Mark Bittmans Chicken Cutlets With Quick Pan Sauce Recipes

MARK BITTMAN'S CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH QUICK PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200°F. Put the flour on a plate or in a shallow bowl next to the stove. If necessary, put each cutlet between 2 sheets of sheet of plastic wrap and pound to uniform thickness; blot the chicken dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Put the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, turn a piece of the chicken in the flour to coat it on all sides; shake off any excess. Add the floured chicken to the pan, then repeat with the next piece; work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan.
• Cook, adjusting the heat as needed so that the fat is always bubbling but the chicken doesn't burn. After 2 minutes, rotate the chicken so that the outside edges are moved toward the center and vice versa (don't flip them; you want the same side in contact with the fat). When the bottom of each piece is brown, after 3 to 4 minutes, turn them over.
• Cook on the second side, adjusting the heat as described in Step 3, until the chicken is firm to the touch but still a bit pink inside, another 3 to 4 minutes. To check for doneness, cut into a piece with a thin-bladed knife and take a peek. Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof platter and put it in the oven.
• Add the wine to the skillet, keeping the heat at medium-high. Let it bubble away as you stir and scrape the bottom of the pan, until about half the wine has evaporated, a minute or two. Pour in the water and continue to stir until the liquid has thickened slightly and reduced to 1/4 cup, another 2 or 3 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet and swirl the pan around until the butter melts; turn off the heat.
• Remove the chicken from the oven, and if any juices have accumulated on the platter, add them to the skillet along with the 1/4 cup parsley. Stir, taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and serve with the lemon quarters.

MARK BITTMAN'S BASIC ROAST CHICKEN PARTS WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450°F Put the oil or butter in a roasting pan and put it in the oven for a couple of minutes, until the oil is hot or the butter melts. Add the chicken and turn it a couple of times in the fat, leaving it skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and return the pan to the oven.
• After the chicken has cooked for 15 minutes, toss about one-quarter of the herb, if you're using any, over it and turn the pieces. Sprinkle on another quarter of the herb and roast for another 10 minutes.
• Turn the chicken over (now skin side up again), add another quarter of the herb, and cook until the chicken is done (you'll see clear juices if you make a small cut in the meat near the bone), a total of 30 to 40 minutes at most. Garnish with the remaining herb and skim excess fat from the pan juices if necessary; serve, with some of the juices spooned over it.
• ROAST CHICKEN PARTS WITH BLACK BEANS VARIATION: First, soak 2 tablespoons fermented black beans in water, sherry, or wine to cover. In place of the butter or olive oil, use peanut oil or a neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn. Mix together 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 minced scallions, 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar or honey. Drain the black beans and add them to this mixture; thin it to a paste, if necessary, with a little more soy sauce. In Step 1, spread a little of this mixture all over the raw chicken and put the chicken in the roasting pan; return the pan to the oven. Proceed with Steps 2 and 3, using the soy-based mixture for basting in place of the herb mixture.
• MORE VARIATIONS: You can combine these ideas at will; it's hard to go wrong here. Add with the chicken at the beginning of cooking unless otherwise specified. (1) Add a few sprigs of a stronger herb like thyme, sage, oregano, or rosemary. (2) Add several (or many!) cloves of garlic. (3) Add a cup or so of chopped onion, shallot, or leek. (4) Add a cup or so of sliced fresh mushrooms, after the first 15 minutes of roasting. (5) Add a lot of hot dried chiles, a couple of roasted, soaked, and chopped milder chiles, or both. (6) Add 2 or 3 lemons (oranges and limes are good too), cut in half; when the chicken is done, squeeze the hot lemon juice over it. (7) Use peanut oil instead of olive oil and add several slices of ginger and garlic after turning the chicken skin side up again. When chicken is done, drizzle with soy sauce and dark sesame oil, then garnish with scallions and/or cilantro. (8) Use Compound Butter, Flavored Oil, or Vinaigrette from the beginning of the cooking or as a basting sauce during cooking. (9) Rub the chicken with 1/2 cup or so of Pesto or any other herb paste from the beginning of the cooking. (10) Stir in a dollop of grainy French-style mustard when the chicken is done. (11) Add a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes and some black olives after turning the chicken skin side up again. (12) Stir in a cup of any salsa in the last 10 minutes of cooking or spoon on top of the cooked chicken before serving. (13) Stir a couple tablespoons of any curry powder into a cup of yogurt or coconut milk and spoon or brush it on as a basting sauce during cooking.