Chapter 10. Chicken for Planovers

Tips on Food Safety, plus Recipes for the Rest of the Bird

Conclusion: A Rare Bird

What Frank Is Really Like

Acknowledgements

I've often thought that inspiration is one of the

greatest gifts one person can give another, and there are

several people who were an inspiration in writing this

book. First is a woman whom I would term the Godmother of

this book, Connie Littleton, the Director of Advertising

and Marketing Services at Perdue. She is a woman totally

committed to excellence, and if that commitment to

excellence meant she had to read and edit until the wee

hours of the morning, she always did it as if it were a

matter of course. With each passing day, I gained

increasing respect for her professionalism, judgment and

knowledge. Bev Cox, a home economist and food stylist, was

an inspiration for her meticulous attention to detail, her

enthusiasm, and her unfailing good humor no matter what.

Beth Fusaro, who typed most of the recipes in this book, is

a Renaissance Woman, who knows not only about food and

typing, but also about everything from making pottery to

preserving the environment. It's been a privilege to work

with Beth. Gretchen Barnes, who assisted Bev Cox in

editing, learned a whole new computer program, Word

Perfect, in order to get the job done quickly. Sharon

Sakemiller, who is already a Word Perfect expert, also

helped with typing and retyping recipes. She impressed

everyone with how rapidly she could get things done.

My sincere thanks to the members of American Agri-Women who

over the years have shared their food tips with me. Also,

deepest thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's

Cooperative Extension. One of Cooperative Extension's major

activities is helping to educate consumers, and I owe

Cooperative Extension a deep debt of gratitude for the

education I've received through their many publications,

broadcasts, classes, seminars, meetings, and personal

contacts. The following Cooperative Extension members$many

of whom are good friends as well as professional

colleagues$have been invaluable resources for food tips and

food knowledge: Dorothy Thurber, Kathryn Boor, Christine

Bruhn, Ellen Pusey, Sally Foulke, Bonnie Tanner, Bettie

Collins, Sue Snyder, Chuck Waybeck, and George York. Also

thanks to Dot Tringali of the National Broiler Council, to

Connie Parvis of the Delmarva Poultry Industry, to Joy

Schrage from the Whirlpool Corporation, and Lisa Readie

from the Barbecue Industry Association.

PREFACE

WHY I CHICKENED OUT

Want to know a high stress situation? Try being a

food writer and cookbook author, and then marry Frank

Perdue. You come home from the honeymoon, everything has

been wonderful and then...it's time to Cook the First Meal!

Frank wants to eat chicken and you're supposed to be a good

cook.

I remember that afternoon so vividly. I knew he'd be

coming home around six and that he'd be hungry. Now up

until that day, I had always felt fairly confident in the

kitchen. After all, I love cooking and trying new recipes

is my favorite pastime. But cooking chicken for Frank

Perdue? I began to get stage fright. As I was trying to

find where the pots and pans were in his kitchen, I started

calculating that there were probably few people in the

world who've eaten chicken more times than my husband.

"He's been eating chicken almost daily for his entire

life" I thought, "he likes it, he cares about it, and my

cooking is about to be judged by a world class expert."

As I rummaged around looking for the right herbs and

spices$and couldn't find the ones I liked $ my stage fright

grew worse. "This man must be one of the world's greatest

experts on cooked chicken," I thought to myself. "He's

attended dozens and dozens of chicken cooking contests,

he's been part of hundreds and hundreds of taste testings

for Perdue products. Everywhere he goes, people know he

likes chicken and the best chefs and hostesses in the world

have served it to him." In my mind I ran through some of

the times when together we'd driven an hour out of the way

to go to a restaurant that cooked chicken particularly

well, and how he always seemed to have lists of the

restaurants he wanted to visit.

Help! My stage fright was getting still worse. The

thirty year old oven didn't seem to be heating right, but I

couldn't be sure because there wasn't any oven thermometer.

The "elbow test," which our grandmothers used to use before

the days of thermometers (you stick your elbow in the oven

and feel how hot it is), told me that things weren't right,

but I didn't know how far off the oven was so I didn't know

how to compensate. As I rubbed my elbow with my other

hand, I thought of Frank's reputation for being demanding.

If you've seen the ad that we call "Boot Camp," you know

what I mean. (He plays the part of a drill sergeant in

this ad and teaches the new Perdue recruits the 57 quality

points that they have to inspect -- and then he's all over

one recruit for missing what seems like an invisibly small

hair.)

It's a funny thing, but when you start losing your

confidence, you start asking some basic questions about

what you're doing. Part of me was saying that cooking

chicken is pretty simple; after all, I'd been doing it for

most of my life. But another part of me realized when

attempting to cook chicken for Frank the first time, that I

knew very little of the basics of cooking chicken. Like,

for example, what makes a chicken tender? How do you

really know when it's done$and not over done? How do you

get the best flavor? Should you salt before or after

cooking?

In desperation, I made a two-part promise to myself.

First, I'd let myself take the easy way out that first

meal, and not even try to cook the chicken myself.

Instead, dinner would be a never-fail salad, pasta (Frank

loves pasta), plus store-bought fully-cooked Perdue

Tenders. In return for letting myself off so easily, I'd

make it my business from then on to learn how to make the

best chicken every time. That meant asking Frank every

question that popped into my head; checking with the food

technologists who work for Perdue; getting tips from the

farmers who grew the Perdue chickens; and systematically

going through the thousands of recipes that Frank has in

his files, trying a different one each night.

Dinner that night wasn't the show piece I would have

liked to create, but it was good enough and Frank happens

to love his own Tenders so the chicken part of the meal was

a success. In the time since, I've tried to live up to the

second part of the promise, the one about learning how to

serve the best chicken every time.

In this book, I'd like to share with you the most

useful cooking tips and the most appealing, most

successful recipes developed by Perdue Farms over the last

twenty years. The first chapter contains the kinds of

information I wished I'd known from the beginning. You

don't need to read this chapter, because chicken isn't that

hard to cook; but there are tips in it that can save you

time and money and that can enable you to cook with greater

confidence. This chapter also has the latest tips on food

safety.

The remaining chapters are organized, not by method of

cooking or whether the food is an appetizer or salad or

whatnot; but rather by the kind of occasion you're facing.

You want to put some spark and variety into every day

meals? You want to make the most of your microwave? Or

you're in a hurry today? Maybe you need something that

will please kids? Or you're dieting? You've got a bunch

of leftovers? You have to cook for a hundred people

tomorrow night? I tried to think of the kinds of

situations in which you could need recipes and then I

organized Frank's recipes around them. Jean Brillat-

Savarin, the famous French gourmet, once said, "A chicken

to a cook is like a canvas to a painter." Enjoy the

recipes and tips that follow, and may they help you to feel

the creativity and confidence that make cooking fun and

eating a joy!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO WING IT!

LET FRANK TAKE YOU UNDER HIS.

Everything You Wanted or Needed to Know about

Cooking Chicken

Frank gets roughly 40,000 consumer letters a year.

Half of these are requests for pamphlets, but many of the

others are requests for information on selecting, storing,

serving, or cooking his products.

These letters are tremendously important to Frank.

Often I've been with him when he has a few extra minutes,

such as waiting for an airplane, and he'll dash to a pay

phone to answer one of the letters with a phone call. He

also likes to attend store openings or conventions or other

public places because he genuinely wants to hear what

people are thinking. One of the marketing men once told me

that he was embarrassed about a day he had planned for

Frank because it included meetings with people who owned

just a few stores. When I passed this on to Frank, he

answered that these were some of the best meetings because

the owners of the smaller stores were so close to their

customers. He went on to say that the reason he likes to

visit butchers (and in New York, he's called on as many as

30 in two days) is that these men are close to the needs

and wants of their customers and he can learn things from

them that he'd learn in no other way.

I've heard that there's almost no other head of a

Fortune 500-size company who would spend as much time with

the people who buy his products. People are often

surprised that a man with his responsibilities would take

the time for this much face to face contact. But the fact

is, learning what people care about is almost a religion to

him.

Here are some of the questions that people either

write to Frank or ask him in person. In answering the

questions, I've either used the information I've heard

Frank give, or else I've checked with the Perdue food

scientists or home economists.

What should I look for when I shop for chicken?

Whatever city we're in, whether it's on the East Coast, or

Puerto Rico, or even London or Moscow or Tokyo, Frank

visits supermarkets the way other people visit museums or

monuments. He notices the following kinds of things

himself and would recommend that you do also when selecting

chicken.

_Give the package a little squeeze. Are there

signs of ice along wings, backs or edges? Frank explained

to me that some chicken producers blast their birds with

air as cold as -40o F, but he never does. Freezing causes

a breakdown in protein, loss of natural juices, and reduced

tenderness. Also, when you cook a frozen bird, the bones

and nearby meat may turn an unappetizing dark color.

_Look at the thickness of the meat in proportion

to the bone. If, for example, the breast looks scrawny,

you're paying a lot for bone rather than meat.

_Read the labels so you know what you are

getting. Many different parts and combinations are

available, and some look surprisingly alike even to Frank's

trained eye. The label tells exactly what is inside.

_Ask questions. If any meat or poultry product

doesn't look, feel, or smell just right, check with the

professionals behind the counter.

_Notice the pull date. Most stores are

scrupulous about removing chicken before the pull

date expires$but sometimes there's a slip-up.

_Was the chicken well-cleaned? Or are there

little traces of feathers or hairs? These can look really

unattractive when the bird is cooked.

_Is the chicken stored correctly on the chilling

shelf, or are the trays of chicken stacked so high that the

top ones aren't kept cold? When that happens, the shelf

life of the top ones is seriously shortened.

_Is the meat case kept so cold that the fresh

chicken is frozen and ends up with ice crystals on the

tray? If so, complain to the manager.

_Look at the ends of the bones. Are they pink or

are they turning gray? Generally, the more pink the bone

ends are, the fresher the chicken.

How should I store chicken at home?

Chicken, like all meat, is perishable. It should be

stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator (40o or

below), sealed as it comes from the market, and used within

two or three days of purchase.

Should I freeze chickens?

Frank doesn't recommend freezing poultry. However, if

a bird must be held beyond three days, freezing will keep

it wholesome.

How do I freeze poultry?

When freezing is necessary, seal chicken or other

poultry in an airtight container, heavy plastic bag,

plastic wrap, foil or freezer paper.

Try to have the wrapping tight against the chicken

because any place where it isn't, small ice crystals will

form. That means moisture has been drawn from the meat, and

where that's happened, the meat will be tough and breading

won't stick.

Frozen uncooked chicken can be stored up to six

months; frozen cooked chicken should be used within three

months. (Personally I try to avoid freezing chicken since I

know that freezing makes the chicken less tender and less

juicy. Still, in spite of good intentions, I sometimes end

up doing it. I've learned to make it a point to have a wax

marking pencil and freezer tape handy, so I can label the

package with the date and contents. I wonder if you've

found, as I have, that it's unbelievably easy to lose track

of how long things have been in there.)

Do not stuff poultry before freezing, and freeze

cooked birds and stuffing separately.

Can frozen chicken be thawed and frozen again?

Each time you freeze chicken, you sacrifice quality.

If carefully handled, however, it is safe to defrost

uncooked chicken and to freeze it again after cooking. If

frozen after cooking, do not thaw and freeze again.

Why is chicken sometimes implicated in illness?

In a warm, moist environment, illness-causing bacteria

can grow in high-protein, low-acid foods such as meat,

fish, poultry, eggs and milk. But there is no reason to

become ill from eating or serving these foods, if they are

cooked thoroughly and served or refrigerated immediately.

To prevent transferring bacteria from one food to another,

use warm water and soap to wash hands, utensils and work

surfaces before and after use.

What makes chicken tender -- or tough?

Frank does his best to make Perdue chickens as tender

as possible, but there's also a lot you can do.

_Don't let chicken dry out in the refrigerator; dry

chicken is tough chicken. Keep it wrapped in the package it

comes in until you use it.

_Avoid freezing it. When the juices inside the cells

freeze, they act like little spears and they'll rupture

some of the cell walls. When you defrost the chicken,

you'll lose some of the juice and the chicken will be less

tender.

_Cook chicken to the proper temperature, using a meat

thermometer or pop-up guide. Cook bone-in chicken to 180

degrees and boneless chicken to 170 degrees. Undercooked

chicken will be tough and rubbery because it takes a fairly

high internal temperature to soften the proteins in the

muscles and make them tender. But don't overcook chicken

either, because moisture will start to steam off, and the

more chicken dries out, the tougher it gets.

_Keep the skin on chicken during cooking. The skin

helps keep juices in, and tenderness and juiciness go hand

in hand. I've tried this both ways, and the difference is

significant. (When you cook chicken with the skin on,

approximately half the fat from the skin is absorbed into

the meat; if calories and cholesterol are very important to

you, you might want to remove the skin before cooking even

if it means a less tender result.)

_When microwaving any chicken product, cover with a

loose tent of waxed paper to prevent drying.

_Some authorities feel strongly that you should not

salt the chicken before cooking because salt draws the

juices out during cooking and toughens the meat. In my

experience, there is a detectable difference in tenderness

between salting before cooking and salting afterwards; the

chicken that I salted afterwards was slightly more tender.

Still, I would guess that most people, myself included,

wouldn't notice a big difference unless they were

specifically paying attention to it. The difference

doesn't jump out at you as it does with overcooking or

freezer burn.

_Fry or roast breast pieces rather than microwaving

them if tenderness is a top priority for you. Microwaving

is significantly faster, but there's a greater risk of

toughness when you microwave breast meat. Breast meat is

fairly dry to begin with, and you don't have a whole lot of

latitude between overcooking and undercooking. With breast

meat, there's a trade-off between the speed of microwaving

and the reliability of frying or roasting.

Why are some chickens yellow skinned and some white?

A chicken's skin color comes from the diet it was fed

and the same bird could have a white skin or a yellow skin,

depending on what it ate. The diet that produces a yellow

skin is more expensive than the usual diet, but the people

at Perdue Farms feel it's worth it because a yellow skin

color is one of the fastest ways Frank's inspectors have of

finding and disqualifying an inferior bird. If a bird is

sick or off its feed, it doesn't absorb nutrients well and

won't develop the rich golden color that is characteristic

of Perdue birds. Also, if part of a bird's outer skin is

"barked", that is, rubbed off due to rough handling during

processing, the Perdue inspectors can detect it more easily

than with a white-skinned bird. Detecting and removing and

chicken with a barked skin is important because damaged

skin shortens the shelf life and dries out and toughens the

meat. No white colored chickens get by the inspectors.

Sometimes when I open a package of chicken, there's a

pungent odor that doesn't smell spoiled, but it's

definitely unpleasant. Should I throw the chicken out?

If the odor lasts only a matter of seconds, your

chicken is probably fine. Meat is chemically active, and

as it ages, it releases sulfur. When you open a bag that

doesn't have air holes, you may notice the accumulated

sulfur, but it will quickly disperse into the air. In fact,

I've heard of cases where a wife will lean over to her

husband and say, "Smell this, I think it's gone bad."

He'll take a deep whiff and find nothing wrong with it.

She'll take another sniff and then wonder if it was her

imagination. It wasn't. It's just that once the package

was opened, the sulfur smell faded into the air like smoke

rings.

If the chicken still smells bad after a couple of

minutes, that's an entirely different story. The problem is

bacterial spoilage or rancidity or both. Return the

chicken to the store where you bought it and write to

Frank. If a chicken's been around too long you can smell

it, and if you can't detect it at room temperature, you

probably can as it cooks, since rancidity is more obvious

at higher temperatures. Rancidity can occur without

bacteria if the freezer where the meat was stored wasn't

cold enough or if the product was kept there for a very

long time, such as more than six months for uncooked

chicken, or more than three months for cooked chicken. (By

the way, I don't like to focus on this unpleasant stuff,

but I do want you to get your money's worth when you're

buying chicken.)

Are chickens given hormones?

Never. I remember when I lived on the West Coast,

there was a small company that advertised that its

chickens were grown without hormones. I thought this was

unethical, because it implied that other chickens were

grown with hormones. The fact is none are.

Can I cook frozen chicken, or do I have to let it defrost

first?

In a pinch, go ahead, but allow extra cooking time.

For the best texture and tenderness, however, you're better

off starting from refrigerator temperatures; you can be

more sure of getting an evenly cooked product.

How long can I keep chicken at room temperature?

From the point of view of food safety, you're taking a

risk if you leave it outside the refrigerator for more than

two hours. Unfortunately, bacteria grow and multiply at

temperatures between 40 degrees and 140 degrees, and they

flourish at room temperature. To avoid food borne illness,

all foods of animal origin should be kept either hotter

than 140 degrees or colder than 40 degrees. If you know

you won't be returning home directly after shopping, bring

along an insulated bag or box to keep cold foods cold until

you can get them into the refrigerator.

Do I need to rinse chicken before cooking?

Advice on this has varied over the years, including

the advice Frank gives. The latest research shows that

from a health point of view, washing is not necessary. Any

microbes that you'd wash off will be entirely destroyed by

heat when you cook the meat. It's actually far more

important to wash your hands, your cutting board, and your

utensils since they won't be sterilized by cooking.

How do I get the best flavor?

That depends on whether you're after a mild and

delicate flavor, or a strong and robust flavor. The younger

the bird, the milder the flavor. A game hen, which is five

weeks old, will have the mildest flavor of all. A broiler,

at seven weeks, will still have a quite mild and delicate

flavor; a roaster, on the other hand, is usually about five

weeks older than a broiler and it will have a much more

pronounced "chickeny" flavor. (Frank and I enjoy chicken

at all ages, but if we had to choose on flavor alone, we'd

most often go for the roasters.) For a really strong,

chickeny flavor, see if you can find fowl or spent hens or

stewing hens. These birds are around 18 months old, which

means they're going to be quite tough, but if you use them

in soups or stews, they'll add an excellent flavor.

I've had chicken in the freezer for a year. Is it still

edible?

From a health point of view it would be ok, but the

flavor and texture will have deteriorated and it just won't

be particularly tasty. I stored chicken in the freezer for

a year once as an experiment, just to see what it would be

like. It wasn't awful, but it was kind of flat and

tasteless. I remember wondering if this was what cotton

tasted like - although to be fair, it wasn't really that

bad.

Why are bones sometimes dark?

Darkened bones occur when the product has been frozen.

Freezing causes the blood cells in the bone marrow to

rupture and then when the chicken is thawed, these ruptured

cells leak out and cause visible reddish splotches on the

bones. When cooked, these discolorations will turn from

red to almost black.

Is it true that breast meat is the least fattening part of

a chicken?

Yes. Breast meat has about half the fat of thigh

meat. If calories or cholesterol are important to you,

choose the breast meat. Frank watches his cholesterol and

I've never seen him go for anything but breast meat. Is it

better to cook a chicken quickly at a high temperature-or

slowly at a low temperature?

Both work, but with high temperatures, you run a

greater risk of uneven cooking, with the wings and legs

becoming overcooked before the rest of the bird is done.

Usually we recommend a moderate temperature of 350 degrees

for whole birds and 375 degrees for parts. If you are in a

hurry and want to use a higher temperature, then shield the

wings and legs by wrapping them with aluminum foil if

they're starting to become too brown.

How much should I allow for shrinkage when cooking chicken?

For each 3-ounce serving of cooked poultry, buy an

extra ounce to allow for shrinkage and an extra two ounces

to allow for bone.

If I want to use different parts of the chicken from what

the recipe calls for, how do I go about making

substitutions?

This table should help:

Name of Part Approximate No. to Equal One

Whole Chicken Whole breasts 3

Half breasts 6

Whole leg (thigh and drumstick) 6

Thigh 12

Drumsticks 14

Wing 14

Drumette (upper part of wing) 24

When using cooked chicken, allow one pound of whole

uncooked chicken for each cup of cooked, edible chicken

meat.

How do you truss a chicken?

HERE HAVE ILLUSTRATION SHOWING HOW

What's the best way to carve a chicken?

HERE HAVE ILLUSTRATION SHOWING HOW

Some of your recipes call for roasters. I don't live in an

area where Perdue chicken is sold, and I haven't been able

to find roasters in the stores. What exactly is a roaster,

and can I substitute a broiler?

A Perdue Oven Stuffer Roaster is a 12 week old bird

especially developed for a broad breast. Roasters are

bigger than broilers, and have a more favorable meat to

bone ratio than broilers. Because they are older birds,

they also have a much deeper, richer flavor. You can use

broilers in roaster recipes, but plan on the chicken's

being done sooner and having a noticeably milder flavor.

Frank, by the way, is the man responsible for

creating the roaster market. Back in the early 1970s, when

few people had ever heard of a roaster, he was the one who

worked to breed these broad-breasted birds, and who put the

effort into advertising so people would learn about the new

product. He surprised his colleagues by how determined he

was in his developing and marketing efforts. One of the men

who worked with Frank told me that he was amazed that

Frank, who will hang onto an old pair of shoes to save $50,

was willing to spend millions to let people know about the

product, and further, he did it without a qualm, because he

had such belief in it. If you haven't tried an Oven Stuffer

Roaster and you're visiting the East Coast, try one, and

you'll see why Frank believed in it so much.

Chapter One: CHICKEN FOR EVERYDAY

Napoleon's cook once bet that he could cook chicken a

different way every day of the year. The cook found that

this was an easy bet to win, and I can see why, having

looked at the recipes in Frank's files. Chicken's

versatility seems almost endless. Perdue Farms home

economists have been developing chicken recipes since the

early 1970s and as a result, Frank has more than 2000

chicken recipes. If only Napoleon had chosen to bet with

me, I could have won even if he'd said the bet was for six

years!

In this chapter, you'll find some of Frank's and my

favorites for every day cooking. But there are different

kinds of every day cooking, so I've divided the chapter

into three sections to take care of three different every

day situations.

The first section, Fast Food Chicken from Your

Refrigerator, is for when you're in a hurry and want dinner

on the table in the shortest possible time. None of these

recipes takes more than 15 minutes, and many are ready in

five. However, you will find special tricks to make the

food more interesting than just heat and serve.

The second section, Perdue Plus Five, is for when you

don't mind if dinner isn't ready for another hour or so,

but you want your part of the preparation to be as brief as

possible. The recipes in this section use only five

ingredients in addition to chicken, salt, and pepper, and

all of the recipes are simple to prepareathough they may

take awhile to cook.

The third section, Family Favorites, is for relaxed

times. When you don't mind spending some time putting

together something your family will really like, try this

section.

FAST FOOD CHICKEN FROM YOUR REFRIGERATOR

(PHOTO: The most valuable player on the TV Football-

party table might be Perdue Done It!)

Frank loves to tell people that they can pick up

delicious, fast-food chicken within easy walking

distanceatheir refrigerators. "When you're hungry and in a

hurry," he says, "you don't need to rush across town for

great chicken. You can just walk (slowly) to your

refrigerator and pick up my Perdue Done It! chicken."

Although fried foods are notoriously high in fat,

particularly fast food ones. Perdue Done It! is an

exception. Frank flash fries the Perdue Done It!

products. They are in oil for seconds only. Further, to

assure the chicken is as low in saturated fat as possible,

Perdue uses only polyunsaturated soybean oil.

In the recipes that follow, I've used generic nuggets,

cutlets, tenders, and other fully cooked products.

However, try for the Perdue Done It! if you live in the

Perdue marketing area, which is the East Coast and some of

the Mid Western states. The Perdue nuggets, cutlets and

tenders come from white meat fillets, while some of the

other brands are pressed and formed from dark meat chicken

and don't have the best texture or flavor.

TENDERS, AND NUGGETS

Chick on a Biscuit: Split hot baked biscuits. Fill each

with a breaded chicken nugget and a thin slice of ham; top

with mustard.

Chicken Mexicali: Top cutlets or tenders with prepared

salsa and avocado slices.

Chicken Parmesan: Top partially heated cutlets with

spaghetti sauce and sliced mozzarella cheese; broil briefly

to melt cheese.

Super Caesar Salad: Quarter heated nuggets and toss with

croutons, Romaine lettuce, and Caesar salad dressing.

Holiday Crepe: Heat breast tenders and place on a warm

crepe. Top with cranberry sauce and roll up; serve with

sour cream.

Japanese Meal-in-a-Bowl: Prepare Japanese-style noodle

soup (ramen) as directed. Add heated chicken breast

nuggets or tenders, sliced scallions and a dash of soy

sauce. (I often put this in a Thermos and bring it to

Frank at his office when he's working late.)

Nugget Sticks: On metal skewers, alternately thread 4 to 5

chicken breast nuggets with 2 inch pieces of bacon. Heat

in oven as directed on nugget package. Dip into prepared

chutney or sweet-sour sauce.

Stir-Fry Snack: Stir-fry wings in a little oil with red

bell pepper strips, scallions and sliced water chestnuts.

Season with soy sauce. Serve over rice.

Substantial Sub: Split a loaf of Italian bread lengthwise.

Pile on heated breaded chicken cutlets or tenders,

provolone cheese, sliced tomato, sweet onion, pimentos and

shredded lettuce. Douse with bottled salad dressing and

dig in.

Tenders Under Wraps: Brush Boston lettuce leaves with

prepared hoisin sauce or Chinese-style duck sauce. Place a

heated tender or 2 nuggets and a piece of scallion on top.

Roll up lettuce around tender, securing with a toothpick.

PRECOOKED HOT & SPICY WINGS

Chicken Antipasto: Arrange hot & spicy wings on platter

with slices of provolone cheese, sliced tomatoes, marinated

artichoke hearts and olives.

Out-of-Buffalo Wings: Warm hot & spicy wings and arrange

with celery sticks around a blue cheese dip. Combine 3/4

cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese and 1 minced

scallion in a small bowl.

Speedy Arroz Con Pollo: Prepare a box of Spanish rice mix

as package directs. During last 10 minutes of cooking

time, add 1 package hot & spicy wings, 1 package thawed

frozen peas and 1/2 cup sliced olives. ed chicken, toasted

almonds, and chopped scallions. Blend in mayonnaise

flavored with curry powder and spoon back into pineapple

shell to serve.

Cheesy Chick: Prepare packaged stuffing mix as directed,

adding 1 cup shredded Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese. Stuff

whole roasted chicken or Cornish hens with mixture; heat

until warmed through.

Chicken Frittata: Shred roasted chicken or cut breaded

chicken into cubes. Add to beaten eggs, along with

mushrooms, onions, and any leftover vegetables. Cook

mixture quickly, forming into an open-faced omelet or

frittata.

Chicken Normandy: Arrange cut-up roasted chicken or

Cornish hen meat in a shallow baking dish and scatter

thinly sliced apples around pieces. Cover and heat until

hot and apples are tender. Stir in a little light or heavy

cream and warm to serve.

Chicken Reuben: Thinly slice roasted chicken. Pile on

sliced rye that's been spread with Russian dressing. Top

with prepared sauerkraut, a slice of Swiss cheese, and

another slice of rye. Grill or pan fry sandwiches until

cheese melts.

Chicken Sesame: Brush roasted chicken or Cornish hens with

bottled salad dressing; sprinkle surface with sesame seeds

and heat as directed.

Fabulous Fajitas: Slice roasted chicken into strips.

Saute in oil, adding lime juice, garlic, and ground cumin

to taste. Roll up in warm flour tortillas and top with

chunks of avocado, chopped scallion, and cherry tomatoes.

Pasta Pizazz: Saute pieces of roasted or breaded chicken

with sliced zucchini, chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, and

garlic. Add a dash of heavy cream and toss with hot cooked

spaghetti or noodles.

Power Pita: Slice roasted chicken and stuff into a whole

wheat pita bread. Top with shredded carrots, alfalfa

sprouts, red pepper strips and a tablespoon of dressing

made of plain yogurt seasoned with lemon juice, curry

powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Stir Fried Chicken: Dice roasted chicken into a wok or

skillet and stir-fry with scallions, celery, mushrooms, and

peas. Add cooked rice and soy sauce to taste; toss well.

Super Spud: Halve a baked potato and top with shredded

roasted chicken mixed with a little mayonnaise. Pile on

shredded Swiss cheese, bacon bits, and chopped chives; bake

or microwave until cheese melts.

Taco Perdue: Cube roasted chicken and serve in taco

shells, topped with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes,

onion, shredded cheese, and taco sauce.

PHOTO: Harvest fruit adds seasonal flavor to chicken - 3

Golden Nugget Salad: Heat 1 package of chicken breast

nuggets. Combine with Romaine lettuce, halved cherry

tomatoes and diced avocado. Toss with your favorite

dressing.

NUGGETS OR TENDERS WITH DIP

Fully cooked breaded chicken breast nuggets (14-18 per

package)

or

Tenders (6-8 per package)

Following package directions, warm nuggets or tenders in a

conventional oven or, using package tray, heat in a

microwave oven. Serve with ketchup or your favorite

mustard. For myself, I've been trying some of the more

exotic mustards from the supermarket and sometimes I put

out several kinds in pretty little dishes that I'd

otherwise use for nuts. Instead of a wine or cheese

tasting, my guests end up trying different mustards.

PERDUE PLUS FIVE

When was the last time you baked a pie from scratch?

I'm asking you this question because I'm guessing that

you're like many other people who've told me that today

they'd never have time to bake a pie from scratch. They

might have once, but they don't have the time any more.

In the last few years I've asked this question to

dozens and dozens of audiences when giving talks. Almost

always, I get the same answer: that people who once had had

the time to do a lot of cooking now seldom do. The want to

eat well, they enjoy cooking, but they just can't find the

time.

If you were to ask me that question, I'd have to

answer that I haven't found time to bake a pie from scratch

in years either. Frank keeps me so busy that sometimes I

think that I'm married to a whirlwind. People joke that

he's the only man you'll ever meet who can enter a

revolving door in the compartment behind you and come out

ahead of you. They also joke that he doesn't get ulcers$but

he's a carrier.

Knowing quick recipes has become more important to me

than ever, and this section contains a selection of the

best. The heating and cooking time may take an hour or so,

but your part in the kitchen should be no more than fifteen

minutes. In this section, you'll find uncomplicated

recipes with few steps, and none of the recipes have more

than five ingredients in addition to chicken, salt, pepper

and water.

If like me, you also are looking for ways to prepare

meals that taste good, look good, give you more

satisfaction than microwaving a store bought frozen dinner,

but don't require a long time in the kitchen, this section

is for you.

BAKED ONION CHICKEN Serves 4

Recipes don't get much easier on the cook than this. Anne

Nesbit developed it for Perdue Farms. One of her jobs as a

Perdue home economist was to translate some of the world's

most successful recipes into ones that were both easy to

assemble and quick to prepare. "I'm an admirer of simple

recipes," says Anne. "My heart was in this work because I

believed in it. People want food that looks good and

tastes good, but they don't have time to put a lot of work

into getting there." I've never met Anne, except over the

phone, but from this comment, I know I would like her. The

recipe isn't fancy, and it may be old-fashioned, but it's a

treasure when you're in a hurry.

1 chicken, cut in serving pieces

dehydrated onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 350oF. Roll chicken in dry soup mix, using

about as much mix as you would salt. Place chicken in a

single layer, skin side up, on baking sheet. Bake,

uncovered for 55 to 65 minutes until cooked through.

BASIC FRIED CHICKENServes 4

This is fried chicken in its simplest form. It's good

enough so that the last time I made it, the grandchildren

were making off with pieces almost as fast as I could cook

them. Frank's daughter Anne Oliviero particularly

recommends basic fried chicken served cold the next day for

picnics. She and her family love to explore some of the

islands off the coast of Maine, where they live, and cold

fried chicken is just about always on the menu.

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper or to taste

1 chicken cut in serving pieces

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

In a large plastic bag combine flour with salt and pepper.

Shake chicken in bag with mixture. In a large, deep

skillet over medium heat, melt shortening. Cook chicken

uncovered, heat for 20 to 30 minutes on each side or until

cooked through.

OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN, SOUTHWESTERN STYLE

Any basic fried chicken recipe may be adapted for oven

frying. It is a useful technique when cooking larger

quantities of chicken and is less messy than stovetop

frying. (Especially if you have a self-cleaning oven.)

Simply follow the basic cooking instructions as given in

the Southwestern version below.

1 chicken, cut in serving pieces

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon Tabasco, optional

Vegetable oil for frying

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup corn meal

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Place chicken in a large bowl. Sprinkle with Tabasco.

Pour buttermilk over all and allow to marinate for 10 to 15

minutes. Preheat oven to 425oF. Place 1/2 inch of oil in

the bottom of a heavy baking pan large enough to hold

chicken without crowding. Place pan in oven to heat for 10

minutes. In a plastic bag combine remaining ingredients.

Shake chicken in seasoned flour. Remove pieces one at a

time and quickly slip into hot oil. Place in oven and bake

for 20 minutes. Turn and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer

or until chicken is cooked through. Drain chicken on

crumpled paper towels.

BASIC ROAST CHICKENServes 4

Sometimes there is nothing else that will fill the bill

like roasted chicken. Here's the easiest way to do it.

You can brush the surface with melted butter, margarine or

oil, but it isn't really necessary.

1 whole chicken

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 package (7-1/2-ounces) stuffing mix, prepared as directed

on package

Sprinkle cavity of chicken with salt. Stuff with favorite

prepared stuffing. Or skip stuffing if you're really in a

hurry. Place chicken in baking pan (no rack needed).

ROASTING CHART

Approximate Additional Cooking

Cooking Time Amount of Time if Stuffed time

at 350F Stuffing if Stuffed

Broiler/Fryer 1-1/4 to 2 hours 1-1/2 to 2 cups 15

to 20 minutes

(2-1/2 to 4 pounds)

Oven Stuffer Roaster 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours 3 to 3-

1/2 cups 20 to 25 minutes

(5 to 7 pounds)

Cornish Game Hen 60 to 75 minutes 1/2 to 3/4 cup 15

to 20 minutes

(18-24-ounces)

BIRD OF PARADISEServes 4

The recipe calls for a chicken cut in serving pieces, but

naturally you can substitute any parts that you

particularly like, such as breasts or thighs. Three breasts

or 6 thighs with drumsticks attached would come out to

about the same amount as the 1 chicken called for in this

recipe.

1 chicken, cut in serving pieces

Salt and ground pepper to taste

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sherry

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl

combine egg and milk. Place cheese in a shallow baking

pan. Dip chicken in egg mixture; then roll in cheese. In

a large, deep skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add

chicken and brown for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Add

sherry. Cover and cook at medium-low heat for 35 to 45

minutes or until cooked through.

CORN CRISPED CHICKENServes 4

I grew up on this recipe. It's not new, but it's good and

the preparation time is minimal. If you don't have

cornflakes, you can substitute almost any breakfast flakes

as long as they don't have raisins in them. (The raisins

can scorch in the oven.) For variation, you can add 1

teaspoon dried italian seasonings or 1 teaspoon chili

powder or 3/4 teaspoon curry powder to the cornflake

crumbs.

1 cup cornflake crumbs

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 cup evaporated milk, undiluted

1 chicken, cut in serving pieces

Preheat oven to 350oF. On a sheet of wax paper combine

cornflake crumbs, salt and pepper. Place evaporated milk

in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in milk; then roll in

seasoned crumbs. Place chicken, skin side up, in a baking

pan. Bake, uncovered for 1 hour, or until cooked through.

CUTLET PAILLARDS WITH BASIL BUTTERServes 4

When I made this recipe, I happened to be in a hurry, and

didn't have time to get fresh basil so I used dried basil

instead. Frank liked it and had seconds. The name

"Paillard," by the way, comes from a European restaurant

famous at the end of the 19th Century.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or 1 thin sliced

boneless roaster breast

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil, or 1 tablespoon dried

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

salt and ground pepper to taste

lemon slices, for garnish

Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to

1/2 inch thickness. If using thin sliced boneless Roaster

breast, omit placing in plastic wrap and pounding. Brush

cutlets lightly with oil, Grill over hot coals 3 to 4

minutes per side, rotating to form crosshatch marks

characteristic of paillards, or broil 3 to 4 minutes per

side or until cooked through. Place butter, basil, garlic

and lemon juice in a small pan and melt on the side of the

grill. Spoon butter over paillards and season with salt

and pepper. Garnish with lemon slices.

EASY OVEN CHICKENServes 4

This recipe has been one of my favorites since college

days. The true chicken flavor comes out with just a touch

of garlic.

1 chicken, cut in serving pieces

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1 small clove garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 350oF. In a shallow baking pan arrange

chicken in a single layer, skin side up. Pour oil over

chicken. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Bake,

uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until cooked through.

HONEY LEMON CHICKENServes 4

This recipe was originally designed for broiling, but this

version requires less attention. 1 chicken, cut in serving

pieces

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Preheat oven to 350oF. In a shallow baking pan arrange

chicken in a single layer, skin side down. In a small bowl

combine honey, lemon juice and salt. Pour half of this

sauce over chicken. Bake, covered for 30 minutes. Remove

cover; turn chicken. Pour other half of sauce on chicken.

Replace cover. Bake another 25 to 30 minutes or until

cooked through, removing cover last 10 minutes for

browning.

HONEY-MUSTARD BAKED BREASTServes 4

Have you ever been concerned about whether the honey you

have in your cupboard is fresh or whether it should be

thrown out? Not to worry! Honey is itself a natural

preservative and samples of honey have been found in the

tombs of Ancient Egypt that were still edible. If it's

crystallized, it may look bad, but it's still a wholesome

food. Just heat it gently until it reliquifies.

1 whole boneless roaster breast

salt and ground pepper to taste

4 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Preheat oven to 350oF. Season breast with salt and pepper.

Combine butter, honey, mustard and curry powder. Spoon

half of sauce into a shallow baking dish. Add breast and

turn to coat well. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour or

until cooked through. Turn and baste with remaining sauce

once during cooking time.

IT'S A DILLY CHICKEN

When I read this recipe in the files, I noticed several

hand-scrawled notes saying that it was really good, and

someone described it as "a dilly of a recipe." Yet from

reading the recipe, it didn't sound as special as the notes

indicated, especially since the ingredients include canned

mushrooms rather than fresh. I was curious enough that I

went to the kitchen and made the recipe, expecting that

this would be one of the recipes that I wouldn't include in

this book. But to my surprise, I discovered that yes, dill

seed and canned mushrooms, along with the juice from the

mushrooms, really do something terrific for chicken. It's

not rich or creamy, but there's an attractive, aromatic

flavor that permeates the chicken.

1 chicken, cut in serving pieces

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1 can (4-ounces) whole small mushrooms (with liquid)

1/2 teaspoon dill seed

Preheat oven to 350oF. In a shallow baking pan arrange

chicken, skin side up, in a single layer. Add salt,

pepper, mushrooms (with liquid from can) and dill. Cover

with foil. Bake at for 1 hour or until cooked through.

KIWI GLAZED CORNISH HENSServes 2

Kiwifruit is only sweet and mild when it's fully ripe. A

kiwifruit grower told me that kiwifruits are ripe when

they're "soft as a baby's bottom." When they're underripe,

they taste like something between a lemon and a crabapple.

If your kiwifruit is hard when you bring it home, give it a

couple of days to ripen on your kitchen counter.

2 fresh Cornish game hens

salt and ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ripe kiwifruit, peeled and mashed

Preheat oven to 350oF. Remove giblets. Season hens inside

and out with salt and pepper. Tie legs together, fold

wings back and arrange in baking pan. In a small saucepan

over medium-low heat, melt butter. Brush hens with 2

tablespoons butter, reserving remainder. Put hens in oven,

and while they are cooking, prepare kiwi glaze. Add sugar

to remaining butter in pan and heat over medium-low until

sugar dissolves. Add mashed kiwi and cook one minute.

Remove from heat. After 45 minutes of cooking time, brush

hens generously with kiwi glaze. Continue baking for 15 to

20 minutes or until juices run clear with no hint of pink

when thigh is pierced.

FAMILY FAVORITES

In contrast to the preceding recipes, these recipes have

more ingredients and require more preparation time, but if

you've got the time, they're worth it. If you want to

minimize time in the kitchen using these recipes, here are

some suggestions.

Tips for Saving Time in the Kitchen

_To halve baking time, select boneless chicken

breasts. Cooking time is only 15-20 minutes at 350oF. A

bone-in breast takes 35-45 minutes.

_Stir fry chicken can be done in as little as 4

minutes.

_Cook double batches and freeze the extras in serving

size packages. On days when time is short, pop a package

into the microwave for "fast food."

_Take advantage of your supermarket's time-saving

convenience items. If you're in a hurry, don't bother to

slice and chop your fresh ingredients. The salad bar has

probably done it for you. You can also find time savers

such as shredded cheese and frozen chopped onion. (The

supermarket industry has watched restaurants and fast food

stores take more and more of your food dollars away each

year. They're now doing everything they can think of to

reverse this trend and make supermarket shopping so

attractive, quick, convenient and economical that you'll

want to cook at home.)

_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. _Leftover 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 SOUPServes 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 CHOWDERServes 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 BAVARIAServes 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 CHEESEServes 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 375oF. 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 BREASTServes 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 on sheets of wax

paper. Dredge chicken in flour then dip in egg and coat

with breadcrumbs. Heat 1/4-inch oil in a large skillet

over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute for 3 to 4

minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove to

serving platter. Pour oil from skillet and wipe clean.

Add butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Add

lemon juice and capers carefully to avoid spatters; pour

over schnitzels. In a small bowl toss together hard-

cooked egg and parsley and sprinkle over top. Serve with

buttered noodles.

BONELESS BREAST PARMESANServes 4

To get the best flavor from the tomatoes, make sure your

supermarket doesn't store them on the chilling shelf and

don't refrigerate them when you bring them home. Store

them at room temperature and use them soon after you buy

them.

1 roaster boneless breast or thin sliced boneless roaster

breast

1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided

Ground pepper to taste

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup flour

1 pound fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 small clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried

Separate fillets from breast halves and then cut breast

halves in half, lengthwise. Place breast pieces between

sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4" thickness to form

scaloppine. If using thin sliced breast, skip the previous

step. In a shallow bowl beat eggs with 3/4 teaspoon salt

and pepper. Place flour on a sheet of wax paper. On

another sheet of wax paper combine bread crumbs and

Parmesan cheese. Dredge cutlets in flour, dip in egg and

roll in bread crumb mixture. Refrigerate while making

sauce. In a small serving bowl combine tomatoes, garlic,

1/4 cup olive oil, basil and salt and pepper. In a large

skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining oil. Add

chicken and saute for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until

cooked through. Transfer to a warmed serving dish. Pass

sauce separately.

BREAST COQ AU VIN Serves 4

The famous food writer, Malcolm R. Herbert, tells a story

that I've always loved about coq au vin (chicken in wine).

According to Herbert, a lady lavished praise on Alexander

Dumaine, one of France's outstanding chefs, for his version

of chicken in wine.

"Madam, I'm not satisfied," Dumaine replied.

"But you have been making coq au vin for 30 years,"

the woman protested. "How can you not be satisfied?"

"That, madam, was practice."

According to Herbert, Dumaine's version of coq au vin

uses red wine, white wine, and brandy, and it takes a good

twenty-four hours to prepare. This version is a lot

simpler, but still very good. The day I made it, I couldn't

find pearl onions or small onions in my local supermarket,

so I used a large white onion, chopped. The pearl onions

would have been prettier, but the taste was fine.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 roaster breast

1 cup dry red wine

salt and ground pepper to taste

1 sprig each of fresh thyme and rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon

each, dried

1 clove garlic, minced

16 pearl onions, if available, otherwise 8 small white

onions, peeled and quartered, or 1 large onion, chopped.

1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup water

2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add

breast and brown on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Add wine,

seasonings, garlic and onions. Cover and simmer 60

minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer 10 to 15 minutes longer

or until breast is cooked through. Drain juices into a

small saucepan; blend cornstarch and water; stir into pan

juices and cook, over medium heat, stirring constantly, one

minute or until sauce thickens and clears. Carve breast

and serve with wine sauce. Garnish with crumbled bacon and

parsley.

BREAST WITH APPLE-PECAN STUFFINGServes 4

Make sure that the pecans you use are fresh. In the shell,

they'll last in a cool dry place for six months. Shelled

pecans should be kept in the refrigerator, in an air tight

container. If you plan to keep them for longer than half a

year, freeze them.

1 roaster breast

salt and ground pepper to taste

2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided

1/4 cup hot chicken broth or water

2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375oF. Season breast inside and out with

salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 4

tablespoons butter, broth, apples and pecans. Stuff breast

cavity and cover with aluminum foil. Carefully place

breast, skin side up in roasting pan. Rub remaining butter

over breast and bake about one hour and 15 minutes until

juices run clear with no hint of pink when pierced. Remove

stuffing and carve half of breast.

BUTTERMILK PECAN CHICKENServes 4

The pecan halves are more appetizing-looking when you put

them on top of the chicken during the last ten minutes of

baking; the nuts get a delicious-looking brown. I come back

to this recipe when I want something that's never fail.

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup pecan halves, divided

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup ground pecans

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons sesame seed

4 chicken breast halves

1/4 cup oil

In a mixing bowl beat egg with buttermilk. Chop 1/2 cup of

pecans coarsely, reserving remaining halves for garnish.

On a sheet of wax paper mix together chopped pecans, flour,

paprika, salt, pepper and sesame seed. Dip chicken pieces

in buttermilk mixture; then pecan mixture. Pour oil in

shallow baking pan. Place chicken breasts, skin side down,

in pan and turn to coat with oil; finishing with skin side

up. Bake, uncovered, at 350oF 45 to 50 minutes, or until

cooked through. During last 10 minutes of baking, place

reserved pecan halves on top of chicken.

CHICKEN AVOCADO MELT Serves 4

For years I made it a kind of hobby to ask cookbook authors

and recipe contest winners how they came up with their

recipes. Since I don't invent recipes myself, the people

who create the real winners seem to me as mysterious and

impressive as someone who composes a hit song or writes a

best selling novel.

My favorite example of this is Marge Fortier, who won the

$10,000 Grand Prize at the National Chicken Cooking

Contest. She didn't do any tinkering, tasting, and

adjusting the way most of us would. No, the complete idea

for her recipe for Chicken Avocado Melt came to her

seemingly out of nowhere. "I was vacuuming the living

room," she told me, "when all of a sudden, I don't know

how, the complete idea for the finished recipe just came to

me. She grabbed a pencil and jotted down the entire recipe

on the notepad that she always keeps handy$and won $10,000.

Her recipe calls for chicken breast halves, but you can

simplify things a little if you use

thin sliced boneless roaster breast pieces instead.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or 1 thin sliced

boneless roaster breast

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon water

1/3 cup cornmeal

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 ripe avocado, peeled, sliced

1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup sour cream, divided

1/4 cup sliced scallion greens

1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper

cherry tomatoes

parsley sprigs

Preheat oven to 350oF. Pound the chicken to 1/4"

thickness. If using thin sliced breast, skip the previous

step. In a shallow bowl, mix the cornstarch, cumin, garlic,

and salt. In another bowl mix egg and water. Place

cornmeal in a third small bowl. Coat chicken first with

the cornstarch mixture, then with the egg, and finally with

the cornmeal. (Marge Fortier says, "I always use

cornstarch because it comes out thinner than flour".)

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add

chicken and saute for two minutes on each side "to firm up

the crust", then remove pieces to a shallow baking pan.

Before putting cutlets in oven, top them with avocado

slices and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or

until cooked through. Top each chicken breast with sour

cream and a sprinkling of scallions

and red pepper. Garnish with cherry tomato halves and

parsley. Serves four.

CHICKEN IN MUSTARD SAUCEServes 4

Home economist Michelle Scicolone developed this recipe for

Perdue, and she has an ultimate compliment for it: "It's

what I make all the time when I'm cooking at home." You

get crunchiness and crispness but it's not fried.

According to Michelle, it comes out just fine with any

mustard that you have on hand or any chicken parts you have

around.

1 roaster boneless breast or thin sliced boneless breast

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)

2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley

l tablespoon minced shallot or scallion

l/8 teaspoon ground pepper

l/2 cup chicken broth

l/4 cup dry white wine

l tablespoon Dijon mustard

Slice breast thinly if using whole breast. In large

skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil.

Add breast slices a few at a time, placing them so that

pieces do not touch. Saute about 2 minutes per side, until

chicken is lightly browned on both sides and cooked

through. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Heat remaining

oil. Add mushrooms, parsley, shallot and pepper. Stirring

frequently, cook 2 minutes. Stir in broth and wine; bring

to a boil and cook until liquid is reduced by half (about

1/3 cup). Reduce heat to low; stir in mustard until well

blended. Spoon over chicken.

HOT PINEAPPLE BREAST Serves 4-6

My teenage son Carlos says he likes this better cold the

next day with a small handful of slivered almonds tossed

over it. Myself, I like it hot, served over rice.

If you have leftover chicken broth (as you probably will if

you're using canned chicken broth), use it as part of the

liquid you use to cook the rice. Also, if you like peppers

to stay a bright green and don't mind if there's still some

crunch to them, add them at the same time that you add the

cornstarch rather than earlier in the recipe. They look

pretty that way and pick up the bright red of the pimentos.

1 roaster boneless breast cut into 1/4" by 2" strips

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 green pepper, cut into strips

1 cup celery, sliced diagonally

1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, with liquid

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 4-ounce can pimento, drained and cut into strips

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, melt

butter. Add chicken and saute for 5 minutes. Add green

pepper and celery and cook 3 minutes, stirring. Drain

pineapple, reserving liquid. Add drained pineapple, 1/2

cup of pineapple juice, broth, onion and tarragon. Bring

mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5

minutes. Blend cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to make

a smooth paste. (If you like the sauce quite thick, use an

extra teaspoon of cornstarch.) Add to skillet and continue

to cook, stirring, until thickened. Add pimento and serve

immediately.

LAYERED CHICKEN (Hawaiian) Serves 6-8

If you have a sweet tooth, this recipe could end up one of

your favorites. Frank likes it a lot. Besides tasting

delicious, it's also quite versatile. Once when I was

making it, I happened to have leftovers of both chicken and

rice, so I substituted them for the first two ingredients

in this recipe. I also omitted the water and pineapple

juice. If you make this substitution in the recipe, you

won't need to bake it, but instead only keep it in the oven

long enough to heat it through. It's not quite as delicious

as the original, but it's still very good. By the way, the

layered arrangement of this dish is typically Hawaiian;

don't stir or mix the ingredients.

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1-1/2 cups quick-cooking rice, uncooked

1 can (3-1/2-ounces) shredded coconut

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained...reserve juice

3/4 cup water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons orange marmalade

4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350oF. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes.

Place half of chicken in bottom of large shallow baking

dish. Arrange rice in layer on top of chicken, then

remaining chicken in layer. Add layer of coconut; then

layer of pineapple chunks. Dot marmalade in spaces between

chunks of pineapple. Mix water, lemon juice and pineapple

juice; pour over layers. Pour melted butter or margarine

and soy sauce over all. Sprinkle ginger on top. Bake,

covered, for 40 minutes or until chicken and rice are done.

Remove cover during last 5 minutes of baking for browning.

LEMON-PARSLEY BREASTServes 4

I have a friend who grows garlic in California who is a

member of the Society of the Lovers of the Stinking Rose.

He says, "The most common misconception about garlic is

that garlic breath is bad breath." He and his fellow

Lovers of the Stinking Rose believe that on the contrary,

it's mouthwash breath that is unpleasant. Their slogan is,

"Get rid of mouthwash breath; eat garlic!" This recipe

probably won't give you either mouthwash breath or garlic

breath, since cooked garlic is quite mild in its effects.

1 roaster boneless breast

salt and ground pepper to taste

4 tablespoons melted butter or margarine, divided

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley

2 tablespoons minced shallots or scallions

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lemon, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375oF. Season breast with salt and pepper.

Pour 3 tablespoons melted butter into a baking dish. Add

chicken to dish and turn to coat with butter. In a small

bowl combine bread crumbs, parsley, shallots and garlic and

spoon over chicken. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon

butter. Top with lemon slices. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or

until chicken is cooked through.

MARYLAND BREAST OF CHICKENServes 4

This recipe calls for scallions. If you have trouble

finding scallions, ask for green onions; they're the same

thing.

3/4 cup butter or margarine, divided

1/4 pound fresh crab meat (or frozen, thawed)

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs

salt and ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 roaster breast

1 tablespoon vinegar

Preheat oven to 375oF. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and

toss in a mixing bowl with crab meat, scallions,

horseradish, tomato paste, lemon juice, breadcrumbs and

salt and pepper. With your forefinger carefully loosen

skin from the neck end of the chicken breast to form a

pocket, taking care not to detach sides or bottom. Stuff

crab mixture between breast and skin. Rub breast with 1

tablespoon butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper and place

in roasting pan. Bake approximately one hour, until skin

is brown and meat is tender. Remove to serving platter and

keep warm. Skim off any fat from drippings; add wine and

vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce pan juices to about

1/4 cup and remove from heat. Whisk in remaining butter,

strain into a sauceboat and serve separately.

QUICK SWEET AND SOUR BREASTServes 4

In most cases, I prefer fresh produce to canned. Tomatoes

are, at times, an exception. If you're buying out-of-season

tomatoes, and if you don't know the source, there's a good

chance that they were picked green and artificially

ripened. One tomato grower told me she'd rather eat cotton

than an out-of-season tomato because the taste was so

disappointing. There is some good news on the subject,

though. Tomatoes retain their flavor during canning

exceptionally well, and canned tomatoes are picked vine

ripe. If you want the next best thing to a vine-ripened

tomato, and it's winter, try canned tomatoes, as suggested

in this recipe.

1 roaster boneless breast

salt and ground pepper to taste

flour

5 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 cup canned chopped tomatoes (with liquid)

1 can (8-1/4-ounces) cubed pineapple (plus 2 tablespoons

pineapple juice from can)

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water

Cut roaster breast into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and

pepper; coat with flour and set aside. In saucepan, over

medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and cook onions,

garlic and green pepper for 5 minutes stirring often. Add

tomatoes, pineapple and juice, ketchup and vinegar. Stir

and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, in a large skillet,

over medium-high heat, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter.

Saute chicken, half at a time, until golden and cooked

through, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Drain and place

on serving dish. To sauce in pan, add dissolved

cornstarch; cook, stirring, over high heat until sauce

thickens. Pour over chicken pieces.

STUFFED BREAST PARMENTIERServes 4

Parmentier, a French food writer from 200 years ago,

popularized the use of potatoes. Before him, people worried

that potatoes might be poisonous. Today, when the name

"Parmentier" occurs in a recipe, it's a signal that there

will be potatoes in it.

1 roaster breast

salt and ground pepper to taste

1 pound boiling potatoes, unpeeled

1/4 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

Preheat oven to 375oF. Season breast inside and out with

salt and pepper to taste. Boil potatoes in salted water to

cover until just tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain, cool

slightly, peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss with

bacon, onion, celery, bread crumbs, sour cream and salt and

pepper to taste. Stuff breast and neck cavities with

potato mixture, wrapping exposed stuffing with foil. Place

chicken breast-side-up in roasting pan. Rub skin with

butter. Bake approximately 1-1/2 hours, until tender.

Transfer to serving dish; remove foil and serve.

RECIPES WITH CORNISH HENS

Have you ever wondered just what a "Cornish game hen"

is?

It's a very young bird, usually about 5 weeks old, as

opposed to a broiler, which is 7 weeks, or a roaster, which

is 12 weeks. Typically, they're tenderer and slightly

lower in fat than older birds.

All Cornish game hens are very young chickens, but the

Perdue Cornish game hens have something else special about

them. Frank directed the Perdue geneticists to breed the

broadest breasted Cornish hens in the industry. Like the

Perdue Roasters, the Perdue Cornish have exceptionally

broad breasts. The ratio of meat to bone is therefore

particularly favorable.

BUFFALO-STYLE CORNISH PIECESServes 2

You can re-use the frying oil called for in this recipe, or

any deep frying recipe, for that matter. As long as you

never heat the oil to the smoking point and as long as you

strain it through cheese cloth to remove any particles of

food, you can use it over and over again. The oil is still

good as long as it retains it's golden color. When it has

turned a dark brown, it's time to replace it. If you don't

have cheese cloth handy for straining, laundered nylon

stockings make a good substitute.

Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 fresh Cornish game hens

salt and ground pepper to taste

oil for deep frying

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons Tabasco

In a small serving bowl prepare dressing by blending

mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in blue cheese, parsley,

lemon juice, scallion and garlic. Chill. Quarter hens and

remove backbones. Pat pieces dry with paper towels and

season with salt and pepper. Heat oil to 375oF or until a

small cube of bread sizzles when placed in oil. Deep-fry

hens 10 minutes, turning once. Drain well. In a small

bowl blend melted butter and hot sauce; brush on chicken

pieces. Serve warm with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing.

CORNISH SAUTE WITH SUMMER SQUASHServes 2

To keep the olive oil called for in this recipe in its best

condition, store it in an airtight container in a cool

cupboard away from the light. It's not necessary to

refrigerate it, and besides cold temperatures will make it

cloudy and difficult to pour.

2 fresh Cornish game hens

salt and ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, sliced

1 medium yellow squash, sliced

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Halve hens and remove backbones. Season with salt and

pepper. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat

oil. Add hen halves and brown on all sides, 10 to 12

minutes. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 to 4 minutes. Add

squash, broth, parsley and lemon juice. Cover, reduce heat

to medium-low, and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until hens are

cooked through.

GRECIAN HEN SAUTEServes 2

Do you know the easiest way to peel the fresh tomatoes

called for in this recipe? Place the tomatoes in boiling

water for about 20-40 seconds and you'll find that the skin

slips off quite easily. The riper the tomato, the quicker

the skin loosens in boiling water.

2 fresh Cornish game hens

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 and 1/2 teaspoon minced, fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon

dried

salt and ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup white wine

2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and quartered

1/4 pound feta cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes

2 tablespoons ripe olives, sliced

Cut hens into quarters and remove backbones. In a large

skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken and

brown 5 to 6 minutes per side. Add garlic, bay leaf,

oregano, salt, pepper and wine. Cover and simmer over

medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook 10

minutes. Stir in cheese and olives. Cook 5 minutes longer

or until hens are cooked through. Remove bay leaf before

serving.

HENS NORMANDY WITH APPLESServes 2

If you're not using the apples in this recipe the day you

buy them, store them in the refrigerator. Apples age five

times faster at room temperature than they do in the

refrigerator so they'll keep fresher longer if you store

them in the refrigerator instead of in a fruit bowl.

2 fresh Cornish game hens

salt and ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon minced, fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

2/3 cup apple juice

2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled

1/3 cup chicken broth or white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Put 1/2

of sage in each cavity. Tie legs together and fold wings

back. Place hens in a flame proof baking pan just large

enough to hold them comfortably. Brush with melted

butter. Add apple juice to baking pan. Bake at 350oF 30

minutes, basting several times. Core and quarter apples;

add to pan and baste. Bake 30 minutes, until hens and

apples are tender, basting several times. Remove hens and

apples to serving platter; keep warm. On top of stove,

bring pan drippings to a boil; add broth or wine and cook

until reduced by half. Stir in cream; cook 2 to 3 minutes

until slightly thickened. Pour sauce over hens and apples.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

WINE-COUNTRY CORNISHServes 4

When you buy (or pick) the tomatoes called for in this

recipe, store them at room temperature rather than in the

refrigerator. The tomato farmers say that refrigerator

temperatures destroy a tomato's flavor and texture. Try to

use tomatoes soon after you buy them while they're still at

their best.

4 fresh Cornish game hens

salt and ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons minced, fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried

Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper. Fold

wings back and tie legs together. In a Dutch oven large

enough to hold all 4 Cornish, over medium-high heat, heat

oil. Brown hens on breast side. If you don't have a pan

big enough to do four at a time, brown one or two at a

time. Remove hens and reserve. Add onion and garlic and

saute for 5 minutes. Stir in flour. Add remaining

ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir. Return hens to Dutch oven breast side up, and bring

liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and

simmer for 45 minutes. Cornish are done when juices run

clear with no hint of pink when thigh is pierced.

RECIPES WITH CHICKEN PIECES

In the early 1970s, 75% of the chicken sold was whole

chicken. Today it's less than 25%. If you want to

substitute all legs or all breasts or some other

combination, look at the table in the Introduction, page s

12-13 for a chart showing equivalent amounts of the

different parts.

BATTER FRIED CHICKENServes 4

I bet you can make this in less time than it takes to drive

to the local fast food place and wait in line for service

and drive back again. It should cost a lot less too.

Remember, you can re-use the frying oil many times. Just

don't let it get so hot that it smokes and be sure to

strain it after you've finished with the frying.

1-1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1 chicken cut in serving pieces

Oil for deep frying

In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients; add milk and egg

gradually to make batter. Dip chicken in batter. In a

deep fryer heat oil to 350oF. Add chicken and fry for 15

to 25 minutes until cooked through.

BEER AND PRETZELS CHICKEN Serves 4

This dish is at its best when the bacon and pretzels are

finely chopped. Use your blender or food processor to make

the job easy.

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 cup beer

1 egg

1/2 cup finely crushed pretzels

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled

3 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley

1 chicken cut in serving pieces

In a mixing bowl combine flour, paprika, salt, ginger and

pepper. Add beer and egg; beat with a hand beater to make

smooth batter. Mix crushed pretzels, Parmesan cheese,

bacon and parsley in a large plastic bag. Dip chicken

pieces one a time in batter; then place in bag with pretzel

mix and shake to coat. Place coated chicken pieces in

shallow baking pan, skin side up. Bake, covered, at 350oF

for 30 minutes. Remove cover. Continue baking, uncovered,

about 30 minutes longer or until chicken is cooked through.

CAPITAL CHICKEN Serves 4

This is rather highly seasoned dish. Your family might

prefer it with a little less ginger--but then again, maybe

they'll love it this strong.

1 chicken, cut in serving pieces

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup rose wine

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350oF. Place chicken in single layer, skin

side up, in shallow baking pan. In a mixing bowl combine

remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake,

uncovered for about 1 hour or until cooked through, basting

occasionally.

CHICKEN ORANGE-ANO Serves 4

When you're making this recipe, what if you find that your

brown sugar has hardened into a brick and you can't measure

it anymore? I used to take a hammer and wallop it and then

use the pieces. But then a sugar cane producer told me that

a short term emergency solution is to heat the sugar at 250

degrees in the oven until it softened. The advantage of

this is that it works. The disadvantage is that whatever's

left is twice as hard once it cools. You can re-heat it

again, but it gets more brick-like with each heating.

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

1 chicken, cut in serving pieces

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 can (6-ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate

1 can (6-ounces) water

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

In a large plastic bag, combine flour salt and pepper. Add

chicken pieces and shake to coat. In a large skillet over

medium heat, melt butter. Add chicken pieces and brown for

12 to 15 minutes per side. Remove chicken and reserve.

Pour off and discard butter from skillet. Add remaining

ingredients and stir to combine. Return chicken to

skillet. Cover and cook over low heat for about 1/2 hour,

turning chicken several times until cooked through.

FRUIT AND NUT CHICKENServes 4

Inflation hits all of us, but in this recipe, you'll find

one ingredient has come down in price over the years. In

fact, it's come down spectacularly. In Roman times,

raisins weren't just expensive, they were money. You could

buy a young slave for 2 amphora (jars) of raisins.

2 tablespoons oil

1 chicken cut in serving pieces

1-1/2 cups orange juice

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup slivered almonds

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add chicken

and brown for 12 to 15 minutes per side. Pour orange juice

over chicken. Sprinkle salt, cinnamon, pepper, raisins and

almonds on top. Cover and simmer for approximately 30

minutes or until cooked through.

OVEN BARBECUED CHICKENServes 4

This isn't new or unique, but it's good. Of course, you can

always use your favorite prepared barbecue sauce if you

prefer.

1 chicken, cut in serving pieces

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 350oF. Place chicken in single layer, skin

side up, in shallow baking pan. In a mixing bowl combine

remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake,

uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until cooked through.

PHOTO: Drumsticks in bowl of rice - bread & glass of wine

- 3

RECIPES WITH GROUND CHICKEN

Ground Chicken is a perfect substitute for ground beef in

dishes such as spaghetti, chili, meatloaf, lasagna or even

plain burgers. And ground chicken has fewer calories and

less fat than ground beef. It will vary according to the

individual manufacturer's formulations, but ground chicken

usually averages 60% less fat than the U.S. Department of

Agriculture standard permits for regular ground beef.

(Regular ground beef is about 30% fat.)

I was surprised to learn that there's actually a

double standard for the beef industry and the poultry

industry when it comes to describing fat content. Beef can

be classified as "lean" at 22.5% fat, while chicken is only

"lean" if it contains 10% or less fat.

I was also surprised to learn how complicated it is to

make ground chicken. If I weren't connected with the

industry, I would have thought that to get ground chicken,

you just put it in a grinder the way you do to get

hamburger, and that would be it. Ah, but it's not so! The

fibers of chicken meat are shorter and more delicate than

beef. To get the right texture took a full year of

experimentation and fine tuning at Perdue. The skilled and

knowledgeable food scientists working on the project had to

discover which parts of the bird tasted best in hamburger,

what size holes the meat should be forced through in the

grinding machine, what temperature would be best, and so

on. A difference of a mere 2 degrees in the meat's

temperature meant the difference between a desirable

texture and one that was merely passable.

I remember when the food scientists were first

developing the ground chicken, that hundreds of people,

including me, were involved in the taste testings. I also

remember the first time Frank and I tried ground chicken

outside of the laboratory. It happened at a barbecue at

his son's house. Jim and Jan Perdue had chicken hamburgers

and beef hamburgers grilling side by side, and Frank beamed

like a kid with a new toy when he saw how the chicken

burgers stayed plump and didn't shrink. Meanwhile the

hamburgers, being 20% fat, were dwindling into hockey

pucks.

Basic Cooking Guide for Burgers:

Saute: Shape one package fresh ground chicken into

patties. Saute in a small amount of oil over high heat, 1

to 2 minutes on each side to brown. Reduce heat to medium

and continue to cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side until

thoroughly cooked and springs back to the touch.

Broil: Shape one package fresh ground chicken into

patties. Broil on a rack 4-inches from heat 5 to 6 minutes

on each side until thoroughly cooked and springs back to

the touch.

Grill: Shape one package fresh ground chicken into

patties. Place burgers on hottest area of lightly oiled

grill 1 to 2 minutes on each side to brown. Move burgers

toward the outside of the grill and continue to cook 5 to 6

minutes on each side until thoroughly cooked and springs

back to the touch.

CHICKEN STROMBOLI Serves 4

I've had this at a restaurant, made with bread dough, but I

liked it better using this recipe with pie crust dough.

The day I made it, I was late (as usual), and took a short

cut: I used prepared pie crusts, the kind that come frozen

and already shaped in aluminum pie pans.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 cups thinly sliced onion

1 large green pepper, thinly sliced

1 package (about 1 pound) fresh ground chicken

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 prepared recipe pie crust mix

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add

onion and pepper and saute 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken,

tomato paste and seasonings and cook 8 to 10 minutes until

chicken is cooked through. Preheat oven to 375oF. Roll

out prepared pie crust into a round 1/8 inch thick. Cut

circle in quarters to form 4 wedge shaped pieces. Place

1/4 of filling on the wide rounded end of each wedge; fold

in sides and roll up. Place stromboli seam-side down on

baking sheet, brush with butter and bake 30 minutes until

pastry is lightly browned.

CHICKEN BURGERS BORDELAISEServes 4

These are good just as they are, but I've also found that

they're wonderful made into little cocktail sized meat

balls to pass during parties. By the way, at one of my

parties, I tried to determine whether it was better to use

the maximum amount of pepper and mustard in this recipe or

the minimum. Some guests liked the meat balls highly

seasoned, and others preferred them mild, so I guess one

isn't better than the other; it's just what your family or

guests like.

1 package (about 1 pound) fresh ground chicken

1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)

1-1/4 cups red wine

1/4 cup minced shallots or scallions

1 tablespoon sugar

2-3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 to 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Form chicken into 4 burgers. Press pepper into both sides.

In a large, non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat, heat

oil. Add burgers and brown for 2 minutes on each side.

Salt burgers lightly and reduce heat to medium-low.

Continue cooking 5 to 6 minutes per side until thoroughly

cooked through. While burgers are cooking, combine wine,

shallots, sugar, mustard and thyme in a saucepan. Cook

over high heat 5 to 6 minutes until liquid is reduced to

3/4 cup. Remove burgers from skillet and keep warm. Add

wine mixture to skillet and stir over medium heat to

combine with pan juices. Whisk in butter and parsley.

Spoon sauce over burgers and serve.