Oh, the poor little chicken breast. The horrors we inflect on them, all in an effort to make sure they're safe to eat. What often happens is you end up with something overcooked, dry and tasteless. Had enough?
It doesn't take much to fix many of these problems, in fact, I'm just going to focus on the 3 things most people get wrong. Then I'll show you how to make a great pan sauce to go on it.
Make sure the breasts are dry before cooking. This helps to get a golden brown crust quickly so you don't have to cook them longer. The best way I've found is to pat them dry with paper towels and then dust with flour.
Get It Hot
The skillet and fat you’re cooking in have to be HOT. You want to lock in the moisture and brown them quickly so cooking them as fast as possible is the key.
Don't Overcook
Cook just until they reach 160 degrees F. Once they are off the heat they will climb in temperature to 165 and they’ll be safe to eat. Cooking any longer will only dry them out.
The Perfect Sautéed Chicken Breast
4 (6-ounce) chicken breasts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Trim chicken breasts of any fat and remove the tendon, if possible. Rinse under cold-running water and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
Heat oil and butter in an 8- or 9-inch skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts and just starts to brown. Carefully add chicken, thicker ends towards the center, and cook 4 minutes per side or until thermometer registers 160 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken. Remove and keep warm while making any of the following pan sauces.
Pan Sauces
Pan sauces are a quick and easy way to dress up simple chicken breasts. The browned bits in the bottom of the skillet add a tremendous amount of flavor so you want to make sure to NOT clean the skillet before making the sauce.
- Step #1- Sauté any minced aromatics (onions, shallots) in 1 tablespoon of leftover fat in the skillet until tender, about 3 minutes.
- Step #2 - Add 1 to 11/2 cups liquid (wine, stock, broth, juices) and simmer until reduced by 3/4.
- Step #3 - Stir in flavorings (garlic, herbs, spices) and cook about 30 seconds to quickly flavor the reduced liquid.
- Step #4 - Remove the pan from the heat and stir in additional fat (margarine or if you're not lactose intolerent you can use butter or heavy cream. If using heavy cream avoid pairing it with highly acidic ingredients, like lemon.)
I’ve included a number of variations to help you get started but feel free to experiment and try your own combinations with what you have on hand.
Lemon Caper Pan Sauce
Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup minced sweet onion or shallot and cook 3 minutes. Add 1 cup dry white wine, 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon capers and 1 teaspoon lemon zest and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons dairy-free margarine or olive oil.
Port Wine Pan Sauce
Remove all fat from skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups Port wine and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons dairy-free margarine or olive oil.
Fig and Honey Pan Sauce
Remove fat from skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups dry white wine and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add 1 cup dried figs cut in quarters, 2 tablespoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons dairy-free margarine or olive oil.
Spicy Asian Pan Sauce
Remove all fat from skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add 1 cup chicken stock or broth and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes and cook 30 seconds. Stir in 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce and bring to a simmer.
ooooohhh, now I see my mistake. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Posted by: kitchen designs | 03/09/2012 at 12:12 AM