S3 E28 Lemon Chicken Breasts - Ina Garten

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome to Perfectly Seasoned, the podcast about all things culinary. I'm your personal chef, Greg Strom, along with my co-host today, our friend Kristen Byrum. Hello, Kristen.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Hello, Greg.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Today, Winner Winner Chicken Dinner. Stay tuned. Hello, everybody, and welcome to Perfectly Seasoned. Today it's Lemon Chicken Breasts by one of my favorite goddesses in the kitchen, Ina Garden. And this is from her cookbook, How Easy Is That? Joining me once again is my co-host Kristen Byram. Hello, Kristen. Welcome back. I'm happy to be back. So Kristen and her husband Kurt are staying here for the week. Kristen and I have been in the kitchen every day. We got this recipe and we sent it to our friend and guest on the phone, Ann Harman, all the way from Wheeling, West Virginia. Actually, you're not in Wheeling today, are you?

SPEAKER_03 1:33

That's right. Hello, Greg and Kristen. I am at Grand View Park, which is outside of Moundsville, West Virginia, on a weekend getaway with some friends.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Ah, I'm assuming it's a pure unadulterated fun and alcohol.

SPEAKER_03 1:50

That's exactly right. With a hot tub thrown in as well. And it is beautiful here. It is 60 degrees. The sun is shining. It you just couldn't ask for a better day.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

Uh you agreed to do this recipe, lemon chicken breasts. And so let's discuss amongst ourselves here. The first question I have is did you follow the recipe exactly as written?

SPEAKER_03 2:18

Yes. I did. Good.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:20

Unless And now the only I have to admit to one thing. It said chicken breasts with skin on. Well, I'm not a skin on chicken breast girl. I don't even know where you would find them. However, that's because I'm not much of a cook. So that's the only thing I did was there was no skin on my chicken breasts.

SPEAKER_00 2:40

Well, you could actually use the the skinless chicken breast, but the skin keeps the moisture in and makes the the breast juicy. So you can get rid of it. You can always get rid of it before you serve it. But it's really not that necessary. It can be done either way. So technically, you did follow the recipe, Ezra.

SPEAKER_03 3:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

What are your thoughts about the recipe?

SPEAKER_03 3:04

I loved it. And I will definitely make this again. I it was really simple. And as you know, one of the reasons you asked me to do this was I complained that I'm not much of a cook and I get a little weirded out by recipes with too many things. This was right up my alley. I handled it fine. It gave me a few little challenges. For example, how does one mince fresh thyme leaves? Well, my friend YouTube taught me how to do that. And so I learned some things. I did know how I know how to zest a lemon, thank God. Although my my little zesty thing wasn't very good. So my the zest itself ended up being a little chunkier than it probably should have been.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

I have something I'm gonna send you. I have the perfect tool for you, and I will I will send it to you.

SPEAKER_03 3:57

Good, because that definitely gave me a challenge. I used two or three different grating kinds of things from my drawer. None of them made me really happy. So I think if I had been serving it to guests, I wouldn't have liked the fact that my lemon zest looked a little chunky.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Well, no, because it does give you the lemon zest is a hint of lemon. The lemon zest that's been chopped is a little bitter. But this will take care of your problem when you make it the next time. And I I promise you it will change your life. And you can also use you can also use the same grater that I'm sending you to make the most perfect grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Okay, good. Comes like fresh fallen snow.

SPEAKER_03 4:45

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

I have to ask you, what did you serve it with? Did you s have any sides that you served it with?

SPEAKER_03 4:53

I did. I um pulled out some basmati rice, which I thought would be a nice, you know, a tiny little flavor and wouldn't overpower the lemon, at least to me. And the lemon similarly didn't overpower the rice. I was able to get a little bit of that flavor. And I really didn't think there would be that much juice when I was first making it, and there is, and it was lovely, it mixed very nicely into the rice.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

Yeah. Well, I've used uh couscous, which makes it very nice as well, or just parsley potatoes as the starch. But this week when I made it, I used oven roasted potatoes because you know how they get nice and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside when you roast. So how many portions did you get out of each breast?

SPEAKER_03 5:45

I got two portions out of each breast. And I thought that was fine. And it was definitely it they did not get as brown as I would have liked. And that perhaps the skin on would have helped a little bit with that. Yes. But I thought the portions, you know, were fine. So serving, you know, four people would have been, would would have been fine with this. They were large breasts, uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Yeah, well, I'll give you a little hint if you're using the the skinless chicken breast. If you put them, if you put just brush a little olive oil on them just after they're they come out of the oven and put them directly under the broiler with a little olive oil brushed on them, and keep an eye on them, they will brown up a little. So and that does help, especially if you if you're not using the skin on, which is one of the reasons that Ina uses uh Ina, Ina Garden. I sound like I know her personally.

SPEAKER_03 6:46

Well, I'm with you. I would love to know her personally. I think she's wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

But the one other reason that she uses the uh the skin on, a lot of people like it if it's crispy, but most of the time chicken with skin on it doesn't get crispy unless you you know broil it or something. But just to keep it uh from drying out, and also if you're using the the the skinless, if you if you try my little trick about using a little olive oil and popping it under the broiler, just keep an eye on it because otherwise you're you'll end up eating a piece of leather. So but that will that will help because it is more attractive when it's a little brown, I will, I will admit to that.

SPEAKER_03 7:25

It sure is. But it sure is. Well, and what's funny is I I've never used my broiler before. So I was thinking about it. I was thinking about it. Well, that's a good sign.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

The fact that you even think about using the broiler is a good sign. That's a good sign. So does that mean maybe you might I might be able to get you to do another recipe in the future?

SPEAKER_03 7:51

You might just I'm a little nervous about the broiler. Give me something simple and um I'll give it a try with a fire extinguisher right at the ready.

SPEAKER_00 7:59

So well, I know one of the reasons that I thought I wanted you to do this, because I I know you're very busy, you're a very busy attorney, and you you you you do some a lot, you know, a fair amount of traveling, plus you're an empty nester now, so I wasn't exactly sure what what sort of things you prepare for yourself. So I thought, well, this is I think might be something that I think she wouldn't be able to handle. And it was very it certainly is is an easy recipe, don't you think?

SPEAKER_03 8:32

Oh, absolutely. Again, I will make it again and it will go into my rotation. And it was really good, I have to say, as a leftover in the next couple of days, I took it for lunch the next day, and then that next evening, I had the rest of it as well. So I was going to give some to my mom, but it got just too complicated, so I didn't I I understand.

SPEAKER_00 8:57

Well, I will give you another little hint because it does make a lot of juice. When you store it in the refrigerator overnight after it's cooked, store it in the juice. Because if you're going to have it the next day for lunch or you know, as a as an another dinner, it it doesn't dry out because chicken has a tendency to dry out, especially the breast, has a tendency to dry out if it's not stored in any kind of liquid. And it almost reabsorbs a lot of that liquid, and it it it really makes a big difference and it makes it much more pleasant to have leftovers.

SPEAKER_03 9:32

Sure, sure. So yeah, and this was nice because there was a lot of juice. I was really impressed with that.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

Well, Kristen wasn't able to be here for that recipe.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

Uh were you you you and Kurt were out, or we were, but I I have a couple bookend comments about it. Yes. It's because I was here for the preparation, wasn't here for the dinner, but I did have some cold out of the refrigerator for lunch this afternoon. And I will say that first of all, garlic, garlic, and more garlic bring it. The the smelling, Greg, you know, the the preparation and and what is not to like, right?

SPEAKER_00 10:12

We have oh my god, that sounds just like I know.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

A good, I mean, a good olive oil, fresh herbs, lots of herbs, garlic, white wine. There, there's nothing not to like about this. And so smelling the preparation, it smelled heavenly. And then today I just pulled a cold slice out of the fridge. And the first thing I thought was this would be really wonderful, chunked up over just some simple, you know, a spring mix, some greens dressed with a really simple, maybe, you know, olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Well, the juice from the juice from the chicken would make a wonderful, just a very light dressing because it's very lemony and it uh it's it's really just a little olive oil, and you just yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

And if you have some grape tomatoes or something that you can have and put on there, I just think it would make a really wonderful bright salad.

SPEAKER_00 11:05

Yeah, yeah. Well, listen, let me ask you this. Did you serve what did you drink with it? I know I I hope you didn't drink alone. I I hope you had somebody over for dinner.

SPEAKER_03 11:16

Actually, no, I had to drink alone. I had been it just too much going on that week. I'm sorry, that's sharp.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

That is just sad.

SPEAKER_03 11:24

Isn't it? Isn't it? But the next time I promise I will have people over.

SPEAKER_00 11:29

Well, I have some recipes for you that will you will want to have some people over, and they're very simple like this. But so, but what did you drink with it?

SPEAKER_03 11:38

So I had a Chardonnay. I chose a little bit better Chardonnay than the one that I cooked with. I used a Chardonnay where it called for the dry white wine, and that was fine. I personally like a buttery, oaky flavored Chardonnay. I did not use that to cook with because I thought that might interfere with things. Was that okay? What do you think I should have done?

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Well, no, that would be fine. You know, the the rule is you, you know, all of this pairing stuff, it's great, you know, and it I enjoy trying different wines. But at the end of the day, you drink what you like and you won't go wrong. I I I mean we Tim and I, for example, we served uh our uh Somalier, our resident Somalier, who will be on just a little later, Cynthia Tosh. She turned us on to this Spanish wine, which I'm gonna turn you on to right now, and it's very nice and it's very inexpensive. It's c it's a Spanish wine, and it's called Albarino is the grape.

SPEAKER_03 12:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

And you can get it at, I don't know, do you guys uh have like ABC or uh yes, fine wine and good spirits, right? Right. And I'm sure you know what I bet you could probably get it at Good Mansions as well.

SPEAKER_03 13:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

So, but it's an Albarino, and I guarantee you it it will change your life.

SPEAKER_01 13:10

I'm not a white wine, but I'm I'm not a white wine person, and I I liked it a lot.

SPEAKER_03 13:17

Oh, good.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

So that's kind of our go-to right now for anything that we need to have white wine with. But the the moral of the story is drink what you like, not what somebody tells you to drink. You can try it, but if it's not something you you like, just because somebody said it pairs well with this doesn't mean it's gonna pair well with you. So drink what you like. Very true. Very true. Well, listen, were there anything anything in this recipe that you would change or or try to make different or any anything that was not to your liking in this recipe? I mean, there's not very much in it.

SPEAKER_03 13:55

I mean, the recipe is very there isn't very much. No, you're right. I would say that I probably should have used more salt and pepper. I try to be very careful, obviously, with salt, because we're all of a certain age, and I did not use in the salt.

SPEAKER_00 14:12

Who is? Who are you talking? Who are you calling old?

SPEAKER_03 14:16

I'm not saying old, just a certain age. Yes, I think it could have used more salt and the fresh uh pepper. So I would do that, I would change that, but otherwise I really wouldn't change much.

SPEAKER_00 14:28

Well, good. Well, we have a uh scale of one to five forks, one to five forks. How would you rate this recipe on a one to five?

SPEAKER_03 14:38

Sure. I would say probably four to four point five. Okay. And mainly because it was awfully easy, and that really, really means something. So it was quick, it was easy, and it was very flavorful. If I add in a little bit more salt and pepper, I think the garlic was the right amount, probably not for Kristen. Um, it could maybe kick up to a five. But yeah, I think 4.5 or so.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Okay. Yeah, because I'm a little jaded when it comes to Ina because that the woman's a goddess. I swear to God, she's a goddess. I've never had a single recipe that I haven't that hasn't been accurate, the measurements haven't been correct, or I've had to change anything on it. So for me, I would give it a five because I've done it multiple times. And it's a crowd pleaser, and it's relatively inexpensive to do because you're you only have chicken, garlic, and lemon and butter. That's it. So Kristen, have you tried this recipe at all?

SPEAKER_01 15:43

No, just I just had the slice cold.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Oh, she had leftovers, which yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

It didn't taste gar very garlicky to me, considering that there are nine cloves in it. Yeah. It didn't taste very garlic.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Did you freak out a little bit when you saw nine cloves of garlic?

SPEAKER_03 15:58

Yes, yes, 100%. But Kristen, you're right. It was it was not garlicky. For those of us who love garlic, you probably could put more garlic in there. But I think that was a good start. And it was nice that it was wasn't overpowering. There are some people who would object to object to too much garlic.

SPEAKER_01 16:18

We don't we don't know those people. No, we don't know those people.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

Well, I have a recipe that I'm I I would send you. I don't know if you want to try it or not. It's pretty simple, but it actually has 40 cloves of garlic in it. It's a whole cheap.

SPEAKER_03 16:31

Oh my gosh. Oh, yeeha. So wow.

SPEAKER_00 16:35

But you wouldn't actually you wouldn't really know it after you taste it because first of all, you have an entire chicken. But I'll I'll send it to you. You can look at it, and if you want to try it, knock yourself out. But it's got thank you.

SPEAKER_03 16:48

That sounds excellent.

SPEAKER_00 16:50

Nine cloves of garlic is nothing next to 40 cloves of garlic. Um so well, uh I want to thank you for joining us and being such a good sport about trying this. And I and I will send you the the uh the grater, and I'm glad to do that for you. Now it's time for wine o'clock with our resident Somalier, Cynthia Tosh. We'll see what she has to say about this recipe. Welcome back, Cynthia. What do you have for us today for the uh lemon chicken breast?

SPEAKER_02 17:25

Okay, so these are a couple, maybe three. I got excited with this recipe. White lines that maybe you've had that I'm sure that you'll love if you haven't. So the first recommendation is a Greek acirtico. The searchico, indigenous citrini, rich in volcanic minerals, rich soils, citrus, green apples, strong minerality, and lovely herbal. So characteristics are gonna have high acid, low dry, extremely food friendly. So that would go very well with lemon chicken. Then going over to Italy. I've been really loving pecorinous, so that's indigenous to Central Italy, nothing. I recently rediscovered paining attention and showing a lot of my accounts is money wrong to pecarino. It's a very affordable, it's medium-bodied, nice acid as well. Sometimes a bit floral. So that's gonna go wonderfully. And then the last white that I also really love is piano. So that's native to Campania, southern Italy. And that's gonna have a bit more stone fruit, hair, white peach, apricot, honeysuckle, orange blossom. Moderate acidity, not as high as the others, but it's textured, creamy on the palate, also a beautiful, beautiful language.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

Okay, well, once again, thank you, Cynthia, and we'll see you on the next wine o'clock. So if you have any questions about today's recipes, or if you have or if you would like to be a guest home cook, because I'm always looking for guest home cooks who are willing to give this a shot, please email me at infothesilvershef.net. And of course, Kristen, I'm gonna miss you so much when you leave on Monday. And also, Cynthia, as always, thanks for providing today's pairing choices because they're always interesting. I'd also like to thank our guest home cook Ann Harmon. So you can listen to Perfectly Seasoned on my website, thesilvershef.net, on my Facebook page, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Until the next time, this is Greg Strom thanking you for joining us on Perfectly Seasoned. And remember, eat fresh, may the fork be with you, and may all your days be perfectly seasoned.