National Poultry Day chicken recipes on Shelly’s Friday Favourites

Who doesn’t love good chicken recipes as a main dish? It’s a weekly staple for most people, and it’s also one of the most searched for recipes on the the Internet. I should know; I spend a lot of time each week looking for something new and creative to do with chicken.

Given that it’s National Poultry Day this March 19th, there’s no better time to showcase my love for chicken by sharing a few of my favourite chicken recipes.

For me, chicken really goes beyond just a main dish. Because I live on a farm it’s all about the eggs as well, and for National Poultry Day I’ve shared the perfect way to cook hard-boiled eggs too.

Pressure cooker hard boiled eggs

I’ve found that the best way to cook eggs is to pop them into a pressure cooker. They come out with a perfectly yellow yolk each time, with no grey outline that indicates they’re overdone. Do a batch up a few times a week and you’ll always have delicious, easy to peel eggs for whatever recipe you’re making. Photo and recipe from allrecipes.com.

2 cups water, or as needed
8 fresh eggs
4 cups cold water
4 cups ice cubes

Fill pressure cooker with the minimum amount of water specified by the manufacturer. Place eggs in the steamer basket above the water. Seal the lid and bring the pressure cooker up to low pressure.
Cook, maintaining low pressure, for 6 minutes. Remove the pressure cooker from heat and allow the pressure to drop for 5 minutes.
Combine cold water and ice in a large bowl.
Use the quick-release method to open the pressure cooker. Transfer the hot eggs to the ice water using an oven mitt or spoon. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Mile high biscuits topped with Sweet Heat Chicken

Before I became a chicken fan in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver I lived in Georgia for three years, and that’s where I tried some of the best chicken recipes I’ve ever had. This biscuit and chicken recipe takes a page straight out of traditional California cookbooks, and it’s the perfect meal to share with friends. Photo and recipe from Countryliving.com.

To make the Sweet Heat Hot Chicken: Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Pour buttermilk into a separate bowl. Working with one piece at a time, toss chicken in flour mixture, dip in buttermilk, then toss again in flour mixture. Transfer to a plate.
Set a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Heat 1 1/2 inches oil in a Dutch oven to 360°F. Fry chicken, in batches and turning occasionally, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to prepared rack.
Whisk together hot sauce and honey in a bowl. Drizzle warm chicken with hot sauce mixture. Serve immediately.
To make the sandwiches

Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in buttermilk with a fork until dough begins to form a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead 2 or 3 times, adding additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.
With floured hands, pat dough into a 1-inch-thick square (8 to 9 inches). Cut dough into 4 squares and stack on one another. Roll stacked dough into a 1-inch- thick square, repeat 3 more times. With a floured knife, trim around sides of dough to create clean edges. Cut into 9 biscuits. Place biscuits slightly touching on a baking sheet. Chill 15 minutes.
Bake biscuits until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
Split biscuits and serve with Sweet Heat Hot Chicken.

The best chicken salad recipe

Chicken salad is a mainstay in the warm summer months when it’s too hot to cook, and this recipe from the New York Times is really one of the best I’ve tried. Photo from NYT.com

Ingredients
About 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
2 scallions, cut into thirds
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 lemon, halved
⅔ cup mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann’s, Best Foods or homemade
¼ cup sour cream or crème fraîche, more to taste
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard or 1 teaspoon brine from a jar of pickles, optional
2 or 3 pale green celery ribs, cut into medium (1/4-inch) dice
½ cup minced onion or finely sliced scallion, optional
½ cup walnut or pecan halves, broken into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, parsley, or chives, plus extra for garnish
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Choose a heavy pot or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. It should be large enough to hold the chicken snugly, but not much bigger. Fill pot about 2/3 full with cold water, but don’t put the chicken in yet. Boil some extra water in a teakettle.
Add scallions and peppercorns to water, cover and bring to a rolling boil. Turn off heat and slip chicken pieces into the hot water. If needed, add boiling water from the kettle to cover chicken with water by 2 inches. Replace the lid and let chicken rest in the hot water for about 2 hours. Do not turn the flame back on: The pot will retain enough heat to cook chicken thoroughly and safely.
Lift chicken out of the pot. Remove and discard bones, skin and fat. Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then cut or shred into small bite-size pieces and transfer to a bowl.
In a bowl, whisk together juice of 1/2 lemon, mayonnaise and sour cream. If using, whisk in mustard or brine. Taste and adjust the seasonings and thickness to your liking. Pour over chicken, scraping the bowl clean with a rubber spatula.
Add celery, onion if using, nuts, herbs and salt and pepper. Toss gently but thoroughly. Refrigerate, covered, at least 4 hours. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with herbs before serving.

How will you celebrate National Poultry Day? If you’re going to cook chicken recipes, be sure to check out all of the small appliances and bakeware you need to create chicken recipes at Best Buy, and check out a few of my kitchen favourites below.