Food

A World of Chicken

July 25, 2012

Chicken is one of the world's most ubiquitous ingredients, used in a wide variety of dishes across the globe. Here are our favorite preparations, from a quick Chinese stir fry with chanterelles to a fragrant Iranian stew.

HUNGARY This braised chicken dish is based on a recipe we got from home cook Olga Kolozy. See the recipe for Chicken Paprikash »Todd Coleman

ENGLAND Made for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation lunch, in 1953, this curry powder- and mango chutney-laced chicken salad has been wildly popular in Britain ever since. See the recipe for Coronation Chicken Salad »Michael Kraus

TRANSYLVANIA This rustic, rib-sticking chicken stew is full of warming paprika, cumin, and chiles. Pair it with something starchy, like buttered potatoes or Romanian polenta with sour cream. See the recipe for Csirkepaprikas »Landon Nordeman

MOROCCO Onions stew until soft and sweet in this satisfying one-pot chicken dish flavored with saffron, turmeric, lemon, and olives. See the recipe for Djej Besla »Todd Coleman

GUAM Marinated with the traditional Guam-style sauce finadene, a blend of cane vinegar, soy sauce, and aromatics, this succulent grilled chicken is served with annatto-tinged red rice at the food cart PDX 671 in Portland, Oregon. See the recipe for Tininon Mannok Yan Hineska' Agaga »Todd Coleman

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES This deeply satisfying dish of spiced meat and creamy wheat berries is most often made with lamb, but it's particularly delicious when made with chicken. See the recipe for H'riss »Todd Coleman

ISRAEL A pita sandwich of griddled spiced meats and onions, this is one of Jerusalem's most beloved street foods. See the recipe for Jerusalem Mixed Grill »Penny De Los Santos

SENEGAL For this delicious, sumptuous peanut and chicken stew, you can make your own peanut butter or use a natural version, minus the stablizers and sugar found in many commercial brands, to get the right silky texture and pure peanut flavor. See the recipe for Mafe Ginaar »Todd Coleman

MEXICO Lighter and simpler than the nut-enriched moles of Puebla and Oaxaca, this Zacatecan version is made with fresh tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeños, and garlic. See the recipe for Mole Verde Zacatecano »Todd Coleman

COLOMBIA This recipe for a hearty soup made with cassava, beef, chicken, and pork is based on one in Secrets of Colombian Cooking by Patricia McCausland-Gallo. See the recipe for Puchero »Todd Coleman

PUERTO RICO This chicken and root soup, laden with starchy vegetables, makes for a truly hearty meal. See the recipe for Sancocho »Penny De Los Santos

Jamaican Jerk Chicken — Full of fiery chiles and warm spices, the all-purpose seasoning for this dish can be used as a rub on pork, goat, fish, and vegetables, as well as chicken.Todd Coleman

Chicken and Scallion Skewers with Yakitori Sauce (Negima Yakitori) — These simple chicken and scallion skewers gain loads of flavor from a basting of homemade yakitori sauce, a versatile marinade for most any meat or vegetable. Get the recipe for Chicken and Scallion Skewers with Yakitori Sauce (Negima Yakitori) »Todd Coleman

Guatemalan Composed Salad (Fiambre) — Fiambre, which means "served cold," is only eaten in Guatemala on All Saint's Day.Todd Coleman

This flavorful chicken curry is a braise in reverse: The chicken is cooked in coconut milk flavored with spices and begins to brown when most of the liquid cooks away, creating a beautifully caramelized exterior. See the recipe for Rendang Ayam »Todd Coleman

Honey-Dill Dipping Sauce — Mayonnaise with honey and dill makes an awesome dipping sauce for chicken fingers.Todd Coleman

PHILIPPINES The preparation for this chicken dish is endlessly adaptable, and nearly every Philippine cook prepares adobo in a slightly different way. Though some add soy sauce to deepen the color of the dish, we followed Lucia Mallari's method, which omits that ingredient. See the recipe for Chicken Adobo »Landon Nordeman

TAIWAN Mild and faintly sweet, Chinese rice wine is the standard cooking liquid and sauce for this sesame oil chicken dish. See the recipe for Ma You Ji »Christie Johnston

Poulet Creole — This traditional stewed chicken dish owes its bright, spicy kick to a marinade with fiery Scotch bonnet peppers.Todd Coleman

GREECE Thessaloniki chef Aglaia Patronaki showed us how to make this delicious, herb-strewn, skillet-braised chicken dish. See the recipe for Kotopoulo me Dendrolivano »Todd Coleman

Chicken Stewed in Coconut Milk (Kuku Wa Nazi) — Coconut milk is used in chicken stews from Southeast Asia to Africa, from which this fragrant dish hails.James Fisher

PERU The brightly colored and intensely fruity Andean pepper known as aji amarillo gives this traditional stew a bold but nuanced character, enhanced by the addition of pisco, a Peruvian grape brandy similar to white rum, and by allowing the chicken to marinate overnight before it's cooked.André Baranowski

CHINA The chicken in this stir-fry is coated in a mixture of egg white and cornstarch before cooking--a technique called velveting (see Smooth Move)--to preserve its succulence. See the recipe for Jiyou Jun Chao Ji »Todd Coleman

INDONESIA In this dish, based on one in SAVEUR editor-in-chief James Oseland's Cradle of Flavor, cinnamon and lemongrass give the silky sauce fragrance and spice. See the recipe for Indonesian Chicken Curry »Andre Baranowski

ITALY Galliano, an Italian liqueur flavored with 30 herbs and spices, including anise and vanilla, gives the sauce for these stuffed chicken breasts a complex sweetness.Todd Coleman

Murgh Makhanwala (Butter Chicken) — Redolent of ginger and garam masala, this lively main course can be prepared a day in advance, which makes it a terrific dish for a party.Todd Coleman

THAILAND The recipe for this spicy panang chicken curry dish comes from chef Saipin Chutima, of the Las Vegas restaurant Lotus of Siam. See the recipe for Gaeng Panang Gai »Todd Coleman

Chicken and Walnut Stew (Khoresht-e Fesenjan) — Pomegranate molasses and walnuts bring sweet, sour, and bitter notes to this classic stew.Todd Coleman

NORTHEAST, U.S. These classic chicken-stuffed dumplings are a Jewish holiday favorite. See the recipe for Kreplach Soup »Todd Coleman

Puffy Chicken Tacos — Corn or flour tortillas that are deep-fried until they puff are a specialty of San Antonio's Tex-Mex cuisine.Todd Coleman

SOUTHWEST, U.S. Los Angeles's Brown Derby closed its doors long ago, but this classic salad, invented in 1937 by the restaurant's owner, Robert H. Cobb, lives on. See the recipe for Cobb Salad »**André Baranowski

MIDWEST, U.S. This garlicky chicken dish is a specialty of Chicago's Italian-American restaurants. See the recipe for Chicken Vesuvio »**Todd Coleman

SOUTHEAST, U.S. Simply seasoned and fried, with a thin, crisp coating and tender, juicy meat, the fried chicken at Martha Lou's Kitchen is some of the best we've ever tasted. See the recipe for Fried Chicken »**Todd Coleman

Raclette has a delightful nutty flavor and melts perfectly over potatoes, vegetables, or, as in this recipe, works as a great stuffing for chicken. Get the recipe for Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Raclette, Herbs and Prosciutto »André Baranowski

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