Country Baked Chicken

Wednesday 5 April 2017

Country Baked Chicken







We eat a lot of chicken in this house.   We quite like it, and its quite affordable. I really like the dark meat most of all, but I tend to cook breasts most of the time because they are healthier.  


It can be rather tasteless sometimes and has a tendency to dry out more than the rest, especially if overcooked.   A good chicken breast, however,  is rather like a canvas waiting to be painted upon . . .



Country Baked Chicken
 





I prefer my chicken breasts with parts of the bone still attached, which helps to keep them moist I think.

The other day I decided I was going to try brining them in a simple salt and water brine, only for a short time . . . just to see if it made a difference and . . . guess what?



Country Baked Chicken







It worked beautifully . . . these chicken breasts were deliciously moist and tender.  



I covered them with a tasty herbed crumb and baked them in a mix of chicken stock and butter until the juices ran clear . . .



Country Baked Chicken







Then I turned those pan juices into a delicious gravy which was absolutely wonderful spooned over mounds of mashed potatoes, and of course with that tender flavorful chicken.  It was quite a delicious meal actually.  I will do this again!  




It's amazing what a little salt bath can do. Note - You won't need to season your chicken with any salt as it will have absorbed some of the salt from the bath.




Country Baked Chicken







*Country Baked Chicken*
Serves 4

Not sure how it works, but this is the moistest chicken you could ever want to eat.  A crisp, well seasoned crust, and moist tender chicken.  What more could a person ask for?  Oh yes . . . a delicious gravy too!  


4 partially boned, but skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp salt
cold water to cover  
4 TBS fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried sage
6 TBS melted butter
1 cup chicken stock
To finish:
2 TBS flour, shaken with 1/2 cup milk  


Place the chicken into a bowl and cover it with cold water.   Stir in the 2 tsp of salt and swiish it around.  Let the chicken sit in the salted water for half an hour  or so.  At the end of that time, drain the chicken very well and dry with some paper towels.


Preheat the 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.


Place 4 TBS of the melted butter in a baking dish large enough to hold all the chicken pieces.  Add the chicken breasts and stir them around to coat the chicken.  Arrange bone side down in the dish.  


Mix together the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, and sage.  Sprinkle this mixture over top of the chicken pieces.  Dot with the remaining butter.  Pour the cup of chicken stock into the baking dish from the edge of the dish so that the stock fills the bottom without touching the crumbs.   


 Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear when pierced with a fork.  Remove the chicken pieces to a heated platter and tent lightly to keep warm, without steaming.
 
Pour the pan juices into a saucepan.  Whisk in the flour and milk mixture.  Bring to the boil, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.  If it is too thick, thin with a bit more milk until you get your desired consistency.   Taste and adjust seasoning with some salt and pepper.



Serve the chicken and pass the gravy on the side.  Mashed potatoes go very well with this, as well as some veg and or salad on the side.


Country Baked Chicken






This chicken is really tender and delicious.  I really hope you will give it a try!  Bon Appetit! 



This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com 



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10 comments

  1. Oh Marie, this looks sooo good and tender! I never brined any chicken or turkey b4. I'm always looking for different ways to fix chicken too bc I eat alot of it and broccoli too. I wait for the sales and buy it and freeze for future use. Hope u and ur Todd have a good day! It's my oldest granddaughter's birthday today. Yay!

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    1. Happy birthday to your oldest granddaughter Jan! I hope she has a lovely day! This chicken is great! I hope you try it! xo

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  2. Super moist..hey Marie..your pics look lovely w/ this new format even nicer!

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    1. Thanks Monique! I will take that as a real compliment coming from you! You made me smile! I think there is less distraction, without the flowery background! xo

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  3. I thought I lost my comment, so I wrote another one. I was up way to late at night to think straight! Thanks Marie! I hope my Lexi has a great Happy Birthday also! She's a beautiful sweet 16 yr old! She's been in the kitchen helping me b4 she was 2! She always wants to bake a cake, when she comes to my house, ever since she was little. Lol.

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    1. No worries Jan. How wonderful it is that you have such a special relationship with your granddaughter. I only have one granddaughter and would give anything to have the opportunity to have a relationship like that with her. Her mom is not my biggest fan however, and so there is a bit of a wall there. I keep trying to knock it down and maybe with time I will! I live in hope! She has only just turned six so there is plenty of time to work on it! xo

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  4. Thanks for telling me to click on the Home page. I love all the stuff you have down the sides as well

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    1. Thanks Linda! I am not sure why the stuff doesn't show up on the individual posts, but hey ho, that's the internet for you! xo

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  5. this is timely as here in West Aust chicken breasts have become very woody and disappointing so I was wondering if brining would help...I'd read complaints that supermarket chicken was 'pumped up' with salt water as if it was a way to make it heavier and more costly but obviously it's to tenderize it! thank you x

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    1. The supermarkets pump everything full of water I think, and it is probably a combination of trying to make it heavier and costlier, as well as to tenderize. I will give them the benefit of the doubt! ;-)

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