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.

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.

Lets Talk Turkey . . . or Turkey 101

 

Ahhhh . . . turkey, that holiday centrepiece that is so beloved by many . . .   a family tradition for Thanksgiving (if you are a North American) and Christmas (if you are a Brit).  An annual favourite and not all that hard to cook, but so often done wrong.  Today I shall attempt to put to bed some of the mysteries which surround the cooking of this fabulous bird and hopefully help to make yours this year to be the best turkey ever!

I like to purchase a top quality bird for my holiday feasts, be it Thanksgiving or Christmas.  This is the one time of the year I will splurge and get a higher cost bird, and it goes without saying that I always choose free range and fresh if I can get it.  I may eat turkey minced, or in bits the rest of the year . . . but it is only this once a year that I cook the whole bird, so it is a real treat for us! (Christmas for us.)

A lot of people swear by Brining . . . and others by dry brining.  I have tried both . . . and to be honest, I want my  turkey to taste like a turkey.    Dry brining with salt preserves the integrity of the bird . . . and in all honesty it doesn't end up being really salty, but every wet brined bird I have ever cooked ended up tasting like the brine.  Not my cup of tea.



I always remove all of the wrapping from my bird and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours unwrapped to help dry the skin out well.  That makes it a lot easier to rub any butter on and helps for nicely browned skin.  I also take it out at least an hour before cooking, which brings it to room temperature.  A cold bird put into a hot oven is a bit of a shocking experience and tightens up the tissue . . . we don't want a tough bird.  Moist and succulent is the order of the day.

If you are not buying fresh you will be buying a frozen one and so proper planning has to go into the thawing of the bird so that you are not caught out on the day with a still frozen bird and a multitude of hungry people arriving at any moment!

Always, always thaw your turkey in the refrigerator.  I know the temptation is there to want to leave it out on the countertop overnight and hasten the event, but the simple truth is as soon as the meat thaws and warms, bacteria begins to grow at room temperature.  With something as large as a turkey, this means that by the time the centre has thawed, the outside already has bacteria growing and multiplying.  Sure . . . there is a possibility that it may not make you sick, but why take the chance?

Refrigerator Thawing 

When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator:

Plan ahead: allow approximately 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator set at 40 °F or below.  Place the turkey in a container to prevent the juices from dripping on other foods. I always thaw mine out on the bottom shelf.

Refrigerator Thawing Times

Whole turkey:

 4 to 12 pounds (1.8 Kilos to 5.4 Kilos) ……  1 to 3 days

12 to 16 pounds (5.4 Kilos to 7.2 Kilos)  …… 3 to 4 days

16 to 20 pounds (7.2 Kilos to 9.7 Kilos) …… 4 to 5 days

20 to 24 pounds  (9.7 Kilos to 10.8 Kilos)  …… 5 to 6 days  

A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days before cooking.  

 What size pan will you need for your turkey?
 Roast it on a rack – either a metal one or a rack of vegetables like whole carrots and celery in an open pan. If you use a foil pan, double it for extra strength with a heavy turkey. I often use the enamel Grill pan and rack that came with my stove.  It is large and shallow, allowing for even browning.

Turkey Minimum Pan Size:
Up to 12 pounds 14” x 10” x 2 ¾”
Up to 16 pounds 15 ¾” x 12” x 3”
Up to 20 pounds 16” x 13” x 3” high



This is the rack I use.  The Eddingtons V shaped roasting rack. It helps to keep the turkey elevated so that it doesn't stew in it's own juices and the air from the oven can circulate easily around the bird.  You can pick one up at Tesco Direct for £4.50, which is a really decent price. It's made of steel and is non stick.

To ensure a nicely moist turkey, I  like to rub a lot of butter into the flesh beneath the skin, and on top of the skin.  Now you can add seasonings and herbs to it, like I have done here today, which also adds extra flavour.  Sometimes I just slip a few sprigs of thyme, some salt, pepper and sage in with the butter, which works well also.  A bit of broth in the roasting tin and a few aromatic veggies and Bob's your Uncle.  Put that tasty bird over top of it all on a rack and start roasting!

I like to start mine off at a high temperature to assist in the browning, but after that I reduce the temperature to as low as it is safe to go and slow roast, basting it every 15 to 20 minutes with broth and more butter, or the pan juices.  (I know . . . but it's Thanksgiving/Christmas!)  If it starts to get too dark, I will tent it with some foil.

A meat thermometer or an instant-read thermometer will help you have a moist, perfectly-done turkey.  The breast should register 75*C/165*F in the thickest part, away from the bone. If you use an instant-read thermometer, start checking 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead of time.  If you think your turkey is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil.



This is the meat thermometer I use.  It's very easy to use, you just stick it into a meaty area of the bird, taking care not to touch any bone.   I would recommend the Eddington's Meat Thermometer.  It is made with high quality Cromargan stainless steel, and I have found it to give precise and reliable readings.   It is clear and easy to read.  with a very functional design, and a temperature range of  O*C to 120*C.  You can find one of these at For House and Home for the price of £10.99.



These work really well also. Eddingtons Pop Up Timers for cooking turkey. They help to take the guess work out of cooking your turkey and are very easy to use.  Simply insert a pop up timer into the centre of the breast, once the turkey has reached the correct temperature the stem will pop up letting you know your turkey is ready.  You can buy them at Captain Cooks for £2.99.

It's really important that once your bird is done you set it aside, keep it warm and allow it to rest, so that all of those tasty juices will be absorbed back into the bird.  If you start to carve it right away, you're going to lose all of that moistness.  It will run out all over your cutting board.  Be patient.  Wait.  You'll be rewarded with an incredibly tasty and moist bird.  Let it rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 30 minutes before carving.



One of the most difficult things to do is to lift the turkey out of the roasting tin onto a platter.  They are heavy and awkward and somewhat cumbersome.  I have some really handy Turkey Lifters which make the job a whole lot easier.  You just slide them into to the bottom of the turkey at both ends, where the holes won't show and life the turkey out with ease.  This particular set from Eddingtons is durable  and easy to use and comes in a set of two.  You can purchase them at The Cooks Kitchen for £5.76, a reduction from £6.25.



*Herb Roasted Turkey*
Serves 12 to 14
Printable Recipe

This really is a moist and flavourful way to cook a turkey. The smell alone, when it is roasting, lures everyone into the kitchen. You can hardly wait for it to be done so you can tuck in to it. I have done this with turkey crowns as well with lots of success. I hope you will try it and like it as much as we do. This recipe was a grand prize winner in a Taste of Home turkey recipe contest.

14 pound turkey
(I like to use a free range bird, myself)
1 TBS salt
1 tsp pepper
18 sprigs of fresh thyme, divided
4 medium onions, sliced
4 celery ribs, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
3 bay leaves
1 TBS peppercorns
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp minced fresh sage
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 tsp finely chopped chives



Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F.  Get out a large roaster.  Remove any giblets etc. from your turkey and rinse it well.  Pat it dry with some paper towelling.

Rub the surface of your turkey with salt and pepper and sprinkle inside the cavity with some salt and pepper as well. Place 12 sprigs of thyme in the cavity.  Place the onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns and the remaining thyme sprigs in the bottom of the roasting pan.  Place the turkey, breast side up, on top of the vegetables.  Drizzle the butter all over the turkey and then, sprinkle with the minced herbs.  Cover loosely with foil.  Bake for 2 1/2 hours.  Remove the foil and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer, basting every 20 minutes.  The turkey is done when the juices run clear when you prick the turkey with a fork, and when the drumsticks are loose when lightly twisted.  Remove from the oven to a heated platter and lightly cover with foil.  Allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving. 

For gravy, skim off any fat from the pan drippings.  Add a couple of cups of stock to the pan and vegetables and bring to the boil to deglaze and loosen up any tasty bits from the bottom.  Strain this into a saucepan.  Put some cold water into a jar along with a few TBS of flour.  Shake it really well and then strain it into the saucepan, whisking it in very carefully.  Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, whisking the whole time and cook until bubbling and thick.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Place in a gravy boat for serving at the table.

Serve the turkey sliced and pass the gravy boat around!

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.