Ask my father and he’ll tell you that Father of the Bride is the worst movie ever. While my sisters and our mother howled with laughter as Steve Martin went into hysterics trying to live in a house that was being remodeled for a wedding, my own father just shook his head saying “that’s not funny.”
skip ahead to 3:15. short clip here ==> http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1576260
It was Dad’s worst nightmare come true when my older sister and I had weddings at our parents lake front home two years in a row. We hosted both receptions on their quiet and picturesque property in the Florida swamp and we were crazy enough to cater, and bake the wedding cakes. Let me indulge in a few wedding photos….
One of the entrée options that we served up is called Country Manor Chicken and comes from a Tampa Treasures cookbook. This cook book is put out by the Junior League of Tampa. Click HERE for info. We made (and I love!) this recipe because It has few ingredients, it can be assembled ahead, it rests well on a buffet, and is an affordable option when feeding a crowd. As our planning came along we began to refer to our chicken option as “Chipper Chicken.”
Here is my version of Chipper Chicken. I call this chipper chicken because it is more fun to say, but you could make this with any cut of poultry available (turkey thighs are pictured).
The most uncommon ingredient here is fenugreek. Fenugreek is, in my opinion, the most important part of the curry powder blend (or it might just be my favorite part). It is commonly used in Indian cuisine and is known to be good for nursing mothers, children and adults with digestive issues, and those with diabetes. If unavailable, omit the cumin and substitute 1ts curry powder for both the fenugreek and the cumin. Or go really crazy and try using dill, saffron, or chipotle.
Ingredients:
- 2 turkey thighs (sub 3 boneless chicken breasts or any other cut)
- 3/4c Sunshine Citrus Marmalade
- 1/4c prepared mustard (brown, yellow, or dijon)
- 2Tb white wine (or lemon juice)
- 1.5ts fenugreek seed
- Pinch cumin seed
- 1/2t salt
- 1 lemon thinly sliced (optional)
- 2 Tb corn starch (optional)
Pre heat oven to 350. Arrange chicken in shallow baking dish, dutch oven, or crockpot. In a small bowl, whisk together the marmalade, mustard, wine, fenugreek, cumin, and salt. Pour mix over top of chicken/ turkey. Cover and bake 40 minutes. Remove chicken and baste. Top with lemon slices and bake 30 min more. Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
You can stop there and use the sauce in the pan as is (which I do often and it makes a darn fine meal), or finish the plate by cooking down the pan juice into a rich gravy. To do this, prepare a small bowl or glass measuring cup with the 2tb corn starch. Next scoop approx. 1/2 cup of cooking liquid from the pan, slowly whisk this liquid into the corn starch to create a smooth thin liquid paste. Stir this paste into the liquid and ring to a boil. Cook until thick and velvety. Pour over chicken to serve.
Nancy Warner 