The Lady and Sons (10 page)
Authors: Paula Deen
SERVES 8 TO 10
| One 6-pound hen 4 to 6 ribs celery, cut into large pieces 2 tablespoons salt 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns | 4 bay leaves 1 large onion, peeled and left whole 3 chicken bouillon cubes |
Remove giblets from bird. Wash giblets and bird well, inside and out. Place all ingredients including giblets in large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, approximately 2 to 2½ hours. Skim fat from pot at end of cooking time. (You will need to reserve stock for stuffing and gravy.) In the meantime, prepare and cook corn bread.
CORN BREAD
| 1 cup self-rising cornmeal ½ cup self-rising flour ¾ cup buttermilk | 2 eggs 2 tablespoons vegetable oil |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
SOUTHERN CORN BREAD STUFFING
| 7 slices white bread (dried in warm oven) Corn bread | 1 sleeve saltine crackers cups chopped celery 1 large onion, chopped |
| 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 7 cups stock reserved from cooking hen 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper | 1 teaspoon sage (optional) 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional) 5 eggs, beaten |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crumble dried white bread slices, corn-bread, and saltines; mix together and set aside. Sauté chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over corn bread mixture. Add stock; mix well and taste; add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of this mixture for the giblet gravy. Pour into a greased pan. Place bird on top of dressing and bake until dressing is done, about 45 minutes. If hen browns too quickly, make a tent of foil and place over bird.
GIBLET GRAVY
| 4 cups stock reserved from cooking hen Giblets from hen (liver, gizzard, and neck), chopped 2 chicken bouillon cubes 2 heaping tablespoons reserved uncooked corn bread stuffing mix | 3 tablespoons cornstarch ⅓ cup cold water 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced Salt and pepper to taste |
Bring stock to a boil along with giblets and the meat that has been removed from the neck. Add bouillon cubes and raw stuffing mixture. Mix cornstarch with water and add to boiling stock, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and add sliced boiled egg. Serve with hen.
The Lady & Sons
SERVES 4
| 4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts 6 ounces Swiss cheese slices One 10¾-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup ¼ cup white wine (more if desired) | Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup herb-flavored Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix, crushed 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in shallow buttered casserole. Layer cheese on top. Mix soup, wine, salt, and pepper; pour over cheese. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 45-60 minutes.
SERVES 6 TO 8
| 1 large onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 4 tablespoons olive oil One 4- to 5-pound chicken, cut up 2 tablespoons paprika 1 teaspoon pepper | 2 teaspoons salt 1½ cups water 1 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour Dumplings (optional) |
In a deep skillet over medium heat, brown onion and garlic in oil. Add chicken and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle paprika, pepper, and salt on chicken. Turn meat once. Add water, cover, and simmer on low heat for approximately 30 minutes or until meat is tender. Remove from liquid. In a small bowl, mix sour cream, flour, and 1 cup of hot liquid from chicken until smooth. Pour mixture into skillet and blend with remaining liquid. Add dumplings if desired and heat through. This dish may be served over noodles or rice instead of dumplings.
DUMPLINGS
| 3 eggs, beaten 3 cups all-purpose flour | 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup water |
Blend all ingredients and mix well. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls into boiling water. Cook about 10 minutes and drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again.
SERVES 4 TO 6
| 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms | 2 tablespoons minced shallots ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese |
Melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes on each side, or until tender. Transfer chicken to platter and sprinkle with grated cheese. Top with mushroom mixture. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
SERVES 4
| 4 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts (approximately 5 to 7 ounces each) One 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled ½ teaspoon dried sweet basil | ½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon House Seasoning (see page 160) 4 slices bacon 1 leek (optional) 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted |
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Wash and pound each chicken breast flat. Lay chicken breast on cookie sheet or large platter and spread it with cream cheese, followed by a quarter of the feta cheese. Mix together basil, oregano, and House Seasoning and sprinkle over chicken. Roll up each breast and wrap with a slice of bacon. At this time, if desired, you can tie up each rolled chicken breast with the green top of a leek. Cut the green top off the vegetable, leaving it long enough to tie around the breast and allowing a couple of extra inches for a knot. Place chicken breasts in a casserole dish and pour melted butter over all. Cover casserole dish with foil and bake for
1
½ hours. Uncover dish and increase temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to bake, allowing the bacon to brown, for 15 to 20 minutes. Or you could place dish under broiler for a few minutes to brown. Serve over rice, with pan juices poured on top.
SERVES 6
| 6 Cornish game hens (about ¾ to 1 pound each) 4 cloves garlic, chopped One 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped | ½ cup soy sauce ½ cup honey 2 tablespoons peanut oil 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 tablespoon orange zest, minced |
Rinse hens, trim off excess fat, and pat dry; place in bowl. Put garlic and ginger in food processor and process until nearly smooth. In another bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, oil, orange juice, and zest. Add the garlic and ginger. Pour mixture over game hens, coating well. Refrigerate overnight, turning in marinade several times. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place game hens in shallow roasting pan; pour marinade on top. Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes. Remove hens to serving platter. Pour cooking juices into small, heavy saucepan and boil for 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Pour over hens just before serving. Serve with sesame noodles or rice pilaf These hens can also be grilled—just remember to baste often.
SERVES 8
| 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup ground pecans 1 tablespoon salt | 1 tablespoon paprika ⅛ teaspoon pepper ¼ cup sesame seeds Two 2½-pound chickens, cut into quarters or pieces ¼ cup pecan halves |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a 10
×
15-inch baking pan. In a shallow dish, combine buttermilk and egg. In another dish combine flour, pecans, salt, paprika, pepper, and sesame seeds. Dip chicken in buttermilk, then in flour. Place skin side down in melted butter. Turn to coat and leave skin side up. Sprinkle with pecan halves. Bake for
1
¼ hours.
SERVES 6 TO 8
| 3 cups diced cooked chicken 1 medium onion, diced and sautéed One 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped Two 14½-ounce cans French green beans, rinsed and drained One 4-ounce can pimentos, rinsed and drained | One 10¾-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup 1 cup mayonnaise One 6-ounce box Uncle Ben's long-grain and wild rice, cooked according to package directions 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese |
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 3-quart casserole. Bake for 25 minutes.
The Lady & Sons
SERVES 4 TO 6
| One 2½-pound chicken 3 ribs celery, chopped large onion, chopped bay leaves 2 chicken bouillon cubes 1 teaspoon House Seasoning (see page 160) | 4 quarts water One 10¾-ounce can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup |
Cut up chicken, but do not remove skin. The skin and bones can be removed later. Place chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon, and House Seasoning in water and boil at a rolling boil for 30 to 45 minutes, until meat begins to fall off the bones. Remove skin and bones at this point, along with bay leaves. Return chicken to pan. Prepare dumplings and set them aside for a few minutes. Add cream soup to chicken and continue to boil. If desired, you can thicken the stock a little by mixing 2 tablespoons cornstarch with ¼ cup of water and adding it to the stock. Drop dumplings into boiling stock. Never stir dumplings. Shake the pot gently in a circular motion to submerge dumplings in stock. Cook for a few minutes more, until dumplings are done. Do not overcook.
DUMPLINGS
| 2 cups all-purpose flour mixed with 1 teaspoon salt | ¾ cup ice water |
Put flour in a mixing bowl. Beginning in center of flour, dribble small amount of ice water. Work mixture with fingers from center of bowl to sides of bowl, incorporating small amounts of water at a time. Continue until all flour is used up. Batter will feel as if it is going to be tough. Knead dough and form into ball. Dust a good amount of flour onto dough board and rolling pin. Roll out dough, working from center. Dough will be firm. Roll to ⅛ inch thinness. Let it air-dry for a
minute or two while you return your attention to the boiling pot at the point at which you add the canned soup to the chicken mixture. Cut dumplings into 1-inch strips. Working with one strip at a time, hold strip over pot, pull it in half, and drop into the boiling stock. Remember, do not stir mixture after dumplings have been added to pot.
