Recipe#26761

Title: Chicken Spaghetti

rec.food.recipes archive

Spicy Cajun Chicken Spaghetti
Serves 6
 
6 quarts hot water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 pounds fresh spaghetti, or 1 pound dry
 
SEASONING MIX:
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 1/4 teaspoons ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
1 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sweet basil leaves
 
1 pound plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, in all
1 cup very finely chopped onions
4 medium-size garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 1/4 cups, in all, Rich Chicken Stock
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 (16-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups very finely chopped green onions, in all
 
CHICKEN SEASONING MIX:
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried sweet basil leaves
 
2 pounds boneless chicken (light and dark meat), cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
 
Place the hot water, oil and salt in a large pot over high heat;
cover and bring to a boil.  When water reaches a rolling boil, add
small amounts of spaghetti at a time to the pot, breaking up oil
patches as you drop spaghetti in.  Return to boiling and cook to
al dente stage (about 4 minutes if fresh, 7 minutes if dry); do
not overcook.
 
Then immediately drain spaghetti into a colander; stop cooking
process by running cold water over strands.  After the pasta has
cooled thoroughly, about 2 to 3 minutes, pour a liberal amount of
vegetable oil in your hands and toss spaghetti.  Set aside still
in the colander.
 
Meanwhile, thoroughly combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a
small bowl and set aside.
 
In a 4-quart saucepan, combine 1 1/2 sticks of the butter, the
onions and garlic cloves; saute over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally.  Add the minced garlic and the seasoning mix; continue
cooking over medium heat until the onions are dark brown but not
burned, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often.  Add 2 1/2 cups of
the stock, the Worcestershire and Tabasco; bring to a fast simmer
and cook about 8 minutes, stirring often.  Stir in the tomato sauce
and bring mixture to a boil.  Then stir in the sugar and 1 cup of
the green onions; gently simmer uncovered about 40 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
 
Heat the serving plates in a 250 degree oven.  Combine the ingredients
of the chicken seasoning mix in a small bowl; mix well.  Sprinkle
over the chicken, rubbing it in with your hands.  In a large skillet
melt 1 1/2 sticks of the butter over medium heat.  Add the remaining
1 cup green onions and saute over high heat about 3 minutes.  Add
the chicken and continue cooking 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
When the tomato sauce has simmered about 40 minutes, stir in the
chicken mixture and heat through.  To finish the dish, for each
serving melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium
heat.  Add one-sixth of the cooked spaghetti (a bit less than a
2-cup measure); heat spaghetti 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add
1 1/4 cups chicken and sauce and 2 tablespoons of remaining stock;
heat thoroughly, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat.  Roll
spaghetti on a large fork and lift onto a heated serving plate.
Repeat process for remaining servings.