Homemaker wins $100,000 for best chicken recipe

Idaho mom wins top prize

By Phyllis Steinberg

Michelle Anderson, 39, a homemaker from Eagle, Idaho created “Thai-Inspired stuffed Chicken Breast and Slaw” and walked away with the grand prize of $100,000 in the 47th National Chicken Cooking Contest in Birmingham, Alabama for her innovative recipe.

Anderson said she enjoys cooking with her five-year old daughter, Jordan and for her husband, Chuck.

Anderson said this was the first time she entered the National Chicken Contest.

Here are some tips from the winners.

After you create your favorite recipe, give it to a friend and see if they can make it without a problem. You may have left out a step and when the recipe is tested by the judges when they decide which recipes to include in the contest, you will be eliminated if your recipe doesn’t come out right.
Try your recipe out on family and friends and modify it after it has gone through several tastings.
Ease of preparation is important. Don’t get too complicated with exotic and hard to find ingredients.
Presentation is important. The dish has to look good as well as taste great.
Taste is one of the most important factors. It has to taste terrific.

The second place prize of $10,000 went to Sally Sibthrope of Shelby Township, Michigan for her “Warm Chicken Black Bean Salad with Mango Dressing.”

Susan Scarborough, an artist from Fernandina Beach, Florida captured third place and $5,000 for her “Pecan Chicken Sticks with Collard Couscous.”

There were two more cash prizes, a $2,000 forth place and a $1,000 fifth place plus many more prizes for contestants, including a set of Cutco knives for each contestant and an all-expense paid trip to the contest.

The contest is held every two years and is sponsored by the National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association. The Alabama Poultry and Egg Associated was the local host at this year’s contest showing contestants around the city. Contestants get an all-expense paid trip to the contest, hotel accommodations and meals. It’s not too early to start creating some chicken recipes for your friends for the next contest.

Below are three of the winning recipes from the contest. All of the recipes are posted on the website www.chickencookingcontest.com.

Thai Inspired Stuffed Chicken Breast and Slaw
$100,000 winner in 47th Annual Cooking Contest

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup cooked jasmine rice
1 /2 cup shredded coconut
2 green onions, finely sliced
1 /2 cup finely chopped Thai basil
1 /2 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons Thai chili sauce
2 limes, juice and zest, divided
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 /2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
1 cup chopped roasted peanuts
3 /4 cup panko
1 /4 cup white sesame seeds, toasted
1 /4 cup black sesame seeds, toasted
1 /2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
Lime wedges
cilantro-for garnish

In large bowl, mix together, rice, coconut, green onion, basil, cilantro, chili sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice and zest of one lime. Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap, pound to even thickness. Place equal amounts of rice mixture on each chicken breast half. Wrap chicken around filling; secure with wooden pick. In glass pie plate, mix together flour, zest of one lime, salt and pepper. In another plate, mix coconut milk and 2 tablespoons lime juice. In third plate, mix together peanuts, panko, black and white sesame seeds. Roll chicken breasts, one at a time, first in flour mixture, then in coconut milk mixture and finally in peanut mixture, coating well. In shallow baking pan, arrange chicken, seam side down, place in 350 degree F. oven. Bake 30 minutes or until juices run clear. Place slaw on serving platter, remove wooden picks and add chicken to platter. Garnish with cucumber, lime and cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

Thia-style slaw: In large bowl, mix together 3 /4 cup chunky peanut butter, 1 /4 cup seasoned rice vinegar, juice of one lime and one finely minced Thai chili. Stir in 1 /2 cup chopped cilantro, 1 /2 cup chopped basil, 1 Napa cabbage, finely sliced, 1 English cucumber, coarsely grated; 1 carrot grated and 1 /2 half red onion, finely diced. Refrigerate.

Warm Chicken Black Bean Salad with Mango Dressing
$10,000 Second Place Winner

2 cups rotisserie chicken, cut in bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 /2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 /4 cup chopped cilantro
1 /2 cup sliced scallions
1 /2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 /2 cup diced avocado
1 /2 cup diced red bell pepper
Mango Mojo dressing: recipe follows
2 rings red bell pepper
sprig cilantro

In large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add almonds and sauté until golden. Add rice and cook one minute more. Stir in chicken stock, cover pan and simmer about 20 minutes until rice is cooked. Mix in cilantro, chicken, scallions, beans avocado and diced pepper. Drizzle chicken mixture with half the Mango Mojo Dressing and toss. Spoon onto serving dish and garnish with red pepper rings and cilantro sprig. Pass remaining dressing. Makes 4 servings.

Mango Mojo Dressing: In heavy skillet over medium high heat, place one tablespoon cumin seeds and toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes. In mini food processor, place cumin seeds, 3 cloves peeled garlic, 1 small hot red chili, stemmed and seeded and 1 /2 teaspoon salt. Grind to coarse paste. Add 1 /4 cup olive oil, 1 /2 mango (peeled and cubed), 1 /4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice. Return mixture to skillet and heat until warm.

Pecan Chicken Sticks with Collard Couscous
Third Place, $5,000 winner

8 medium chicken drumsticks
5 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
1 /2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 /2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 /4 cup finely ground pecans
1 /4 cup flour
1 teaspoon Cajun-style chicken seasoning
1 /3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups frozen chopped collard greens, mostly thawed
1 /2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 and 3 /4 cups chicken broth
1 and 1 /3 cups couscous
2 /3 cup cooked, drained and crumbled bacon bits
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
1 /4 cup toasted pecan pieces

Scrape or cut meat off bone on bottom 1 /2 inch of each chicken drumstick to form a small handle. Brush chicken with two tablespoons maple syrup and sprinkle with pepper. In large plastic zip top bag, place ground pecans, flour and chicken seasoning. Add chicken and shake to coat. In large heavy oven proof skillet, place oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning to brown on all sides. Cover and place skillet in 375 degree F. Oven. Cook 10 minutes; uncover, turn chicken and cook 10 minutes more or until done. Remove chicken to plate and keep warm. To skillet, add collards and onion, stir-fry about 3 minutes over medium high heat. In separate pan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Stir in couscous, remove from heat, cover and let stand 7 minutes, fluff with fork. Stir couscous and bacon into collard mixture, cook 3 minutes more to heat through. In small microwave safe bowl, mix together remaining 3 tablespoons syrup and mustard. Microwarve on medium one minute. To serve, place equal portions of couscous on each of four plates. Arrange 2 chicken legs in center of each and drizzle with maple-mustard mixture. Garnish with pecan pieces. Makes 4 servings.