Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Recipe
Yield: 1 infoRecipe by luhu.jp
Ingredients:
None,
Directions:
To get moist, mouthwatering chicken breast, you have to start with
good chicken, give it a flavor boost, then cook it carefully to keep
it tender and juicy.
Buy the best chicken you can find. Chicken breasts range in color
form deep yellow to pinkish white. The color itself isnt as
important as its consistency. Look for breasts with a uniform color
and no bruises. Breasts should look moist, not dried out, which can
signify age.
Prepping boneless, skinless chicken breasts is quick work. Sometimes
the breasts are whole, meaning theres two halves attached by yellow
cartilage. Many recipes call for cooking the halves separately.
Before you start any recipe, heres what to do:
~ Give the breasts a quick rinse under cold water and pat them dry
with paper towels.
~ Separate the breast halves, if necessary, by cutting through the
meat just to the side of but close to the tough, yellowish cartilage
that holds them together. Discard the cartilage.
~ Trim the remaining fat on the breast with a sharp knife.
~ Remove the tenderloin or leave it attached as desired.
Flattening the chicken breasts makes them more attractive and allows
them to cook more evenly. Put the breasts between two sheets of
plastic wrap and pound them with a mallet. Pound a little to thin the
thicker end; pound more to make the breast uniformly thin for
rolling. When cutting strip, chunks, and medallion, flatten the
breasts slightly and freeze for about 15 minutes to make them firmer,
less slippery, and easier to slice.
Seasoning is crucial because chicken breast is so mild. At the very
least, it needs salt and pepper. Use at least 1/4 tsp salt and a few
turns of freshly ground pepper to properly season each breast. In
addition, there are many flavorings and seasonings that the breast
can absorb through marinades, rubs, and coatings.
Marinating adds flavor and moisture by submerging the breasts in a
seasoned liquid. When making a marinade, use just enough liquid to
keep the chicken wet. Prick the chickens flesh before marinating it
so the flavors can easily penetrate. You can use the marinade to
baste the breasts while cooking and to make a sauce. Make sure you
boil the marinade if you serve it as a sauce to kill any salmonella
bacteria. To make a marinade, combine the marinade ingredients in a
nonreactive dish or a zip-lock bag. Turn the breasts during
marinating to distribute the flavors evenly. For best results,
marinate for 4-5 hours in the refrigerator.
A dry marinade, or spice rub, uses very little liquid and lots of
spices and herbs to create a thick paste to smear on the breasts. A
spice rub imparts intense flavor in a short time, and helps keep
moisture in by gibing the chicken a slight crust. To make a spice
rub, combine the spice rub ingredients, then smear the rub on the
chicken. One way to do this is to put everything in a zip-lock bag
and massage the dry marinade onto the chicken. Spice rubs need less
time than wet marinades; 2-4 hours should do.
Use coatings for crunch. Breadcrumbs are the most common coating, but
chopped nuts, herbs, hard cheeses, cornmeal, or any combination of
these work well. To bind the coating, dip the chicken in a liquid,
such as melted butter, beaten eggs, or milk, before dredging it in
the coating. Refrigerate the coated chicken for 20 minutes before
cooking to help the coating adhere. Coated chicken breasts are best
sauteed.
Fine Cooking
Oct-Nov 1995
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 11-11-95
Source from luhu.jp
good chicken, give it a flavor boost, then cook it carefully to keep
it tender and juicy.
Buy the best chicken you can find. Chicken breasts range in color
form deep yellow to pinkish white. The color itself isnt as
important as its consistency. Look for breasts with a uniform color
and no bruises. Breasts should look moist, not dried out, which can
signify age.
Prepping boneless, skinless chicken breasts is quick work. Sometimes
the breasts are whole, meaning theres two halves attached by yellow
cartilage. Many recipes call for cooking the halves separately.
Before you start any recipe, heres what to do:
~ Give the breasts a quick rinse under cold water and pat them dry
with paper towels.
~ Separate the breast halves, if necessary, by cutting through the
meat just to the side of but close to the tough, yellowish cartilage
that holds them together. Discard the cartilage.
~ Trim the remaining fat on the breast with a sharp knife.
~ Remove the tenderloin or leave it attached as desired.
Flattening the chicken breasts makes them more attractive and allows
them to cook more evenly. Put the breasts between two sheets of
plastic wrap and pound them with a mallet. Pound a little to thin the
thicker end; pound more to make the breast uniformly thin for
rolling. When cutting strip, chunks, and medallion, flatten the
breasts slightly and freeze for about 15 minutes to make them firmer,
less slippery, and easier to slice.
Seasoning is crucial because chicken breast is so mild. At the very
least, it needs salt and pepper. Use at least 1/4 tsp salt and a few
turns of freshly ground pepper to properly season each breast. In
addition, there are many flavorings and seasonings that the breast
can absorb through marinades, rubs, and coatings.
Marinating adds flavor and moisture by submerging the breasts in a
seasoned liquid. When making a marinade, use just enough liquid to
keep the chicken wet. Prick the chickens flesh before marinating it
so the flavors can easily penetrate. You can use the marinade to
baste the breasts while cooking and to make a sauce. Make sure you
boil the marinade if you serve it as a sauce to kill any salmonella
bacteria. To make a marinade, combine the marinade ingredients in a
nonreactive dish or a zip-lock bag. Turn the breasts during
marinating to distribute the flavors evenly. For best results,
marinate for 4-5 hours in the refrigerator.
A dry marinade, or spice rub, uses very little liquid and lots of
spices and herbs to create a thick paste to smear on the breasts. A
spice rub imparts intense flavor in a short time, and helps keep
moisture in by gibing the chicken a slight crust. To make a spice
rub, combine the spice rub ingredients, then smear the rub on the
chicken. One way to do this is to put everything in a zip-lock bag
and massage the dry marinade onto the chicken. Spice rubs need less
time than wet marinades; 2-4 hours should do.
Use coatings for crunch. Breadcrumbs are the most common coating, but
chopped nuts, herbs, hard cheeses, cornmeal, or any combination of
these work well. To bind the coating, dip the chicken in a liquid,
such as melted butter, beaten eggs, or milk, before dredging it in
the coating. Refrigerate the coated chicken for 20 minutes before
cooking to help the coating adhere. Coated chicken breasts are best
sauteed.
Fine Cooking
Oct-Nov 1995
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 11-11-95
Source from luhu.jp