Chicken in the Jug

Yesterday while at my nephew's birthday party, I mentioned that I was having people over for dinner last night. My sister-in-law's sister (no actual relation to me I guess) asked what I was serving. I casually said, "Chicken in the Jug, roasted sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli, and rolls." She stopped me and said, "Chicken in the Jug?" A fairly normal reaction to the name, but I'm so used to it I forget it's not commonplace for most people.

I really can't believe I've never posted this recipe here before (and I apologize to sister of SIL because I really thought I had!). 

Here's how the original recipe looked years ago when my mother got it from some little old lady at the country church my father pastored.

1/4 lb. butter, melted
the juice of one lemon
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce 
chicken

Put skinned, cleaned chicken in a deep oven-proof jug. Place foil over top, then place cover on jug. Cook for 2 hours in a 300 degree oven.

A little vague in some areas, and most of my friends don't have jugs to cook in, so here's my version.

1 stick butter, melted
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 lbs. chicken pieces, preferably skinned and boned

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together butter, juice, and sauce. Pour over chicken and cover casserole tightly with aluminum foil. If you have a casserole with a lid, follow the original instructions and use the foil and lid. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the cut of chicken used. Do not over bake as the acid in the juice and sauce may cause the chicken to dry out.

That's it. This recipe can be done in a slow cooker, but watch your time if you use the high setting. It can dry out in there as well. The sauce tastes great on pork as well.

I usually serve this with rice or grits, but last night I tried roasted sweet potatoes. Leftovers are great thinly sliced and served on a salad.

Happy eating!


linking up with Made by You Monday