This post is written for my Facebook Page: Mom the Kitchen Coach; Basics in Cooking and Baking for My Millennials
this browning effect is what’s called a “sear”. It is the first step in cooking many meat dishes, some seafood and some plant-based proteins as well.
My kids most often want something that can be prepared fast and with a minimum of “intervention”. They turn to boneless chicken breasts. You can too. It is easy and you can make a fast and delicious entrée with just a few add ons. The trickiest part here is to make sure your chicken is properly cooked all the way through but is still tender and flavorful.
Here’s how:
You need:
one to two boneless chicken breast pieces (halves), either regular thickness
your 10″ skillet
one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper
an instant-read thermometer (optional, but very handy)
Instructions:
- Heat one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat until warm and close to shimmering. Depending on your stovetop, this will take 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. The pan should sizzle when you add the chicken. Turn the chicken breast over, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Your chicken may not be fully cooked at this point. To be done, it should read 165F on your instant-read thermometer or, when pricked with a fork, the juices should run clear and not be at all pink-colored.
- To finish your dish, remove the chicken from the pan onto a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Your chicken breasts should look like those above.
Now, you can easily make a simple pan sauce and have this for dinner!
Piccata Style with Shallots- Shallot is not common with piccata, but I like it better with it.
you will need:
one small shallot
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
one tblsp butter
one lemon
one bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
one bottle of capers
1. sauté, (cook over low heat) one small sliced shallot (about a tablespoon) until
softened, about 1 minute
2. scoop the shallot out with a slotted spoon, pour out any remaining fat and discard.
3. add to the pan 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth and cook over medium heat until volume is
reduced by one half
4. add juice of 1/2 lemon, the sautéed shallots, a handful of chopped fresh Italian
parsley and a tablespoon of butter, if desired. Continue to cook until sauce begins to thicken. Do not let the pan get too hot if you have added the butter – turn it down to medium-low.
5. Add a tablespoon of drained and rinsed capers and warm through.
6. Add the chicken back to the pan, including any accumulated juices from the dish. Heat through, turning your chicken over to coat with the sauce. Adjust the salt and pepper. Cover the pan and let the chicken finish cooking to 165F or until the juices run perfectly clear. The chicken should feel firm to the touch when you touch it with your finger at the thickest point. If you have any questions about the chicken being cooked through, and you don’t have the thermometer, simply cut into the center of the chicken where it is thickest and take a look. The chicken should be a uniform color of warm white, not at all pink, but still juicy. As an alternative, you can place the chicken in a pre-heated oven 350F. (on the dish – make sure it’s ovenproof, while it is covered with the aluminum foil) for the time you take to make the pan sauce. It should be cooked through by the time your sauce is done.
Hope you like it!
Variation: You can do this exact same method with a piece veal scaloppine or fish – like sole, for example – just adjust your cooking time, not cooking the veal or sole for more than 1 minute per side in the first step. You may want to dip your veal or sole in flour before cooking; as you can also do with the chicken.
Serve with my favorite Kale Salad – Chiffonade kale leaves (wash, take out the vein and slice into thin strips). Add into bowl with a handful of toasted pignoli nuts, some lemon juice and olive oil. Top with parmesan cheese curls.
A NOTE ABOUT STOVETOP HEAT: I happen to have a Garland gas range in my kitchen. It has a very high BTU rating. Everyone’s stove throws a different amount of heat. You will need to learn to gauge the heat of your stove. Often apartment stoves in cities have low BTUs and are electric stoves. Natural Gas is more common in the suburbs. Whenever in doubt, unless the recipe says so, keep your burner heat on the lower side. Searing does require a medium-high to high heat – but you don’t want to burn what you are cooking. Look for the sizzle by flicking a few drops of water into the pan – they should evaporate quickly – but your cooking oil/butter should never smoke unless your recipe calls for a smoking pan (not here) In all cases, it should never burn. And, it is always best not to walk away from a pan that is cooking on a high heat.