BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN ANSWERS EVERY NEED-PART I
My daughter had a classmate in Junior High who joked about his family having chicken every night for dinner but he was O.K. with it. He said his Mother was ‘Master of 1000 chicken recipes’ and each night was different. I never knew the woman well enough to discuss food, but I’d lay odds she depended on boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs. As chicken is the most versatile of meats, those are the most versatile of cuts.
In addition to serving in dishes cooked in all ways, they substitute for turkey, pork and veal in many recipes and offer an open canvas for creativity in working with pan sauces. They can be boned at home or purchased that way, but once done, need no further preparation. They cook quickly enough to rival frozen entrees or take out delivery, especially if flattened first. They keep well frozen, but best when individually wrapped and often sauced dishes featuring them can be partially cooked, frozen and finished before serving. Finally, they shine in presentations from the week night, to the casual get-together to the formally elegant. What more can one ask of a cut of meat?
To bone chicken, you need a sharp knife. I like a fillet knife, but a beginner might feel more control with a paring knife. The breast is simply a matter of placing the knife under the ribs and trimming them away from the meat with even slices. Remove the entire rib cage by slicing through the shoulder joint. The thigh bone can first, be sliced away from the meat on either side of the shank. Trim the bone from the meat at the rounded end. Holding that end up, separate the entire shank and cut around the larger end to free the bone.
It isn’t really cost effective to bone the breast parts, especially when feeding a family, not with the frequency of the BOGO sales on the prepped ones. The boned thighs, however, usually cost considerably more than bone-in and are less often on sale.
The recipes below are chosen to show the variety of uses for these cuts of chicken and to perhaps spark some culinary adventures. The first two, restaurant favorites, are examples of chicken as an alternate for other meats. I was amused, but not surprised recently to hear many younger people didn’t know they are/were classic veal dishes.
The second two recipes show how boneless and skinless chicken parts can shine in dishes created just for them. The last two illustrate the most often used approaches to creating a pan sauce. Plus, I’m including some easy, quick pan sauce recipes to get you on the way. You’ll see they follow a pattern.
Two tips before going on. First, though either will do quite well, the thighs are the best choice to replace turkey or pork in a recipe, the breasts are better for veal. Second, placing the chicken between layers of plastic wrap and pounding to an equal thickness, with a mallet or rolling pin, insures not only even cooking, but quicker cooking and frozen, individually wrapped, quicker thawing as well. That’s a real bonus for the working parent on a week night or when unexpected guests show up.
RECIPES
Chicken Piccata: Serves 4
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. oil
2 lemons
¼ cup white wine+ to equal ½ cup
¼ cup flour
Fresh or dried parsley to garnish – optional
Cut 2 slices from the center of each lemon and juice the rest, combine with enough wine to make ½ cup-set aside. Melt 1 Tbs. oil and 1 Tbs. butter over medium heat, in a skillet. Lightly dust the chicken with the flour and brown in the skillet, adding more oil and butter as needed, about 5 min. per side. Remove chicken and brown lemon slices lightly on both sides-remove. Deglaze pan with wine and juice mixture, return chicken to pan, top each breast with a slice of lemon, cover and cook over low about 8-10 min. Serve breasts with sauce, garnished with a lemon slice each and parsley if using.
Chicken Marsala: Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup flour
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. oil
1 small onion thinly sliced
(1) 8 oz. jar mushroom caps— or 4 oz. fresh sliced
½ cup Marsala wine
Lightly dust chicken with flour. Melt 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. oil in a skillet and brown chicken on both sides, adding oil and butter as needed. Remove chicken from pan, add onion and mushrooms and cook until onion softens. Add wine and deglaze, return chicken to pan, cover and cook over low heat about 10 min. until sauce thickens a bit. Serve breasts topped with onions, mushrooms and sauce.
Greek Island Chicken: Serves 4- From Eat Up and Slim Down by Jane Kirby and David Joachim
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs. oil
1 onion thinly sliced
1 clove garlic mashed
3 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 cup white wine
8 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
1/3 cup chopped dry-pack sun dried tomatoes
¼ cup sliced black Greek olives
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. honey
½ tsp. EACH dried oregano and cinnamon
Salt
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
4 lemon wedges or slices
Brown chicken on both sides in oil. Remove and add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook until onion softens and add mushrooms. Cook 10 min. and add everything but the feta and lemon, including the chicken. Cover and cook over low 15 min. uncover and cook 5 min. until sauce thickens and chicken juices run clear. Plate garnished with cheese and lemon wedges on the side.
Chicken with Kiwi, Lime and Coconut: Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 kiwi peeled and diced-divided use
1 lime zested and juiced
1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. butter
5 oz. canned coconut milk
3 tbs. heavy cream –optional
2 scallions sliced thin
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped parsley to garnish
Pound the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and marinate with half the kiwi, vinegar, salt and pepper, and 1 Tbs. lime juice for 30 min.-2 hrs. Discard marinade and brown chicken in butter and oil about 5 min. per side, adding honey toward the end as the pan liquid reduces but be careful it doesn’t burn. Add the lime zest, scallions, coconut milk, pepper, remaining kiwi and cream, if using and simmer gently over low heat about 6-8 min. until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens slightly. Serve garnished with parsley.
Chicken with Cherry Sauce: Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. butter
¼ cup flour
¼ cup white wine
(1) 10 oz. jar whole black cherry preserves
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Ground black pepper
Brown the chicken in the butter and oil, starting with 1 Tbs. each and adding more as needed. Remove to a plate. Add jam, mustard and pepper to the skillet over low heat, stirring in just enough wine to make a sauce. Deglaze and return chicken to the pan, cover and cook 6-10 min. until chicken is fully cooked, adding more wine as needed to maintain sauce consistency. Taste for seasoning and serve chicken with sauce spooned over.
Chicken Dijon: Serves 4
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. oil
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
½ cup white wine
3 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. EACH crushed, dried rosemary and thyme
1 ½ cups heavy cream
Dried parsley for garnish-optional
Brown chicken in 1 Tbs. each butter and oil, adding more as needed until cooked. Remove and add scallions with wine and mustard, simmering until liquid is reduced by half. Add herbs, chicken and cream and simmer gently, stirring until sauce thickens enough to coat the spoon. Serve with parsley garnish.
Basic Pan Sauce Recipe: Yield ½ cup
1 Tbs. oil or pan fat
1 cup liquid- broth or wine are suggested.
2 tsp. butter
1 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs or equal strength dried
Salt and pepper
To the 1 Tbs. oil or fat in the pan add the liquid, deglaze the pan. Raise the heat to high, adding the herbs and any juice from the meat. Boil 2 min. to reduce, season with salt and pepper and add the butter, stirring until smooth.
Lemon, Goat Cheese Sauce: Yield 1 ½ cups- From Eat Up and Slim Down by Jane Kirby and David Joachim
Brown 1 Tbs. butter and stir in 1 Tbs. flower to make a roux or smooth paste. Add 1 ½ cups chicken broth and stir until sauce boils. Add 4-6 oz. goat cheese and ½ tsp. grated lemon peel and cook, stirring until sauce is smooth and thick.
Mushroom Sauce: Yield 1 cup- From Eat Up and Slim Down by Jane Kirby and David Joachim
Saute 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms and ¼ cup diced onion in 1 Tbs. oil until soft. Add 2 Tbs. soy sauce or balsamic vinegar, ½ cup broth and 1 Tbs. crushed rosemary or thyme. Cover and cook 2 min. Uncover and cook until slightly thickened.
Pepperonata: Yield 1 cup – From Eat Up and Slim Down by Jane Kirby and David Joachim
In 1Tbs. oil sauté ¼ cup chopped ham and ¼ cup diced onion over low heat for 4 min. Add ½ cup sliced red and/or green bell peppers, ¼ tsp. dried thyme and ½ cup broth. Cover and cook until peppers are tender. As an optional finishing touch, add 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley.
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