Egyptian Chicken Recipes

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• If using boneless chicken pieces, cut into 1 inch cubes and place in a shallow non reactive container; if using whole birds, butterfly them; combine the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight. Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking.
• While the meat is warming to room temp.Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat your oven broiler (griller) Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the marinade. You can marinate for up to 48 hours if properly refrigerated.
• If using chicken cubes thread on to skewers. Place the skewers or butterflied or halved birds on the grill rack or a broilerpan and grill or broil until cooked through, basting with reserved marinade while cooking.
• Whole chicken (5-7 pounds) 22 minutes a pound, butterflied whole chicken (3-5 pounds) 45-50 minutes; whole cornish hens (18 -24 oz) 45-55 minutes; breast half, boneless (4 oz) 8-10 minutes a side, (6-8 oz) 10 -15 minutes a side; leg or thigh (4-8 oz) 10-15 minutes a side.

EGYPTIAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut chicken into small pieces.
• Put olive oil, into large heavy pot over low heat.
• Add chicken, chopped onion and the allspice, paprika, coriander, cumin and pepper.
• Stir, cover and cook until the chicken and onion has softened.
• Add rice, stock cubes, 41/2 cups of hot water and salt to taste.
• Cover and simmer until the rice is almost cooked.
• Saute vermicelli in the 2 tbs of butter until it separates and is golden brown.
• Tip vermicelli into rice and add currants and chopped almonds.
• Turn off hotplate, put a teatowel over the pot, cover with lid and allow to steam for 10 minutes.
• Fluff rice with fork and serve.
• NOTE: This recipe can be easily made vegetarian if you substitute vegetable stock cubes instead of chicken and omit the chicken breast entirely.

EGYPTIAN CHICKEN PANNE (BREADED FRIED CHICKEN BREASTS)

Steps:

• Take and slice your chicken breasts into thinner slices. (Using a sharp knife, and holding one hand on top of breast, slice across horizontaly giving you a thinner sliced breast. So one breast should yield about 3 thinner pieces or so.).
• Put slices into glass mixing bowl or dish.
• Squeeze the juice of lemon onto chicken slices.
• Add the onion liquid (you can achieve liquid by blending onion in a blender or food processor).
• Add salt & pepper and cover with plastic wrap, put in refrigerator for at least an hour.
• When ready to fry, take a slice and dip into bowl filled with bread crumbs. Do this until all chicken is breaded, setting each slice on a plate. (I sometimes bread ahead of time, putting breaded slices into refrigerator until ready to fry, seems the coating stays alittle better this way.).
• Add oil in a large frying pan, not too much, just enough to cover bottom of each slice.
• Fry until golden brown on each side.

EGYPTIAN GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wash the chicken fillets well and dry with kitchen towel.
• Whisk all marinade ingredients together.
• Place chicken in a glass dish, pour over marinade & ensure each piece is coated in the marinade.
• Cover glass dish with cling film & leave to marinate for as long as possible in refrigerator.
• It is best to begin preparation for this dish the day before in order to obtain the best result.
• Next day: Remove dish from refrigerator.
• Allow it to sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.
• Pre-heat grill and place fillets on the grill pan, brushing with remainder of marinade.
• Cook for approximately 25 minutes, brushing with marinade, turning once during cooking.
• Chicken should be moist and golden, but not tough and overcooked.
• If chicken browns too soon reduce grill heat to moderate.
• Enjoy!