I am a magazine junkie. For as long as I can remember, I've had several magazine subscriptions. As a teenager it was YM and Seventeen, then I moved onto Vogue and Vanity Fair. These days, though, my subscriptions have gotten out of hand. I am currently subscribed to Food & Wine, Saveur, Cucina Italiana, Real Simple, Food Arts, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Budget Travel, Elle Decor and Fashion (the Canadian fashion magazine). I can't wait till the day that all these magazines are available through digital subscription only. It would save me so much space.
Another magazine I was subscribed to was Cook's Illustrated. I guess the renewal notice got lost in the shuffle because I no longer receive it. I was happy to receive a complimentary issue as a way to "lure" me back and I am thinking of re-subscribing. I love the magazine because there are NO ads and each recipe is really like a science experiment. The writer outlines step by step what worked and what didn't. I can rest assured that the recipe I am trying out will be successful.
Today's recipe is from the complementary issue of Cook's Illustrated. At our house, we eat a lot of chicken, chicken breasts especially. If prepared properly, it's healthy and you can jazz it up any way you like. But on the flip side, chicken breasts can be quite bland and a little dry which is why I often use boneless thighs. I was intrigued by an article entitled "Solving the Problem of Baked Chicken Breasts."
I won't go into the entire process, but the solution is simple. Buy bone-in, skin-on whole chicken breasts and bake at a high temperature on a broiler pan. I followed directions and added a little flavor by using one of the writer's flavor variations, chicken breasts with chipotle, cumin and cilantro. The chicken breast was juicer than usual and the chipotle added a nice kick to the overall flavor.
Roasted Chicken Breasts with Chipotle, Cumin and Cilantro from Cook's Illustrated
Ingredients:
2 tbs. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
2 tsp. minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (can or jar kind)
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
olive oil for drizzling
salt and pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line the bottom of a broiler pan with aluminum foil and set aside. This will help with clean-up later.
Season the underside of the breasts with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
In a small bowl mix together the butter, chipotle, cumin and cilantro.
Gently loosen the skin of the chicken with your fingers. Be careful not to tear the skin. With a small spoon, spread half the butter mixture under the skin, covering the breasts. I used my fingers to evenly coat the breasts. Repeat with the other breast.
Drizzle a bit of oil on the skin and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 30-35 minutes or until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees.
Remove from oven and let rest on a cutting board for about five minutes.
Carve and serve.
You can really hear the chicken sizzle in the oven at this high temperature. The skin did crisp up, but I am not a fan of eating the skin at all. I have leftovers and I am thinking they would be great rolled up in a tortilla with some grilled veggies.
Happy cooking!
