Chicken Recipes

May – Korean BBQ Chicken
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May – Korean BBQ Chicken

Have you had a chance to try the Korean chili paste, gochujang? If not, I recommend you find some. I certainly haven’t explored the full range of possibilities for using it. I do know it makes an amazing component of a marinade. If you have an Asian grocery near you, I am sure you will be able to find it. As I don’t, it was available to order on Amazon.

Gochujang

Gochujang

According to Google…

Gochujang or red chili paste is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, meju powder (fermented soybean powder), yeotgireum (barley malt powder), and salt. The sweetness comes from the starch of cooked glutinous rice, cultured with saccharifying enzymes during the fermentation process.

It is hot, but not overwhelmingly so. And the heat seems to dissipate when it’s cooked. It takes a starring role in this marinade recipe. I have used this marinade on both bone-on and boneless chicken breasts, and a whole roasted chicken. However, it would be equally delicious on a flank steak or baked tofu. You can marinate for an hour, or even better, overnight in the fridge.

Gochujang Marinated Korean BBQ Chicken

Gochujang Marinated Korean BBQ Chicken

Korean BBQ Marinade 

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons gochujang
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
  • 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 tablespoons of unsweetened rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
  • For the sauce – 2 tablespoons of honey
  • Garnish – chopped cilantro, chopped scallions

Method:

  1. For the marinade, combine all the ingredients, whisking to mix well.
  2. Set aside about 1/3 of the marinade and mix it with the honey. You will use this to drizzle over the finished dish.
  3. Brush all over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight.
  4. When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Brush with any remaining marinade and roast for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees F. I cooked my chicken breasts (boneless but with skin on) in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Gochujang Marinated Chicken

Gochujang Marinated Chicken

The inspiration for this recipe came from a New Zealand Airlines inflight magazine.

I served it with a Thai-influenced chopped cabbage and kale salade.

Thai influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

Thai-influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

I’ll post that recipe later this week. It came from the blog Pinch of Yum.

Korean BBQ chicken and Thai influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

Korean BBQ chicken and Thai-influenced chopped cabbage and kale salad

It was a great combination.

 

 

February – Rotisserie-Style Roast Chicken
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February – Rotisserie-Style Roast Chicken

Roast chicken is one of my signature dishes. I routinely roast a chicken once a week and I am always looking for new flavors or new ways to roast it. This recipe came from the book Rick Stein’s Secret France, 120 delicious new recipes for real French home cooking. The interesting thing about the recipe is that the chicken is cooked at a low temperature for a long time, 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

It’s a rainy cold day out outside and I can already smell the aroma of the house during that 2-2 1/2 hour cook time. I need that homey scent on such a dreary weekend day.

The chicken gets a classic preparation with lemon and garlic inside the cavity. Rub it with the flavored butter before popping it into the oven on the middle shelf. It’s the roasting at a low temperature that is new to me. I had a package of multi-colored carrots from Trader Joe’s to put into the bottom of the roasting pan and cook in the juices.

Ingredients:

  • I air-chilled, organic and free-range chicken (if possible) – it does make a difference (lucky you if you can get an heirloom one) See Note #1.
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 whole head of garlic, cut in half horizontally (it doesn’t need to be peeled)
  • chunked potatoes or carrots or another root vegetable to put in the bottom of the roasting pan

Spiced rub for the chicken:

  • 3 tablespoons of softened butter
  • 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
  • pinch of red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of herbs de Provence or another favorite herb (thyme is always good)
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F or 150 degrees C
  2. Dry the chicken with paper towels and put the two lemon halves and half of the whole head of garlic inside.
  3. Mix the spices and herbs with the butter. Rub the seasoned butter all over the bird.
  4. Place the vegetables and the other garlic half (cut side down) in the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast down, on top. Drizzle with olive oil. See Note #2. Place the roasting pan on the middle shelf of the oven.
  5. After 1 hour turn the chicken breast side up and baste it with the pan juices.
  6. After another hour has passed, baste it again.
  7. Roast a total of 2-1/2 hours for a chicken of about 3-1/2 pounds in weight. See Note #1. My chicken was just over 4 1/2 pounds, it was done in 2-1/2 hours.
  8. If you would like additional browning (which I did), remove it from the oven (take out the vegetables) and raise the temperature to 450 degrees F. Put the chicken back in for 10 minutes to bronze the skin.

Roast Carrots

Note #1: If your chicken is over 3.5 pounds in weight you may need to roast it longer. If smaller it might be done sooner. Test by seeing if you can move a leg freely or check with an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the thigh.

Note #2: I don’t tie the chicken or truss it. The thighs take the longest time to cook, if the legs are tied together, close to the body, it increases the chance that the breast will overcook before the thighs are done.

Roast Chicken

The smells filling the house were amazing. I wish I could have bottled it up and included it in this post.

June – Garlic Lime Chicken Tacos
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June – Garlic Lime Chicken Tacos

Looking for the perfect way to use up any leftover chicken from your 4th of July BBQ? This one will also get you out of a hot kitchen and put dinner on the table quickly. No leftovers? A rotisserie chicken from the store works well. You could also saute or grill a few boneless chicken breasts or thighs and give them the same treatment. Any way you choose, this is quick and easy.

Lime Garlic Chicken Tacos

Lime Garlic Chicken Tacos

The recipe is simple but toasting the tortillas directly over the gas burner on your range, or on the grill, or even on a grill pan, makes a huge difference. That toasty and roasted flavor adds something special, as does the cilantro and lime crema.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lemon
  • 2 limes
  • 1-2 tablespoons finely minced jalapeno
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
  • 2 avocados, peeled and pits removed, diced or sliced (sprinkle with a little lime or lemon juice to keep them from turning brown)
  • 16 cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quartered (or some jarred tomato salsa)
  • 6 cups of leftover chicken
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons of neutral oil
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 6 oz of cheese (Cotija, feta, cheddar, Monterey jack, or other) shredded or crumbled
  • 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish
  • Cilantro and lime crema

See the previous post for the cilantro and lime crema.

Cilantro Lime Crema

Cilantro Lime Crema

If you don’t have any leftover chicken on hand either – saute 2 large cubed boneless chicken breasts or 5 cubed boneless thighs in the oil until cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and proceed with the recipe.

Or, brush with oil and place the whole breasts or thighs directly on the BBQ. When cooked, remove from the heat, slice and proceed with the recipe.

Method:

  1. Prepare the lime and cilantro crema.
  2. Juice the lemon and limes, place in a small bowl with the minced garlic and jalapeno. Set aside until ready to use.
  3. Place a skillet over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot add the leftover chicken, cook until heated through.
  4. While the chicken cooks, toast the tortillas over a cooktop burner, grill top or grill pan. Use tongs to turn so you toast both sides.
  5. When the chicken is heated, toss with the lime/lemon juice mixture, salt and pepper.
  6. Stuff the tortillas with chicken, avocado, tomato, and cheese. Garnish with the crema and cilantro.

I bet the folks over at Fiesta Friday would find this useful. It’s Fiesta Friday #438, a virtual (can you believe how many things are still virtual!?) blogging party that predates Covid. Angie hosts the party and I am this weeks cohost.

Click on the Fiesta Friday link to find ideas for celebrating the 4th, decorating your home, or keeping the kids busy with crafts now that school is out.

 

January – Marinade
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January – Marinade

MARINADE, that’s the only title on a slip of paper that was clipped to my mother’s refrigerator for many years. The words are now smeared by water droplets but the writing is still legible.

Marinade

Marinade

My mother has been gone for some years but I treasure these glimpses of her thoughts and life. And this is a very useful, simple recipe to keep around.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup of bourbon
  • 2 cloves of crushed garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of grated ginger
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • dash of dry mustard

Can be used on all meats…chicken, pork, London broil, fish. Marinate for 2 hours but not longer than 24.

This is quite a strong marinade. I wouldn’t marinate fish for longer than 30 minutes, chicken for 2 hours, thick cuts of beef and pork can take the 24 hours. But I recommend 6 hours for a thinner cut. Longer than that and the meat will turn mushy. This marinade has done wonders for steaks of questionable tenderness. Flank steak is infinitely improved by a 6-8 hour bath. The marinade has a definite Asian slant, you could use sake or brandy instead of the bourbon. My mother usually had bourbon around as my father had a large bourbon and water every night before dinner.

 

 

I marinated this flank steak for about 6 hours, then grilled it on high heat for about 4-5 minutes a side. It was delicious, juicy and tender.

January – Instant Pot Chicken and Cannellini Beans
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January – Instant Pot Chicken and Cannellini Beans

Tender chicken, creamy and extremely tasty beans…what more could you ask? A perfect cold weather meal with a glass of chardonnay and a simple green salad. Even better, it’s one pot in the electric pressure cooker.

Instant Pot Chicken and Cannellini Beans

Instant Pot Chicken and Cannellini Beans

 

Ingredients: (Serves 4-6)

  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 oz of chopped pancetta or bacon
  • 1-1/2 to 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 to 8 thighs)
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into half moons
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 (28-ounce) can or 2 (14-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • optional: 1 parmesan rind
  • ½ lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Add to Your Grocery List

Ingredient Substitution Guide

PREPARATION

  1. Season the chicken generously all over with salt and pepper. Turn on the sauté setting of a 6- to 8-quart electric pressure cooker and warm the oil. Add the pancetta and sauté until just starting to brown. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear until the skin is browned and releases easily from the pot, 6 to 8 minutes. (If you have more than 4 thighs, you may need to do this in two batches.) Using tongs, remove the chicken.
  2. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring constantly, until just softened, about 2 minutes. Add the red-pepper flakes and stir constantly for about 30 seconds, then add the white wine. Stir well, scraping up all the browned bits. Turn off the sauté setting.
  3. Stir in the beans, parmesan rind if using, and rosemary. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Nestle the chicken thighs on top, skin-side up. Add any accumulated juices to the pot. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
  4. Allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually. Remove any woody stalks of rosemary and any remaining rind of parmesan. (I found mine had simply melted into the beans.) Squeeze in the lemon juice and fold in the parsley. Serve the beans and chicken in shallow bowls.

You may want to remove the skin on the chicken thighs before serving. It has already provided a boost of flavor to the dish and is not longer particularly attractive.