How To Cook Chicken Breast
There is much you can do with chicken breast – from a roulade to chicken schnitzel. When writing a blog, you have no choice but to think back upon what you have already written. In my first chicken breast post I noted a quote from Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who referred to chicken breast as the culinary version of Fortunatus’ Cap. Fortunatus stole a cap endowed with the power to take you anywhere with just a thought. Chicken breast, being the tofu-like blank slate of the meat world, can do the same merely by endowing it with flavors from whatever cuisine comes to mind.
What is odd about chicken breast, any cut for that matter, is that, unlike tofu, I simply don’t order it at restaurants. For all the places it can take you, I seem to prefer to travel by way of chicken only when I am at home. I can’t totally explain my aversion. I think it is because I view chicken breast as something so foundational, basic and almost boring that I firmly put it in the camp of weekday meal. A well cooked chicken breast is not hard to achieve. Deep down I suppose I see no reason to pay for the upcharge.
One trick to making the chicken breast extra tasty is to keep the skin on. I know, I know. So taboo, but that crunchy skin with juicy breast meat is what makes it great. The best way to achieve this is to use the stove top and the oven.
How To Cook Chicken Breast – The Details
Here are the steps to a great chicken breast.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- In an oven safe, cold pan, lay the chicken skin side down.
- Place the pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium-low.
- Allow the the pan to slowly heat up. The fat will slowly render and the chicken skin will become golden brown and crispy.
- Flip the chicken breast.
- Place the pan into the oven and let cook until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast reaches 165F.
- Remove the pan from the oven.
- Transfer the chicken breast to a cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes.
The beauty of the oven is that it is far more controlled than your stove top. You are less likely to dry out the chicken breast as the temperature in the oven is more even and fully surrounds the chicken. A pan on the stove can take longer which risks drying and overcooking the meat. If the chicken breasts are very thin, then keeping them in the pan would be ok, but steadier heat will help the usually thicker chicken breast stay more moist.
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
How do you make your chicken breast dishes exciting? Skin on or skinless? Let us know all about it in the comments or on Facebook.
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