Blackened Chicken 4 servings
8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons Garlic powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons Ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon White Pepper
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1/2 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tablespoon Paprika
3/4 Pound Unsalted Butter - Melted
Pound chicken breasts to about 1/3" thick. Thoroughly combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. Just before cooking each piece of chicken, dip it in the melted butter so that both sides are well coated, then sprinkle each fillet evenly with the seasoning mix, using about a rounded 1/2 teaspoon on each, and patting it in with your hands. (If you lay the fillet on a plate or other surface to season it, be sure the surface is warm so the butter won't congeal and stick to the surface instead of to the meat. Immediately place the fillet skinned side down in a hot skillet, making sure all meat folds are opened up and the meat is lying flat. Pour about 1 teaspoon butter on the top of the fillet (be careful, as the butter may flame up). If you cook more that 1 fillet at a time, place each fillet in the skillet before buttering and seasoning another one.
Cook uncovered over the same high heat until the underside forms a crust, about 2 minutes. (The time will vary according to the thickness of the fillets and the heat of the skillet or fire; watch the meat and you'll see a white line coming up the side as it cooks.) Turn the fillets over and pour about 1 teaspoon more melted butter on top of each. Cook just until meat is cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
Serve the chicken fillets crustier side up while piping hot. Clean the skillet after cooking each batch and repeat the blackening procedure with the remaining chicken fillets.
Carbs:
0 carbs.
Chicken Under a Brick 6 servings
1 whole (3- to 4-pound) chicken
(trimmed of excess fat, then rinsed and patted dry with paper towels)
1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, plus 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, quartered
Remove the backbone and split the chicken. Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and rub this all over the chicken. Tuck some of it under the skin as well. Allow to marinate, if time permits, for up to a day, refrigerated.
When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450°F. Preheat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Press the rosemary sprigs if you are using them into the skin of the chicken. Put the remaining olive oil in the pan and wait a minute for it to heat up. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down, along with any pieces of rosemary and garlic. Weight the chicken with another skillet or use a flat pot cover and a couple of bricks or rocks. The basic idea is to flatten the chicken by applying a fair amount of weight evenly over its surface.
Cook over medium-high to high heat for 10 minutes; transfer, still weighted, to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Take the chicken from the oven and remove the weight; turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast 10 minutes more. To check for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; it should read 160°F to 165°F. Serve hot or at room temperature (refrigerate it if you will not be serving it within the hour), with lemon wedges.
comments : The great dish of Lucca, Italy, should always be made with the best olive oil available. I weight the chickens with a cast-iron pan and a couple of big rocks. The only problem is that handling the hot, heavy pan takes a steady, strong wrist, so use two hands. The effort is well worth it: This is the simplest and best method for producing a beautiful, crisp-skinned bird. I specify rosemary here, which is delicious. But most herbs are equally wonderful. Try savory (in similar quantity); parsley, basil, chervil, chives (use twice as much); or tarragon, marjoram, or thyme (use half as much).
Carbs:
Zero carbs.
