CHICKEN CUTLET FRICASSEE SV

 

Hello friends,

Again, the The Food Lab book has provided this  novice kitchen warrior with a little more cooking knowledge.  This time it was about making chicken cutlets without beating the #$%&% out of the chicken breasts to make them thin.

The pictures in this blog are just ”thumbnails” of the actual pictures.  You can and should enlarge the ”thumbnails” to see the whole picture by clicking on them.  To return to normal view, click on the left facing arrow at the top of your screen)

 

With a sharp knife and the smooth side of the chicken breast up, make a horizontal cut to divide the chicken breast into two pieces.

 

 

 

 

What you have is two cutlets without working out your frustrations with a meat hammer.

 

 

The second thing learned was, for searing meat a FLAT bottomed skillet is needed so that the oil placed in the skillet will fill the air gaps between the meat and the surface of the skillet. liquid transfers heat better than air (a little of science: physics ).

As learned before, dry brining has advances over wet brining.  If you have time, at least forty minutes, rub a little Kosher Salt  onto the surface of the cutlets and and place  them on a plate, uncovered in the refrigerator for at least forty minutes (maximun time overnight).  The modern refrigerator with it frost free design helps draw out excess moisture from the meat.

With that new or improved knowledge, it’s time to move on to the recipe.

Á bientôt

Mr Nut

 Mr Nut’s original recipe

blog of 10-24-2016

Serves 4 older persons

       Chicken cutlets were cooked using the Sous Vide machine for two hours at 141℉.  The mushrooms and onion  were sautéd  until they developed their own fond to serve as the base of the sauce. The mushrooms boosted the fricassee’s meaty flavor.  Finally, the sauce was  finished with sour cream, which added body.  Wondra flour was slowly added and whisked into the sauce to thicken it to your desired consistency.

Making Cutlets out of the breasts:

 

 

With a sharp knife and the smooth side of the chicken breast up, make a horizontal cut to divide the chicken breast into two pieces.

 

 

 

 

What you have is two cutlets without working out frustrations with a meat hammer.

 

As learned before, dry brining has advances over wet brining.  If you have time at least forty minutes Using Kosher Salt rub a little salt  into the surface of the cutlets and and place  them on a plate, uncovered in the refrigerator for at least forty minutes (maximun time overnight). The modern refrigerator with it frost free design helps draw out excess moisture from the meat.

INGREDIENTS: 

—————— Brining and Sous Vide cutlets———————

1 tablespoon Kosher; salt for dry brining

about one pound chicken cutlets (four).

1 tablespoon Penzeys Spices: Adobo*

1 teaspoon parsley flakes 

• Ingredients in Adobo: onion, garlic, Tellicherry black pepper, Oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper. 

——————————Sauce———————

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup onion , chopped fine

6 ounces mushrooms , cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth.

1/2 cup sour cream

Wondra flour added slowly for thickening agent

2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon tarragon or parsley flakes

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

————————— the cutlets——————-

1. Cut each cutlet in two equal parts (easier to sear smaller pieces).
2. If time dry brine the cutlets for forty minutes.
3. After brining, using a paper towel remove any excess salt from the cutlets surfaces.
4. Preheat water to 141 °F in a stock pot with a SV machine installed: set the SV machine for time to 2 hours and temperature at 141 °F.
5. Season the cutlets with 1 Tablespoon Adobo and  1 teaspoon parsley flakes.
6. Place the coated cutlets in  Ziploc bag(s), remove as much air from the bags lowered into the water bath. (keep the tops above the water level)
7. Cook the cutlets for 2 hours, or up to 4 hours

—————————- sauce————————

1. About thirty minutes before the cutlets are going to be removed from the Sous Vide machine, Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch flat bottomed skillet over medium-high heat ( I use a stainless Steel skillet)
2. Sauté 1/2 cup onion for about three minutes
3. Add the 6 ounces mushrooms and continue Sautéing for another 2 minutes.
4. Add 2 tablespoon flour and 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
5. Then add 1/2 cup wine to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are browned.
6. Add 1 cup chicken low sodium broth and bring mixture to boil,  then let sauce simmer for about five minutes.
7. When the sauce volume has been reduced , remove the cutlets from the Sous Vide machine and pat them dry with paper towels.
8. To use the same skillet for searing the cutlets  that the sauce was made in, pour the sauce in a bowl to hold it until the cutlets have been seared.
9. To sear the cutlets heat the skillet to a high temperature, above 350℉.  Drops of water should ”dance” in the skillet when it is hot enough for searing.
10. Add one teaspoon canola oil to help increase the contact of the cutlets with the skillet.
11. Sear each side of the cutlets for about one minute.
12. Move the cutlets to a platter.
13. Lower the temperature of the skillet to medium low ( move the skillet off the burner to help it  to cool down a bit) and then return the sauce to the skillet and simmer until warm, scraping bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits (the fond).
14. Whisk 1/2 cup sour cream into the sauce and slowly add Wondra to thicken the sauce.
15. Stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon tarragon or parsley flakes.
16. Return to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
17. Pour sauce over cutlets and serve.