Chicken and Sherry?

[keltin]

I’ve got a whole chicken and am planning on doing something with the chicken breast. I’ll cut the chicken up myself and freeze the wings and leg quarters for later. The back probably goes to the dog since he's been a good boy.

Anyway, need something creative to do with chicken breast. It can be bone in, whole, or boneless and skinless since I’m doing the butchering.

I’ve also got Cream Sherry.

I’ve got other items, but the main things I want to work with are Cream Sherry and Chicken breasts. Any ideas?

 

[keltin]

Heh....I guess this was a tough one?

It started because I wanted to do something with chicken breasts. DW suggested Chicken Marsala since she loves that dish and we haven’t had it in a while. She was going to the store, so I asked her to pick up some Marsala Wine for the dish. She got home with Cream Sherry!!!! They were out or Marsala, so DW got the sherry instead.....I’ve used Sherry in many pork dishes so she thought it might work.

I told her I could cook it the same as Chicken Marsala, but without Marsala wine, it wouldn’t BE Chicken Marsala....this would be Sherry Chicken. So I decided to cook it a different way....but how?

I finally opted for super simple. Seared the chicken on both sides and set aside. Added some diced red onions and butter to the pan. Sautéed till soft, then added the sherry. And of course, I lit the Sherry to burn off some of the alcohol (and I just love doing that!).

Cooked the Sherry and onions to reduce a bit and added the chicken back to the pan. Spoon liquid over chicken, cover and bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees F. When done, plate chicken, and reduce the Sherry even further on the stove top. When it’s condensed, pour liquid over chicken and serve.

Nothing fancy, but it was pretty good. And it plated really well....very visually appealing.

Ok, since this one is done now, can one of the Mods move it to the Chicken forum. I don’t think it belongs in this forum now that the chicken has been cooked?

 

[Renee Attili]

My mom made this when I was a child and it made me horribly sick. She thinks she must have not drained it well or something. I still can not take the smell of sherry. The thought of creamed sherry is just too much. Sorry I have been of zero help. Just my 2 cents. Good luck I bet yours will be delicious.

 

[ChefJune]

Keltin, I wouldn't use CREAM Sherry unless I were making a dessert. It's awfully sweet.

OTOH, Fino Sherry is beautiful cooked down with the brown bits from sauteeing the chicken and a few chopped shallots.

 

[auntdot]

I make a mushroom dish with shrooms, shallots, Scotch, and cream sherry (and whatever spices/herbs I feel like adding). And it is tasty, but sweet.

Don't make it often because it is hard to figure out what to serve it with.

Cannot imagine chicken the same way. But am always willing to learn.

 

[Dave Hutchins]

I use sherry in a lot of my sauteed chicken dishes along with fresh lemon juice for a great flavor combo

 

[Caine]

Heh....I guess this was a tough one?

No, we're all in shock because you're giving chicken bones to your dog!

 

[keltin]

Well, as I stated, it was supposed to be Chicken Marsala. But DW couldn’t find Marsala while she was out, and being the ever helpful and wonderful wife, she figured she’d just get another fortified wine that she has seen me cook with in the past. I’m not going to fault her for trying to be helpful, so I decided to push forward and try to make something with what she provided.

And actually, cream sherry isn’t that sweet, at least this brand wasn’t It has a coffee like flavor that finishes with a slight twang of black licorice. Interesting. When paired with the red onions and butter, then reduced, the color of the sauce was very deep and rich and made for excellent plating. The over-all flavor was very good and not nearly as powerful as you might think. In fact, it was very subtle.

The fresh lemon sounds like a great addition, thanks for that Dave! And auntdot, the addition of scotch shrooms and shallots....now that sounds divine. Got to try that! Thanks!

As for giving the dog the chicken back, feeding a dog chicken bones is perfectly fine as long as they are raw. It’s only the cooked bones that can be dangerous. Raw Feeding or a BARF diet (Bones And Raw Food) is a well known and veterinarian backed practice. In fact, using raw chicken bones is safer and far healthier than many of the commercially produced products....as the recent poisonings and recalls have shown us.

Looking at what they put into those cans and bags, I’m surprised many here that value such high quality for themselves would actually feed their pets such low quality “feed”.

Here’s a quick faq sheet concerning raw feeding. For more info Google Raw Feeding and the BARF diet.

 

[Alix]

Looking at what they put into those cans and bags, I’m surprised many here that value such high quality for themselves would actually feed their pets such low quality “feed”.

Trying hard not to be offended here keltin. I'm hopeful that in the absence of hearing your tone and seeing your facial expression I am reading something into this that I shouldn't. I'm sure you weren't trying to be insulting here were you?

 

[keltin]

Trying hard not to be offended here keltin. I'm hopeful that in the absence of hearing your tone and seeing your facial expression I am reading something into this that I shouldn't. I'm sure you weren't trying to be insulting here were you?

No Ma’am, not offensive at all! I have found from my vets and specialty magazines that our pet, our cats and dogs, can easily live to 30 years or more. Looking to “Cat Fancy”, August Issue, 2007, cats are exhibited at age of 36 years on page 32 of that issue. My idea is that, when my pets enter their twilight years, I want them to be pain free and as healthy as possible.

When we rescued Shortly (a German Sheppard and Chow mix), he was in bad shape. My vet was skeptical of the BARF diet, but in his last 5 annual check ups (he’s fixed of course), the vet is floored by the deep vibrant color of his markings and fur, his stamina, his low body fat, his energy, etc….and he is 8 years old or more. My vet asks me what I do, and I say I took the “skeptical path” since my own vet said he was skeptical of the Raw Feedings…..but proof is in the mix.

My cats on the other hand, I do not apply the raw method but instead use Nutroproducts. A bit expensive, but the babies are worth it as I do not want to see them collapsing into degenerative disease in their tens or twenties. They can go 30+ years, and maybe out live me……good, let us walk life together.

 

[Alix]

I applaud your sentiments and certainly would not denigrate your choices. Thank you for clarifying your statement for me. It sounded extremely judgemental. And for the record, we have two cats and a dog. One of our cats is a recovered diabetic and is doing amazingly well. The cats get Purina Dental Diet and 1/3 can of commercial cat food twice a day. They are both in exceptional health and are both over 15 years old. My sisters siamese eats friskies or something like that and is well over 20. They can only confirm 20 as thats how long THEY'VE had her. They know she is significantly older than that.

Frankly, we feed our pets what we can afford to feed them, and we give them what they have shown a preference for.

Now that we have hijacked your thread royally, we should try to get it back on topic.
Sooooo...would you make your dish again Keltin?

 

[keltin]

I applaud your sentiments and certainly would not denigrate your choices. Thank you for clarifying your statement for me. It sounded extremely judgemental. And for the record, we have two cats and a dog. One of our cats is a recovered diabetic and is doing amazingly well. The cats get Purina Dental Diet and 1/3 can of commercial cat food twice a day. They are both in exceptional health and are both over 15 years old. My sisters siamese eats friskies or something like that and is well over 20. They can only confirm 20 as thats how long THEY'VE had her. They know she is significantly older than that.

Frankly, we feed our pets what we can afford to feed them, and we give them what they have shown a preference for.

Now that we have hijacked your thread royally, we should try to get it back on topic.
Sooooo...would you make your dish again Keltin?

Yes, with the tips I’ve received from the great people here at DC, I am actually itching to try this again as I think I can get more flavor from it.

And I applaud you for taking care of your “babies”. It sounds like you’ve made a most excellent home for them and I applaud you!

Too many people take their "extended family" for granted!