The Very Versatile Chicken Breast
A very long time ago the great culinarian Jean Anthelme Brillat Savarin wrote…
“Poultry is for cookery what canvas is for painting, and the cap of Fortunatus for the charlatans. It is served to us boiled, roast, hot or cold, whole or in portions, with or without sauce, and always with equal success”
Of all the poultry, I think this is most true for chicken breasts. They are a blank slate that can be prepared so many delicious ways. The cap of Fortunatus could transport the wearer anywhere they desired and so, too, can a chicken breast take the preparer to many great culinary places. Chicken breasts are truly one of the most versatile protein sources that are also really easy to cook. With a little inspiration WOW moments are never far away. Here are 3 easy ways to create great dishes with chicken breasts. But don’t stop here! Each of these recipes can be taken to new heights!
- 2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts – split and flattened with a meat mallet (ask your butcher to do this for you!)
- ¼ pound prosciutto ham, sliced thin.
- 12 whole basil leaves
- Fresh, grated Parmesan cheese
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Separate and Lay out flattened chicken breasts on a baking pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Place a layer of ham on top of each fully covering the chicken breast.
- Place 3 basil leaves on top of the ham. Season each with a little salt and pepper.
- Roll up the chicken breasts capturing the ham and basil.
- Coat the rolled up chicken breasts with olive oil.
- Sprinkle the chicken breasts generously with parmesan and black pepper.
- Bake rolled up chicken breasts until the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 165F.
- If the cheese has not browned, turn the broiler on and brown the cheese on top until crisp.
- Serve hot. For an added touch serve with a little tomato sauce on top.
- 16 cups water
- ½ cup salt
- A handful of basil leaves or other favorite herb.
- 10 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 4 chicken breasts
- mayonnaise
- 1 jar of sun dried Tomato in oil
- 1 Jar of artichoke hearts
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
- In a large pot, mix water and salt until salt is fully dissolved. Add garlic and basil. Put a steamer basket in the pot.
- Add the chicken breasts and let soak for 30 minutes.
- Bring the water to a simmer. When the temperature of the water reads 170F on an instant read thermometer, reduce the heat to low. The idea is to maintain the water temperature at 170F until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F
- When the chicken in done remove it from the water and let cool. Slice the chicken breasts into chunks.
- Dice artichoke and sun dried tomato. To your desired taste, add the artichoke and sun dried tomato to the chicken.
- Add just enough mayonnaise to bind the ingredients.
- Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with crusty bread and a nice soup!
- This is a great leftover chicken recipe, too. Simply omit the poaching if you have leftover chicken and mix the chicken right into the mayonnaise.
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp mild paprika or spicy chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 whole chicken breasts, cut into tenders or bite size chunks
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- Salt and Pepper
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- In sealable plastic bag blend the first 6 ingredients (Or mix the butter milk with your favorite spice blend).
- Add the chicken breasts and soak for at least an hour.
- In a bowl or 9×9 pan, mix the flour and baking powder.
- Season the flour lightly with salt and pepper.
- Drain the chicken well. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.
- Heat oil in a heavy pot appropriate for frying (like a dutch oven) or deep fryer to 350F.
- Shake off the excess flour and deep fry the chicken breasts until golden brown 5-8 minutes. Remove a piece and check for doneness as the time will depend on thickness of the chicken. Adjust frying time as needed. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve hot with dipping sauces.
There is tons you can do with chicken breasts – they truly are a blank canvas! Heck, you could also just rub them with chili powder, brown sugar, salt and pepper and grill ’em up. Served on a salad with a cool ranch dressing and chilli rubbed chicken breasts can take you to the heights of WOW and YUM!
There is no end to where chicken breasts can take you! They are indeed the culinary version of Fortunatus’ cap. With small modifications to these recipes they can be remade into soothing new – a different ham in the roll up, fontina cheese in the roll up, fresh peas or roasted vegetables in the chicken salad, mint, basil and cilantro in the brine for the tenders. The list goes on and on and I am sure they will always be served “with equal success!”.
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
How do you make your chicken breasts? What tips and tricks do you have to share with us??Let us know in the comments or on Facebook.
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