Post your best chicken recipe

Not elegant, but I don't consider chicken appropriate for an elegant meal.

here is one of my favorite ways to cook chicken.

buy a whole bunch of leg parts. get the best chicken you can find. that's important. top quality bird.

leave the skin on. wash, maybe soak a bit in cold salt water. hack up the pieces with a cleaver (drumstick => two pieces, thigh => two pieces). lay pieces in glass/pyrex pan with a bit of grapeseed oil. salt lightly. bake at about 425, turning pieces every once in a while, maybe salting a bit more after you turn, until the outside is a little crispy and the birds are all cooked.

such chicken is good with spicy side dishes. it's also good with other simple dishes, like very good tasting sweet corn on the cob, or cornbread, steamed greens, etc.

I don't generally follow recipes, but try looking up one of the following:

-chicken curry (not elegant, but maybe different from what you've been preparing)

-chicken piccata (don't go as heavy on the lemon as Cook's Illustrated recommends unless you want a sauce that tastes like Lemon Drops...and I usually really enjoy their recipes)

-chicken roganjosh (but you've gotta have good tamarind)

-coc au vin (an old classic, and always good...go ahead and jazz it up with any herbs or veggies you want. My favorite is tarragon with a little parsley and rosemary, plus roasted garlic or caramelized shallot)

- chicken satay (yummy!)

- chicken diavolo (again, some may not consider this elegant but it may be different)

- beer can chicken (just kidding!)

- there's a simple Turkish recipe I've made. Parboil chicken parts and finish them in the oven. Before putting them in the oven, brush on a paste of equal parts tomato paste and plain yogurt, with a little garlic, lemon juice, salt, thyme, coriander, cumin, cardamom (not too much!), and cinnamon. Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes.

Whatever you do, have fun!


Why? Truly, this is one of the most food-snobbish things I've ever read. Because of its neutrality in pairing with other flavorings, chicken can be made in a greater variety of ways than any other meat, even beef.

Lemon chicken (a bit like chicken piccata but with white wine and no butter, cut into pieces) with couscous, love it.

I don't have the recipe in front of me, but in Mark Bittman's World's Best Recipes, he has a Moroccan chicken dish that is phenomenal. You can also make Coq au Vin, but it takes more time than you have. (I like the Alton Brown classic recipe, but you need 12 hours).

Sautéed chicken breast with ratatouille couscous and apple and lemon olive oil Ingredients \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

• 4 chicken breasts
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Few knobs of butter
• 1 apple, cored and sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced
• Handful of coriander, chopped
• 500ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 300g couscous
• 3 - 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium aubergine, cut into 1cm cubes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 courgette, cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1 tomato, skinned, deseeded and chopped
• Large handful of fresh coriander, chopped

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t \t \t\t \t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tMethod: How to make sautéed chicken breast with couscous \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t \t \t\t \t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/Gas 4. Season the chicken on both sides. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan then fry the chicken, skin-side down, for 5 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp. Turn the chicken over, add the butter to the pan, and sear the other side while basting with the melted butter and oil for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof dish. \t\t\t\t \t\t \t \t\t \t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t2. Drain the fat from the pan. Add another tablespoon of olive oil, then fry the apple and sliced lemon for 2 minutes until they start to release their juices and soften slightly. Pour into the dish with the chicken and roast for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through. \t\t\t\t \t\t \t \t\t \t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t3. Bring the stock to the boil. Measure the couscous into a large bowl then pour over the stock and 1 tbsp olive oil. Cover with cling film and leave to soak for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cling film then fluff up the couscous with a fork to separate the grains. Stir through the vinaigrette. \t\t\t\t \t\t \t \t\t \t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t4. Meanwhile, heat another sauté pan with 2 tbsp olive oil. Over moderate heat, fry the onion for 3-4 minutes then add the aubergine and cumin. Fry for another 2 minutes, then add the courgette. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat then stir through the tomato and coriander and check for seasoning. Toss through the couscous. \t\t\t\t \t\t \t \t\t \t\t \t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t5. To serve, pile the couscous into the centre of 4 plates. Slice the chicken on the diagonal then arrange on top of the couscous. Drain the juices from the baking dish, check for seasoning and stir in the chopped coriander. Spoon over the chicken and serve immediately.

I don't really think it is food snobbish, since I learned it growing up before food snobbery was in vogue. It was one of the rules of the house when I was young, similar to not wearing black suits. Don't get me wrong, I like chicken, I just don't consider it particularly elegant.

Keller/Bouchon's roasted chicken recipe