Chicken is quite rightly one of the best loved meats throughout the whole world.
It is very lean, is an excellent source of protein, very versatile and plays a starring role in a lot of diet recipes. If you are able to buy an organic free range chicken, do so, as it will be a purer meat, with less chance of it containing added hormones. It's also a sound idea from the animal welfare point of view, as the majority of the supermarket chickens are kept in conditions that are pretty immoral.
If you are not worried about weight loss, there is no need to worry, there is more to chicken than low fat recipes. Even so, most recipes using chicken will be, in general, healthier than a similar recipe prepared using alternative meats, like beef or pork.
Here's an example recipe that will definitely impress both family and friends.
You will need:
One chicken (approximately 3.5 lb)
Two C. of apple cyder
6 Fresh Apples (peeled and quartered)
salt (as required)
pepper (as required)
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 C. of whipping cream
1 Tbls of fresh lemon juice
1/3 C. of butter
Two tablespoonfuls of olive oil
A quarter tsp. ground cinnamon (not obligatory)
Four scallion onions, (finely chopped)
Two cloves
A quarter tsp. ginger
1 sprig of parsley, (finely chopped, for decoration)
1/2 tsp. thyme
Two teaspoons of sugar
Instructions:
Wash the Chicken and dry it well.
Combine some pepper and salt and rub it into the chicken (exterior and interior)
Take the quartered apples and drizzzle the apple juice over them.
Melt half the butter in a large frying pan or skillet then mix in the oil.
Put half of the apple pieces into the pan and fry softly for five min. (until they have browned a little)
Add the ginger and mix well, frying a little longer to allow the ginger to release it's flavour.
Stuff the chicken with the apple mixture and close-up the chicken by tying with string or by use of a skewer.
Melt the remaining butter into the pan and then put the organic chicken into the frying pan and fry until the skin is browned a little, turning it so it browns evenly.
Transfer the chicken to a big oven ready casserole dish with a tight fitting lid.
Take the apple that is left, the scallion onions, ground cinnamon, thyme, cloves and sugar and add them all to the frying pan.
Fry gently for 2-3 minutes then add the cyder and increase the heat to start the mixture boiling.
Once the mixture is at boiling point, pour it over the chicken in the casserole dish and replace the lid, using foil or wax paper to ensuer a good tight seal.
Put the pot in the oven and cook for about 45 minutes at 400F
When the chicken is ready, transfer it to a warmed plate while you make the sauce.
Skim and remove any fat from the pot and then boil off the juices until there is approximately one cup full left.
Add the cornstarch and cream, mixing well until it is nice and thick.
Season to taste, and pour the sauce over the organic chicken
Toss some of the parsley over the top, and serve.
If you are entertaining guests, you could serve the chicken with asparagus or spring greens and sauteed potatoes.
If you like this recipe, you can easily discover a good selection of chicken recipes by checking out one of the collections of free recipes available online.
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