Heirloom Recipes: Nana’s Hawaiian Chicken

The best part about family recipes that have been passed down may not always be the actual recipe. Sometimes, it is the memory the recipe invokes. Growing up, I remember going to my Nana’s house frequently for dinner, sometimes with just my family and sometimes with my aunts, uncles and cousins.

I’ve got to say, my Nana could cook. Although there would be times she’d serve us something experimental and completely bizarre, we could most often look forward to a wonderful, creative meal cooked from scratch with extra love added to every dish; she was just that kind of lady.

I think the recipe I remember having most often is her Hawaiian Chicken. For better or for worse, I loved it. Whether it was the sweet pineapple chunks or the syrupy sauce that drenched the rice, it was always a hit.

Nana’s Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients:

• chicken pieces to serve 4 (you can chose boneless skinless or bone-in)
• enough corn starch, paprika and salt to shake the chicken in
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 stalks celery, cut on the diagonal
• 1 can pineapple chunks in juice; drain and reserve juice
• 1 can mushrooms, drain and reserve juice
• 1-2 green peppers, chopped

For the sauce, combine liquids with water to make 2 cups:

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• reserved pineapple and mushroom juice
• 3-4 tablespoons cornstarch with some liquid to make gravy (reserve until the end)

Saute chicken in 1/2 butter  1/2 olive oil until brown, then simmer in liquid sauce until tender (about 20 min). Remove chicken and place vegetables in the pan, then place the chicken on top and simmer for 10 more minutes. Remove chicken and vegetables and add corstarch / liquid mixture to sauce in pan and simmer for five minutes.  Pour sauce over chicken / vegetables and serve over cooked rice.

Now, in all honesty, I don’t remember canned mushrooms, so my guess is she either left them out or used fresh. And I sort of remember onions in there too. Regardless, you can alter the recipe any which way you like, but you won’t be able to get the memories I have that are attached to this dish that make it taste even better.

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Feb 20, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT