poultry – My Whisk and I

Cauliflower Chicken

February 22, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml vegetable oil
15ml butter
1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
200g bacon, chopped
200g baby spinach
250ml cream
15ml thyme leaves, chopped
6-8 chicken breasts
200ml grated mozzarella cheese
3 salad onions, sliced

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and spray a 28cm x 21cm ovenproof dish with cooking spray.
Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and butter to it. Wait for the butter to melt.
Add the cauliflower florets and bacon bits and stir-fry for 10 minutes.
Add the baby spinach and cook until wilted.
Turn off the heat and add the cream and thyme and mix through.
Spoon this mixture into the prepared oven dish and set aside.
Wipe the pan clean and spray with cooking spray.
Season the chicken and then brown the breasts by cooking them for about 2 minutes a side.
Arrange the chicken on top of the cauliflower mixture and then push it down slightly.
Sprinkle the cheese around the chicken and then the salad onions over everything.
Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, until golden.

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Chicken Spiedini

September 2, 2023August 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml olive oil
30ml rosemary
15ml thyme
1 lemon, zest finely grated
5ml salt
1 kg chicken breast, skin and bone removed
190ml panko breadcrumbs
80ml parmesan cheese, finely grated

Warm dressing:
125ml olive oil
60ml butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
60ml lemon juice
30ml parsley, chopped
2,5ml salt

wooden skewers

Pour the olive oil into a large bowl and add the rosemary, thyme, lemon zest and salt and stir through.
Cut the chicken breasts into large chunks (about 4 pieces of chicken should go on to one skewer).
Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix through with your hands so that all the chicken get coated.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and parmesan over and mix again.
Skewer about 4 pieces of chicken on to a skewer.
Place a heavy-bottom pan on medium-high heat and wait for it to warm up.
Grill 4 – 5 skewers at a time for 4 minutes, flip them over and cook for another 4 minutes.
Keep the cooked chicken warm.

For the warm dressing:
Add the olive oil, butter, garlic, lemon juice, parsley and salt to a small saucepan.
Place on the heat and simmer the sauce, stirring every now and then for 3-4 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Place the chicken on a serving platter and drizzle over the warm sauce to serve.

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Soy Chicken with Pickled Cucumber

May 25, 2023May 18, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
60ml apple cider vinegar
5ml salt
5ml sugar

60ml soy sauce
30ml honey
4 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
30ml vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2,5ml ground coriander

For the pickle:
Add the sliced onion and cucumber to a bowl and pour the vinegar over.
Sprinkle over the salt, sugar and a few grindings of black pepper.
Mix through, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

For the chicken:
Add the soy and honey to a shallow bowl and stir to combine.
Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat.
Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil.
Add the garlic and coriander and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Take the breasts from the marinade and cook for 3 minutes per side. It is important to regulate the heat as the chicken can burn easily at this stage.
Add the reserved marinade and 60ml water to the pan.
Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cover with a lid and cook the breasts for 15 minutes, turning half-way through the cooking time.
Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high.
Cook the chicken for another 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced and the chicken is shiny and glazed.
Serve with steamed rice, pickled cucumber and the sauce.

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Saucy Chicken

April 3, 2023April 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g bacon, diced
4 chicken breasts, skin removed
125ml flour
60ml panko breadcrumbs
5ml salt
60ml vegetable oil
60ml butter, cubed
60ml flour
625ml chicken stock
80ml milk
10ml Worcestershire sauce
5ml onion powder
5ml dried tarragon
2,5ml salt

Place a heavy-bottom saucepan on medium heat.
Add the bacon and cook until crispy and browned. Remove from the pan.
Place the chicken breasts on a flat surface and halve them horizontally so that you have 8 thin chicken portions.
Mix the flour, breadcrumbs and salt together in a shallow dish.
Coat the chicken generously with the flour mixture.
Pour the vegetable oil into the saucepan and allow it to warm up.
Fry the breasts for 3minutes per side, remove from the saucepan and set aside.
Remove the oil from the saucepan and wipe it clean with paper towel.
Now add the butter and allow to melt over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir around until it forms a paste. Cook for one minute while stirring.
Gradually pour in the chicken stock and milk and whisk continuously.
Now add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and tarragon.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chicken back into the sauce.
Sprinkle over the bacon and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes.
Serve the chicken and the sauce on creamy mashed potatoes.

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Honey Mustard Chicken

September 1, 2022August 31, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
30ml vegetable oil
5ml salt
2,5ml garlic powder
2,5ml onion powder
2,5ml dried thyme
2,5ml onion seeds
2,5ml smoked paprika

Sauce:
125ml honey
60ml butter, melted
60ml wholegrain mustard
20ml hot sauce
5ml apple cider vinegar

Pat the chicken breasts dry and brush them with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
Combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, onion seeds and paprika in a small bowl.
Season both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoning – rub it all over. Set aside.
Add the honey, butter, mustard, hot sauce and vinegar to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Place a cast iron pan/skillet onto medium heat and wait for it to heat up.
Add the breasts to the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes without moving the meat around.
Flip the breasts over and pour the sauce over.
Place a lid on the pan and cook for 10 minutes, basting the chicken once or twice as it cooks.
Remove the lid and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
Serve the chicken on couscous or rice.

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Mushroom Chicken

May 20, 2022May 16, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,5 – 2 litre chicken stock
9 chicken breasts, skin removed
700g mixed mushrooms, sliced
30ml sunflower oil
30ml butter
45ml thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
80ml cream
salt and pepper

Pour the chicken stock into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Cut the breasts into 5-6 pieces and add it to the stock.
Cook the chicken until most of the liquid has evaporated and then break up the cooked chicken pieces with a wooden spoon.
Set a frying pan over high heat and add the oil and butter to it.
Fry the mushrooms for about 7 minutes, until it has caramelised and has a beautiful golden colour.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the thyme leaves and garlic. Stir around for a minute or so.
Now add the cream to the mushrooms and stir through.
Spoon the mushroom mixture into the saucepan with the cooked chicken, turn up the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
The meat should now be creamy and fragrant. If you find it has too much liquid, simmer it for a while longer so that the liquid evaporates.
Serve the chicken on couscous, rice or quinoa.

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Quick Creamy Chicken

April 12, 2022April 11, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g bacon, cut into small pieces
45ml butter
83ml flour
6-8 chicken breasts
15ml garlic powder
250ml chicken stock
15ml lemon juice
250 ml cream

Place a frying pan on medium-high heat, add a very small amount of oil and fry the bacon pieces until just crispy on the edges.
Remove the bacon pieces from the pan but keep the fat and keep the pan on the heat.
Mix the flour and garlic powder together and dredge the chicken in the flour.
Add the butter to the warm pan and brown the chicken breasts on both sides – about 3 minutes per side.
Pour in the stock and allow the chicken to cook for about 8 minutes before turning and cooking for another 8 minutes.
Add the cooked bacon, lemon juice and cream to the pan, give it a stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.
Serve the chicken breast on a starch of your choice.

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Beer Chicken

February 11, 2022February 10, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This chicken is terribly easy and quick to make and deliciously soft and moist. Yields 6 portions.

6 chicken breasts, skin removed
45mll butter
30ml vegetable oil
125ml chicken stock
125ml stout or any other beer
10ml dried tarragon
125ml cream

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place an ovenproof frying pan onto medium-heat and add the butter and vegetable oil to it.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place it in the hot pan to fry.
Cook the breasts for 4 minutes before turning and cooking the other side for another 4 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the frying pan and keep on the side while you make the sauce.
Pour the chicken stock into the frying pan and simmer for 3 minutes before adding the stout/beer.
Bring the liquids back to a simmer, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the caramelised bits of chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the tarragon and cream and stir through.
Place the chicken breasts back in the sauce and place the pan in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes.
Serve the chicken on couscous and spoon over some extra sauce.

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How to Truss a Chicken

November 25, 2021November 25, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Trussing a chicken is simply tying it up snugly with kitchen string in preparation for roasting it or cooking it on the rotisserie.

Why truss?

It helps ensure that the chicken cooks evenly because it is more compact.
It prevents the breast meat from drying out while the thighs and legs are still cooking.
It browns evenly which results in it looking more attractive and tasting delicious.
It ensures you cook a flavourful, juicy chicken with crispy skin.