Introducing Chicken, the most Versatile Meat EVER.
So I finally caved and bought a cookbook. It was going for RM 30 in Atria, which is quite cheap, considering how most cookbooks, (this one is hardcover) are expensive as all heck in other bookstores. The one I bought is called the Complete Chicken Cookbook.
Big cookbook is big. Ignore the fact that I look a little demented in this picture, please. I was feeling quite demented at that point in time. XD
Anyhow! I've only cooked one recipe from it so far, and I have to say, I am liking it very much. I'd only just gotten back to KL, and most people would not want to cook after a 4-hour drive back from Penang. But me, being me, (and inadvertently a little crazy and skillet-happy) had cooking urges.
...and so I went to Tesco and on impulse purchased a whole chicken.
My purpose, of course, was to cook one of the roast-chicken recipes (that can be found in the appropriate section in my cookbook). So I came up with the recipe with the least amount of ingredients, since I didn't want to have to carry too many things up into the condo. I was already lugging back a bunch of things from Penang, and I am not Wonder-woman with super-atomic-strength.
The recipe I had decided to cook: Roast chicken with country sage stuffing.
Ingredients:
1.5 kg chicken
45 grams butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
10 large, fresh sage leaves, shredded, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
30 grams butter, melted
1 tablespoon plain flour
The main idea is to make a stuffing out of butter, breadcrumbs, celery, onions, parsley, sage and egg whites (fry all those in the butter together), and let that work its magic on the chicken as it roasts. I couldn't find breadcrumbs in Tesco, and I sure as heck wasn't about to drive all the way to Jaya Grocer (although I still love Jaya Grocer to bits) to get some, so I decided to substitute breadcrumbs with small cuts of baton from Tesco's bread counter. (A baton is pretty much a small baguette)
I also decided to chop the chicken liver up, and threw it into the mix for flavour. It tasted amazing-awesome, though as it turns out, I added too much salt to the stuffing. It's a mix of peppery-salty, but it tastes really good, since the salty works wonders against the otherwise unflavoured chicken meat. Anyhow, for those of you who are squeamish about eating chicken innards, I would suggest against it. (Either that, or blend it up so you won't know what you're eating.)
I threw some onions, carrots, and potatoes into the pan to roast alongside the chicken, well-tossed in salt and butter, too. Can't have a complete dinner without the veggies.
The boyfriend came over after his band practice, and I served him chicken ala country. To my understanding, he quite enjoyed it.
And so, the cookbook triumphs. What next? I'm thinking Hainan Chicken Rice. <3
Big cookbook is big. Ignore the fact that I look a little demented in this picture, please. I was feeling quite demented at that point in time. XD
Anyhow! I've only cooked one recipe from it so far, and I have to say, I am liking it very much. I'd only just gotten back to KL, and most people would not want to cook after a 4-hour drive back from Penang. But me, being me, (and inadvertently a little crazy and skillet-happy) had cooking urges.
...and so I went to Tesco and on impulse purchased a whole chicken.
My purpose, of course, was to cook one of the roast-chicken recipes (that can be found in the appropriate section in my cookbook). So I came up with the recipe with the least amount of ingredients, since I didn't want to have to carry too many things up into the condo. I was already lugging back a bunch of things from Penang, and I am not Wonder-woman with super-atomic-strength.
The recipe I had decided to cook: Roast chicken with country sage stuffing.
Ingredients:
1.5 kg chicken
45 grams butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
10 large, fresh sage leaves, shredded, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
30 grams butter, melted
1 tablespoon plain flour
The main idea is to make a stuffing out of butter, breadcrumbs, celery, onions, parsley, sage and egg whites (fry all those in the butter together), and let that work its magic on the chicken as it roasts. I couldn't find breadcrumbs in Tesco, and I sure as heck wasn't about to drive all the way to Jaya Grocer (although I still love Jaya Grocer to bits) to get some, so I decided to substitute breadcrumbs with small cuts of baton from Tesco's bread counter. (A baton is pretty much a small baguette)
I also decided to chop the chicken liver up, and threw it into the mix for flavour. It tasted amazing-awesome, though as it turns out, I added too much salt to the stuffing. It's a mix of peppery-salty, but it tastes really good, since the salty works wonders against the otherwise unflavoured chicken meat. Anyhow, for those of you who are squeamish about eating chicken innards, I would suggest against it. (Either that, or blend it up so you won't know what you're eating.)
I threw some onions, carrots, and potatoes into the pan to roast alongside the chicken, well-tossed in salt and butter, too. Can't have a complete dinner without the veggies.
The boyfriend came over after his band practice, and I served him chicken ala country. To my understanding, he quite enjoyed it.
And so, the cookbook triumphs. What next? I'm thinking Hainan Chicken Rice. <3