and as for lemons, their benefits go far beyond Vitamin C
16 Health Benefits of Lemons | Care2 Healthy Living
16 Health Benefits of Lemons | Care2 Healthy Living
Lemon juice as marinade
I have been using this for a long while on chicken breasts, cut fine with dried tarragon.
It certainly seems to give very tender results, but how to dry the chicken before frying? Leave the juice in and it spends too long at boiling temperature until all the water has gone - there is already enough water injected into our birds, I suspect.
I have taken to using copious amounts of kitchen roll to pat it dry, but this also lifts off a lot of the herbs (or erbs to some of you!). I can then toss the chicken in smoking butter/olive oil for less than five minutes for a browned outer but well cooked inside.
Any tips?
I have been using this for a long while on chicken breasts, cut fine with dried tarragon.
It certainly seems to give very tender results, but how to dry the chicken before frying? Leave the juice in and it spends too long at boiling temperature until all the water has gone - there is already enough water injected into our birds, I suspect.
I have taken to using copious amounts of kitchen roll to pat it dry, but this also lifts off a lot of the herbs (or erbs to some of you!). I can then toss the chicken in smoking butter/olive oil for less than five minutes for a browned outer but well cooked inside.
Any tips?
It took me years to enjoy chicken breast. It was always so dry and tasteless. One day I was given a bunch of full breasts and asked to prep them. I was too lazy to bone and skin them so I came up with an idea.
I took them whole, spread the ribs and flattened it a bit with the heel of my hand. I peeled back the skin and put copious amount of a wet paste on the breast. I pulled the skin back over to hold the paste in place and left it for an hour before roasting. Works extremely well at infusing the flavours and retaining moisture. So well that it's about the only way I do breast.
The paste can be almost anything. One of my favourites is vinegar and/or lemon and/or lime, chilies or cayenne powder, paprika and coarse salt. You can add whatever you like but that's a good starting point.
I took them whole, spread the ribs and flattened it a bit with the heel of my hand. I peeled back the skin and put copious amount of a wet paste on the breast. I pulled the skin back over to hold the paste in place and left it for an hour before roasting. Works extremely well at infusing the flavours and retaining moisture. So well that it's about the only way I do breast.
The paste can be almost anything. One of my favourites is vinegar and/or lemon and/or lime, chilies or cayenne powder, paprika and coarse salt. You can add whatever you like but that's a good starting point.
Raw chicken exposed in the fridge, at a guess? Perceived wisdom around here is that is a salmonella engine poised to kill us all! (salad spinner accelerator?)
Yes, I guess time to dry is worth trying, but we are a bit low on organising time around here. But I'll try it.
I also marinade in Cajun spices which we find already blended. That produces a delicious fiery chicken, often served on top of a simple (toms, cucumber, lettuce) salad.
Does lemon juice really tenderise the chicken? time for a DBT!
"It can be surprisingly little cooking time between juicy and dry". Yes, that is the point! Five mins in the pan, ruined if has to boil water off first.
Yes, I guess time to dry is worth trying, but we are a bit low on organising time around here. But I'll try it.
I also marinade in Cajun spices which we find already blended. That produces a delicious fiery chicken, often served on top of a simple (toms, cucumber, lettuce) salad.
Does lemon juice really tenderise the chicken? time for a DBT!
"It can be surprisingly little cooking time between juicy and dry". Yes, that is the point! Five mins in the pan, ruined if has to boil water off first.