High Five

Favorite Chicken Dinners, Five Ingredients Each [plus the chicken]

When it comes to chicken dinners, are you ready to chicken out?  Need some fresh ideas?  How do five ingredients sound?  We’ve asked six of our imaginative culinary gurus to share their favorite simple chicken dishes.  Whatever your cooking method preference – grilled, baked, braised, poached, or sautéed – better yet, shake it up and try something completely new. 

Ralph Brennan New Orleans: Red Fish Grill, Ralph’s on the Park, café b, Heritage Grill, Café NOMA

My father had an unfortunate allergy to seafood, so growing up we ate a lot of baked chicken.  Today, my favorite way to prepare chicken, especially now that the warmest weather is upon us, is to marinate it in a zesty vinaigrette for about an hour, then grill it.  Served up with some sliced Creole tomatoes and creamy avocados drizzled with some of the reserved vinaigrette [but not left over from the marinade!] and garnished with a sprig of palate-cleansing parsley complete a perfect warm-weather meal.  Ingredients: Creole Tomatoes, Avocados, Spicy Vinaigrette, Flat Leaf Parsley, and Salt & Pepper

Peter Smith Washington, DC: PS 7s

The chicken dish that my kids like best is a grilled chicken breast stuffed with asparagus and prosciutto. It's simple, easy and the vegetables are hidden.  The recipe came into existence one day when the kids were hungry and I looked in the fridge and there just happened to be asparagus, chicken and prosciutto.  Ta da!  I open up the chicken breasts and pounded them out lightly [the kids think this is so cool.] Next, I blanch the asparagus and wrap it with the ham, and wrap that bundle in the chicken.  It gets brushed with a little olive oil, seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper, and then popped onto the grill. I usually serve it with rice or roasted rosemary potatoes. Ingredients: Asparagus, Prosciutto, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper, and Rice or Potatoes

Jeff Tunks Washington, DC: Acadiana, Ceiba, DC Coast, PassionFish [Reston, VA,] TenPenh

There are two chicken dishes that we fall back on at home.  I just got a new grill with a rotisserie attachment, and the new family favorite is our version of roasted Peruvian style chicken that I serve with flour tortillas, rice, beans, and salsa.  Ingredients for rotisserie chicken burritos: Flour tortillas, rice, beans, salsa, and secret seasoning

Robert Wiedmaier Washington, DC: Marcel’s, Brasserie Beck, Mussel Bar [Bethesda, MD]

I’m a big fan of a healthy Mediterranean version of a Chicken Paillard, served with sautéed eggplant and hummus on the side.  The preparation is very simple, as it’s all done on the stove top.  The chicken breast is pounded thin – it cooks quickly – and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper.  Skipping the traditional oil-absorbing breadcrumbs keeps it healthy.  The eggplant is highly nutritious, and hummus is a great protein.  So: tasty, satisfying, but not at all naughty!  Ingredients: Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil, Eggplant, and Hummus

Tucker Yoder Charlottesville, VA: The Clifton Inn

The sure-fire chicken winner at our house is a braised chicken breast with roasted potatoes, carrots, herbs, and garlic.  The key is to use good local organically raised chicken.  You can really taste the difference - it actually tastes like chicken should, not just some vague, neutral protein.  I source mine from Davis Creek Farms, or from my friend Charlie at Donald’s Meat in Lexington, VA, who sources his chickens from around the Shenandoah Valley.  I generally get my carrots from Stonehouse farms; for some reason, theirs are some of the sweetest around.  Ingredients: Potatoes, Carrots, Mixed Herbs [thyme, rosemary, parsley,] Olive Oil, and Salt & Pepper

Joe Yonan Washington, DC, Author: Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One

If you’re like me and prefer dark meat, the easiest way to satisfy your roast-chicken urges without tackling a whole bird is to take advantage of one of my favorite cuts: the whole leg, with the thigh and drumstick attached. My take for the easiest preparation is a roast chicken leg with gremolata and sunchokes. It makes a hearty meal and takes well to the same kind of classic preparations a whole chicken does, including roasting with the magical trio of parsley, lemon, and garlic. Ingredients: Parsley, Lemon, Garlic, Sunchokes, and Olive Oil