Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

by Samin Nosrat

  • For Pork Confit, season 1/2-pound pieces of pork shoulder as above and replace the duck fat with lard or olive oil.

  Finger-Lickin’ Pan-Fried Chicken

  Makes 6 breasts and 6 tenders

  * * *

  I grew up eating pan-fried chicken schnitzel at least once a week, but cooking a hundred golden-brown, finger-lickin’ chicken breasts one night downstairs at Chez Panisse really solidified my love for this classic dish. Cooking something a hundred times in a single night with total focus will increase your understanding of it a thousandfold. The most important thing I learned that night? Pan-fried chicken is all about the clarified butter in which it’s cooked, which lends a well-rounded richness that you just can’t get from olive oil. Clarifying butter is simple: just melt unsalted butter gently over sustained low heat. The whey solids will rise to the top of the clear, yellow fat, and the milk proteins will fall to the bottom. Skim the solids off the top with a fine strainer without agitating the proteins at the bottom. Carefully strain the remaining butter through cheesecloth or a tea strainer.

  Another little tip: if you don’t have time to make your own bread crumbs, use panko, the Japanese-style bread crumbs, and pulse them a few times in a food processor to get a finer texture.

  6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  1 1/2 cups fine white bread crumbs, preferably homemade, or panko

  3/4 ounce Parmesan, finely grated (about 1/4 cup)

  1 cup flour, seasoned with a large pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne

  3 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt

  1 3/4 cup clarified butter, made from 1 pound butter (see page 68 for complete method)

  Line one baking sheet with parchment paper, and another with paper towels.

  If the tenders are still attached to the breasts, remove them. Use a sharp knife to remove the bit of silver skin, or connective tissue, at the top of the underside of each breast.

  Place one chicken breast with the underside facing up on the cutting board. Lightly rub one side of a plastic bag with olive oil and place it, oil side down, on top of the breast. Pound the underside of the breast with a kitchen mallet (or, lacking that, use an empty glass jar) until it’s evenly about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining breasts.

  Season the breasts and tenders lightly with salt, and then set up a breading station. Set up three large, shallow bowls or roasting dishes, one each with the seasoned flour, the beaten eggs, and the bread crumbs. Mix the Parmesan into the bread crumbs.

  Working like Henry Ford, coat all the breasts and tenders first in flour, then shake off the excess. Then dip and coat them all in egg, and shake off the excess. Finally, coat the pieces in bread crumbs and set them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

  Set a 10- or 12-inch cast iron pan (or other frying pan) over medium-high heat and add enough clarified butter to come 1/4 inch up the sides of the pan. When the fat shimmers, add a few bread crumbs to test the temperature of the fat. As soon as they sizzle readily, place as many chicken breasts as you can fit into the pan in a single layer. There should be space between each breast, and the fat should come at least halfway up the sides of the chicken to ensure that the breading cooks evenly.

  Cook the breasts over medium-high heat until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then rotate and flip. Cook until the second side is evenly brown, remove from the pan, and drain on the sheet lined with paper towels. (If you’re unsure that the meat is cooked through, poke through the breading with a paring knife and check. Return to the pan and cook longer if you see any pink flesh.) Add more clarified butter to pan as necessary and cook the remaining breasts and tenders in the same way. Sprinkle lightly with salt, and serve immediately.

  Variations

  • For Pork Schnitzel, thinly pound pork loin cutlets, bread them, and continue as above. Reduce cooking time to 2 to 3 minutes per side to prevent overcooking.

  • For Breaded Fish or Shrimp, don’t salt either in advance. Instead, season immediately before breading and omit the cheese from the bread crumbs. Use the same breading method for shrimp or any white flaky fish, including halibut, cod, or flounder. Increase heat and pan-fry shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side and fish for 2 to 3 minutes per side to avoid overcooking. Or you can deep-fry as described on page 174. Serve with an acidic slaw or salad and Tartar Sauce.

  • For a Fritto Misto, omit the cheese and use the same breading method for olives or slices of Meyer lemon, blanched fennel, blanched artichokes, mushrooms, eggplant, or zucchini. Pan-fry as above, or deep-fry as described on page 174.

  Sage- and Honey-Smoked Chicken

  Serves 4

  * * *

  As a restaurant cook, I managed to avoid learning how to smoke meat. Somehow, I was never in the kitchen on the days we smoked fish or duck at Chez Panisse. At Eccolo, we asked a nearby smokehouse to smoke our sausages and meats for us. And since I never learned the skill, it remained a mystery. But when I started cooking with Michael Pollan, I was moved by his fascination with the technique. For a short, flavorful period of time, every time I had dinner with Michael and his family, something at the table was smoked. Michael still doesn’t know it, but I learned to smoke by watching him. While he prefers smoking pork, I’ve grown to love using the technique to cook chicken. This recipe is all about the way the subtle aromas of sage and garlic mingle with the delicate applewood smoke and the sweetness of the honey glaze.

  1 1/3 cups honey

  1 bunch sage

  1 head garlic, halved crosswise

  3/4 cup (4 1/4 ounces) kosher salt or 1/2 cup fine sea salt

  1 tablespoon black peppercorns

  4-pound chicken

  2 cups applewood chips

  The day before you want to cook the chicken, make the brine. In a large pot, bring 1 quart of water to a boil with 1 cup honey, the sage, garlic, salt, and peppercorns. Add 2 quarts of cold water. Allow the brine to cool to room temperature. Submerge the chicken in the brine, breast side down, and refrigerate overnight.

  To cook the chicken, remove it from the brine and pat dry. Strain the brine through a sieve and stuff the cavity of the chicken with the brined garlic and sage. Fold the wingtips up and over the back of the bird. Tie the chicken legs together. Allow the bird to come up to room temperature.

  Soak the wood chips in water for 1 hour, then drain. Prepare for grilling over indirect heat. (To learn more about cooking over indirect heat, see page 178.)

  To smoke over a charcoal grill, light the charcoal in a chimney starter. When the coals glow red and are coated with gray ash, carefully dump them in two piles on opposite sides of the grill. Place a disposable aluminum pan in the center of the grill. Toss 1/2 cup wood chips on each pile of coals to create smoke. Place the grate on the grill and set the chicken, breast side up, over the drip pan.

  Cover the grill with the air vents positioned over the meat. Open the vents halfway. Use a digital thermometer to help you maintain a temperature of 200° to 225°F, replenishing charcoal and wood as needed. When an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the leg registers 130°F, brush the remaining 1/3 cup of honey all over the skin. Replace the lid of the grill and continue cooking until the thermometer registers 160°F when insterted into the center of the leg, about 35 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest 10 minutes before carving.

  To crisp the skin before serving, stoke the coals until they are very hot, or light burners on one side of grill to very high. Return the chicken to the indirect heat zone and cover the grill. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until crisp.

  To smoke over a gas grill, fill the smoker box with wood chips and light the burner closest to it on high until you see smoke. If your grill doesn’t have a smoker box, place the chips in heavy-duty foil and fold into a pouch. Poke a few holes into the pouch and place under the grate over one of the burners. Heat over high heat until you see smoke. Once the chips are smoking, reduce the flame, lower the cover, and preheat the grill to 250°F. Maintain this temperatu
re throughout cooking.

  Place the chicken, breast side up, over unlit burners—this is the indirect heat zone—and cook 2 to 2 1/2 hours. When an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the leg registers 130°F, brush the remaining 1/3 cup of honey all over the skin. Replace the lid of the grill and continue cooking until the thermometer registers 160°F when inserted into the center of the leg, about 35 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest 10 minutes before carving.

  To crisp the skin before serving, stoke the coals until they are very hot, or light burners on one side of grill to very high. Return the chicken to the indirect heat zone and cover the grill. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until crisp.

  To serve, cut the chicken into quarters—it pairs really well with Fried Sage Salsa Verde—or shred the meat to make pulled chicken for sandwiches.

  Chicken and Garlic Soup

  Makes 3 quarts (serves 6 to 8)

  * * *

  This soup is so satisfying that I had to include it with the chicken—and not the soup—recipes. Made with a whole chicken, it yields a satisfying dinner for four (or two, with leftovers!). Cooking the chicken in homemade chicken stock gives this soup an extra layer of flavor. If you don’t have any stock on hand, get some from the butcher instead of using canned or boxed stock—it’ll make all the difference!

  4-pound chicken, quartered; or 4 large chicken legs and thighs

  Salt

  Freshly ground pepper

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  2 medium yellow onions, diced (about 3 cups)

  3 large carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

  3 large celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)

  2 bay leaves

  10 cups Chicken Stock

  20 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  Optional: Parmesan rind

  Prep the chicken in advance of cooking. If using a whole bird, follow the instructions on page 318 to quarter it, and save the carcass for your next batch of Chicken Stock. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. I prefer to season chicken the night before, but if you don’t have that much time, try to give the salt at least an hour to diffuse throughout the meat before cooking. Refrigerate the chicken if seasoning more than an hour in advance; otherwise, leave it out on the counter.

  Preheat an 8-quart Dutch oven or similar pot over high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. When the oil shimmers, add half the chicken pieces and brown thoroughly, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

  Carefully tip most of the fat out of the pan. Return the pan to the stove and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves and cook until soft and golden brown, about 12 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot and add 10 cups stock or water, salt, pepper, and Parmesan rind, if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

  Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, then add the garlic. Gently sizzle the garlic for about 20 seconds, until it gives off an aroma, but don’t let it take on any color. Add it to the soup and continue to simmer.

  If using breasts, remove them from the pot after 12 minutes and continue to simmer legs and thighs until they are tender, about 50 minutes total. Turn off the heat and skim the fat from the surface of the broth. Remove all the chicken from the soup. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and shred. Discard the skin if you prefer to (though I love to chop it finely and use it, too), and return the meat to the broth. Taste the soup and adjust the salt as needed. Serve hot.

  Refrigerate, covered, for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

  Variations

  • For a delicate Spring Garlic Soup, omit garlic cloves. Instead, stew 6 stalks thinly sliced green garlic with the onion, carrot, celery, and bay leaves.

  • To add some heartiness, add cooked rice, pasta, rice noodles, beans, barley, or farro to the soup.

  • To turn the soup into a main course, ladle it into bowls over coarsely chopped baby spinach, and then add a poached egg to each bowl before serving.

  • To make Pho Gà (Vietnamese chicken soup), omit the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, black pepper, and garlic. Instead, char 2 peeled yellow onions and a 4-inch piece of ginger directly over a gas burner for about 5 minutes or under the broiler (the charred skins are full of flavor!) and add to the broth with 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1 star anise, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Cook the chicken in this broth as directed above, for 50 minutes. Discard the onion and ginger and continue to prepare soup as above, shredding the chicken and adding it back to the pot. Pour over rice noodles, and top with fresh basil and bean sprouts.

  Adas Polo o Morgh Chicken with Lentil Rice

  Serves 6 generously

  * * *

  Growing up, whenever Maman asked me what I wanted for dinner, I asked for adas polo. Though it might seem virtuous for a small child to request rice with lentils, I was really after the raisins and dates that Maman would sauté in butter right before serving the dish. I always looked forward to their sweetness, combined with the earthy flavor of the lentils. When served with some spiced chicken and topped with a big dollop of Persian Herb and Cucumber Yogurt, the dish was peerless in my opinion. I’ve adapted and simplified the recipe a bit to turn it into a one-pot meal, a Persian version of Chicken with Rice, that universal comfort food.

  4-pound chicken; or 8 bone-in, skin-on thighs

  Salt

  1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

  2 bay leaves

  Small pinch saffron threads

  2 1/2 cups basmati rice, unrinsed

  1 cup black or golden raisins

  6 Medjool dates, pitted and quartered

  4 1/2 cups Chicken Stock or water

  1 1/2 cups cooked, drained brown or green lentils (from about 3/4 cup raw)

  Prep the chicken in advance of cooking. If using a whole bird, follow the instructions on page 318 to quarter it, and save the carcass for your next batch of Chicken Stock. Season generously with salt and 1 teaspoon cumin on all sides. I prefer to season chicken the night before, but if you don’t have that much time, try to give the salt at least an hour to diffuse throughout the meat before cooking. Refrigerate the chicken if seasoning more than an hour in advance; otherwise, leave it out on the counter.

  Wrap the lid of a large Dutch oven or similar pot with a tea towel secured to the handle with a rubber band. This will absorb steam and prevent it from condensing and dripping back onto the chicken, which would make the skin soggy.

  Set the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Brown the chicken in two batches, so as not to crowd the pan. Begin with the skin side down, then turn and rotate the chicken around the pan to get even browning on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside. Carefully discard the fat.

  Return the pan to medium-heat and melt the butter. Add the onions, cumin, bay leaves, saffron, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until brown and tender, about 25 minutes.

  Increase the heat to medium-high and add the rice to the pan and toast, stirring, until it turns a light golden color. Add the raisins and dates and let them fry for a minute until they start to plump.

  Pour in the stock and lentils, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Season generously with salt and taste. In order to get the rice properly seasoned, make the liquid salty enough to make you slightly uncomfortable—it should be saltier than the saltiest soup you’ve ever tasted. Reduce the heat and nestle in the chicken, skin side up. Cover the pan and cook for 40 minutes over low heat.

  After 40 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pan sit, covered, for 10 minutes to continue steaming. Remove lid and fluff rice with a fork. Serve immediately with Persian Herb and Cucumber Yog
urt.

  Chicken with Vinegar

  Serves 4 to 6

  * * *

  I cooked Poulet au Vinaigre, or Chicken with Vinegar, at the first dinner party I held after beginning my internship at Chez Panisse. I remember everyone—myself included—initially being confounded by the idea of cooking chicken with vinegar. We thought of heating the stuff for making pickles—and nearly being asphyxiated by the sharp fumes produced by hot vinegar. It hardly seemed appetizing! But Chris Lee, my mentor, had suggested I practice cooking one of the classics, and being the ever-dutiful student, I set out to make it, and followed his instructions, word for word. As my friends sat down in my no-frills college apartment to a dinner of poulet au vinaigre and steamed white rice, we were rewarded for my diligence. The vinegar had tamed as it cooked, and was beautifully balanced by the richness of the crème fraîche and butter in the dish. It was a revelation, and it heightened my appreciation for what acid can do for a rich dish.

  4-pound chicken

  Salt

  Freshly ground black pepper

  1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

  3/4 cup dry white wine

  6 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  2 tablespoons tarragon leaves, finely chopped

  1/2 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche (page 113)

  Prep the chicken in advance of cooking. Follow the instructions on page 318 to cut the bird into 8 pieces, and save the carcass for your next batch of Chicken Stock. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. I prefer to season chicken the night before, but if you don’t have that much time, try to give the salt at least an hour to diffuse throughout the meat before cooking. Refrigerate the chicken if seasoning more than an hour in advance; otherwise, leave it out on the counter.