When it comes to chicken, he says we all tend to overcook it. That’s because the USDA has scared us with dire warnings to cook it long enough to kill everything that might be lurking in it. But Kenji explains that's not necessary. We’d avoid getting stuck with a bird that’s dry if we’d simply stop overcooking it. We really can allow it to reach a lower internal temperature than the 165 degrees F the USDA recommends and not die!! The result is a juicier, moister chicken devoid of bacteria. The key is to let it rest for a period of time after cooking it.
For example, rather than allowing the bird to come to 165 before we stop the cooking process, we cook it until it reaches 150 and then allow it to rest for 2.7 minutes, and we’re good. I’m not kidding. This is how scientific he gets. He really is a geek. In his book he has a whole table of how many minutes the meat needs to rest if you bring it only to 145, or 150 or 155 and explains what the chicken would be like at each of these temperatures. Most importantly, stop buying boneless, skinless breast. For moist, juicy birds, get the breast with skin and bones. Makes all the difference in the world.
“The Food Lab” explains that the most important tool to use in the kitchen or when grilling, especially when cooking meat, is an instant read thermometer. I have a probe for my oven and a regular inexpensive guage that takes a while to get to temperature, so I bought an instant-read one. Why keep guessing, when a simple tool can tell you within 4 seconds what the internal temperature of your meat is?
So last night, I used my new thermometer and made Chicken with Basil and Garlic and it was
magnificent...truly. The chicken was perfectly moist and juicy and flavored so beautifully with fresh basil and garlic.
Ingredients:
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| Chicken with Basil and Garlic |
4 chicken breasts or thighs, with skin on and bone-in
Fresh basil leaves
3 garlic cloves, sliced
3-4 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Take your chicken and stuff the sliced garlic and a few fresh basil leaves under the skin of each piece. Set aside for now.
Start your sauce: cook a few cloves of unpeeled garlic in the chicken broth for 15 minutes. Add wine and cook 10 minutes longer. Stick a meat thermometer or your oven’s temp probe into the thickest piece and bake until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees.
While that’s cooking return to your sauce: remove the garlic and peel it. Place garlic in food processor with fresh basil leaves and whirl. Return it to the broth/wine in the sauce pan and add cream, salt and pepper and reduce for about 10 minutes. If you like a smooth sauce, strain out the chunks of garlic and basil, or use an immersion blender to whirl it even finer. If the sauce is too thin to your liking, add a little corn starch or arrowroot powder in a little water first to dissolve it, then add to thicken the sauce, cooking it for about 10 minutes longer.
When chicken is done, cover with foil and let it rest for the requisite 2.7 minutes to ensure its safety. Plate and pour the sauce over the top of each.
Delicious with mashed potatoes, and a side of roasted vegetables with a sprinkling of good quality balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Serve with a glass of a good quality oaky Chardonnay or my preference, Viognier. If you prefer red, choose a lighter one such as a Pinot Noir or Gamay Beaujolais.
This is a tasty, delicious, juicy dish that’s dinner party-worthy. What more could you ask for on a Sunday night?
