Chicken with Crabmeat Stuffing (4) M.J. 10/68
Grandma’s 91st birthday is this Wednesday, March 4th. It’s crazy to think about how time flies. Last year, her birthday fell on a Monday and we made her Veal Marsala and Chicken Liver Pate. Today we made Chicken with Crabmeat stuffing. Grandma originally found this recipe in the Milwaukee Journal in October of 1968.
Derek watched a few YouTubes on halving a chicken and his first attempt was a huge success. We’re using a smaller Rocky Petaluma free range chicken and local dungeness crab. Also, fresh baby bellas instead of the canned mushrooms. The entire meal was cooked in the dutch oven, my most treasured and used piece of kitchen equipment. And the dish was served with steamed asparagus.
If you think of it and happen to be on a barstool on Wednesday, order up an extra wet well gin martini with one olive and only enough ice to keep it cold- not so much it displaces the liquor, and lift your glass to my Nona Mae.
Happy Birthday Grandma! There will never be anyone else like you.
Chicken with Crabmeat Stuffing (4) M.J. 10/68
2 chicken, 2½ lbs each split in halves
2 tbsp soft butter
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup sherry
¼ cup catsup
½ cup canned, sliced mushrooms
½ tsp garlic salt
STUFFING:
½ cup light cream or milk
4 slices white bread, cubed
1½ cooked crabmeat, firmly packed
¼ cup melted butter
2½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp prepared mustard
½ tsp poultry seasonings
½ tsp dried thyme
*Add cream to bread cubes and toss until all cream is absorbed. Then add crabmeat. Add melted butter to remaining ingredients and add to the bread and crabmeat mixture. Toss lightly.
Preheat oven to 350°. Rub chicken with soft butter, salt and pepper and sprinkle with paprika. Place halves skin side up in baking pan, bake 35 minutes. Combine melted butter, sherry, catsup, mushrooms, and garlic salt. Spoon over two tablespoons of butter mixture on each half. Cook 10 minutes longer. Turn over, fill breast with crabmeat stuffing. Spoon one tablespoon of butter mixture over stuffing. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or till tender basting with remaining butter sauce occasionally.
