Get Cooking: 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen (31 page)

3.
Use a metal spatula to carefully loosen each fillet and flip it over, adding a little more oil if the pan seems dry. Cook on the second side for 3 minutes or so, or until the bottom surface matches the top. You may need to lower the heat if the chicken begins to burn, or raise it if it is not browning quickly. To check for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer lengthwise into the thickest part of the breast. It should register 165°F. You can also poke the tip of a sharp knife into the thickest part of the breast; the meat should be opaque white throughout.

4.
Transfer the chicken to a plate, and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.

simplest (and best) roast chicken

Makes 3 to 4 servings

T
his stellar, ultra-easy method of roasting chicken uses an ancient, brilliant seasoning: high heat. That and a large amount of salt produce a bird with crisp skin and very juicy meat. It’s a technique simplified from renowned chef Thomas Keller’s already simple one (brought to my attention by my son, Sam, who has become quite a master of it). Salt and pepper are the only flavor accents until the very end of roasting, when you can opt to add an herb or two to the juices and baste with them for a final touch. If you have the time and the refrigerator space, season the raw chicken with the salt and pepper, and then let it sit, uncovered, on a deep plate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This will dry the skin out a bit and make for crisper results.

Any reasonably heavy roasting or baking pan (or even a cast-iron skillet) that is large enough to hold the chicken will work. There’s no need for a rack. This method does make a fair amount of smoke, so don’t forget to turn on your kitchen fan and/or open the window.

1.
Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 450°F.

2.
Rinse the chicken (inside and out) under cold running water and pat it completely dry (inside and out) with paper towels.

3.
Combine the salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the chicken, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Season both the outside and the
inside of the chicken with the salt and pepper, rubbing the mixture into the skin. (I usually put about a teaspoon of the mixture inside and the rest all over the outside, but it’s not an exact science.)

4.
Turn on the stovetop fan and/or open the window. Place the pan in the oven, and leave the chicken alone for a good 50 minutes, or until the skin is becoming nicely browned. At that point, start checking for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. To do so, remove the chicken from the oven, insert the thermometer under the leg where it joins the thigh (avoiding the bone), and watch the temperature register. It should stop at 170°F. If you stick the thermometer into the breast meat (again avoiding the bone, and sliding the thermometer in lengthwise along the breast, starting at the top), it should register 160°F. If not, return the chicken to the oven for another 10 minutes and check again. When the chicken has reached 170°F in the leg/thigh area, remove it from the oven.

5.
Use a baster or a spoon to suction or scoop up the juices that have gathered in the bottom of the pan (and inside the chicken itself), and gently squirt or dribble them over the entire chicken. Do this about ten times in a row to coat the chicken. When you’re finished basting, let the chicken sit in the roasting pan at room temperature for 15 minutes.

6.
Hold the chicken upright (drumsticks down) over the pan to drain off any juices that have collected inside it. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Skim off and discard as much of the clear yellow fat that has floated to the top of the pan juices as you can, leaving the dark stuff to use as a sauce.

7.
Use a knife or poultry shears to cut the chicken into pieces. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with the roasting juices spooned over each serving.

GET CREATIVE

• Add up to 1 tablespoon dried thyme, sage, or rosemary (or a combination) to the pan when you take the chicken out of the oven for basting. The herbs will infuse the basting juices.
  
• Carve or pull apart some of the warm meat and toss it into a green salad to make a light one-dish meal.
  
• Prepared mustard (especially Dijon) makes a nice table condiment for this, as does a sauce made from equal parts mustard and mayo.
  
• Warm a baguette in the oven, cut it into 4-inch lengths, split them open, leaving them hinged, drizzle pan juices on the bread, and pile in some warm sliced or shredded chicken, along with a little mayo and some baby spinach, watercress, or lettuce.
  
• Serve with a green salad, any cooked vegetable (or several), rice (see Chapter 7: Sides), Mashed Potatoes (Chapter 7: Sides), and/or some good bread to soak up the delicious juices.
  

teriyaki chicken thighs

Makes 4 servings (2 thighs apiece)

C
hicken teriyaki is about as easy as whisking together a quick no-cook sauce, pouring it over some chicken in a pan, and sliding it in the oven. The chicken comes out juicy and moist, with a beautiful mahogany glaze. Don’t worry about overcooking these. You want to err on the side of their being well-done. With all the sauce surrounding them, they’ll just get more and more tender, and there’s very little danger of their drying out. Once they’re baked, the thighs and their sauce can be stored in a tightly covered container or a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat them briefly in the microwave, or enjoy them at room temperature.

1.
Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F.

2.
In a medium bowl or a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the soy sauce, water, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and honey. Whisk or shake to mix well.

3.
Rinse the chicken thighs under cold water, pat them dry with paper towels, and arrange them, skin side up, in a single layer in a 9-by 13-inch baking pan. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, uncovered and undisturbed.

4.
A lot of liquid will have accumulated in the pan. Baste the chicken by spooning this liquid over the tops of the thighs several times, and then bake for 15 minutes longer. Baste again, and cook 15 minutes more.

5.
Check the internal temperature of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer inserted parallel to the bone (but not actually touching it) in one of the thighs. If it registers 170°F, the chicken is done. If not, remove the thermometer, baste again, and bake for up to 20 more minutes, checking the temperature and basting every 10 minutes or so until the thermometer reads 170°F.

6.
Transfer the chicken to a plate or a platter and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, using a hot pad or an oven mitt, tip the pan and use a large spoon to skim off and discard most of the clear yellow fat that will have accumulated on the surface of the sauce.

7.
Serve the chicken hot, warm, or at room temperature, with some of the sauce spooned over it.

poached salmon

Makes 2 servings

P
oaching (that is, cooking something slowly in simmering liquid) is the easiest, most reliable way to cook salmon. You really can’t go wrong. Even if you overcook it a bit, it will still be moist and delicate. Best of all, poached salmon is elegant and tasty, and it goes perfectly with a variety of sauces. It’s also better cold, as a leftover, than pan-fried or broiled salmon, and once you get the hang of poaching, you can add salmon-topped salads to your list of regular meals. This method works equally well with halibut or other similar firm-fleshed fish. Leftover poached salmon keeps for up to 3 days in a resealable plastic bag or an airtight container in the refrigerator.

1.
Cut the lemon in half lengthwise. Cut one of the halves into 4 thick slices and the other half into wedges. Set the wedges aside for serving.

2.
Choose a skillet or pot that is large enough to hold the salmon in a single layer and deep enough that you’ll be able to cover the fish with water by about an inch. Fill the skillet about two-thirds full with cold water and set it on the stove over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt, plus the lemon slices (giving them a squeeze as you drop them in), onion slices, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.

3.
Meanwhile, line a plate with three layers of paper towels and place it near the stove.

4.
Gently slide the salmon into the boiling water. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook at a gentle simmer for 8 minutes. To check for doneness, remove the salmon with a slotted spoon or slotted metal spatula and gently insert the tip of a small knife into the center. The fish should be opaque pink in the center, not translucent, and it should be firm to the touch. If it’s not quite ready, carefully slide it back into the water for another minute or so.

5.
Use the slotted spoon or slotted metal spatula to remove the salmon from the water, and drain it briefly on the paper-towel-lined plate. Discard the poaching liquid and serve the salmon hot, at room temperature, or chilled, accompanied with the lemon wedges.