Time-Life illustration

You can bake it, boil it,
grill it, roast it, stick it in a pot—
all’s fair with this fowl

Staff & wire reports

Chicken is good. Chicken rules. It is cheap -- well, cheaper than most meats. It is low in fat -- well, it is if you rip off the skin and the fat. And it's ono -- it actually tastes like chicken.

But best of all, chicken is versatile. Its flesh is receptive to sauces and seasonings.

Few cuisines ignore the lowly and common bird. Chicken is global. In Italy, there is cacciatore; in France, coq au vin. The Chinese boil chicken for piquant cold ginger chicken; the Japanese deep fry boneless pieces and serve it with a rich dipping sauce. The Spanish combine chicken with onions, saffron, chorizo and rice for the richly flavorful paella.

In America, we stew chicken, fry chicken, roast chicken, boil chicken, barbeque chicken, broil chicken. There's chicken soup, chicken salad, chicken casserole, chicken and dumplings, chicken gumbo, chicken fricasee and chicken teriyaki. A chicken in every pot.

Associated Press
Chicken bruschetta is topped with a luscious mix
of mushrooms, tomatoes and basil, flavored
with balsamic vinegar.

Chicken can be disguised several ways for various meals during the week. In fact, one roasted chicken can be served for dinner one night, regenerated as chicken salad for sandwiches the next

day and its carcass simmered with bamboo shoots, sliced shiitake mushrooms and green onions for a broth to go over saimin noodles for another light dinner.

The one scary thing about chicken is the dreaded salmonella bacteria. Because of this, chicken should be handled carefully, and any utensils -- knives, cutting boards, cleavers -- should be washed in hot, soapy water before being used for something else.

Chicken likes a marriage with sauces and other ingredients.

Stephen Kalt, the chef and owner of Spartina in TriBeCa, makes a reduction sauce that begins with mushrooms and shallots. He then builds a "gastrique" -- a combination of intense sweet-and-sour flavors, in this case honey and vinegar. The sauce gains nuttiness from sherry and body from stock.

The recipe is easy, and results in a dark, complex sauce that can be used many ways. It's great on a boneless chicken breast, whether grilled, broiled or sauteed.

Chicken breast with sherry sauce

Stephen Kalt, Spartina, New York City

Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup oyster or shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup sliced shallots
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or good-quality wine vinegar
1/3 cup dry fino or oloroso sherry (do not use cream sherry)
1 cup meat, chicken or vegetable stock
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 to 1-1/2 pounds
Salt and black pepper to taste

Place a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat for a minute or two. Add the tablespoon of olive oil, then mushrooms and shallots, and turn heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms brown on edges, about 5 minutes.

Add honey, and stir until it evaporates, less than a minute. Add vinegar, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is dry, about 2 minutes. Add sherry, and cook, stirring once or twice, until mixture is syrupy and nearly dry, about 5 minutes. Add stock, and cook, stirring once or twice, until mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low; keep warm.

After adding stock to sauce, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and grill, broil or saute.

When chicken is done, season sauce with salt and pepper and strain if you like; stir in remaining olive oil. Serve chicken with sauce spooned over it. Serves 4.

Nutritional information unavailable.

Made in one pot and low in fat, this is a nutritionally balanced, complete meal-in-a-dish.

It is also interestingly taste balanced: The fresh, sweet and tangy flavors of peppers, pineapple and onion work together with effective results.

Sweet-and-sour chicken

"One-Pot Meals," Eating Light magazine

1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, in juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus 1 teaspoon
3/4 to 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 3/4-inch cubes, divided
1 red bell pepper, cored and cubed
1 green bell pepper, cored and cubed
1 small onion, cut in thin lengthwise wedges
4 cups hot cooked rice

Into small bowl, drain pineapple juice; reserve pineapple. Whisk cornstarch into juice; add sugar, vinegar and soy sauce.

In wok or large nonstick skillet, over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add half of the chicken; stir-fry about 2 minutes, or until cooked through. Juices should run clear, not pink; remove from wok. Repeat with remaining chicken; remove from wok.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, red and green peppers, and onion; stir-fry about 2 minutes, or until tender-crisp.

Add pineapple and cornstarch-juice mixture to wok; cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Return chicken to wok; heat through. Serve over rice. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 514 calories, 5 grams fat, 49 mg cholesterol, 577 mg sodium.*

This recipe has a rather long list of ingredients, but once you have them all lined up, the cooking is fast and simple. The dish is low in calories, and with the addition of a starch, makes a complete meal.

Chicken bruschetta

Pillsbury "Quick & Easy" contest

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Topping:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 4.5-ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
3 medium Italian plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce (1/4 cup) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil sprigs, if desired

Spray broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; place on sprayed broiler pan.

Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until fork-tender and juices run clear.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot.

Add mushrooms, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is tender, stirring occasionally.

Add onion, chopped basil, tomatoes, vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook 30 to 45 seconds or until thoroughly heated.

To serve, arrange chicken on individual plates. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Top each serving with mushroom mixture; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Garnish with basil sprigs. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 260 calories, 11 g fat, 510 mg sodium.

Associated Press
Southwest chicken soup cooks up in 20 minutes.

This soup can be assembled at short notice for a bunch of hungry people.

The recipe comes from Gogi Dallis of Flagstaff, Ariz., who won first prize in a magazine contest for recipes that can be made in 20 minutes or less, using both fresh and canned ingredients.

Southwest chicken soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup finely diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 14-1/2 ounce can chicken broth
1 15-1/4 ounce can corn kernels, undrained
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2 ounce can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
3 6-inch corn tortillas, halved, stacked and cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
6 tablespoons plain lowfat yogurt

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until opaque.

Stir in onion, garlic, cumin, salt, chili powder and red pepper. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic and spices are fragrant.

Stir in broth, undrained corn, black beans and stewed tomatoes. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, spread tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes, stirring once, until crisp and lightly browned. Stir cilantro into soup, and ladle soup into bowls.

Top servings with tortilla strips and a tablespoon of yogurt. Serves 6.

Nutritional information unavailable.

Chick-chick-cheap! It's a good week to think chicken, with good deals at several supermarkets: Whole chickens: 99 cents a pound for Safeway Club members, 78 cents at Daiei. Boneless, skinless thighs: $1.77 a pound to Maika'i members at Foodland and Sack N Save, $1.79 at Star, $1.98 for Safeway Club members, $1.99 to Royal cardholders at Times. Parts: Value packs of legs, thighs and drumsticks are $1.28 a pound at Daiei; split breasts are $1.88. Breasts are $1.59 in a jumbo pack to Royal cardholders at Times.

Poultry preparation:
You can read
all about it

Almost everything you always wanted to know about buying and cooking chicken is tucked into the chapter on Poultry in the "Pillsbury: Fast and Healthy Cookbook" (Potter, $24.95).

The quickly prepared honey-mustard chicken and carrots that follows is one of 350 recipes in the book. The dish gets sweetness from apple juice, tang from mustard and a nice crunch from peanuts.

It calls for chicken breasts; if you want to do it yourself, the book features a full-page illustrated guide to boning a chicken breast.

Another information panel in the poultry chapter tells all about cookin' chicken without stickin' -- how to best use nonstick cooking spray and take care of a nonstick pan.

Honey-Mustard Chicken and Carrots

2 teaspoons margarine or butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup apple juice
2 cups frozen baby cut carrots
2 tablespoons sweet honey mustard
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped honey-roasted peanuts

Melt margarine in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 to 8 minutes or until chicken is browned on both sides.

Add apple juice. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 5 minutes. Add carrots; cover and cook 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender, its juices run clear and carrots are crisp-tender.

With slotted spoon, remove chicken and carrots from skillet; cover to keep warm.

Stir mustard into liquid in skillet. Spoon mustard sauce over chicken and carrots; sprinkle with peanuts.

Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 250 calories, 9 g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 210 mg sodium.*

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