There are so many layers to this dish!
I’ll start with the chicken. I think this dish would have been nicer if I had used de-boned chicken. It was tricky to eat with the bones. I think nice large chicken breasts would have worked just as nice.
The chicken does have a nice coating with the flour. This helped lock in the moisture. The chicken was juicy and perfectly seasoned.
Shredding the pineapple was a little more difficult than I expected. I think this was because my pineapple was super ripe.
I wouldn’t say that was a bad thing though. The fruit was very sweet and absolutely delicious!
I am not sure what the point of the dry mustard was. I don’t think it added all that much.
The coconut cooks very nicely. It is soft, not crisp at the end of cooking time.
I do wish I had grated the ginger in larger pieces. The flavor of it disappeared a bit being grated so small.
The soy sauce and chicken broth blend well to make a nice savory sauce. The pineapple also adds some acidity to the sauce. It isn’t really pineapple juice, but you do get a hint of the pineapple.
The presentation was the crazy part. I kind of think I should have left the plumage on the pineapple halves. As I cut them, the sauce did not stay on the rice.
But, my husband was impressed when I served the dinner. I made quite the impression!
CHICKEN HAWAIIAN
1 Fresh Pineapple
1 Fresh Young Chicken
1/3 Cup Flour
1/4 Pound Butter
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut
Pinch Dry Mustard
1 Tablespoon Grated Fresh Ginger
1 Ounce Soy Sauce
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup Rice
Cut pineapple in half, dig out the fruit leaving the shell intact. Reserve both. Cut chicken into four parts. Coat the chicken with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry in butter. Drain and place in a greased casserole. Grate the pineapple pulp over the chicken. Sprinkle with coconut and dry mustard. Add fresh ginger, soy sauce and salt to taste. Pour the chicken broth over all. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. While chicken is baking, prepare the rice. Boil in 1 cup salted water until tender. When chicken is done, line the pineapple halves with steamed rice. Arrange chicken and sauce over the top.
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