Jack asks Frederic to teach her some recipes for the crispiest, juiciest chicken cutlets ever. Recipes include: Italian Breaded Chicken Cutlets; Cajun Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Cutlets.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Baking sheet
Serrated knife
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Food processor
Pepper mill
Rasp or box grater
Measuring spoons
Meat mallet
Wax paper
3 shallow pans or bowls
Large skillet
Liquid measuring cup
Tongs
Rack over baking pan
Dry measuring cups
Tips:Standard breading procedure:
An assembly-line procedure for items to be pan-fried or deep-fried that consists of dredging the item in flour, dipping it in beaten egg, and coating it with crumbs.
It works because the flour helps the egg wash adhere, and the egg wash allows the breadcrumbs to stick.
Shake off the excess flour before dredging in egg, and pack enough breadcrumbs on to fully and evenly coat the food, but shake off the excess before frying.
Frying oils:
Oils with a high smoking point work best for frying because the oil needs to be at a high temperature yet still below its smoking point when frying. Good frying oils include most vegetable oils, peanut oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, grapeseed oil, and canola oil.
Fats that are not good for frying (because they have low smoke points) include olive oil and butter.
Pan-frying:
Pan-frying is a cooking method in which items are cooked in deep fat in a skillet; generally involves more fat than sauteing, but less than deep-frying.
The goal of pan-frying is to produce an exterior with a crisp, golden brown crust, which acts as a barrier to retain juices and flavors.
Recipe Rescues:The breading is soggy – The temperature of the frying oil was not hot enough. Serve chicken over a salad or in a sandwich so that it is not as noticeable.
The breadcrumbs got too dark – Make sure to use a low-sugar content bread for making breadcrumbs. The sugar will cause the breading to burn in the high heat of the frying oil.
Your chicken is not cooked through – After slicing, return the chicken to the oven and continue cooking until the inside is no longer the least bit pink in color, and juices run clear.
The coating is too spicy – Serve chicken with mayonnaise, a yogurt sauce, or lemon wedges.
Jack asks Frederic for some finger food assistance with some pointers for perfect party dips.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Blender
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Dry measuring cups
Rubber spatula
Measuring spoons
Large pot
Large bowl
Vegetable peeler
Spider or slotted spoon
Pairing knife
Sieve or colander
Coffee filter
Zester or rasp
Pepper mill
Tips:Blanching and Shocking:
Blanch vegetables for only 10 – 20 seconds in heavily salted water. For a crudite, the vegetables should still be crisp, not soft and mushy.
Shocking in ice water helps stop the cooking process and helps set the bright color of vegetables.
Salting the water also helps set the color, and it draws out flavor.
If you only have 1 pot to use for blanching, then blanch the mildest vegetables first, and proceed to the strongest flavored ones.
Fresh basil:
It is imperative to use fresh basil (as opposed to dried) to make the Basil Aioli, as it adds flavor, color, and texture.
Basil is highly perishable; look for unblemished leaves with no dark spots. Do not wash or cut basil until immediately before using. Store basil in your refrigerator, wrapped in damp but well-wrung paper towels covered with plastic wrap or in a plastic bag.
Draining yogurt:
Place plain or low-fat yogurt in a coffee filter set in a sieve set over a bowl, and let sit for 1 – 2 hours until thickened.
This restores some creaminess and lends more body to watery yogurt without adding fat.
Recipe Rescues:The dip is too thin – Add more mayonnaise to the Basil Aioli. Add more drained yogurt plus a few more red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes to the Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-dried Tomato Dip. Blend again.
The dip is too thick – Add 1 tablespoon water and blend again. Add more water if necessary.
Vegetables are over-blanched – Try to prevent overcooking by immediately plunging blanched vegetables into an ice water bath to stop the cooking. It is better to undercook vegetables for a crudite, and then blanch them again briefly.
If your vegetables are wilted or dried out – Follow instructions for properly storing different types of vegetables. Do not wash vegetable