Chicken Recipes

Appetizers & Soups Recipes  |  Midweek Meal Recipes  |  One Pot Meal Recipes Salads & Barbecues  |  Pastries & Pies Recipes  |  Hot & Spicy Recipes

Choosing a Chicken  |  Chicken Parts  |  Trussing Chicken  |  Roasting Chicken  |  Cutting Up Chicken
Boning a Chicken  |  Butterflying Chicken  |  Making Chicken Stock  |  Making Chicken Sautes
Poaching, Casseroling & Braising Chicken  |  Chicken Stuffings

Making Chicken Sautes

A saute combines frying and braising, producing especially succulent results. It is a method suitable for pieces of poultry as well as for small whole birds such as quails and Rock Cornish hens. As with frying, the poultry should be dried thoroughly with paper towels before cooking, to make sure that it browns quickly and evenly.

1. Heat a little oil, a mixture of oil and butter, or clarified butter in a heavy frying or saute pan.

2. Add the poultry and fry over medium heat until it is golden brown, turning to color evenly.

3. Add any liquid and flavorings called for in the recipe. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Continue cooking gently until the poultry is done, turning the pieces or birds over once or twice.

4. If the recipe requires it remove the poultry from the pan and keep it warm while finishing the sauce. This can be as simple as boiling the cooking juices to reduce them or adding butter or cream for a richer result.

5. To thicken the cooking juices use equal weights of butter and flour mashed together. Use 1 ounce of this "beurre manie" to 1 cup liquid. Add small pieces gradually to the hot juices and whisk until mixture is smooth.

6. Another method of thickening cooking juices is to use cornstarch. Blend 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and add to 1 cup juices. Boil, whisking, for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce is syrupy.

COUNTRY CHICKEN SAUTE
Cook 6 ounces chopped bacon in 2 teaspoons oil over moderately high heat until lightly colored. Remove bacon and reserve. Dredge a 3½ pound chicken, cut into eight pieces, in seasoned flour. Fry chicken pieces in the bacon fat until evenly browned. Add 3 tablespoons of dry white wine and 1 cup poultry stock. Bring to a boil and add 8 ounces quartered mushrooms sauteed in 1 tablespoon of butter and the reserved bacon. Cover and cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Serves 4.