1,000 Jewish Recipes (202 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
When I was growing up, this was the way my mother most often prepared chicken for our Friday night dinner. I still love the natural taste of chicken prepared this way.
If you like, fill the chicken with
Dill and Onion Stuffing
. After you stuff the bird, if you have extra stuffing, spoon it into a small greased baking dish. Bake it for the last 40 to 45 minutes of the chicken's roasting time. Remember that stuffed chickens take longer to roast, so allow another 20 minutes, and insert a skewer into the stuffing, then touch the tip to be sure it is hot. To emphasize the flavor, you can sprinkle the chicken and stuffing at serving time with snipped fresh dill.
One 3
1
â
2
- to 4-pound chicken
1
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4
teaspoon salt (optional)
1
â
4
teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1
â
2
teaspoon paprika
2 to 3 teaspoons vegetable oil (optional)
1
â
2
cup chicken stock or broth
1.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Trim excess fat around chicken cavity; remove giblets. Mix salt if using, pepper, paprika, and oil, if using, in a bowl. Rub chicken all over with spice mixture. Set chicken in a roasting pan.
2.
Roast chicken 30 minutes. Add stock to pan. Roast another 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting chicken occasionally with pan juices. To check whether chicken is done, insert a skewer into thickest part of thigh; juices that run from chicken should be clear. If juices are pink, continue roasting chicken a few more minutes and check again.
3.
Transfer chicken to a carving board or platter. Carve chicken and serve hot. If you like, serve with pan juices.
Chicken roasted with potatoes seems to be a Shabbat favorite of Jewish mothers worldwide, probably because the whole family enjoys this dish so much. Filling the chicken with a savory challah stuffing makes it even more festive.
One 3
1
â
2
- to 4-pound chicken
2 teaspoons paprika
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1
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2
teaspoon salt
1
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4
teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds small new potatoes or medium red-skinned potatoes
1.
Prepare stuffing. Then, preheat oven to 375°F. Trim excess fat around chicken cavity; remove giblets. Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon paprika and rub it into chicken skin. Spoon stuffing lightly into chicken. Fold skin over stuffing; truss or skewer closed, if desired. Set chicken in a roasting pan large enough to hold potatoes. If any stuffing remains, spoon it into a small greased baking dish.
2.
Mix oil with salt, pepper, and remaining paprika in a bowl. If potatoes are small, remove a strip of peel around center. If potatoes are over 1 inch in diameter, quarter them. Put them in a bowl. Add oil mixture and toss potatoes to coat them well. Put potatoes around chicken.
3.
Roast chicken 30 minutes; baste chicken and potatoes once or twice. Turn potatoes over and roast 30 more minutes. If pan becomes dry, add
1
â
2
cup hot water. If you have a pan of extra stuffing, put it in oven. Roast chicken 15 to 30 more minutes or until tender. To check whether chicken is done, insert a skewer into thickest part of thigh; juices that run from chicken should be clear. If juices are pink, continue roasting chicken a few more minutes and check again. Also insert a skewer into stuffing inside chicken; it should come out hot. If potatoes are not yet tender, remove chicken, cover potatoes, and roast another 10 or 15 minutes or until tender. Stuffing in extra dish should be hot and firm on top.
4.
Transfer chicken to a carving board or platter and remove any trussing strings. Carve chicken and serve hot, with stuffing and potatoes.
Serving Roasted Chicken for Shabbat and Holiday Meals
Unlike French chefs, Jewish cooks often reheat roasted chicken. It is a particularly common practice for the Shabbat midday meal.
Here's the way I learned to do it from my mother: I often serve a whole roasted chicken for the Friday night dinner. After the meal, I cut what is left into pieces, put it in a baking dish, cover it with foil, and refrigerate it. Thus it's ready to be reheated. (The oven stays on low all night, because the oven shouldn't be turned on during Shabbat.)
The next day, I put the chicken in the oven. On low heat, it often takes an hour to reheat. Gently reheating the covered dish keeps it moist, though you can add a few tablespoons chicken soup or water to the bottom of the pan. (It's best not to reheat a whole bird this way, as it would dry out.)
If there is stuffing in the chicken, it must be removed before the bird is refrigerated, and stored and heated separately.
Apples complement this entree in two waysâin the lemony orzo stuffing and lightly sautéed as an accompaniment for the roasted chicken. A green vegetable such as broccoli, green beans, or zucchini is a good partner for the bird.
Orzo, Lemon, and Walnut Stuffing
3 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Pippin
One 3
1
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2
- to 4-pound chicken
Salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1
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2
teaspoon ground cinnamon
Fresh parsley sprigs
Lemon quarters
1.
Prepare stuffing. Then, preheat oven to 400°F. Peel 1 apple. Grate it on large holes of grater. With a fork, lightly stir grated apple into stuffing.
2.
Trim excess fat around chicken cavity; remove giblets. Sprinkle chicken with salt, if using, and pep- per. Spoon stuffing inside chicken. Spoon extra stuf- fing into a baking dish or a microwave container for reheating.
3.
Set chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast chicken, basting occasionally, about 40 minutes. If you want to reheat extra stuffing in oven, cover it tightly and add it now. Roast chicken about 20 more minutes. To check whether chicken is done, insert a skewer into thickest part of thigh; juices that run from chicken should be clear. If juices are pink, continue roasting chicken a few more minutes and check again.
4.
Meanwhile, peel remaining 2 apples. Core and cut them in eighths. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples and sauté about 3 minutes on each side, or until nearly tender. Sprinkle lightly with about half the cinnamon and sauté 2 minutes. Turn apple pieces over, sprinkle with remaining cinnamon, and sauté 1 or 2 more minutes or until tender and lightly browned; reduce heat if necessary so cinnamon doesn't burn.
5.
Transfer chicken to a carving board. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Carve chicken.
6.
Reheat apples if necessary. Arrange on platter with chicken. Spoon stuffing onto platter or into separate dish. Garnish chicken with parsley sprigs and with lemon quarters, for squeezing fresh lemon juice on stuffing or chicken.
For this luscious dish, sweet peppers and toasted almonds embellish the chicken and appear in the Moroccan style stuffing as well. It's terrific for most holidays: Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Hanukkah, or Purim.
Couscous Stuffing with Peppers, Almonds, and Saffron
1
â
3
cup whole unblanched almonds
One 3
1
â
2
- to 4-pound chicken
Salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 red bell peppers, cored and quartered lengthwise
1 yellow or green bell pepper, cored and quartered lengthwise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or Italian parsley
Fresh cilantro or parsley sprigs
1.
Prepare stuffing. Then, preheat oven to 350°F. Toast whole almonds in oven 5 minutes; their color should not change much, but toasting will enhance their aroma. Transfer to a plate. Set oven temperature at 400°F.
2.
Trim excess fat around chicken cavity; remove giblets. Sprinkle chicken with salt, if using, and pepper. Spoon stuffing inside chicken. If there is extra stuffing, spoon into a baking dish or a microwave container for reheating.
3.
Set chicken in a roasting pan. Put onion slices and bell pepper pieces around chicken. Roast chicken, basting occasionally, about 40 minutes; check from time to time and add a few tablespoons water if pan becomes dry so onion and peppers don't burn. If you want to reheat extra stuffing in oven, cover it tightly and add it now. Roast chicken about 20 more minutes. To check whether chicken is done, insert a skewer into thickest part of thigh; juices that run from chicken should be clear. If juices are pink, continue roasting chicken a few more minutes and check again. Also insert a skewer into stuffing inside chicken; it should come out hot. Transfer chicken to a carving board. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
4.
Carve chicken and arrange on a platter. With a slotted spoon, remove pepper and onion mixture from roasting pan and add to platter. Sprinkle vegetables with chopped cilantro and top with toasted almonds. Spoon stuffing onto platter or into separate dish. Garnish chicken with cilantro sprigs.
For Friday night or holiday dinners, this tasty dish is terrific and is a pleasant change from chicken and noodle kugel. It's much easier to prepare too, and doesn't need any eggs.
One 4-pound roasting chicken
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste