From my great-grandmother’s barnyard to my culinary destinations in Europe, chickens have served as family sustenance to cuisine creativity. During the searing heat of summer, we tend to serve poultry based favorites. Be the chicken prepared baked, boiled, braised, fried, grilled, roasted or stir-fried, the flesh of the chicken absorbs its marinade and its sauce well. So, pick your poultry selection and decide which cuts and which summer classic style to enjoy. A summer favorite is Chicken Caesar Salad. Drunken Chicken can be marinated in dark rum and served with Cherry Sauce. Chinese Style Chicken is marinated in soy sauce, sherry, garlic and a dash of cornstarch. I share with you today one of my favorites for pool-side entertaining or lakehouse entertaining: Kelly’s Picnic Chicken Croquettes. Let your personal classics outshine the summer sun! © Kelly McBride Loft
Kelly’s Picnic Chicken Croquettes
The night before, cook 4 to 6 chicken breasts by braising, boiling or roasting. Chill the chicken overnight. Toast a hamburger bun, per chicken breast. Crumble the fresh breadcrumbs into a large bowl. From a “well” shape so that the other ingredients are surrounded by the breadcrumbs. Dice the cooked chicken and put the chicken pieces into the bowl. Add 1/4 cup of minced onion, 1/4 cup of finely diced celery, 4 tablespoons of parsley, 1 minced clove of garlic, a dash of red pepper and a dash of salt. With plastic gloves on, thoroughly hand-mix 2 eggs into the mixture. Then, add 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and mix again. Form the chicken croquettes into small rounds or cylinders. Fry the coquettes until golden brown. Drain and serve the croquettes with chilled crème fraîche, honey mustard sauce or sundried tomato dip. © Kelly McBride Loft