Chicken and/or Dressing (stuffing)

Here are our recipes for Chicken in White Wine . Buttermilk Fried . Roast Stuffed Capon (or Turkey) . Oatmeal Dressing . Cornbread Stove Top Stuffing

Roast Chicken (or Turkey)
with Oatmeal Dressing  

This is the kind of dressing that was featured at all of the Thanksgivings and Christmases that I have ever celebrated. It is my Grandmother's recipe, handed down to her from her mother (and doubtless handed down from the previous mother....). My mother always makes this dressing, as do I. The original recipe did not call for olive oil but simply for salted butter. I decided, in interest of our health, to use half olive oil and half sweet butter and I can't say that I've noticed a difference in taste at all. I happen to prefer capons to turkeys so we always get as many capons as is necessary for the company - takes a little less time to prepare too. One recipe is enough for a 2 or 3 lb bird.

NB: Contrary to erroneous popular belief of people who have not tried this, the dressing is not like porridge at all!

Ingredients

Preparation

1. Clean and dry bird thoroughly.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Saute onions til transluscent.
3. In a large bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, oatmeal, sage, savory and salt.
4. Add onion mixture to breadcrumbs and oatmeal. Mix well.
5. Stuff bird and pin opening closed. Rub the skin with olive oil, sage, parsley, rosemary, thyme, celery salt, pepper.
6. Put into a preheated 500F oven. Immediately turn the oven down to 350F. Roast the bird for ½ hour per pound, basting every 15 minutes.

Serve with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, etc. etc. etc. Mashed root vegetables are also very good. If you would like to serve another kind of dressing as well, please look at the recipes for cornbread, sausage & almond and ham & cranberry dressings (stuffings).

printer friendly file

Wine Poached Pears are an excellent dessert choice after serving roast chicken dinner.

Back to our recipes

Stovetop Stuffing  

Of course, this can be put into the cavity of a bird instead of being prepared on the stovetop. You can use any kind of bread with this. We prefer cornbread, either the yeast variety or the quickbread variety work equally well. All measurements are approximate. You will want to play with them....

Ingredients

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil and butter (or use all olive oil) in a large cast iron frying pan. Saute onions til soft.
2. Add celery and cook a minute or two.
3. Add savory, sage, chicken boullion powder. Stir well for a minute or two more.
4. Add bread cubes a third at a time, mixing well. Cook over a medium low heat, stirring every few minutes for about 10 minutes.
5. Add cranberries and pecans. Continue cooking until you like the dryness of the dressing. It's better to make this a few hours ahead and let it sit to absorb its flavours.

Serve with roasted fowl or pork. For a little overkill, have pumpkin pie for dessert.

printer friendly file

Back to our recipes

My Grandmotherinlaw's Chicken in Wine

serves 6 (very hungry) people

Ingredients

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Line the bottom of a flat casserole with onions. Sprinkle over with the herbs and pepper. Lay chicken on top and sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Pour butter and sauterne over all.
3. Bake half an hour at 450F. REDUCE HEAT TO 325F and cook another half hour or til chicken is tender. Baste a couple of times while cooking to ensure the chicken colors well. DON'T cover until it is cooked but DO cover to prevent drying if it must stand before serving. DON'T OVERCOOK!!!

This recipe can be reduced easily to serve 2. Just do 2 chicken breasts and less of everything else. You will have to play with the amounts of wine and herbs. We are pretty generous with the herbs and usually put the full amount of herbs. Put all the stuff together in the baking dish at least half an hour before cooking so it marinates.

It's very simple to prepare but very very good. Serve with baked potatoes and green and yellow vegetables. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs if you have them. It's an excellent and impressive dish for large numbers of company.

printer friendly file

Back to our recipes

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

My grandmother-in-law was from Virginia. While this isn't exactly the recipe that she made, it is very close to what T remembers having as a child. T is not wild about the gravy (it does look rather unappetizing) but I love it.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. In a pyrex bowl, add enough yoghurt to chicken so that it is thoroughly coated. Add garlic and onions. Refrigerate 4 hours or more.
2. Whisk together flour, soup powders, dried garlic granules and spices. Put into a large shallow dish.
3. Remove the chicken from the yoghurt sludge (reserve the sludge for the gravy) and place in the flour mixture, turning chicken to coat it completely. Let rest and coat again. Then let rest again for 15 minutes before frying.
4. Heat oil in cast iron pan. Add rested chicken to hot pan and fry on 1 side for 20 minutes, then turn to finish.
5. Gravy: Drain all but ¼ c drippings; stir in flour until bubbly. Add yoghurt sludge and about 1½ c water; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook 1 minute more. Add more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve chicken and gravy with steamed green beans, mashed potatoes or buttermilk biscuits.

printer friendly file

Back to our recipes

ejm (aka llizard) 2000, 2001, 2006
Toronto Ontario Canada