Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [173]
A frozen chicken should be thawed on a large platter (to catch any drips) in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours. Thawing at room temperature invites trouble: the skin defrosts long before the meat, staying at an unhealthy temperature for too long.
* * *
Chicken Pastrami
You can make a pastrami out of almost anything; it’s just spice-cured, cooked meat. Here, boneless skinless chicken breasts are transformed into the deli favorite, just right for sandwiches. Makes 6 to 8 servings
3 cups warm water
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons cracked coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
6 garlic cloves, crushed
6 cracked allspice berries
2 bay leaves
Six 5-to 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons dry mustard
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Whisk the warm water and salt in a large bowl until the salt dissolves. Add the coriander, peppercorns, garlic, allspice berries, and bay leaves. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Place the breasts in a large roasting pan or baking dish. Pour the spiced salt water over them. If the breasts are not submerged, add just enough cool water to do so. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours, turning the breasts occasionally.
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.
Remove the breasts from the brine, rinse them, and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine and all spices; wash the pan or baking dish. Place a wire rack in it.
Mix the brown sugar, ground pepper, ground coriander, dry mustard, ground ginger, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Rub the canola oil all over the breasts, then rub a scant 2 teaspoons of this mixture into each of the breasts. Place them on the rack in the pan.
Bake until lightly browned and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast registers 160°F (our preference) or 170°F (the USDA recommendation), between 1 hour and 15 minutes and 1 hour and 40 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes, then thinly slice before serving—or cool completely and store, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Stir-Fry Chicken Packets
A stir-fry without the mess of a stir-fry: strips of chicken breast and vegetables are baked in parchment packets with Asian spices. Serve them over rice or wilted greens. Makes 4 servings
Four 5-to 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into ¼-inch strips
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
One 12-ounce can baby corn, drained, the ears halved
8 ounces snow peas (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian red chili sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil, preferably toasted sesame oil
Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 400°F.
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
Lay two 16-inch sheets of parchment paper on your work surface, one on top of the other. Spoon a quarter of the chicken mixture with some sauce into the middle of the paper. Fold the two opposing short ends over the mixture, then seal the packet closed by bring the other two long sides together and crimping them to make a packet. Crimp the short ends as well. Be sure the seal is tight so no steam will leak. Place this packet on a large, lipped baking sheet; then make three more of these packets, using the same amount of chicken mixture in each (that is, a third of what’s left for the second one, half of what’s left for the third one, and the remainder for the last one).
Bake for 30 minutes. Leave the packets on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving. You can either transfer the packets themselves to plates using a large spatula, or you can open them up and spoon them into bowls or over any side dish you’ve chosen.
Variations: