We do eat rather a lot of chicken in this house. We quite like it and I like the breast meat most of all, but it can be rather tasteless sometimes and has a tendancy to dry out more than the rest I suppose . . . that is why it lends itself well to sauces and such. A good chicken breast is rather like a canvas waiting to be painted upon . . .
I prefer my chicken breasts with parts of the bone still attached, which helps to keep them moist I think, but the other day I decided I was going to try brining them in a simple salt and water brine, only for a short time . . . just to see if it made a difference and . . . guess what?
It worked beautifully . . . these chicken breasts were deliciously moist and tender. I covered them with a tasty herbed crumb and baked them in a mix of chicken stock and butter until the juices ran clear . . .
Then I turned those pan juices into a delicious gravy which was absolutely wonderful spooned over mounds of mashed potatoes, and of course with that tender flavourful chicken. It was quite a delicious meal actually. I will do this again! It's amazing what a little salt bath can do.
I wonder if it would work on me? ☺
*Country Baked Chicken*
Serves 4
4 TBS fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried sage
6 TBS melted butter
1 cup chicken stock
To finish:
2 TBS flour, shaken with 1/2 cup milk
Place
the chicken into a bowl and cover it with cold water. Stir in the 2
tsp of salt and swiish it around. Let the chicken sit in the salted
water for half an hour or so. At the end of that time, drain the
chicken very well and dry with some paper towels.
Preheat the 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.
Preheat the 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.
Place
4 TBS of the melted butter in a baking dish large enough to hold all
the chicken pieces. Add the chicken breasts and stir them around to
coat the chicken. Arrange bone side down in the dish. Mix together the
bread crumbs, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, and sage. Sprinkle this
mixture over top of the chicken pieces. Dot with the remaining butter.
Pour the cup of chicken stock into the baking dish from the edge of the
dish so that the stock fills the bottom without touching the crumbs.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken
juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken pieces to
a heated platter and tent lightly to keep warm, without steaming.
Pour
the pan juices into a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and milk mixture.
Bring to the boil, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. If
it is too thick, thin with a bit more milk until you get your desired
consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with some salt and pepper. Serve the chicken and pass the gravy on the side. Mashed potatoes go very well with this, as well as some veg and or salad on the side.
I'm a chicken girl all the way. Chicken is by far my favorite protein! The Geologist gets tired of it and wants his beef but I rarely do (unless it's a really good burger) This recipe looks homey and scrumptious and that gravy!! Gravy is one of my favorite foods, and yours is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteAnother hit, Marie. We eat a lot of chicken here, too, so I always appreciate tasty ways to prepare it. Thank you....you are a 5-star cook, for sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon! You made my day! xx
ReplyDelete