Did somebody say, "Cluck"?

When Herbert Hoover promised a chicken in every pot in 1928, he probably had no idea how prophetic the pledge would be. Today, Americans are gobbling up an increasing amount of the versatile bird -- and not just in the proverbial pot.

Since 1968 when we consumed 37 pounds of chicken per person per year, we have broiled, roasted, grilled, fried, sauteed, poached, microwaved, stir-fried and stewed our way through an additional 37 pounds of white and dark meat a person for 74 pounds of plump poultry on our plates annually.

And cookbook authors have taken notice. More and more chicken how-to's are arriving on the publishing scene every day. Neither Publishers Weekly nor the American Booksellers Association tracks the number of chicken books on the market, but just check the stores. There are plenty.

"We're delighted to see the outstanding number of cookbooks," says Richard L. Lobb, spokesman for the Washington-based National Chicken Council, an industry group. "If you feel chicken fatigue setting in, you can pull down one of the cookbooks."

In recent months, several new ones have come to roost -- from "Fried Chicken" (Broadway Books, 1999) by Damon Lee Fowler, "Monday to Friday Chicken" (Workman, 1998) by Michele Urvater, "Chicken" (Chronicle, 1999) by Elaine Corn, "Wings Across America" (Carol Publishing Group, 1999) by Armand C. Vanderstigchel, "Empire Kosher Chicken Cookbook" (Clarkson Potter, 1999) by Katja Goldman and Arthur Boehm, and many others focusing on the ubiquitous bird.

That doesn't even include generic books with whole chapters dedicated to the roaster. Or the Internet, where you can scratch up recipes on Web sites like the Chicken Council's www.eatchicken.com.

"There are probably more things you can do with chicken compared with any other protein," Lobb says. "You can have a chicken dish every day of the year."

Urvater targeted the hectic workweek with her cookbook, offering strategies for the harried home cook. Some of the recipes can be ready in 30 minutes. Others need weekend preparation, so leftovers will be available for the daily grind.

Featuring chicken made sense.

"It's America's favorite food," says the New York chef. "You can use it like a blank canvas."

Urvater creates a poulet palette with such dishes as Pretty Fast Chicken Gumbo, Florida-Style Grilled Chicken Salad, Chicken Reuben Sandwich, and Chicken With Tomatoes and Basil.

She recommends keeping the freezer stocked with various chicken cuts, including skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets; tenderloins cut into strips; and ground chicken. Her pantry is stocked with pasta, grains, various oils, seasonings, condiments such as hoisin sauce and spaghetti sauce, and refrigerator items like carrots, yogurt and cheese to turn around quick meals.

Fowler focuses on frying in his book -- a technique that has been snubbed in recent years. "I think people are still scared of it for lots of reasons," says the Savannah, Ga., resident. "I hope people realize fried doesn't necessarily mean high fat."

He gives step-by-step instructions for deep-frying and offers recipes from around the world, including our own Maryland Fried Chicken.

Fowler says he searched several 19th- and 20th-century cookbooks before choosing the version in the book. "This one stood out," he says. "It seemed to be universal."

He pairs it with a wonderful gravy -- made with an indulgent 2 cups of whole milk -- for an old-fashioned meal that brings to mind dinners with Aunt Bea, June Cleaver and Harriet Nelson.

But, reminds Lobb, "The humble chicken has gone far beyond fried chicken."

Veteran cookbook author Elaine Corn takes a seasonal approach in her newest book, pairing available produce with poultry to come up with 150 recipes, such as Grilled India Spice Thighs; Chicken Breasts With Garlic, Orange and Kiwifruits; and Asparagus Chicken With Ginger and Black Bean Sauce.

"Chicken is so neutral," says the California resident-turned-restaurateur. "You really can't exhaust chicken."

Maryland Fried Chicken

Serves 4

1 frying chicken, weighing no more than 3 pounds, cut up for frying

salt and freshly milled black pepper

lard or vegetable oil, for frying

1 cup all-purpose flour

Cream Gravy (recipe follows)

Wash the chicken, pat dry and sprinkle liberally with salt and a few grindings of pepper. Set aside.

Choose a deep, lidded cast-iron skillet that will hold all the chicken in one layer without crowding it. Fill with enough lard or oil to come about 1/2 inch up the sides. Over medium-high heat, bring the fat to 365 degrees to 375 degrees (hot but not smoking).

Beginning with the dark meat, roll the chicken in the flour, shake off the excess, and slip the pieces into the fat. When the chicken is all in the pan, cover it and fry until the bottoms are nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Turn, cover and brown the second side.

Reduce the heat to medium (325 degrees). Carefully spoon off most of the fat into a heat-proof container, leaving about 1/8 inch of fat in the pan. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan, cover and cook, turning the chicken once, until tender and all the liquid is evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes.

Line a platter or cookie sheet with absorbent paper. Remove the chicken and drain it briefly on the paper, then transfer it to a warm serving platter. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat and make the gravy. Serve hot with the gravy passed separately.

-- From "Fried Chicken"

Cream Gravy (Milk Pan Gravy)

Makes 2 cups

2 tablespoons pan drippings from frying chicken, left in the skillet along with the solid cooking residue

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, at room temperature

salt and freshly milled black pepper

Place the skillet in which you fried the chicken and left 2 tablespoons pan drippings over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the fat and blend it into the fat with a wooden spoon or whisk until it is smooth. Whisking or stirring constantly, slowly pour in the milk. Continue stirring, scraping loose the cooking residue that may be stuck tto the skillet, until the gravy begins to boil and thicken. Season the gravy with a pinch or so of salt and a few liberal grindings of black pepper.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is as thick as you like it and the flour has lost its raw, pasty taste, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Serve hot.

-- From "Fried Chicken"

Florida-Style Grilled Chicken Salad

Serves 4

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken (breasts or thighs)

juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt

2 ripe mangoes

4 Kirby or 2 regular cucumbers

2 Haas avocados

freshly ground black pepper

1 scallion, trimmed

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Trim the chicken of fat, and if the pieces are thicker than 1/2 inch, pound them between sheets of plastic wrap until they are more uniformly even. Combine half of the lime juice with the cumin and 1 teaspoon salt, and rub this over the chicken.

Preheat the broiler or a stove-top grill over high heat.

While this is heating, peel the mangoes, cut them into 1/2-inch dice, and place them in a mixing bowl.

Broil or grill the chicken until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side (depending upon the cut you are using). While the chicken is cooking, peel the cucumbers and cut them into thin slices (if you are using regular cucumbers, seed them before slicing) and add them to the mangoes.

Peel and pit the avocados, and cut into 1/2-inch dice; add them to the mangoes and cucumbers. Combine the remaining lime juice with the mango mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board to cool for 5 minutes. Cut the scallion (white and green parts) into chunks. Puree the oil, cilantro, scallion and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Season well with salt and pepper. Cut the cooled chicken across the grain, on the diagonal, into thin slices.

To assemble, transfer some of the mango mixture to each plate, fan the chicken slices over it, and spoon the cilantro vinaigrette over the chicken. Serve at room temperature.

-- From "Monday to Friday Chicken"

Asparagus Chicken With Ginger and Black Bean Sauce

Serves 4

ONE-STEP SAUCE:

1 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 tablespoons bottled black bean sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

3 tablespoons dry sherry

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 boneless chicken breasts, skinned and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 onion, sliced

1-inch piece fresh ginger (about 1 ounce), peeled and minced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths

salt, if needed

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Heat a serving platter in a 150-degree oven.

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the one-step sauce, mixing well. Set aside.

Heat a wok or wide saute pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and continue heating until the oil shimmers.

Add the chicken and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Remove from the pan to a plate.

With the heat still on high, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, allow it to heat, and then add the onion and ginger. Stir-fry until the onion scarcely browns around the edges, about 1 minute.

Add the garlic and asparagus and give a few stirs. Return the chicken to the pan, tossing with the other ingredients.

Pour in the reserved sauce and bring quickly to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until aromatic vapors escape, about 1 minute.

Uncover and taste to see if you need to add a touch of salt. Quickly stir the cornstarch mixture, then add to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. Remove to the warmed serving platter and serve right away.

-- From " Chicken"

Pub Date: 04/28/99