Barbecued Chicken Quarters

Barbequed chicken. Now there's a topic, written about over and over. Everybody has their own "secret" recipe, well here's mine and I put Morg's B-B-Q Sauce to use. It is a nice balanced flavor and yields chicken thats tender and juicy.

I don't make it to often because it is really messy to clean up after, but the wife and my children love it. I know the recipe calls for just three legs which is more then enough, but Louisa wanted some leftovers for the next day.

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

3 Chicken leg quarters

Morg's BBQ Sauce:

½ cup catsup (Hunts)

¼ cup chili sauce (Hunts)

1/3 cup red wine

3 Tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper

1 small lemon

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary

½ Tbsp fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp Worchester sauce

4-5 dashes of Tabasco sauce

PREPERATION:
 

Thoroughly wash the chicken legs, cleaning off excessive fat etc; I remove the shin as the flavor can penetrate the meat better. Let them drain while preparing the Sauce. Wash the parsley and rosemary shaking off the water, strip the leaves and finely chop. Peel and press the garlic. Juice the lemon.

In a medium mixing bowl add the catsup, chili sauce, wine, and oil. Mix well with a whisk.

Continue adding the remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly. (Should yield ¾ of a cup or so). Add about 1/3 of a cup to a large (1 Gal) resalable bag. Pat the legs dry and put them in the bag and seal. Massage the bag to cover the legs with the sauce. Place in the refrigerator until 1/2 hr. before cooking. Discard used sauce!

Fill the chimney starter 2/3 full with charcoal. Set the charcoal ablaze in a chimney starter about 15 to 20 min. before grilling.
 

GRILLING:
 

The sauce is rather messy to clean up. So be forewarned.

When the coals are ready, dump them to one side of the grill, DO NOT spread beyond 1/2 the grill, leaving a cooler zone to one side. Replace the grill grids and oil them with olive oil. Place the chicken legs, (skin side down if you left the skin on), on the hot section  of the grill. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the pieces, recover the grill and cook for 2 minutes more.

Move the chicken to the cooler sideside of the grill and daub with the reserved barbacue sauce covering them thoroughly. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Turn the pieces, baste and cook, covered, for another 10 minutes. Turn again and baste, cover and cook another 10 min.

Use the remaining sauce to baste the legs each time you turn them. The legs are done in about 30 to 45 min. (An instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 to 170 degrees.)

Baked Chicken Legs with Balsamic Vinegar

Here's another way to cook chicken leg quarters, they are my favorite as they are more juicy and flavorful then the breasts. Give this one a try, I think it may become one of your favorite ways to cook chicken!

INGREDIENTS:

3 chicken leg quarters, skin on.

1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp fresh rosemary
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Wash the legs and remove any visible fat etc. Pat dry and Place chicken skin side up in roasting pan. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash the rosemary, shaking off the water. Strip the leaves from the stalk and finely chop.

Pour wine and vinegar over chicken then distribute the garlic and rosemary evenly over the legs. Pour the olive oil over the chicken and cover

COOKING:

Place the pan in the oven and bake at 350 deg. until chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour 15 minutes(175 deg). Remove the cover during the last 15 min. to let it brown some. Put the chicken on a serving dish and cover it with an Aluminum foil tent*.

Pour pan juices into small saucepan, spoon off the fat from top of pan juices. Boil juices until reduces to 1/3 cup, about 15-20 minutes.

Pour the juices over chicken and garnish with rosemary sprigs

* I use the foil tent so often, I just put it on the shelf for the next time.

Traditional Chicken Picatta

I have a break before I start Chemo, so I thought I'd follow through on my former promise of a Picatta recipe. The concept of Picatta is: meat, thinly sliced, sautéed, and served in a sauce containing lemon, butter, and spices, usually parsley -- but Never add white wine as it will destroy the delicate sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (3/4 pound total)
1/2 cup flour
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp butter unsalted (divided)
1/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1-1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp brined capers
2 Tbsp fresh parsley


PREPARATION:
Wash the breasts removing any fat and sinews; also remove the thin membrane covering the breasts.. Cut the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, you may want to cut them each into two pieces. If the pieces are still thick after butterflying, put them between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound them with a meat hammer to barely 1/4-inch thickness.

Mix together the flour, and pepper. Rinse the chicken pieces in water. Dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated.

Wash the parsley, shaking off the water; cut the leaves from the stem and chop. Drain and rinse the capers. Juice the lemon.

COOKING: Sauté

Set a heavy bottomed sauté pan over high heat heat and heat 'till the rim is warm to the touch. Add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter and Heat. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the chicken pieces, do not crowd the pan, cook for 2-3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the burner and transfer the chicken to a plate. Cover with aluminum foil tent to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.

Add the chicken stock , lemon juice, ½ the parsley and capers to the pan. Return to the burner and bring to boil, use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Reduce the sauce by half, then whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, turn heat to high and quickly reduce pan sauce to a semi heavy consistency. Plate the chicken and spoon the sauce over the breasts. Sprinkle with parsley.

Oven Roasted Chicken Breast with Vegetables

The weather has turned damp and chilly here in Arizona so what better time to revisit an old favorite of Louisa's. First dredging the breasts in spiced olive oil and then Hot roasting at a high temperature seals in the juices. I think you will find "Oven Roasted Chicken Breasts with Vegetables" quite tender juicy and flavorful.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. chicken breast boneless, skinless halved *
3 large shallots
1 red bell pepper
½ pound small red potatoes (Size of a quarter)
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)
½ cup chicken broth(low Sodium)
Rosemary sprigs for garnish

* It is essential that you use the ½ chicken breasts as the size cooks precisely temp and time wise with the vegetables. I tried substituting the same weight of "Tenders". They were TOUGH!!!

PREPARATION:

Wash the chicken breasts, remove any fat and connective tissue; pat dry with a paper towel.
Wash the rosemary and thyme, shaking off the water, then finely chop. Peel the garlic and squeeze through a press. Juice the lemon.

Combine the lemon juice, ½ of the rosemary, ½ garlic and thyme in a soup bowl with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Then dredge the chicken breasts in it and set aside while preparing the vegetables.

Peel the shallots and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, then cut in halve lengthwise.
Wash the pepper, removing the core and white ribs. Cut into 1” squares. Scrubbed the potatoes removing any markings; cut them in half .

In a large ovenproof skillet add the remaining garlic and rosemary, thyme, 2 Tbsp of olive oil, the bell pepper, red potatoes, shallots and fresh ground pepper to taste. Gently toss to coat being careful not to dislodge the shallots. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetable mixture.

Preheat the oven to 450 deg.

COOKING:

Place the skillet in the upper 1/3 of the oven and roast the chicken and vegetables for 20 minutes at 450 deg., reduce the temperature to 375 deg. Continue roasting for about 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the chicken is springy to the touch. Timing is important so as not to overcook the peppers. The potatoes should be creamy and the peppers still firm.

Move the chicken and vegetables to a waiting platter arranging the vegetables around the breasts. Cover with a foil tent to retain the heat.

Put the skillet on a hot burner and stir the broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any adhering bits. Bring to a rapid boil and stir for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with the rosemary sprigs.

Serves 2.

Greek Chicken with Oregano

The Greek chicken was served with

baby roasted potatoes and marinated cucumber salad.

There is a little story here, when I was attending school some years ago, a small Greek restaurant served Greek roasted chicken with rice. An excellent tasting half chicken that was tender, juicy and tasty. Here’s my interpretation.

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken, about 2-1/2 - 3 lb cut in half lengthwise
1/4 Cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-1/2 Tbsp fresh oregano
1 large Shallot
2 cloves garlic
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (divided)
Fresh oregano or Rosemary sprigs

PREPARATION:

Preheat an oven to 400°F

Peel and finely chop the shallot and garlic. Cut two wedges from the lemon and Juice the rest. Wash the oregano shaking off water and strip leaves then chop finely. Wash and trim any excess fat and waste from the chicken.

In a small bowl combine the oil, lemon juice and oregano and stir to mix well. Brush the mixture over both sides of each chicken half, including under the wings. Place in a roasting pan, skin-side down. Tuck the onions and garlic in the hollows of the chicken halves and season to taste with pepper.

COOKING:

Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken halves skin-side up, stir 1/4 cup of the wine into the pan juices and baste the chicken. Continue to roast, basting twice with the pan juices, until tender and golden, another 40-45 minutes. Add more wine to the pan as needed to keep the chicken moist.

Arrange the chicken on a warmed platter. Strain the pan juices, spoon off grease and pour over the chicken. Garnish with the sprigs and a lemon wedge.

Creamy Chicken Marsala

Here is my interpretation of Chicken Marsala. The heavy cream adds a bit of richness and texture to the sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb total)

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 medium shallot

3 Tbsp unsalted butter (Divided)

5 oz Cremini mushrooms

½ dry or 3/4 tsp fresh sage (Divided)

1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp dry Marsala wine

1/3 cup heavy cream
½ tsp fresh lemon juice

PREPARATION:

Thoroughly wash the breasts removing any fat and adhering film. Gently pound the breasts into evenly thick ¼” between pieces of wax paper using a meat pounder; Pat dry and season with pepper. Pour flour in a small paper bag and shake the pieces one at a time shaking off the excess flour. Place them on wax paper in a single layer (So they don’t stick together)

Peel and finely chop the shallot Wash the mushrooms shaking off the water, trim and thinly slice. Wash the sage, shape off the water, strip leaves from stalk and finely chop. Juice the lemon.

COOKING:

Prepare an Aluminum foil ten. OR warm the oven just to 200 deg, rack in the middle position.

Set a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat add the broth and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered, until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 8-10 minutes

Heat a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, add 2 Tbsp of butter and continue heating ‘till it just starts to bubble. Add the shallot and sauté until they begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, ½ teaspoon of sage and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until “liquid mushrooms give off” is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat add 1Tbsp each of oil and butter until foam subsides, then sauté the chicken, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer the chicken breasts to a heatproof platter, arranging in 1 layer, and then put platter in oven to keep warm. Alternately tent the platter with Aluminum foil while the sauce is prepared.

Deglaze the skillet with 1/4 cup wine bring it to a boil over medium high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 30 seconds. Add reduced broth, mushrooms and cream reduce heat medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and 1Tbsp of wine and ¼ teaspoon sage.

Ladle the sauce over and around the breasts. Garnish with sprigs of Sage chicken with sauce.

Pan Seared Chicken Leg Quarters

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Most chicken recipes are devoted to breasts. This is the second of my favorite ways to prepare legs – More juicy and tender then the breasts.

INGREDIENTS:

3 chicken leg quarters
2-1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
4 Thyme branches (1 tsp. of dry)
Pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry white wine
Thyme branches or parsley for garnish.

PREPARATION:

Peel the garlic and press (garlic press) it into a zipper bag. Wash the thyme and shake off water, strip the leaves and chop. Measure the oil into the bag and add the thyme. Grind in some fresh pepper also. Let the bag sit for an hour to infuse the oil.

Wash the quarters and remove backs, skin and tail if present along with any fat; rinse again, pat dry.
Then put the legs in bag, massaging to distribute. Let the quarters sit for about an hour

COOKING:

Put a large non-stick skillet on the range and heat over high heat 90%. Put the legs in there flesh side down and sear them for 5 min. Cover partially to keep the spattering down. After 5 min turned them over sear another 5 min. Turn down the heat to medium low and let them cook covered for 15 min. Then turn the quarters over and cook another 15 min. or until you get a 170 deg reading on a thermometer. Or the juice runs clear.  Take the legs out and place them on a serving platter; Tent with foil.

Scrape the skillet to loosen any stuck bits. Stir in wine over medium heat, and bring to a slow boil. Continue simmering to reduced and slightly thickened. Pour over the chicken.

Add the garnish and serve.

Mesquite Smoked Chicken Quarters

Removing the skin and using a “Wood Chip Smoker Box” on top of the grill grids really infuses the smokiness into the meat. The searing and roasting makes the chicken tender and juicy.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Chicken leg quarters

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme

pinch of salt

parsley sprigs

PREPARATION:

Put about a cup of mesquite wood chips in water and soak for 1 to 2 hours.

Wash and clean the legs, remove the backs and excess fat from the leg quarters, remove the skin and pat dry.
Remove the leaves from the thyme stalks and chop. Pour the olive oil in a zipper bag along with the salt, grind in some fresh black pepper and add the thyme, squeezing to mix. Add the quarters to the bag and again massage to distribute the oil and spices. Set the bag aside to marinate for an hour or so. Refrigerate it’s hot out. If you do refrigerate, take them out at least ½ hour before grilling.

Start the charcoal (Preferably Mesquite lump) in a chimney starter about 2/3 full. When they are “going” in about 15 min dump the coals to one side of the grill only. Replace the grill grids and let them heat for 5 min. or so.

Drain the chips and put in a smoker box if you have one, in either case set then aside for now.

GRILLING:

Oil the grids over the coals only with olive oil. Put the quarters on, flesh side down. Grill for about 3 min. If the fire is overly hot , close the air vents to cool it. The temp should be medium to medium hot. Now turn the quarters over and grill for another 3 min. This will sear the leg quarters to seal the juices in.

ROASTING:

Oil the grids away from the coals and move the quarters over; off of the coals. Put the smoker
box on the grid over the coals. If you aren’t using a smoker box, lift the grid and spread the Mesquite chips directly on the coals. Close the lid. After about 15 min. take a peak to see how things are doing. Turn the quarters over and close the lid again. In 15 or 20 min. stick the thickest part with your instant read thermometer. You’re looking for about 175 deg. If it’s there, Remove to a platter and serve. Garnish with parsley sprigs.
Additional time over the coals will hasten the achieving of the final temperature if necessary.