My kids just devoured this chicken and it was a smashing success. This is by far the best chicken I've ever cooked. I love how you're turning good home cooks into great ones. Thank you Helen.
This is very similar to an article I found on how to cook moist chicken breast. It used skinless breast, but still seems to work well. Dry and season, and sear one side in the skillet with oil and butter on about medium high for a minute or two. Flip over, cover, and turn the burner to low for 10 minutes no peeking (super important!). Then turn off the heat for another 10 minutes while maintaining the cover. I've been pleased with the results when I've used it. But I'm looking forward to trying yours and I love the skin on.
Just did this per these directions. I was concerned at first because the chicken appeared to be steaming and releasing a lot of juices but once the 10 minutes passed I raised the heat and it eventually crisped up. I never dreamed of stopping at 125 before but it was perfectly cooked after the rest.
Hi Helen, Thank you! This looks fascinating and I'll try it. You present well and present clearly. I'm now making travel videos to teach at distance and I've learned more just by watching your videos.
Not easy to find cooking videos like helen's. Everything explained in detail, with reasons behind every step. Many other cooking videos are for watching people cooking, not for reproducing the recipe. 😅
PLACE HOLDERS!?!? I have always struggled with these open pan spots charring and smoking off with my cooking. Brilliant carrot idea. Loved the recipe Thank you!
So thankful to have found this lovely lady. I have made Thomas Keller’s Chicken, and while delicious, cooking an entire bird is too much for empty nesters, without the children and grandchildren present. So the breasts technique just demonstrated is especially useful for singles or smaller families. ❤️
James Beard famously said that he prefers his chicken to be slightly pink. I am in the same camp. An over cooked chicken breast is a terrible thing. The final obstacle to a perfect chicken is finding a way to roast a whole one where the white meat is succulent and the dark meat is completely done.
One reason duck can be cooked to more rare is that their feathers are much harder to pluck. During processing their carcasses are scalded to loosen the feathers. This reduces the possibility of skin contamination. But otherwise, I agree with you, 160F is from the 1950s (as so many US ideas on food safety are).
Exactly my thoughts! Its so easy to cook a dry aged blah blah wagyu steak but man perfectly cooking a chicken breast requires the utmost of skills and understanding of cooking technique. From the dry brining in the fridge uncovered to dry out the skin whilst perfectly seasoning the insides and even changing the texture of the meat to cooking till the proper temperature of 140F or 60°c where I’m from. Thomas Keller would be impressed for sure!
Love the detail. Therein lays the "devil"! Will try this very soon. My local super-markets only sells boneless/skinless or bone-in with skin so I will remove the bone- no problem.
many good supermarkets and butcher shops will be able to do it for you. I don't mind removing the bone myself, but I wanted to make sure Whole Foods could do it if asked. they said yes.
It turned out really well- crispy skin and very moist meat that received enthusiastic thumbs up from my family. I made a quick and easy pan sauce pulled from an Eric Ripert recipe- equal parts Port and Sherry vinegar, reduced before adding unsalted butter and emulsifying to create the sauce. Thank Helen!
Just found your channel. I'll be looking at ALL of your videos. Even people who are good cooks (like I am) there is always something good to learn! I will be trying your Breast method very soon!!! You are a delight to watch and listen to! Thank you for sharing!
#realcomment Hi Helen. I just tried this recipe and it turned out fantastic. It will be my go to method from now on. But I'm bit confused when it comes to understanding the the reasoning behind some of these steps: *1.* Why start at high heat? Why not medium low all the time? *2.* Why do you cover the chicken with a lid? Wouldn't covering cause steaming which would reduce the browning? Wouldn't it be better that instead of covering the chicken, you flip it at one point, letting the other side brown as well while the heat penetrates into remaining uncooked meat. *3.* Why don't you pound thicker breasts in order to eliminate need for an oven?
So glad your chicken turned out well. here are the answers: 1) the chicken will steam at medium low and the skin won't turn crispy 2) I cover the chicken so that the skinless part (the top cooks at the same time as the skin). Yes, covering slows down the browning. The reason I take this approach is that direct contact of the skinless part of the flesh with the skillet can't be more than a minute -- otherwise it becomes tough and dry. The only part of the chicken that I want to touch the skillet is the part with the skin. That can be in contact for a very long time because fat doesn't conduct heat nearly as well as water and it helps the skin crisp up. If you have a breast that is thicker than 1/2 inch (which is pretty much all breasts), how would you cook it through without a lid and without flipping? There is definitely the pop-it in the oven option, but the results aren't as moist as with a lid). For thicker breasts, oven is a good choice, but for thinner breasts you might not need it. The basic idea of this technique is that skin need a lot of intense and prolonged heat, and flesh needs very slow gently heat. 3) you can certainly pound the breasts, but that usually results in the skin not covering as much meat. All that meat has to go somewhere. You can't make it thinner without making it wider and longer. Any parts not protected by the skin will be dried out.
I discovered your short master class on Focaccia this morning [ th-cam.com/video/81hPWTmcODg/w-d-xo.html ] and, after starting a dough, have been on a minor binge of your channel - you've got a new friend... great content. The best, easiest, most foolproof way I've found to cook skinless and boneless chicken breast is the 'no preheat method'. 1)- Set oven to 450 (just to give it a bit of a head start) 2)- Take chicken from fridge. If not marinated, pat dry and season. (this should only take 1-2 minutes. If you let the oven get too hot before starting the chicken it will be dry) 3)- Bake on top rack for 30 minutes (25 for small breast). Let rest 8-10 minutes. Fastest way I've found and they come out perfect every time - and no mess if you line the pan with foil.
I watched a video on the safety issue and some food scientist was saying there's a difference between the pathogens on beef and chicken. With beef, the threat is on the outside. With chickens, they could contain bacteria from within.
For Americans, there is actually a good reason to cook to 165; even if the result is lacking. Much of our poultry is "brine chilled." When the meat gets plunked in this often contaminated water; the muscle can absorb some of it as it chills. I only buy air chilled meat; but am working on producing my own poultry because the food they sell us here is disgusting.
Everybody's oven is different; everyone's burners are different. This didn't work for me with medium high heat, it did with low heat and then finishing in the oven.
Your genius! And very pretty too. Love this site, bc its makes me want to try out everything! And sometime chicken breast is difficult to make moist! So thank you!!!
I put mine in a dish tightly covered with aluminum foil. Salt, pepper and any seasoning you want (I put cinnamon, paprika, coriander, parsley.) Topped it all of with sesame seed. Olive oil under and on top of the breasts. Sauteed garlic cloves also. Everything in the dish. Came out moist as heaven. 350 for 40 min.
I've done something pretty similar with turkey breasts. I put 2 breasts in a shallow saute pan that was just big enough to hold the turkey, covered it with a lid and pulled it at like 150-155F.
AMAZING recipe! You’re always my go-to for anything cooking, Helen. Quick question though, if I wanted to prep this in the morning to serve at night, could I do all the steps and just warm in the oven? Would this dry out the chicken?
Basically its just like cooking steak and pretty much locking in the juices and also cooking the breast a bit undercookedas it will continue to cook through, but besides that chicken breast is still a pretty dry meat
Helen! I just tried this recipe and the moisture level is magnificent. Thank you! My only worry is that it came out almost too salty to the taste. Do you think it's possible to significantly reduce the salt and still get a moist chicken?
I realize you probably already figured this out, but just in case I thought I'd comment. Helen doesn't mention it in this video, but she is using Diamond Crystal kosher salt. It is the least 'salty' salt. If you are using Morton's Kosher or any kind of table salt, you should use a about half to 2/3rd of what she uses in this video.
I can't find boneless chicken with skin on in my town. Is there an alternative type of chicken that I can us this cooking method? Thanks so much. You are so enjoyable to watch and listen too.
Having been overweight much of my adult life, i hope never to have to eat chicken breast again. It has such a bad reputation and is so unpopular, it is now pretty much the cheapest cut of chicken you can buy here.
Are you sure about the safety? The muscle explanation is true for beef and pork, but the nature of poultry meat is different. Salmonella usually can penetrate chicken meat.
To say that I detest chicken breasts is too strong a statement, but with my impatient cooking technique they are far less forgiving a cut for me. But there is a time and place for everything and I'll have to try this technique....especially with skin on- I think part of my issue has been using boneless skinless breasts-sacrificing flavor and texture for convenience. Too heavy of a price to pay IMHO.
I'd love to hear what you think of this method if you try it. the skin is a must. it's not just that the skin itself tastes great, but it also protects the meat from direct heat of the skillet.
I totally get keeping it at a lower temperature makes it juicy. But from a bacteria perspective salmonella must be heated to 150°F. Or 65°C for 5-10 min to become safe commercially anyway.
125F? Wow. I never thought to go so low and would usually hit 155F for mine after carry over heat. USDA requires chicken breast to be at 165F which is nuts because the chicken is too dry to enjoy.
The reason why USDA uses a temperature like 165F is that at this temperature bacteria is killed quite quickly. It's a simple rule that is easy to understand for most people. If you use a lower temperatures then the food has to be kept at those temperatures for a longer period of time to kill bacteria.
126°F it's to low for cooking pan !! you risk to get some bacterias like salmonella if you don't use a safe mode like sous vide (for 2 hours to this temperature) you risk to do serious damages to your follower and to you
#realcomment when salting the chicken on a plate, especially with the overnight recommendation, would you prefer to put it on a wire rack so air circulates on both sides and doesn't sit in any liquid? Thanks for a great video! I had given up on doing chicken breasts in the pan and always went sous vide, but love that this works without drying them out and is faster. Thanks again!
This method is faster, but it requires a few tries to get the heat right. every stove and skillet is different. sous-vide is definitely less risky ;) I don't normally keep them chicken on a rack, but it wouldn't be a bad idea. finding enough fridge space to do that is often tricky and since I buy air chilled poultry the skin usually browns pretty well.
@@helenrennie Now that I think about this technique, I think using the reverse seat might be easier to control. Kenji developed it to mimic sous vide, and this cooking method seems pretty identical to the standard sear and bake method of cooking steaks.
Hi, I don’t think I have cooked chicken breast in over a decade because I could never get it right. I will definitely give this a go. Can you tell me why you recommend a stainless steel pan?
Wet brine makes it hard to achieve good skin. The only difference between wet and dry brining is whether you are pumping additional water into the meat. With a wet brine you do, with a dry brine you don't. Unless you are cooking your chicken to the completely unnecessary FDA recommendation of 165F, pumping extra water into it is not necessary.
I started to sous vide some stuff but it leaves a bit of a funny taste on my lips. Would this be from the plastic bags it is cooking in? I am 3 mil vacuum chamber bags. What would cause this taste on my lips?
Sous-vide is a popular restaurant technique that lately became very accessible to home cooks. The meat is vacuum sealed or placed in a zip lock bag and submerged into a temperature controlled water bath. For example, a steak would be cooked in a 130F water for 1-2 hours and then seared. To control the water temp, you need an immersion circulator. If you want to know more, search for sous-vide techniques on seriouseats.com, though there are many other sites that offer sous-vide instructions.
I'm not sure I agree with your safety assessment, Helen. If you can find "natural" chicken, you may be right that the risk is quite low, but most chicken in the US is injected with a salt solution. This can carry bacteria such as salmonella from the surface into the meat. This process is generally not done with beef, pork, and duck. I do agree that 165°F is overkill for all but the immuno-compromised, though. Bringing chicken up to a lower temperature (say 145-150°F) and holding it there for longer will also sufficiently pasteurize it. Sous vide can accomplish this easily. To accomplish it with higher-heat methods, you need to end at a slightly higher temperature so that the meat is held above the target temp for long enough. I find stopping at 150 is usually sufficient to allow enough carryover for safety and still maintain moist white meat in chicken and turkey, assuming a 350°F oven. You could possibly stop lower coming out of a hot skillet. For dark meat, I aim for a higher temperature to break down the collagen and improve the texture -- it can easily hit 190+°F and still be good.
127 is too low at what point in the cooking process? She is not advising to eat the chicken at 127, but at 145 as you suggest, which occurs during the resting period. Did you watch the video?
@Helen Rennie - Helen I was anxious to try this method, but the breasts that I used were very large. I added the breasts at high heat, covered and immediately lowered the temp to med-low, but way too much liquid began to pool in the pan. Once I noticed I drained the excess, removed the lid and returned to med-high heat to attempt a sear again, but once the heat rose and I checked the bottoms, the skins shriveled up to nothing. It ended up being ok, as I just ripped the skins off and added them to my pan sauce, which made it super delicious. I would still like to get this method down, since the level of browning on yours is better than I've ever seen. For extra large breasts should I sear at high heat for a few minutes before I cover with a lid? Or is there something else that I may have overlooked?
medium-low is a very relative term :) whatever you reduced it too was too low. try reducing the heat less. I am using air-chilled chicken. It's possible that if your chicken is not air chilled, it would need a higher heat to brown since you have more water in the skin to evaporate. Another option is to place the chicken in the skillet, don't cover it, and place it in the oven at 475F (again the oven temp is approximate -- you'll need to play with your oven to see what gets you crispy skin). I assume you are drying the chicken very thoroughly before placing it in the skillet. If your chicken breasts are huge, I wonder if they are producing too much steam in the skillet. But my best guess is that it's all about how much heat you give them. next time you do it, can you take a quick picture with your phone and send it to me. It would help to know the shape of the skillet (sloped of straight sides), and the breast size (how much space was around each breast).
Hi Helen! New subscriber here -- if I've unwisely de-skinned my chicken breast, can I still use this method (perhaps with modification), or is the skin a necessary insulator?
the outside of that chicken just came of a 400F skillet, so the outer layers are very hot. They give off their heat both to the room and to the middle of the chicken, so the middle of the chicken goes up in temperature.
So my pull temperature is 125 F, and I should expect it to reach "about 140 to 150 Fahrenheit" as it rests? An eight ounce breast? Fifteen to TWENTY FIVE degrees? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here. Does this happen for anyone? I get like five to eight degrees. How warm is that plate supposed to be--smoking hot? I just don't find this credible.
August, 2020 .....I'm a bit confused....Every report that I've read, every cooking show I've seen, indicates that the internal temp should be 160 F .....Please explain !!
Here is some info: www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html#safe Please note that what in this dish I am not holding chicken long enough at 145 to pasteurize it. It's a risk. Just like medium-rare duck breasts, medium-rare burgers, etc. It's not as big of a risk as driving, but it's a risk. I used to think that it's not an issue at all for a solid muscle. That is technically true. But there is a disagreement about whether we can assume a solid muscle on a small animal like chicken or not. I assume it is solid. FDA assumes it is not. They assume that every chicken might have been stabbed here and there accidentally during the butchering process.
@@helenrennie August, 2020 .....a sincere Thanks, for a PROMPT response !! You added some clarity- And, I would take the risk, by giving up a few degrees, in order to have juicy breasts !! I really look forward to making your Chicken Stock, and seeing you in Boston !!
Helen Rennie Thank you. I have some All Clad as well; a couple of Anodized Aluminum and a 4 qt sauté pan. I do not care for the handle either. I have some carbon steel and a cast iron, but am looking to buy a stainless skillet and I like the shape of the one you show in this video. I saw one by Misen that looks good and will look at Tramontina as well. I love your style and will continue watching! P.S. I grew up in Sherborn😊
I worked as a food safety expert for several years. Please be very careful if you plan to do this. Health Department regulations require restaurants to cook their chicken to 165 so the salmonella bacteria will be killed. If you bring the chicken only to the temperature she recommends in this video, you're in danger of still having salmonella in the meat. If you're going to do this, you need to be working with chicken that you trust 100%. I would not recommend doing this with the typical store-bought chicken found in most American grocery stores. This doesn't mean if you try her recommendation that you'll definitely get sick, but you are taking a risk.
![Megan Thee Stallion - Neva Play (feat. RM) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TpYTyAaTRts/mqdefault.jpg)
"any idiot"
mademoiselle, your belief on me gives me hope
she's right though! Chicken and eggs are so common, but are so easy to mess up.
I have 28 years of culinary experience. The thing I love about cooking, I always learn something new! Great channel, Helen.
My kids just devoured this chicken and it was a smashing success. This is by far the best chicken I've ever cooked. I love how you're turning good home cooks into great ones. Thank you Helen.
This is the best cooking channel on TH-cam. So much great info packed into a short time. Solid culinary knowledge and the q&a section is a plus!
Think Like A Chef ,
That's right. She is our next Jacques Pepin.
You're an amazing teacher who cuts to the chase!
This is very similar to an article I found on how to cook moist chicken breast. It used skinless breast, but still seems to work well. Dry and season, and sear one side in the skillet with oil and butter on about medium high for a minute or two. Flip over, cover, and turn the burner to low for 10 minutes no peeking (super important!). Then turn off the heat for another 10 minutes while maintaining the cover. I've been pleased with the results when I've used it. But I'm looking forward to trying yours and I love the skin on.
Gosh this a brilliant technique! Thank you for figuring this one out! Now I see why you would serve this to Thomas Keller!
Just did this per these directions. I was concerned at first because the chicken appeared to be steaming and releasing a lot of juices but once the 10 minutes passed I raised the heat and it eventually crisped up. I never dreamed of stopping at 125 before but it was perfectly cooked after the rest.
Hi Helen, Thank you! This looks fascinating and I'll try it. You present well and present clearly. I'm now making travel videos to teach at distance and I've learned more just by watching your videos.
Not easy to find cooking videos like helen's. Everything explained in detail, with reasons behind every step. Many other cooking videos are for watching people cooking, not for reproducing the recipe. 😅
PLACE HOLDERS!?!? I have always struggled with these open pan spots charring and smoking off with my cooking. Brilliant carrot idea. Loved the recipe Thank you!
Love your videos and honest attitude!
Thanks! So glad you found this video helpful.
So thankful to have found this lovely lady. I have made Thomas Keller’s Chicken, and while delicious, cooking an entire bird is too much for empty nesters, without the children and grandchildren present. So the breasts technique just demonstrated is especially useful for singles or smaller families. ❤️
James Beard famously said that he prefers his chicken to be slightly pink. I am in the same camp. An over cooked chicken breast is a terrible thing. The final obstacle to a perfect chicken is finding a way to roast a whole one where the white meat is succulent and the dark meat is completely done.
One reason duck can be cooked to more rare is that their feathers are much harder to pluck. During processing their carcasses are scalded to loosen the feathers. This reduces the possibility of skin contamination. But otherwise, I agree with you, 160F is from the 1950s (as so many US ideas on food safety are).
Exactly my thoughts! Its so easy to cook a dry aged blah blah wagyu steak but man perfectly cooking a chicken breast requires the utmost of skills and understanding of cooking technique. From the dry brining in the fridge uncovered to dry out the skin whilst perfectly seasoning the insides and even changing the texture of the meat to cooking till the proper temperature of 140F or 60°c where I’m from. Thomas Keller would be impressed for sure!
I consider this to be the best way to cook chicken breasts!!!!
Thank for explaining the temps
Great video!
Thanks for posting!
I love her accent! SHe could also do ASMR (scientific relaxation) videos since she's calming!
Love the detail. Therein lays the "devil"! Will try this very soon. My local super-markets only sells boneless/skinless or bone-in with skin so I will remove the bone- no problem.
many good supermarkets and butcher shops will be able to do it for you. I don't mind removing the bone myself, but I wanted to make sure Whole Foods could do it if asked. they said yes.
Like you, my wife is so much better than me at asking these questions! Thanks!!
It turned out really well- crispy skin and very moist meat that received enthusiastic thumbs up from my family. I made a quick and easy pan sauce pulled from an Eric Ripert recipe- equal parts Port and Sherry vinegar, reduced before adding unsalted butter and emulsifying to create the sauce. Thank Helen!
So glad it turned out well :) Your sauce sounds excellent!
Hope you oil up and take care of your own two breasts too luv
Just found your channel. I'll be looking at ALL of your videos. Even people who are good cooks (like I am) there is always something good to learn! I will be trying your Breast method very soon!!! You are a delight to watch and listen to! Thank you for sharing!
#realcomment Hi Helen. I just tried
this recipe and it turned out fantastic. It will be my go to method from now on. But I'm bit confused when it comes to understanding the the reasoning behind some of these steps:
*1.* Why start at high heat? Why not medium low all the time?
*2.* Why do you cover the chicken with a lid? Wouldn't covering cause steaming which would reduce the browning? Wouldn't it be better that instead of covering the chicken, you flip it at one point, letting the other side brown as well while the heat penetrates into remaining uncooked meat.
*3.* Why don't you pound thicker breasts in order to eliminate need for an oven?
So glad your chicken turned out well. here are the answers:
1) the chicken will steam at medium low and the skin won't turn crispy
2) I cover the chicken so that the skinless part (the top cooks at the same time as the skin). Yes, covering slows down the browning. The reason I take this approach is that direct contact of the skinless part of the flesh with the skillet can't be more than a minute -- otherwise it becomes tough and dry. The only part of the chicken that I want to touch the skillet is the part with the skin. That can be in contact for a very long time because fat doesn't conduct heat nearly as well as water and it helps the skin crisp up. If you have a breast that is thicker than 1/2 inch (which is pretty much all breasts), how would you cook it through without a lid and without flipping? There is definitely the pop-it in the oven option, but the results aren't as moist as with a lid). For thicker breasts, oven is a good choice, but for thinner breasts you might not need it. The basic idea of this technique is that skin need a lot of intense and prolonged heat, and flesh needs very slow gently heat.
3) you can certainly pound the breasts, but that usually results in the skin not covering as much meat. All that meat has to go somewhere. You can't make it thinner without making it wider and longer. Any parts not protected by the skin will be dried out.
@@helenrennie Thank you so much. That was very insightful!
I discovered your short master class on Focaccia this morning [ th-cam.com/video/81hPWTmcODg/w-d-xo.html ] and, after starting a dough, have been on a minor binge of your channel - you've got a new friend... great content.
The best, easiest, most foolproof way I've found to cook skinless and boneless chicken breast is the 'no preheat method'.
1)- Set oven to 450 (just to give it a bit of a head start)
2)- Take chicken from fridge. If not marinated, pat dry and season. (this should only take 1-2 minutes. If you let the oven get too hot before starting the chicken it will be dry)
3)- Bake on top rack for 30 minutes (25 for small breast). Let rest 8-10 minutes.
Fastest way I've found and they come out perfect every time - and no mess if you line the pan with foil.
I watched a video on the safety issue and some food scientist was saying there's a difference between the pathogens on beef and chicken. With beef, the threat is on the outside. With chickens, they could contain bacteria from within.
Agreed this idea that chicken doesn't have to be cooked to 165 bothers me it absolutely does
@@Jason-ys5bq It doesn't "have to", the FDA just recommends it
@@Ahmad-fq5eh No, it does
Chicken cooked this way reminds me of good pricey restaurants. Thank you for sharing
One recommendation. Chicken breast is more tender cut long ways. It’s against the grain that way
For Americans, there is actually a good reason to cook to 165; even if the result is lacking. Much of our poultry is "brine chilled." When the meat gets plunked in this often contaminated water; the muscle can absorb some of it as it chills. I only buy air chilled meat; but am working on producing my own poultry because the food they sell us here is disgusting.
What an excellent video! So much more informative than most. Thank you so much!
Im not scared. Been doing it for years but you have showed me a new level.
Everybody's oven is different; everyone's burners are different. This didn't work for me with medium high heat, it did with low heat and then finishing in the oven.
Your genius! And very pretty too. Love this site, bc its makes me want to try out everything! And sometime chicken breast is difficult to make moist! So thank you!!!
It is difficult to keep the moist in it... Once lost, it's game over.
I'm lucky, my first job in high school was at a local Polish butcher shop, so I learned how to cut and debone chickens at 16.
You are amazing. I love you.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful insights.
Great recipe! My wife loved it!
Thank you
I put mine in a dish tightly covered with aluminum foil. Salt, pepper and any seasoning you want (I put cinnamon, paprika, coriander, parsley.) Topped it all of with sesame seed. Olive oil under and on top of the breasts. Sauteed garlic cloves also. Everything in the dish. Came out moist as heaven. 350 for 40 min.
I've done something pretty similar with turkey breasts. I put 2 breasts in a shallow saute pan that was just big enough to hold the turkey, covered it with a lid and pulled it at like 150-155F.
Will try today!
"The heat of the skillet would kill it." Words to live by.
that's not correct
unless fully cooked
Can't wait to try this out!
AMAZING recipe! You’re always my go-to for anything cooking, Helen. Quick question though, if I wanted to prep this in the morning to serve at night, could I do all the steps and just warm in the oven? Would this dry out the chicken?
You are just the best!
Thank you for doing this without sous vide.
Basically its just like cooking steak and pretty much locking in the juices and also cooking the breast a bit undercookedas it will continue to cook through, but besides that chicken breast is still a pretty dry meat
Helen! I just tried this recipe and the moisture level is magnificent. Thank you!
My only worry is that it came out almost too salty to the taste. Do you think it's possible to significantly reduce the salt and still get a moist chicken?
I realize you probably already figured this out, but just in case I thought I'd comment. Helen doesn't mention it in this video, but she is using Diamond Crystal kosher salt. It is the least 'salty' salt. If you are using Morton's Kosher or any kind of table salt, you should use a about half to 2/3rd of what she uses in this video.
Oh my gosh I have only just found you. You are amazing.
Cannot wait to try this. I love crispy chicken skin!
I can't find boneless chicken with skin on in my town. Is there an alternative type of chicken that I can us this cooking method? Thanks so much. You are so enjoyable to watch and listen too.
Having been overweight much of my adult life, i hope never to have to eat chicken breast again. It has such a bad reputation and is so unpopular, it is now pretty much the cheapest cut of chicken you can buy here.
Rachel Ray IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL CHEF-
Beautiful cooking. ..I like your cooking. ..
Thank you! This was awesome
Awesome job! Thank You very much!
Are you sure about the safety? The muscle explanation is true for beef and pork, but the nature of poultry meat is different. Salmonella usually can penetrate chicken meat.
To say that I detest chicken breasts is too strong a statement, but with my impatient cooking technique they are far less forgiving a cut for me. But there is a time and place for everything and I'll have to try this technique....especially with skin on- I think part of my issue has been using boneless skinless breasts-sacrificing flavor and texture for convenience. Too heavy of a price to pay IMHO.
I'd love to hear what you think of this method if you try it. the skin is a must. it's not just that the skin itself tastes great, but it also protects the meat from direct heat of the skillet.
but safe temps for chicken are 160f...
I totally get keeping it at a lower temperature makes it juicy. But from a bacteria perspective salmonella must be heated to 150°F. Or 65°C for 5-10 min to become safe commercially anyway.
Unless you're elderly, immuno compromised or feeding a large amount of random people this is not something to be concerned about realistically.
@@lieQT Bang on.
@@lieQT its a major concern actually
125F? Wow. I never thought to go so low and would usually hit 155F for mine after carry over heat. USDA requires chicken breast to be at 165F which is nuts because the chicken is too dry to enjoy.
The reason why USDA uses a temperature like 165F is that at this temperature bacteria is killed quite quickly. It's a simple rule that is easy to understand for most people. If you use a lower temperatures then the food has to be kept at those temperatures for a longer period of time to kill bacteria.
You had me at 'idiot'
Looks wonderfull
126°F it's to low for cooking pan !! you risk to get some bacterias like salmonella
if you don't use a safe mode like sous vide (for 2 hours to this temperature) you risk to do serious damages to your follower and to you
Did you watch the video? Her temp is 140-150 when finished.
Nope. You eat it at 145+
and for people who are not supposed to have a lot of sodium?
this video might help: th-cam.com/video/LVfcmIxTZO4/w-d-xo.html
Orrrrrrrrrr....pressure cooker. You still RAWK!
#realcomment when salting the chicken on a plate, especially with the overnight recommendation, would you prefer to put it on a wire rack so air circulates on both sides and doesn't sit in any liquid? Thanks for a great video! I had given up on doing chicken breasts in the pan and always went sous vide, but love that this works without drying them out and is faster. Thanks again!
This method is faster, but it requires a few tries to get the heat right. every stove and skillet is different. sous-vide is definitely less risky ;) I don't normally keep them chicken on a rack, but it wouldn't be a bad idea. finding enough fridge space to do that is often tricky and since I buy air chilled poultry the skin usually browns pretty well.
@@helenrennie that is what the quarter and eighth sheet pans with wire racks are perfect for tucking into the fridge ;)
@@helenrennie
Now that I think about this technique, I think using the reverse seat might be easier to control. Kenji developed it to mimic sous vide, and this cooking method seems pretty identical to the standard sear and bake method of cooking steaks.
👍 Danke fürs Hochladen!
👍 Thanks for uploading!
👍 Very good and beautiful, thank you!
👍 Sehr gut und schön, danke!
I assume that the chicken is allowed to come to room temperature before cooking, after removing from overnight in the refrigerator? Or does it matter?
doesn't matter. i cook it straight from the fridge.
Hi, I don’t think I have cooked chicken breast in over a decade because I could never get it right. I will definitely give this a go. Can you tell me why you recommend a stainless steel pan?
What do you think of a wet brine? Unnecessary? It seems like you dry brining the chicken breast in this video.
Wet brine makes it hard to achieve good skin. The only difference between wet and dry brining is whether you are pumping additional water into the meat. With a wet brine you do, with a dry brine you don't. Unless you are cooking your chicken to the completely unnecessary FDA recommendation of 165F, pumping extra water into it is not necessary.
I started to sous vide some stuff but it leaves a bit of a funny taste on my lips. Would this be from the plastic bags it is cooking in? I am 3 mil vacuum chamber bags. What would cause this taste on my lips?
Hey Helen ! :) You often speak of "sous-vide", but what is it? And by the way thank you very much for your excellent videos !!
Sous-vide is a popular restaurant technique that lately became very accessible to home cooks. The meat is vacuum sealed or placed in a zip lock bag and submerged into a temperature controlled water bath. For example, a steak would be cooked in a 130F water for 1-2 hours and then seared. To control the water temp, you need an immersion circulator. If you want to know more, search for sous-vide techniques on seriouseats.com, though there are many other sites that offer sous-vide instructions.
Helen Rennie Okay ! Thank you very much for your complete answer :)
I'm not sure I agree with your safety assessment, Helen. If you can find "natural" chicken, you may be right that the risk is quite low, but most chicken in the US is injected with a salt solution. This can carry bacteria such as salmonella from the surface into the meat. This process is generally not done with beef, pork, and duck.
I do agree that 165°F is overkill for all but the immuno-compromised, though. Bringing chicken up to a lower temperature (say 145-150°F) and holding it there for longer will also sufficiently pasteurize it. Sous vide can accomplish this easily. To accomplish it with higher-heat methods, you need to end at a slightly higher temperature so that the meat is held above the target temp for long enough. I find stopping at 150 is usually sufficient to allow enough carryover for safety and still maintain moist white meat in chicken and turkey, assuming a 350°F oven. You could possibly stop lower coming out of a hot skillet. For dark meat, I aim for a higher temperature to break down the collagen and improve the texture -- it can easily hit 190+°F and still be good.
agreed
Awesome
Temperature of chicken breast should be between 145-165℉. 127℉ is too low
127 is too low at what point in the cooking process? She is not advising to eat the chicken at 127, but at 145 as you suggest, which occurs during the resting period. Did you watch the video?
@Helen Rennie - Helen I was anxious to try this method, but the breasts that I used were very large. I added the breasts at high heat, covered and immediately lowered the temp to med-low, but way too much liquid began to pool in the pan. Once I noticed I drained the excess, removed the lid and returned to med-high heat to attempt a sear again, but once the heat rose and I checked the bottoms, the skins shriveled up to nothing. It ended up being ok, as I just ripped the skins off and added them to my pan sauce, which made it super delicious. I would still like to get this method down, since the level of browning on yours is better than I've ever seen. For extra large breasts should I sear at high heat for a few minutes before I cover with a lid? Or is there something else that I may have overlooked?
medium-low is a very relative term :) whatever you reduced it too was too low. try reducing the heat less. I am using air-chilled chicken. It's possible that if your chicken is not air chilled, it would need a higher heat to brown since you have more water in the skin to evaporate. Another option is to place the chicken in the skillet, don't cover it, and place it in the oven at 475F (again the oven temp is approximate -- you'll need to play with your oven to see what gets you crispy skin).
I assume you are drying the chicken very thoroughly before placing it in the skillet. If your chicken breasts are huge, I wonder if they are producing too much steam in the skillet. But my best guess is that it's all about how much heat you give them. next time you do it, can you take a quick picture with your phone and send it to me. It would help to know the shape of the skillet (sloped of straight sides), and the breast size (how much space was around each breast).
Set playback speed to 1.5x, you're welcome
I have to watch this on 1.5x speed... much to slow
It'd be good to know about a whole chicken?
4:12 -tee here.
hmm, maybe I make this to go with the quiche!
what do you mean the chicken rests in the oven, did you turn the oven off when putting the chicken there?
Hi Helen! New subscriber here -- if I've unwisely de-skinned my chicken breast, can I still use this method (perhaps with modification), or is the skin a necessary insulator?
the skin is necessary, but if you have an immersion circulator, try this sous-vide recipe: th-cam.com/video/k89hp50kvFQ/w-d-xo.html
I really like your video. Very informative. Thank you for your information.
Did anyone try this with skinless chicken? I sadly can not find any skin-on chicken in my supermarket.
Wow
Thigh fillets are way better
#realcomment I'm confused, how does the temperature go up after you take it off heat?
the outside of that chicken just came of a 400F skillet, so the outer layers are very hot. They give off their heat both to the room and to the middle of the chicken, so the middle of the chicken goes up in temperature.
I wish I had access to chicken breast with the skin on
So my pull temperature is 125 F, and I should expect it to reach "about 140 to 150 Fahrenheit" as it rests? An eight ounce breast? Fifteen to TWENTY FIVE degrees? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here. Does this happen for anyone? I get like five to eight degrees. How warm is that plate supposed to be--smoking hot? I just don't find this credible.
August, 2020 .....I'm a bit confused....Every report that I've read, every cooking show I've seen, indicates that the internal temp should be 160 F .....Please explain !!
Here is some info: www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html#safe
Please note that what in this dish I am not holding chicken long enough at 145 to pasteurize it. It's a risk. Just like medium-rare duck breasts, medium-rare burgers, etc. It's not as big of a risk as driving, but it's a risk. I used to think that it's not an issue at all for a solid muscle. That is technically true. But there is a disagreement about whether we can assume a solid muscle on a small animal like chicken or not. I assume it is solid. FDA assumes it is not. They assume that every chicken might have been stabbed here and there accidentally during the butchering process.
@@helenrennie August, 2020 .....a sincere Thanks, for a PROMPT response !! You added some clarity- And, I would take the risk, by giving up a few degrees, in order to have juicy breasts !!
I really look forward to making your Chicken Stock, and seeing you in Boston !!
I can never find chicken breasts with the skin on. :(
How about if one can only get skinless and boneless breasts? Anything for the mere mortals?
came for chicken
came because of the accent
lol
I am sticking with USDA gudelines of temp if 165, they did say that if you hold your chicken for 8.5 minutes it will be as safe to eat.
I will ask butcher at Kroger or Tom Thumb if they can prepare boneless with skin. Whole Foods is too expensive for my pocket book.
Can I just continue cooking in the frying pan till reaches 140 degrees? why the oven?
oven is more even heat
does this look like the pleasure of cooking and eating?
LOVE YOUR CLASS!
Who makes your skillet?
I have 2 stainless steel skillets. All-Clad and Tramontina. They are almost identical, but Tramontina's handle is more comfortable and it's cheaper.
Helen Rennie Thank you. I have some All Clad as well; a couple of Anodized Aluminum and a 4 qt sauté pan. I do not care for the handle either. I have some carbon steel and a cast iron, but am looking to buy a stainless skillet and I like the shape of the one you show in this video. I saw one by Misen that looks good and will look at Tramontina as well. I love your style and will continue watching! P.S. I grew up in Sherborn😊
I love Misen knives. I'd love to try their pans. The problem is that I already have so many. I also hear great things about Cook's Standard brand.
I worked as a food safety expert for several years. Please be very careful if you plan to do this. Health Department regulations require restaurants to cook their chicken to 165 so the salmonella bacteria will be killed. If you bring the chicken only to the temperature she recommends in this video, you're in danger of still having salmonella in the meat. If you're going to do this, you need to be working with chicken that you trust 100%. I would not recommend doing this with the typical store-bought chicken found in most American grocery stores. This doesn't mean if you try her recommendation that you'll definitely get sick, but you are taking a risk.
Firstname Lastname seems as if she handled this subject pretty well. We have an overly aggressive food safety culture in the USA, anyway..
@@jjwwqq in Italy the safe temperature for cook chicken is 75°C by the cooking pan because there are some bacterias that survive to 126°F
What do you do to clean the thermometer to avoid cross contamination between checks?
I hope you learned about soap in the last two years.
The actual answer is that most people probably don't bother.
are yu signel