Roast Stuffed Chicken Crown

  

I picked up a few chicken crowns at the grocery store last week that were on for a really nice price.   They were only £3.  We like chicken in this house.  I think it's probably the one protein we eat the most of.

A chicken crown is like a turkey crown except it's chicken.   The legs are removed and in this case the wings as well.  What you end up with is a nice compact sized roast, with the bone and skin intact, which you can still stuff if you like.

I created a simple bread stuffing for this one I cooked the other day.  It was not a huge amount, just enough to slip between the skin and the meat of the chicken breast, but it helped to keep the chicken really nice and moist.   With the excess amount, I simply grated a small sweet potato and mixed it in and then baked it in a casserole along side of the chicken.  It was really tasty!



I made a tasty bread sauce to have as well.   Bread sauce is a lovely sauce to have with poultry, believe it or not.  It's not something which I had heard of before I moved over here to the UK.  It's really delicious and so easy to make too.



You simply infuse some milk with the flavour of onion, cloves and bay leaf, and then whisk in cream and bread crumbs whilst reheating.  It thickens up nicely and tastes just wonderful!   It's amazing what you can do with just a few simple ingredients.  I was impressed.



We ended up with a delicious dinner with well flavoured and moist chicken, and a beautiful stuffing, a lovely sauce and a fabulous gravy.  We both enjoyed this very much.   I do hope that you will give it a try.  Oh, and that nice lovely crisp skin?   I got that by rubbing a liquid stock pot into the skin prior to roasting it.   DEEEEEE-licious!!

*Roast Stuffed Chicken Crown*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe  

A moist and delicious chicken breast crown roasted with stuffing beneath the skin and served with a tasty bread sauce on the side and gravy.

1 large chicken crown (about 1 1/2 pounds)
For the stuffing:

25g of butter (2 TBS)

75g fresh soft white bread crumbs (1 1/2 cups)

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 Knorr liquid herb stock pot

(alternately use 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley, 2 TBS chopped fresh tarragon, 1 egg yolk and salt and pepper to taste)
the finely grated zest of one unwaxed lemon

1 Knorr liquid chicken stock pot

In addition you will need one very small sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated

For the Bread Sauce:

1 small onion, studded with six whole cloves

1 bay leaf broken

300ml of whole milk (1 1/4 cups)

150ml single cream (2/3 cup, light cream)

115g of fresh white bread crumbs ( 2 cups)

10 g of butter (scant TBS)

For the gravy:

2 tsp plain flour

300ml well flavoured chicken stock (1 1/4 cups)

dash of madiera or sherry

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onion, without colouring, until softened.  Remove from the heat and stir in the stock pot and lemon zest.  Allow to melt and then toss together with the bread crumbs.  (Alternately mix with the chopped herbs, lemon zest.  Allow to cool completely and then mix in the egg yolk, seasoning to taste with some salt and papper.)  Loosen the skin from the chicken crown.   Lightly stuff with some of the stuffing on both sides, keeping the skin intact and recovering it with the skin once stuffed.  Rub the crown all over with the chicken stock pot. Place in a small roasting tin and loosely cover with foil.   Mix the remaining stuffing with the grated sweet potato and put it into a small buttered casserole dish.  Dot with butter and cover with foil.  Put the chicken into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Roast for one half hour.  Remove the foil and return to the oven along with the casserole with the extra stuffing/sweet potato in it.   Roast for one half hour further, or until the chicken is cooked through.  The skin should be nicely browned and crisped and the stuffing cooked through. 


One half hour before the chicken is done make the bread sauce.  Put the clove studded onion into a small saucepan along with the milk and bay leaf.  Bring just to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for half an hour.   At the end of that time, strain the milk into a clean pan.  Add the cream and bread crumbs.  Bring to the boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for five minutes.  Keep warm while you make the gravy.

Remove the chicken to a serving plate and tent with foil to keep warm.  Pour off all but 1 TBS of drippings from the roasting tin.   Place the tin over medium heat and whisk in the flour.  Cook and stir for about a minute, until golden brown.   Gradually whisk in the stock and cook, whisking constantly until the mixture has come to the boil and thickened.  Whisk in the madiera or sherry.   Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with salt and pepper.  Cook for about five minutes on low heat.

To serve, cut the stuffed breast into slices and serve along with some extra stuffing a spoonful of bread sauce and some gravy.  I like to have mashed potatoes and carrots with this.

Maple & Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs

I had a craving for something a tiny bit healthy today, and not so indulgent.  It may surprise you but I don't always over indulge.  For the most part, you only get to see the most indulgent of what I cook.  I more often than not eat fairly healthy, but then again, I am not opposed to treating myself from time time.  I little bit of what you enjoy does a person the world of good.



The lighting was really, really poor today, so I apologize for the quality of these pictures. I try always to photograph in natural light. I like the way food looks in natural light. I just think it looks delicious - er. (Is that a word?? Meh . . . it is now!)



Today I had some bone in chicken thighs that I wanted to cook in the most delicious way possible without adding too much fat, calories or bad things to make them taste delectable. It's not all that hard to take the skin and fat off of chicken . . . but I do like to cook it on the bone as often as I can. The bone adds a lot of flavour to chicken and most meats.



I turned to one of my favourite books by Ellie Kreiger, The Food You Crave. A seriously good book. I find though that I have to really make some serious adaptions to some recipes because the ingredients in some of them are not readily available over here, but for the most part, I can cook most of them.



And they're good. Really good. Tasty. Delicious. Simple. Seriously simple.



And the stick man Toddster loved them too.  He doesn't even realize when he's eating healthy.  I think that's a good thing don't you?   If you can eat healthy and not know it?  No deprivation there.  It's all good.  He's just one of those really lucky people who can eat whatever he wants, fattening, indulgent, etc. . . . and it never shows. His metabolism burns it all up.

I know . . . it is really annoying to me too.



*Maple & Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs*
Serves 4Printable Recipe

Chicken thighs baked with a delicious maple mustard glaze. Wonderful flavours! Adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Kreiger.

8 bone in chicken thighs, skin and any visible fat removed
85g of grainy French mustard (1/3 cup)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced (about 1 tsp)
3/4 tsp dried marjoram
3 TBS pure Maple Syrup

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready a large baking dish.

Whisk together the mustard, garlic, marjoram and maple syrup. Spread about 1 TBS of the mixture over the top of each chicken thigh, trying to cover as much of the surface as you can. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the baking dish. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and glazed, about 45 - 50 minutes, basting it several times with the mustard mixture. The juices should run clear when the chicken is pierced in the centre. Serve hot. We had ours with a baked potato and green beans. Delicious!

Note : In the original recipe Ellie says that the mustard/maple mixture will form a crust. Mine didn't, but more like a glaze. My mixture was quite runny and so I just used it to baste the chicken as it cooked. It was utterly fabulously delicious. Todd had three 1/2 pieces!

Chicken, Bacon & Leek Casserole

 I love food this time of year . . . I know I say that all year round, but this is the time of year that we really start to get stuck into comfort foods . . . winter warmers . . . rich soups, stews, casseroles and bakes.



Food that, with the exception of a few small prep details, pretty much cooks itself.  Simple and wholesome ingredients, but let me tell you . . . more often than not there it nothing simple at all about the flavours!  Most pack a very delicious punch!



I've always been the kind of person that has been able to put things together and come up with something satisfyingly delicious . . . things like this Chicken, Bacon and Leek Casserole I am showing you here today.



It's simple.   It uses stuff you most likely have in your fridge, larder and freezer right now.  It tastes fabulously delicious, and it basically cooks itself.  I like to serve it with some fluffy mash. 




The Toddster is a real mash lover.  I like to cook some greens on the side as well, just for some colour and vitamins.  Today it was sprout tops.  I do hope you will give it a try., and when you do that you'll come back and tell me how much you loved it!  It may not look very exciting, but dull this isn't!

*Chicken, Bacon & Leek Casserole*

Serves 4  

Printable Recipe  

This may look a bit like a mess, but it's delicious!  It's one of those warming meals that pretty much cooks themselves!  I like to serve it with some mash or rice.

2 TBS olive oil

8 boneless, skinless chicken thigh portions, cut into cubes

(Discard any fat)

2 medium leeks, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced

4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped

1 tsp summer savoury

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

2 stalks of celery

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced

1 medium parsnip, peeled and sliced

pinch of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

125ml of dry white wine

450ml of chicken stock

1 dessertspoon (heaped) of flour, shaken with a bit of water in a jar until smooth 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium sized flame and oven proof casserole dish.   Add the bacon and chicken and cook, stirring occasionally until golden.  Stir in the leeks, carrots, celery and parsnips.  Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the summer savoury and thyme, along with some salt and pepper to taste.    Grind over a bit of garlic powder. 

Add the wine and chicken stock.  Bring to the boil.   Reduce to a simmer and stir in the flour/water mixture.  Cook stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.  Cover tightly and then transfer the casserole to the oven.   Bake, covered, for about 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer, until the chicken and vegetables are very tender.

Serve hot with some mashed potatoes and crusty rolls.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings, chips and a really cool machine!

Do you like chicken wings and chips as much as I do???  Do you hate the mess, agro and smell caused from deep frying???   Well, have I got a great kitchen gadget for you!!


 

We recently got a Tefal AW950040 Family ActiFry Fryer  in  Black from Argos.  This was something I had wanted for a very long time.  My friend Angie (may she rest in peace) had gotten one a couple of years ago and raved about how good it was. The Actifry Fryer is a machine that uses new cooking technology to create crisp fries and other foods with virtually no oil.  I love chips, but I don't love all the fat and calories in them, so they are a very rare treat in this house.

The first thing I cooked in the ActiFry Fryer was chips.  I just had to see if they were as good as promised.  I apologize ahead of time for the lousy photos. ( I hate the problems I  with natural light in these late autumn/winter months.)  Egg and Chips was on the menu.  Normally I do oven chips but this time I used the fryer and I have to say . . . they turned out really well.

 

I followed the instructions which came with the machine exactly and we were rewarded with nicely crisp, yet low fat chips!



You just cut up your potatoes, rinse and dry them and then pop them into the fryer with a spoonful of oil, measured in the oil measurer that comes with the machine.  Thirty minutes later you are the lucky recipients of crisp and golden fries, with very little fat added.  Every few minutes, I peered into the machine, and nothing much seemed to be happening . . . at first. The potatoes were being stirred by the revolving arm, very, very slowly.  It wasn't long though before that began to change!  It was rather amazing actually.



The Toddster is rather fond of an egg and chips supper every now and then and he was well pleased with  the way the chips turned out.  So was I.  Call me a happy camper.

But it is a rather large machine and I have very limited space in my kitchen . . . was the Actifry more than a one trick pony??  Next up Chicken Wings.   I adore chicken wings, but I don't adore all of that fat and those calories.    I especially love Chinese Chicken wings . . .



I created a batter using flour, corn flour, egg and some salt and cayenne.  I coated the wing pieces in this mixture, dumped them into the fryer, set the timer and let the magic happen.  At first I despaired that they would turn out . . . I literally had to stop watching it . . .

 

No need to fear however as thirty five minutes later we had crisp golden and spicy chicken wings!  Result!!



I created a spicy sweet sauce to toss them in so that they would be finger licking good.  I love sauced crisp wings.  Don't you? 



Created with honey, soy, fresh ginger root, muscovado sugar, rice wine vinegar and red chilies, this was the perfect sauce to toss with those crisp little babies.

 

I also added some chopped roasted peanuts and toasted sesame seeds for extra crunch, texture and flavour.  Oh boy, were these ever good.  I have some more chicken wings in the fridge and am going to hot wings next.  I can't wait!  (NO worries if you don't have an actifry, you can cook these tasty little wings the old fashioned way in hot oil.)

*Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings*

Makes 4 servings

Printable Recipe  

These were done in my T-Fal acti-fry machine.  I will include instructions at the end to do them without an acti-fry machine.  They are wonderfully delicious.  Crisp and spicey and sweet!

About a dozen chicken wings, jointed,
tips removed and discarded

(giving you 24 pieces)

35g of plain flour (1/4 cup)

30g corn flour (1/4 cup)

1 large free range egg, beaten

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste

1 TBS peanut oil

For the Sauce:

125ml of water (1/2 cup)

1 TBS finely grated fresh ginger root

1 1/2 TBS dark soy sauce

100g soft light brown muscovado sugar (1/2 cup packed)

3 TBS seasoned rice wine vinegar

120ml of golden syrup or honey (1/2 cup)

1 tsp crushed chilies (I used Gourmet Garden)

To finish:

35g roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (1/3 cup)

2 TBS sesame seeds, toasted  

  

Mix the flour, cornflour, egg, salt and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.  Dry your wings well with some paper kitchen towelling and then toss them into the batter to coat them thoroughly, mixing with your hands.  (They are the best tools invented!)  Dump them into the ActiFry machine.  Drizzle with the oil.  Close the lid to the machine and cook for 35 minutes.

While the wings are cooking, make the sauce.  Combine the water, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and golden syrup/honey in a large saucepan.   Bring to the boil and then reduce to a quick simmer, allowing it to reduce to a syrupy thick sauce.  Turn out the burner and keep warm.

Once the wings are cooked, toss them into the saucepan with the sauce and add the chopped peanuts and sesame seeds.  The wings should be coated completely with the sauce and covered with the crunchy bits.  Delicious!

Note: for conventional cooking once you have the wings coated in the batter deep fry them in a pot of hot oil (177*C-193*C/350*F-380*F) until crisp and cooked through.  Drain well on paper towels and then toss with the sauce as above.



Guess who else is a fan of the Acti Fry??  I am in good company.   Just sayin is all . . .



The Tefal Actifry Family can hold up to 1.5kg enough to feed the whole family! The unique patented technology makes for healthier crisps and chips without those horrible greasy odours. One spoon of oil to cook your favourite fresh food with no preheating. The transparent lid makes it easier to see your food as it cooks.   All removable parts are also dishwasher safe, which makes cleaning up a breeze.   If I could find one thing wrong with it, it would be the size of it as it is rather hefty, but the results I got using it more than make up for that one simple drawback.

Right now you can buy one at Argos for £149.99, which is a saving of  £70 from off the regular price of  £219.99.  Is it worth it??  I think so.

I was really happy with the service from Argos as well.  Delivery was quick and everything arrived in short order and perfect shape. 



Colour me happy!!

Roast Chicken and other things

Sunday Lunch has to be one of the nicest traditions here in the UK.  It's actually a dinner . . . not a lunch (usually served early to mid afternoon).  Not sure why it is called lunch, but I have noted that most celebratory dinners here in the UK are referred to as lunch, prime example being Christmas Lunch.  Who am I to quibble when we are talking about something as delicious a meal as Sunday Lunch generally is!

Over the next four weeks The Sunday Times is publishing a pull out Ultimate Cookbook as part of the Incredible Edibles Food Series, dedicated to food and dining.   This weeks focus is Sunday Lunch, and you can get your copy of The Sunday Times Ultimate Cookbook:  Sunday Lunch this weekend, on Sunday the 17th November, featuring no less than twelve of the finest  recipes for this occasion  brought to you by twelve celebrity chef's.

You will be able to enjoy and recreate such tasty delights as Jamie Oliver's Sunday Roast Steak and Marcus Waring's  Mushroom Cobbler (for the veggies), only two of the delicious recipes on offer.



 Who doesn't love a delicious Roast Chicken dinner??  It has to be one of the most popular Sunday lunches ever.  Simple, easy and delicious . . .  plus . . . you have the added bonus of leftovers for some tasty sandwiches on Monday and, if you are really thrifty, the bonus of a delicious soup created from the bones and any scraps left on them for Tuesday.


 

I have to say that  Simon Hopkinson's simple and delicious recipe for Roast Chicken is one of the best I have tasted.  The chicken  turned out moist and full of flavour, with a delicious crisp skin and beautiful pan juices.   I always roast my chicken on a bed of peeled potatoes and carrots.   They act as somewhat of a trivet and I do admit . . . having absorbed some of those delicious chicken juices they taste fabulous when done as well.  (Plus all of the mess is in one pan to clean up) 

 

Lemon, garlic, herbs . . . simple ingredients . . .  WOW flavours.  Moist and tender chicken, crisp skin . . . delicious pan juices.  What's not to love about a dish such as this???  The Toddster was in seventh heaven . . . and so was I.

 

*Roast Chicken*
Serves 2 to 3 

Printable Recipe  

The Ultimate roast chicken by Simon Hopkinson, as seen in The Sunday Times Ultimate Cookbook, sunday lunch.  The former Bibendum chef turned author can roast and write with equal aplomb. His 1994 book, Roast Chicken and other stories, remains a masterpiece of it's kind.

110g of good butter, at room temperature

(about 1/2 cup)

1.8 kg free range chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds)

salt and pepper

1 lemon
several sprigs of thyme or tarragon, or a mixture of the two

1 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed  

  

Preheat the oven to 230*C/ 475*F/ gas mark 7.  Smear the butter with your hands all over the bird.  Put the chicken in a roasting tin that will accommodate it with room to spare.  Season liberally with salt and pepper and squeeze over the juices of the lemon.   Put the herbs and garlic inside the cavity, along with the squeezed out lemon halves.  This will add a fragrant lemony flavour to the finished dish.  Roast the chicken in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.  Baste, then turn the oven temperature down to 190*C/ 375*F/ gas mark 5.  Roast for a further 30 to 45 minutes, with further occasional basting.

The bird should be golden brown all over with a crisp skin, with buttery, lemony juices of a nut brown colour in the bottom of the tin.  Turn off the oven, leaving the door ajar, and leave the chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.   This enables the flesh to relax gently, retainin gthe juices in the meat and ensuring trouble free carving and a moist bird.  Carve the bird to suit yourself.

Note:  I personally like to roast my chickens on a trivet of potatoes and carrots that I have tossed 
lightly with some olive oil and seasoning.  The end result is a meal in one dish, with nicely roasted carrots and potatoes with a gorgeous flavour having been basted with all those chicken and lemon juices.

Get your copy of The Sunday Times Ultimate Cookbook:  Sunday Lunch this weekend, the first in a four-part series.  Featuring a selection of the finest recipes of the celebrity chef era.  The Ultimate Cookbook is part of  The Incredible Edibles Food Series dedicated to food and dining.  Upcomng editions in the series are Quick Eats on Sunday November 24th, Brunch & Baking on Sunday December 1st and Dinner Party on Sunday December 8.

Visit thesundaytimes.co.uk to subscribe and to find out more details about exclusive Times + chef eents hosted at some of the country's best restaurants.

Spicy Baked Chicken

We love chicken in this house and it is a meat which I serve often as it is not only affordable but something which readily adapts itself to many flavours and cooking methods.  




Sometimes I stuff it and roast it whole, which is very, very nice.  Not to mention you then have the leftovers to turn into delicious casseroles and lets not forget a tasty soup from the bones.



More often than not though, I like to use pieces, either breasts or leg quarters, sometimes boneless, and at others bone in . . .any way you cut it, chicken is our favourite protein of choice.



Today I chose to use chicken leg quarters, which I rubbed with a spice mix, drizzled with olive oil and then simply roasted in the oven until the skin was nicely crisped, whilst leaving the flesh tender and juicy.  It's one of the Toddster's favourite meals, served up with potato of some sort and vegetables.  You can't go wrong.  Kiddos love this too!  And best of all it's quick, easy, economical and tasty!

*Spicy Baked Chicken Quarters*

Serves 6

Printable Recipe  

Simple.   Chicken thigh and leg quarters, rubbed in a spicy rub, drizzled with olive oil and then baked until they crispy tender and tasty tasty!  

6 chicken leg quarters (thigh and drums)

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

(If you use onion and garlic salt, omit any other salt)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

2 TBS olive oil

Hot sauce to finish (optional)

Parmesan Cheese (optional)  

The day before you want to cook your chicken pieces, remove them from their packaging and place them into a baking dish, leaving space between each one and place them in the refrigerator to dry overnight.  This helps to ensure a nice dry surface for the spices to cling to.   It's not absolutely necessary to do this, but I do it this way.  You also get nice crisp skin.  Delicious! 

 The next day when you are ready to cook them remove your chicken from the fridge.  Using a sharp knife cut several slashes into the meat on the diagonal.   Mix together all of your herbs and spices and rub this mixture into the chicken pieces, coating them well and equally.  Allow to stand for half an hour before proceeding.

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.  

Drizzle the chicken pieces with the olive oil and then put them into the heated oven.  Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, flipping them occasionally with tongs, until the meat easily separates from the bone and any juices run clear.  The skin should be nice and crisped and the meat tender and moist.  If you are wanting extra zip you can brush them with some hot sauce or sprinkle lightly with a bit of finely grated Parmesan cheese prior to serving.

Note:  This recipe is easy to adapt to other flavours.  Wanting a Mexican feel???  Try combining mild chili powder along with the salt, pepper, onion, garlic.  Change out the mustard powder to ground cumin and add some coriander flakes instead of the marjoram.  For an Indian feel, leave out the paprika and herbs and use ground tumeric, ground coriander, ground cumin and ground cardamom along with a touch of cinnamon and cloves.

Buttermilk Chicken

I can still remember the first time I tasted Buttermilk. It was way back in the mid 1970's.  I think I bought some to make a cake with or something.  Buttermilk in Canada, comes in one litre containers, so it wasn't long before I was scrambling to find something else I could make with it.  Back in those days it was a lot harder. There was no internet to seek advice from!    You had to rely on word of mouth, friends and family.



Over here in the UK, you only get Buttermilk in small 284ml containers, each holding about 1 1/2 cups, which is good in a way, as  you are only opening about as much as you need at any given time, but it is a pain in another way as you end up having to buy more containers and store them when you want to make something as delicious as this chicken here today.




This is an old favourite of ours from those early days.   The chicken always turns out amazingly tender.  A good soaking in buttermilk is the secret to that.   Sometimes I add herbs to the flour mixture, sometimes I don't.  I am in particularly fond of thyme, or symmer savoury in this.  But it's awfully good with no herbs as well.



It does use condensed cream soup.  But I am not a snob that way, or pedantic about it's use.  I'm not pretentious either.  If something tastes good, it tastes good and I am not afraid to tell you that it uses cream soup.  So there!



It has it's uses and this is one of them and I'm not afraid to put my hand up and say, yes . . . on occasion I do use "cream of" soups.  Oh sure, I could take extra time and make a bechamel sauce, etc. . . . or homemade mushroom soup to use in this, but I don't.



I'm also rather lazy at times.  And this is one of those times.  It tastes good.  It's easy to make.  It's a real family pleaser.  You can't get much better than that.  I did share this on the blog way back in 2009, but some things are just so good they bear repeating on occasion.



*Buttermilk Chicken*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I'm not sure how it works, but the buttermilk in this recipe helps to create chicken that is moist and very tender.  This is delicious!

2 ounces butter (1/4 cup)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 heaped TBS of plain flour
2 284ml containers of buttermilk (about 3 cups)
1 (285g) tin of Batchelors condensed cream of mushroom soup (Campbells)
chopped fresh flat leaf parsley to garnish

Pre-heat the oven to 205*C/425*F.  Melt the butter in a 13 by 9 inch shallow baking dish.  Set aside.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts on both sides with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Place the flour in a shallow bowl and one container of the buttermilk in another shallow bowl.

Dip the breasts, one at a time, first into the buttermilk and then into the flour, shaking off any excess, but coating it well.  Lay good side down in the melted butter in the baking dish.  Repeat until all four have been coated. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and flip over.  Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes longer.

While the chicken is baking whisk together the other container of buttermilk and the undiluted mushroom soup.

Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the soup mixture over top.  Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until nicely browned.  Remove the chicken pieces to four warmed plates.  Stir the soup mixture in the pan and then spoon equally over top of the chicken pieces.  Serve immediately with some parsley sprinkled over each.



Can I whine a bit here???? (Yes this is the same photo from above)  I wanted to accentuate the small size of this "chicken breast" here.   I hate it when grocery shops try to dupe you into thinking you are buying a package of lets say CHICKEN BREAST for instance and one of the chick breasts is actually NOT a whole chicken breast but a chunk of chicken breast that they have managed to maneuver into the middle of the other breasts to make it look like you are getting four chicken breasts.  You aren't though.  You are getting three and a half if you are lucky and I have even been tricked into buying a package which has one and two halves in it.  Bad grocery stores.  They don't weigh what the package says either.  Once you take off all the packaging and that little piece of squishy paper underneat the meat that absorbs all that liquid and who knows what water they have pumpked into it, you usually are missing quite a substantial amount.  I am so tired of being lied to . . . aren't you?  I'll get off my soap box now.