CHICKEN: This is another way to cook chicken legs.

BRAISED ORANGE CHICKEN:




10-12 chicken thighs & legs

2-3 tbsp. oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 oranges, peeled and quartered

1 tsp. dried basil

4 tsp. white vinegar

1 cup orange juice

1 tbsp. minced ginger

salt and pepper

2-3 tsp. corn or tapioca starch mixed with 3 tbsp water




In a heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot and brown chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then garlic and orange segments when chicken pieces are being turned over to brown the other side. Brown pieces for 2-3 minutes more; then add ginger, basil, vinegar, orange juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if necessary, and a bit of sugar if juice is too sour for taste.

Cover skillet and cook at medium heat for about 15 minutes more, or until chicken pieces are tender. Thicken sauce with starch solution. Serve hot.

CHICKEN: Tarragon is a herb that seems to go well with chicken. Enjoy serving this simple recipe.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON CREAM:




1 x 3 lb. chicken, cut in 8 pieces

2 tbsp. butter + cooking oil

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup hot chicken stock

4 x 4-inch sprigs tarragon

1/2 cup whipping cream

salt and pepper




Rinse, pat dry chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil and melt butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and brown chicken. Cook chicken for 5 minutes or until pieces are golden brown. Transfer with tongs to a plate and pour off fat from the pan.

Deglaze pan with the wine, scarping up brown bits clinging to bottom and sides of pan. Add stock, 3 of the tarragon sprigs, and the chicken pieces. Bring mixture to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste, cover pan and simmer at medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until chicken pieces are tender. Transfer chicken to serving platter and keep warm.

Reduce cooking liquid over high heat to about ¾ cup. Add cream and cook, stirring, until sauce is thick. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Strain sauce over chicken. Garnish with remaining tarragon sprigs to serve.

CHICKEN: There's a bit of Mediterranean flavour to this easy-to-follow recipe.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH OLIVES:




1 x 3 lb. chicken, cut in serving pieces

flour for dredging

4 tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 each red & green peppers, sliced

½ cup dry red wine

4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

2/3 cup Nicoise olives

4 anchovy fillets, pounded to a paste

salt and pepper

¼ tsp. each ground marjoram, thyme and basil




Rinse, pat dry chicken pieces and dredge them in flour, shaking off excess.

In a large heavy skillet, heat olive oil until hot and brown chicken pieces over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes each side, or until they are golden. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper to taste and remove with slotted spoon to a plate to keep warm.

Heat remaining oil in skillet up until hot and cook onion and peppers for 5 minutes. Pour off most of the fat and deglaze pan with red wine, scraping up brown bits slinging to bottom and sides of pan. Add tomatoes, olives, anchovy paste and the spices. Bring to a boil; then simmer sauce at reduced heat for 10 minutes. Return chicken pieces. Cover pan and simmer mixture together for 15 minutes, or until chicken pieces are tender.

CHICKEN: Stuffing chicken breasts with a curry-flavoured filling gives it a subtle flavour that is quite delicious.

STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS:




3 x ¾ lb. each chicken breasts, skinned, de-boned

salt and pepper

2 tbsp. each oil and butter


stuffing ingredients:

¾ cup chopped onion
2 tsp. garam masala
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup long grain rice
2/3 hot chicken stock
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup blanched and toasted pistachio nuts
¼ cup plain yogurt



Rinse, pat dry chicken breasts and flatter them evenly, between sheets of waxed paper, with a meat mallet. Set aside.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and cook onion together with garam masala for a few minutes. Rinse and drain rice well and add into onion mixture. Stir well to coat rice grains with the oil and cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot and cook for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat and stir in raisins, pistachio nuts, yogurt and salt and pepper to taste. Let stuffing cool completely.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Rub chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. Put 1/3 of the stuffing in the centre of each breast. Fold up chicken, envelope fashion, to enclose stuffing completely.

In a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the chicken breasts, folded side down, in the butter and oil mixture for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Transfer chicken breasts to casserole or baking pan and bake chicken for 10-15 minutes or until tested done. Check doneness after 10 minutes and do not over cook.

CHICKEN: Easy chicken recipe with peanut sauce for those with no peanut allergy.

BBQ CHICKEN WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE:




8 chicken thighs

2 tbsp. cooking oil

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 ½ tbsp. fish sauce

1 tbsp. finely-chopped coriander

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. coarsely-ground black pepper


spicy peanut sauce:

5 tbsp. crunchy peanut butter
3 oz. coconut cream
½ cup water
1 tsp. chilli sauce or paste
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste




Place sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste..

Rinse and pat dry chicken thighs. Prick skin all over with a fork and brush thighs with a little of the oil.

Grind together garlic, fish sauce, coriander, salt and pepper to form a paste. Spread paste over chicken and set aside for at least 1 hour.

Pre-heat BBQ grill to medium-high direct heat and oil the grill liberally. Cook chicken for about 25 minutes, turning once or twice, or until golden brown and juices run clear when pricked with a skewer. Serve chicken with peanut sauce.

CHICKEN: Try this recipe for a change of pace.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SUSHI RICE—JAPANESE STYLE:



4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on

1 tbsp. oil

salt and freshly ground pepper


seasoning:

¼ cup light miso, Japanese bean paste
2 tbsp. sake
2 tbsp, mirin rice wine
1 tbsp. orange juice
1 tbsp. grated orange rind


sushi rice:

2 cups Japanese rice
3 cups water
2 tbsp. light miso
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup finely-chopped green onion



In large non-stick skillet, heat oil over high heat until very hot. Place chicken breasts-skin-side down on the hot oil. Sear for 2 minutes; then turn over to brown the other side. Add salt and pepper to taste while chicken is cooking. Remove from pan.

Combine seasoning ingredients and brush it repeatedly over chicken breasts. Marinate for 1 hour.

Wash rice with several changes of water and drain. In a saucepan or rice cooker, cook rice with 3 cups of water. After 10 minutes of cooking, add miso and soy sauce into rice, stirring with a wooden spatula or a pair of chopsticks to fold mixture in. Continue cooking until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in vinegar and green onion.


While rice is cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange chicken breasts on a rack in a roasting pan and brush with marinade again. Bake 15-20 minutes, basting occasionally, or until juices run clear when pieced by a skewer. Do not over cook. Slice chicken into ¼-inch thick slices.


Serve chicken with rice.

CHICKEN: Please try this recipe for a quick and healthy family meal.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH BRANDY RASPBERRY SAUCE:



6 to 8 boneless chicken breast halves with or without skin

3 tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper


sauce:

1 ½ cups cranberry juice
½ lb (250 gm) frozen raspberries
1 tbsp. maple syrup
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. brandy or water


toasted sliced almonds



To make sauce: Bring cranberry juice and raspberries to a boil in a covered saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat and add in maple syrup and sugar. Simmer 30 minutes. Blend cornstarch and brandy together, stir into sauce and cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and clear. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a sieve and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pound chicken breasts slightly with meat mallet and rub with salt and pepper to taste; then brush them with olive oil. Brown chicken breasts in batches in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side; then transfer them to a baking pan.

Bake in oven until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Check for doneness after 10 minutes and do not overcook.

Sprinkle chicken breasts with toasted almonds and pour sauce over to serve.

CHICKEN: This is a very easy & fail-safe recipe to cook chicken in the oven.

BAKED CRISPY CHICKEN:



4 bone-in chicken breast halves or legs

1 egg white

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. oil


seasoning & spice mix:

1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
½ to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper




Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove skin and fat from chicken parts. Whisk egg white and buttermilk together. Pour mixture into a pie plate.

Sift flour, baking powder seasoning and spice mixture into a large sealable bag. Close top and shake to mix.

Dip each piece of chicken into egg white mixture then drop it into plastic bag. Shake gently to coat evenly. Repeat with the rest of chicken pieces. Transfer coated pieces to rack in a large baking pan. Using a pastry brush dipped in the oil, brush chicken pieces with oil.

Bake 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked and crust is golden and crisp.

PORK: Here are 2 very popular recipes of serving pork belly that appear in most Chinese restaurants. The belly of pork might be a bit too fatty for nowaday's health concern, but traditionally, it was enjoyed by most.

PORK BELLY--HOKIEN STYLE 客家扣肉:




1 ½ to 2lb. pork belly, in 1 piece, skin intact

5 dried mushrooms

3 oz. dried shrimp

10 oz. taro or Chinese yam

cooking oil for deep-frying

1 tbsp. dark soy sauce


seasoning:

3 tbsp. light soy sauce
3 tbsp. glutinous-rice wine or any rice wine, or dry sherry
3 tbsp. sugar



Soak mushrooms and dried shrimp in hot water until well softened. Peel and cut taro into 3/8-inch thick slices. Set aside.


In a large pot of boiling water, add pork belly. Cover pot, bring to a boil and cook, over medium heat, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until meat is tender. Remove meat with tongs and transfer it to a bowl of cold water. Let soak for 30 minutes; then drain meat and pat dry thoroughly. Use a large-bore sewing needle to poke holes all over the skin; then rub pork all over with dark soy sauce repeatedly and let stand 15-20 minute.


In wok or large non-stick saucepan, heat enough oil for deep-frying until very hot. Remove pan from heat and carefully lower pork piece, skin-side down, into hot oil. Immediately cover pot with splatter screen to prevent splattering. Return pan to stove and reduce heat slightly. Cook until skin on pork is deeply browned. Take pork out and drain on paper towels to cool. Into hot oil, add taro pieces. Fry for a few minutes; then remove with a slotted spoon.


Cut pork into 3/8-inch-thick pieces; taking care to keep skin and flesh together as one piece. Put mushrooms, cap-side down, in the bottom of a large deep heatproof bowl. Arrange pork slices, skin side down, on top of mushrooms, fitting slices tightly together to fit. Put dried shrimp on top, then top with taro slices. Mix seasoning ingredients together then pour it over mixture in bowl. Sit bowl in a large bamboo steamer which can be fitted over a large pot of boiling water. Cover steamer and steam over high heat for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until meat is very tender.

Pour cooking liquid out of bowl first, then invert bowl over a serving platter to un-mould. Pour sauce back over pork to serve.




PORK BELLY WITH PRESERVED “MUI CHOY”VEGETABLES-梅菜扣肉:




1 ½ to 2 lb. pork belly, skin on, in 1 piece

½ cup “mui-choy”-or preserved vegetable

5 stalks green onion, cut into long pieces

5 thin slices ginger

5 tbsp. dark soy sauce

1 tsp. sugar

oil for deep frying


seasoning:

3 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry
3/4 to 1 tbsp. sugar
½ cup water
1 star anise



Rinse “mui-choy” with warm water, drain well and chop it into small pieces. Toss it with the 1 tsp. of sugar


Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add pork belly. When water comes back to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover pot and cook pork for 30-45 minutes. Drain and dry pork thoroughly with a clean tea towel, then wrap it with paper towels to absorb as much water from the meat as possible.

Use a large-bore sewing noodle to poke holes all over the skin. Rub skin all over with soy sauce and let it marinade for 15-20 minutes. Drain meat, reserving the soy sauce, and pat it dry with paper towels.


In wok or deep saucepan, heat enough oil for deep-frying over high heat until very hot, then remove pan from heat. Carefully lower pork into hot oil, with skin side facing downwards. Quickly cover pot with a splatter screen to avoid splattering. Return pot to stove and turn heat to medium. Cook pork until the skin is deeply-browned. Remove pork from oil and allow it to drain and cool.

Slice pork into roughly 3/8-inch thick slices; and arrange them, side by side and skin side down in a flame-proof round bowl.

Heat oil in a saucepan until hot and cook ginger and green onion. Add in “mui-choy” and seasoning ingredients together with the reserved soy sauce. Bring mixture to a boil, taste for saltiness, adding a little more sugar or water if necessary. Pour mixture over the pork slices in bowl. Place bowl in a large bamboo steamer fitted over a pot of boiling water. Cover steamer and cook pork for 1½ to 2 hours, or until tender. Add more boiling water when necessary during cooking to prevent boiling dry.

Pour cooking liquid from bowl into a saucepan and invert bowl over a serving platter to un-mould. Bring cooking liquid to a boil and reduce it slightly over high heat. Pour sauce over the pork to serve.

PORK: If you don't mind eating a bit of pork fat, this is a delicious way to indulge yourself once in a while.

STEWED PORK BELLY--DONG-BO STYLE東玻肉:



1 ½-2 lb. lean pork belly in 1 piece with skin on

1 lb. spinach

1-2 tbsp. dark soy sauce

cooking oil for deep-frying


seasoning:

½ cup Shao-Hsing rice wine
3 star anise
½ tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
1 piece dried tangerine peel
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. oyster-flavoured sauce
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. dark soy sauce


½ tsp tapioca starch mixed with 1 tbsp. water




Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat; and drop in the pork belly. Bring water back to boiling; then reduce heat to medium. Cover pot and cook pork for 10 minutes. Remove pork with tongs and transfer it to a colander to drain. When meat is cool enough to handle, rub it all over with the dark soy sauce repeatedly; and let stand 15-20 minutes.

Wash spinach and cut each bunch into 2 sections. Bring water in the pan back to a boil and blanch spinach until just wilted. Drain well. Toss spinach with salt to taste. Set aside.

In wok or large deep saucepan, heat enough oil for deep-frying over high heat until very hot; then remove pan from heat. Pat dry pork thoroughly with paper towels then carefully lower it into hot oil. Cover pan immediately with splatter screen to prevent splattering, and return pan to stove. Deep-fry pork until skin is golden brown. Transfer pork to a wire rack to drain and cool. When meat is cool enough to handle, cut it into 8 large squares.

Place a large Chinese clay pot or Corning-ware casserole over medium-high heat, and heat until hot. Add seasoning ingredients together with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and check for taste, adding more soy sauce or sugar as desired. Add in pork belly. Cover and cook at medium-low heat for about 1½ hours, or until very tender, basting meat occasionally with the cooking liquid. Mix starch with water and add it to thicken cooking liquid slightly.

Warm up spinach and arrange it on the outside of the serving platter. Arrange cooked pork in the middle of it and pour sauce over to serve.