Swedish Spring Chickens Recipes

SWEDISH SPRING CHICKENS

Steps:

• Wipe the birds, inside and out, with a cloth wrung out of hot water. Dry well. Butter the cavities of all the birds, using two tablespoons of the butter. Stuff the birds fairly tightly with parsley (stems and all) and truss with string.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a deep, large skillet or Dutch oven and put in the birds, backs down. Brown the backs, then turn the birds to brown lightly on all sides. Add salt and chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Baste occasionally during cooking.
• Remove the birds to a serving platter and keep warm. Knead the 2 teaspoons of butter and the flour together, using your fingertips, and add this paste bit by bit to the simmering liquid in the skillet, using only as much as is needed to thicken the sauce slightly. Add the cream and boil the mixture hard until it has a saucelike consistency. Pour some of the sauce (strained or not, as desired) over the birds and pass the rest in a sauce boat.

SWEDISH ROAST CHICKEN WITH SPICED APPLE RICE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
• Blanch the sweet potato in boiling water for two minutes, then drain, rinse in cold water and drain again.
• In a medium bowl, combine sweet potato, onion, apples, shallots, garlic, thyme and mint.
• Combine the 2 tablespoons of water and the olive oil and add to the vegetable mixture, tossing to coat.
• With a mortar and pestle (or with the back of a heavy skillet against a cutting board) lightly crush the cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, cloves, black and white peppercorns (you can use all black if that's what you have) with the teaspoon of kosher salt.
• Add half the spice mixture to the vegetables and reserve the rest.
• Rinse the chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.
• Remove all the excess fat.
• Lightly stuff the bird's cavity with about half the vegetable mixture and tie the bird's legs together with kitchen string.
• Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and rub it all over with the reserved spice mixture.
• Scatter the remaining vegetable mixture around the chicken.
• Roast for about one hour.
• Remove the vegetables that are loose in the pan and set aside in a bowl.
• Continue roasting for another 30 minutes or until your meat thermometer, inserted in the thigh, reaches 160°F.
• During this time, if the pan becomes too dry, add water a few tablespoons at a time.
• Transfer chicken to a board, remove stuffing and add it to the other vegetables, and cover the chicken loosely with foil.
• Keep the vegetables warm.
• Place the roasting pan over heat on the stove top and add the water and stock or white wine.
• Bring liquid to a boil, stirring and scraping to deglaze the pan.
• Pour the liquid into a measuring cup, degreasing as best you can.
• Pour about 1/2 of a cup of the liquid into a sauceboat and keep warm.
• Add, if necessary, water to the remaining de-glazing liquid so that you have one cup.
• Combine the rice, one cup of water, one cup of deglazing liquid and the salt in a medium saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over high heat.
• As soon as the rice boils, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook the rice till done, about 18 minutes.
• Remove from heat and fold rice together with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of the yogurt and the reserved vegetables.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Combine the remaining yogurt with the pan juices in the sauce boat.
• Carve the chicken and serve with rice, passing the sauceboat for those who need a little extra liquid.

SWEDISH CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt margarine over medium heat, then add chicken & brown the breasts, cooking for about 10 minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, then cover & simmer about 20 minutes or until chicken is tender.