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Hawaiian Chicken and Pineapple Casserole

Source of Recipe

From "Crazy for Casseroles" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"One of my most exciting ventures was a visit to a pineapple field on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, which is still the center of the industry. Traditionally, shoots are planted by hand in holes punched through vast sheets of tar paper used to raise the soil temperature and conserve moisture, a laborious procedure but one that produces some 700,000 tons of pineapple annually. And if you ever wonder why fresh pineapples are so expensive, remember that it takes a plant twenty months to bear a single fruit. This casserole couldn't be more typical of the dishes found in the restaurants and hotels of Oahu, and it's almost obligatory that you use fresh pineapple. Cleaning a truly ripe pineapple should produce the ½ cup of juice needed, but, if not, use canned juice. Also, if you find fresh shiitake or enoki mushrooms, you might consider substituting them for the cultivated ones since they yield more flavor."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ¼ cup vegetable oil
â—¦ One 3- to 3 ½-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
â—¦ 1 large onion, thinly sliced
â—¦ 1 medium-size green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
â—¦ 1 medium-size red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
â—¦ 12 fresh mushrooms, sliced
â—¦ Salt and black pepper to taste
â—¦ ½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into small chunks
â—¦ ¼ cup soy sauce
â—¦ 1 tablespoon honey
â—¦ ½ cup pineapple juice
â—¦ ½ cup semisweet white wine


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 2- to 2 ½-quart casserole and set aside.

In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat, add the chicken, brown lightly on all sides, and transfer to a plate. Add the onion, both bell peppers, and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and stir till softened, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat.

Layer half the vegetables and half the pineapple chunks over the bottom of the prepared casserole, removing the other half of the vegetables from the heat. Arrange the chicken pieces over the vegetables and pineapple. Mix the soy sauce and honey together in a small bowl and brush the pieces with the mixture. Layer the remaining vegetables and pineapple over the chicken. Mix the pineapple juice and wine together in a small mixing bowl, pour evenly over the top, cover, and bake till the chicken is tender, about 1 hour.

Makes 4 to 6 servings