Chicken is versatile as an entree, suitable for almost every cooking method, any style or cuisine, and whatever side dishes you want to put with it. On one hand, that means a great deal of freedom when you're planning a meal. On the other hand, the very wealth of options can be intimidating at times. Just choosing appropriate vegetables for a given dish can be a daunting task.
Roasted
Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness, and makes them a natural accompaniment to roasted chicken dishes, as well as many slow-cooked chicken meals served with baked or mashed potatoes. Roasting works well with root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, turnips or rutabagas, potatoes or sweet potatoes, and with pumpkin or winter squash. Less-obvious vegetables include eggplants, which you can roast whole, or zucchini and other summer squash, which you should lightly oil before roasting to help them caramelize. Blanched cauliflower, lightly oiled and salted before roasting, has a fine flavor that complements chicken.
Grilled
The light, clean flavors of grilled vegetables make them a good choice for grilled or broiled chicken dishes, especially those like kebabs, which are typically served with rice. Bell peppers and mild chilies are especially sweet after grilling -- and it's also easier to remove their skins. You should oil eggplants, mushrooms and zucchini or other summer squash first, then grill them until tender. Par-cook a fennel bulb until almost tender, then quarter and oil it and grill the wedges. You can also grill leeks and romaine lettuce hearts and serve them with chicken.
Steamed or Boiled
You can use steamed vegetables with grilled, baked or poached chicken dishes. They're naturally low-fat, which makes them a good choice to accompany boneless, skinless breasts in many dishes. Choose sweet, delicately flavored vegetables such as baby carrots, snow peas, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower or fresh green beans for steaming. Boiled vegetables, with their soft texture, go well with stewed or braised chicken dishes. Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and turnips or rutabagas are all traditional choices. However radishes, celery root, parsley root or diced winter squash are also good.
Stir-fried or Sauteed
Stir-fried or sauteed vegetables are best with chicken dishes in which you cook the chicken diced or in serving pieces, alongside pasta, noodles or rice. These vegetables are generally cooked lightly enough to retain color and some of the crunch, so remember to select for temperature as well as color and flavor. Chopped greens stir-fry well with chicken, and the stems of bok choy or chard provide a contrasting texture and flavor. Bell peppers, leeks, green onions, summer squash and similar gourds, blanched green beans, snow peas and shredded carrots are all excellent choices.
References
- "Professional Cooking": Wayne Gisslen
- "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen"; Harold McGee
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