tomato puree, garlic. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Pour into a bowl, cool for about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup olive oil, vinegar and onions. Keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Season chicken breasts to taste. Heat the corn oil in an oven proof skillet or pan. Add chicken skin down. Cook for 5 minutes until skin is golden brown. Turn them over. Place skillet in oven and roast for 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place over low heat. Add vinaigrette, baste on top. Spoon vinaigrette over the top when serving.

Attributed to: I found this recipe on a hand written piece of paper. So I have no clue. It’s a great recipe though.

Fried and Spicy Chicken Wing Drumsticks

Don’t just dust off that Turkey Fryer in November. Fire it up for this lip smackin’ wings recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds chicken wings
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
BATTER:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 – 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup beer
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Vegetable oil for deep-frying, peanut oil is one of the better choices

DIRECTIONS:
Cut off wing tips. Save in the freezer for chicken stock. Halve the wings at each joint. Separate the shoulder to elbow piece from the elbow to the wing tip joint (the one you chopped off earier. Start at the smaller end of the drumstick, with a sharp knife cut the tendons and grasp the clean joint end with a towel or kitchen pliers, carefully scrape the skin and meat down the length of the bone as far as you can.

You want to make a plump drumstick tip leaving the upper end as a handle. Take the elbow to wing tip bones and do the same by cutting the cartilage, removing the smaller of the two bones and scraping the meat down the larger bone to make a round drumstick tip. Arrange the drumsticks in a shallow glass dish or non reactive bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Marinate, covered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Combine the batter in a bowl. Whisk flour, paprika, salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne pepper and thyme. Make a bowl shaped impression in the center of the pile. Pour in the beer and the oil in a thin stream whisking the batter until smooth. Let the better set at room temperature for 1 hour.

In a large turkey fryer or deep fryer bring 2 inches of oil to 375 degrees F using a candy or deep fryer thermometer. Stir the batter. Dip 3 – 4 pieces in the batter and fry in batches, turning often for about 3 minutes, or golden brown. With a tong or spoon remove each batch and layer on paper towels. Let the oil come back to 375 degrees and repeat for each batch. Bring out the dipping sauce!

Attributed to: Foster

Fried Turkey with Molasses Rub

Get out the deep fryer, a fire extinguisher, goggles and fire-proof gloves. Always be careful first, when deep frying a turkey.

INGREDIENTS:
One 12 – 13 pound turkey
3 – 1/2 gallons of peanut oil
Two 16 ounce cans of chicken stock
Tabasco Sauce

FOR RUB:
3 cups packed light-brown sugar
6 Tablespoons molasses
4 – 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
6 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
3 teaspoons garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all the rub ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until well blended. Heat the fryer with peanut oil. Be safe, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pour chicken stock and Tabasco sauce to taste into a bowl. Use an injector kit to inject the sauce into the legs, breast, and other meaty areas.

Slowly lower the turkey into the deep fryer. Cook for 2 – 1/2 to 3 minutes per pound, or roughly 30 minutes.

Remove. Coat in molasses rub and finish in a 400 degree F oven in a roasting pan for 30 more minutes. You know how to do the rest.