Kotopoulo Youvetsi Recipes

YOUVETSI (TRADITIONAL GREEK ORZO BAKE)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook meat until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add pureed tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the orzo. Saute until slightly brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer orzo to a baking pan, spreading it out evenly. Remove meat from the saucepan and place on top of the orzo. Pour tomato sauce evenly over meat. Add hot water. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until all water is absorbed and orzo is soft, about 1 hour. If the dish becomes too dry, add more water during baking.

KOTOPOULO YOUVETSI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a baking dish, heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute the chicken in batches until golden brown on all sides. Set aside. Add the onion to the dish and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, pepper or pepper flakes and tomatoes. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and return to the dish. Add about 1/2 cup stock, or enough to come about two-thirds of the way up the chicken or turkey. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 1-1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Bring the remaining 1-1/2 cups stock to a simmer. Add the broth to the cooking liquid, stir in the rice and bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed, adding more broth if the rice begins to dry out. Place the chicken on top of the rice and bake for another 10 minutes, until the rice is tender. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the parsley and cheese.

KOTOPOULO YOUVETSI (BAKED CHICKEN WITH ORZO)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400?. In a large flameproof casserole or dutch oven that will hold the chicken or the drumsticks, heat the oil, and brown the chicken pieces or drumsticks on all sides (note: browning in batches speeds up the process). Remove them from the pan. Add the onion and cook it for 3 minutes or until it is soft. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, pepper, and tomatoes. Sprinkle the chicken or turkey with salt and return it to the pan. Add 1/2 cup stock, or enough to come about two-thirds of the way up the chicken or turkey. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and transfer it to the oven. Cook the chicken or drumsticks for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Transfer it to a platter, cover with foil, and keep warm. Bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock to a boil. Pour the stock into the casserole with the cooking liquid. Stir in the orzo or macaroni and transfer to the oven. Bake the pasta, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed, adding stock if the pasta begins to dry out. Place the chicken or drumsticks on the pasta and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese. Serve at once..

KOTOPOULO GIOUVETSI ( CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH ORZO)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450øF.
• Wash chicken and rub outside and inside with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Season skin with salt and pepper.
• Place chicken in a medium-to-large baking pan, preferably glass or clay, and spread orzo evenly around chicken.
• Add remaining oil and other ingredients except cheese and toss in pan to combine.
• Place pan, uncovered, in hot oven and reduce heat to 350øF.
• Bake for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, basting chicken every 10 to 15 minutes with pan juices, until chicken is tender and orzo cooked, adding more water, if necessary, during baking if orzo seems too dry.
• Sprinkle with grated cheese before serving.

KOTOPOULO GIOUVETSI (CHICKEN AND PASTA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Wash chicken and rub outside and inside with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Season skin with salt and pepper.
• Place chicken in a medium-to-large baking pan, preferably glass or clay, and spread orzo evenly around chicken.
• Add remaining oil and other ingredients except cheese and toss in pan to combine.
• Place pan, uncovered, in hot oven and reduce heat to 350°F
• Bake for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, basting chicken every 10 to 15 minutes with pan juices, until chicken is tender and orzo cooked, adding more water, if necessary, during baking if orzo seems too dry.
• Sprinkle with grated cheese before serving.

KOTOPOULO ME PILAFI (CHICKEN WITH RICE CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• Rinse and dry the chicken pieces. Place the oil in a wide saucepan and, when hot, fry the chicken pieces on both sides until they become golden. Take the chicken out, add and fry the onion and garlic until they are pale brown. Add the oregano, thyme, tomatoes and water, pressing them with a wooden spoon to break them up. Bring to the boil. Season with salt and pepper, add the chicken pieces, cover and cook slowly for about 1 hour. Stir from time to time and turn the chicken pieces over. When cooked, take the chicken pieces out and, while the sauce is boiling, add the rice, more seasoning and some of the parsley. Stir to amalgamate the tomato sauce and the rice well, cover and simmer very gently, without stirring and disturbing the rice again, for approximately 10 minutes, until the rice feels cooked but is still a little hard. If needed, add a little hot water during the cooking. Replace the chicken pieces on top of the sauce, cover the saucepan first with a tea towel and then its lid and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving, so that the rice still cooks in its steam and fluffs up. Then sprinkle with the remaining parsley. The chicken can be cooked in advance but the rice should be added just before it is to be eaten, otherwise it may become soggy. If the chicken has been cooked in advance, bring back to the boil, place the chicken pieces on a plate, add the rice in the boiling sauce and proceed as above.