Sherrys Smoked Chicken Recipes

CHICKEN WITH A SHERRY MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Once the butter has melted, add the chicken to the skillet. Then add 1/4 cup of sherry. Cook the chicken for 3 minutes per side, until browned. Then remove the chicken from the skillet and place it on a plate while you work on the sauce.
• Melt another tablespoon of butter in the same skillet you just used to cook the chicken. Add the garlic and stir, scraping up any brown bits. After a minute add the mushrooms. Generously salt and pepper and toss until the mushrooms are evenly coated with butter. Cook for 2 minutes. Then add the remaining sherry. Let the mushrooms simmer for another 4 minutes. Then stir in the cream and thyme. Let the sauce reduce for 5 minutes then add the chicken back to the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven for 30 minutes so that the chicken can finish cooking. (Make sure you are using an oven-safe skillet!)
• After 30 minutes in the oven the chicken should be done - serve it with pasta or rice pilaf. Spoon the sauce over the top.

TEA SMOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Toast the Szechuan peppercorns in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly, and then crush in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle with the salt and five-spice powder until very fine. Rub seasoned salt all over the chicken thighs. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
• Bring the chicken to room temperature about 30 minutes before cooking.
• Line the bottom of a wok, skillet or heavy pot with a double layer of aluminum foil. Mix the rice, tea and brown sugar together and mound on the foil. Set a steamer on top, and evenly space the chicken on the rack. Cover and cook over high heat. Hot smoke the chicken until smokey-brown colored and cooked through, about 12 minutes.
• While the chicken cooks, whisk the Shao-sing wine or sherry, soy, ginger, and sesame together in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes. Brush over cooked chicken.
• To serve: Dice the chicken into very small pieces. Toss with the scallions and peanuts in a medium bowl. Cut the lettuce leaves into 40 squares or triangular scoops. Place a drop of Sriracha on top of each lettuce cup, and top with about 2 teaspoons of the diced chicken. Squeeze lime juice over the top, and drizzle the remaining soy-ginger sauce over the chicken. Serve.

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI WITH MUSHROOMS AND SHERRY

Steps:

• For the mushroom saute: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Melt the butter in a large saute pan set over medium heat. Add the thyme and shallots, and saute until the shallots begin to brown, 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the sherry and cook until it evaporates and then add several grinds of black pepper.
• Cook the spaghetti to al dente. Drain well and cool.
• For the sauce: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan set over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly for 5 minutes to make a roux. Add the half-and-half, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the mushroom saute, cooked pasta, chicken and white sauce with 2 1/2 cups of the Cheddar. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the prepared casserole dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, the breadcrumbs, the remaining 1/2 cup melted butter and a dusting of smoked paprika. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Then, cover the casserole with foil and cook for 10 more minutes. Serve hot or cool to room temperature to store in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.

SHERRY'S SMOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. Wash chicken and remove as much fat as possible. Drain on paper towels and pat dry. Slip your finger under the skin and the meat to remove but leave in place to cover again before smoking.
• 2. Rub with your favorite dry rub, both outside the skin and on the meat. See Note.
• 3. Layer the bottom of the foil trays with bacon. Place the seasoned chicken pieces on top of the bacon.
• 4. Preheat the smoker to 225. I used apple chips.
• 5. Place the chicken pieces on top of the bacon slices and place in the smoker. Smoke for 1.5 hours. Drain the drippings into a bowl. Baste the chicken with your favorite barbecue sauce, turn over and baste with more.
• 6. Return to the smoker and continue smoking for another 1.5 hours. Allow to come down to 100 degrees. Remove from the smoker, add more barbecue sauce, package (zip seal) some of it...or wrap what you want to eat in foil and keep in a warm oven.
• 7. NOTE: I used a lot of different dry rubs from homemade to prepackaged....the best I have found is A-1 Dry rub. It has all the ingredients and "Smell" I want in my final product. Another NOTE: I love to use my vacuum sealer and freezing dinner-size portions because you can just boil the bag when camping and there is very little clean up.

CHICKEN SAUTé WITH SHERRY

Steps:

• Melt butter in skillet and sauté chicken pieces, turning to color on all sides-do not let them get too brown, the chicken should be just a delicate golden color. Reduce flame and add salt, pepper, and ginger. Add 1/2 cup sherry and cook gently for 15 to 20 minutes, turning chicken once or twice to bathe it evently in the juices. When tender remove to a hot platter. Add remaining sherry to pan, turn up heat, cook, and stir, scraping up the brown crust from the pan and blending it into the sauce. When blended and hot, pour sauce over chicken. Serve with sautéed or fried potatoes and a green salad. With this, drink a dry white wine.

STICKY CHICKEN WITH SHERRY, ALMONDS & DATES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Season the chicken, then brown on all sides. Remove the chicken, place it in a large baking dish, then set aside. Add the remaining oil, the onions and garlic to the pan, then season. Fry for 10 mins until golden. Stir in the cumin, sherry and lemon zest and juice. Bring to the boil, then add the almonds, dates and half the parsley.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover with foil, then roast for 1 hr until tender, taking the foil off after 15 mins. Spoon the liquid over the chicken a couple of times during roasting. Serve piled up on a large platter with the sauce poured over, the garlic cloves, remaining parsley and some extra lemon zest.

WARM SALAD OF CHICKEN LIVERS, SMOKED PAPRIKA & SHERRY

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients for the sauce into a food processor, then whizz to a rough paste. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Put the remaining hazelnuts onto a baking sheet, roast for 5 mins until lightly toasted, roughly chop, then set aside.
• Now make the salad - add the olive oil and butter to a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Quickly fry the livers in 2 batches until browned, about 2 mins per batch. Add the sherry, then bubble for a few mins over a high heat. Stir in the sauce and allow it to thicken and heat through. Splash in the lemon juice, then season to taste. Dress the salad leaves with a little sherry vinegar. Spoon the livers and sauce onto serving plates, sprinkle with the toasted chopped hazelnuts, then scatter over the dressed salad leaves and serve straightaway.