Get Cooking: 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen (30 page)

The concept with an instant-read thermometer, as the name suggests, is that you use it to take the temperature of cooked meat simply by inserting it, waiting a few seconds, reading the dial, and then removing it. Always insert the probe lengthwise so you get as much of it into the meat as you can; aim for the center of the thickest part of the meat and avoid any bones, which can give you a false reading. If, after you read the temperature, you find that whatever you’re preparing needs more cooking time (see “When Is It Done?” on the following page), take the thermometer out and reinsert it when you’re ready to check for doneness again.

GIVE IT A REST

When you cook meat, there’s an important step that happens after it comes out of the pan or off the grill. It’s called “resting,” and it simply means letting the meat sit (on a plate with a rim to catch any juices) for 5 to 10 minutes before you serve it. During cooking, the outer surface of the meat dries out and tightens up, and the juices migrate toward the center. Cut the meat open the minute it’s cooked, and it’ll gush juices from the center—not a good thing. Let it rest, and the outer surfaces will “relax” and reabsorb their juices, making
the meat juicier and more tender throughout. Note that during resting, even at room temperature, the meat will continue to cook a bit and the internal temperature is likely to rise by around 5°F, so factor that in when you first check the temperature for doneness.

Okay, omnivores, carnivores, piscivores, and “poultrivores.” Let’s get meating!

WHEN IS IT DONE
?

baked cut-up chicken with fruit

Makes 4 to 5 servings

I
recommend this recipe for absolute beginners. Very little cutting or fussing is required, and the fruit, onion, garlic, and chicken juices come together on their own to create a sweet, succulent dish. It takes some time to bake, so plan accordingly. But there’s no work involved during that time, except occasionally basting the chicken. Try to get an organic orange for this—a particularly good idea when a recipe includes the peel. A blood orange, which is dark sangria-red on the inside, looks especially lovely. The various dried fruits are negotiable. If you can’t find (or don’t love) any of them, you can swap in more of the ones you prefer. That said, I have to tell you that the combination as written is delicious, and worth trying once. You’ll be surprised at how everything gets transformed as it all bakes together. And if you adore fruit and want to add more, don’t hold back. You can really pack it into the pan!

1.
Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.
Rinse the chicken pieces under cold running water, then pat dry with paper towels. If there is any extraneous fat here or there, you can trim it off with scissors and throw it away. Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, in a 9-by 13-inch baking pan.

3.
Combine the salt, pepper, and paprika in a small bowl, and then sprinkle this mixture over the chicken. Use your fingers to rub it into the skin on as much surface area as possible.

4.
Cut the ends off the onion, peel it, and cut it in half lengthwise (from root end to stem end). Lay each half, cut side down, on a cutting board, and cut it lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Scatter the onion and the garlic cloves over the chicken, and then scatter the dried fruit over the chicken, packing it into the spaces between the pieces and letting some of it land on top.

5.
Leaving the peel on, cut the orange in half lengthwise (from top to bottom). Lay each half on the cutting board and cut it crosswise into ¼-inch-thick half-moons. Scatter the orange slices over the chicken, and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake, undisturbed, for 1 hour.

6.
Remove the pan from the oven, and very carefully lift the foil (the accumulated steam can be hot enough to burn you). Flip the chicken pieces over, using tongs or a fork. Using a mitt or a pot holder, tilt the pan slightly with one hand, and using a baster or a large spoon, baste the juices over both chicken and fruit with the other hand. This distributes and mingles the flavors as well as the moisture, yielding delicious results. If any of the fruit looks dry at this point, or at subsequent bastings, just push it down into the juices.

7.
Cover the pan tightly with the foil again, and return it to the oven for another 20 minutes of undisturbed baking.

8.
Repeat the basting procedure, and then flip the chicken pieces back to skin-side-up position. Return the pan to the oven (without covering it this time) and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden on top.

9.
Remove the pan from the oven, baste the chicken and fruit a few more times, and then tent it loosely with foil. Let it rest for about 10 minutes.

10.
Serve hot or warm, being sure to include a generous portion of fruit with each serving.

A CUT-UP CHICKEN

Buying chicken already cut into individual pieces saves time and makes cooking easier. Look for cut-up chickens in the poultry case of the supermarket, or better yet, go to a butcher shop or a market with working butchers, where you can buy a whole chicken and get it cut up to order. If you go this route, ask the butcher to cut each breast half into two pieces, which makes for easier serving and eating.

HOW ABOUT THOSE GIBLETS?

Whole chickens are often sold with the giblets (the liver, heart, and gizzards) and neck stuffed inside the bird in a little plastic bag. You can cook the liver in a hot skillet with a little olive oil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and enjoy it as a snack. As for the rest, you can make a simple broth by simmering them in a small pot in water to cover. This broth can then be combined with the pan juices after cooking to make a light sauce. Or simply toss the giblets and neck in the roasting pan and let them cook along with the chicken so they add some flavor to the pan juices. Then discard them when you collect and skim the juices.

pan-grilled boneless chicken breasts

Makes 2 main-dish servings or enough to top 4 main-dish salads

T
he boneless, skinless chicken breast fillet (which is actually one half of a whole chicken breast) has become the go-to protein for home cooks for a reason. It’s quick to cook and super-versatile because its flavor goes with just about anything. So if you love chicken, this simple preparation is an essential building block for cooking. If you have a grill pan (with raised ridges), by all means use it here. It will give the chicken a bit more charred flavor and attractive grill marks. You can eat these chicken breasts right away as an entrée or salad topping, or refrigerate them for up to 4 days in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container and use them later in salads, sandwiches, stir-fries, and countless other wonderful ways. You can reheat the cooked fillets briefly in the microwave (don’t overdo it, or they’ll turn rubbery), or warm them in a covered skillet over low heat with a little water to keep them moist.

1.
Pat the fillets dry with paper towels, and season on both sides with the garlic powder, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside.

2.
Place a small heavy-bottomed skillet (just large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer) over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.