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TAKING A POUNDING
With
a Recipe For
Chicken Sauté
with Green Beans
Sautéed dishes with boneless breasts
of chicken, veal cutlets or pork medallions are staples of many
restaurant menus, especially in Italian restaurants. There are two
good reasons why. First, these dishes, from saltimbocca (veal,
prosciutto and sage in white wine) to chicken Marsala, offer
enormous variety. Second, sautéed dishes cook very quickly. But you
don’t have to go to your neighborhood trattoria to enjoy them. They
can be cooked in your own kitchen in 15 minutes.
Sautéed dishes cook fast because the
meat is pounded to half its original thickness. Many think that
pounding also tenderizes the meat, but that’s not the case. Veal
cutlets and chicken breasts are already tender. So are pork
medallions cut from pork tenderloin, unless you cook the pork too
long. (Leave a little pink in the middle to keep them moist.)
Ideally, you
should buy the meat already pounded. Chicken breasts are often sold
that way now. Or you can have the butcher pound the meat for you,
though I realize that in many parts of the country
the true butcher is a vanishing breed. However, pounding meat at
home isn’t a problem. You can use a meat pounder, a round or
rectangular flat piece of heavy metal with a handle, not to be
confused with a toothy meat tenderizer. A weighty cleaver will also
do the job, even a cast iron skillet. Put the meat or chicken
between two sheets of aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Then pound
evenly on a sturdy surface.
It’s important to have a skillet
large enough to hold all the meat or poultry. Usually a 12-inch
skillet will hold four 5 to 6-ounce portions, in one layer without
crowding. Crowding steams the meat and prevents it from browning
properly. If your skillet isn’t large enough, sauté the meat in two
batches. (Veal cutlets or scallopini, for example, usually come in 2
to 3 ounce pieces, which means that even a 12-inch skillet won’t
hold them all in one batch.)
The following recipe is a good
example of the versatility of sautéed dishes. Instead of parsley,
you could use rosemary, thyme, dill, sage, tarragon or basil.
Instead of white wine, you could use dry vermouth or Marsala. Other
additions could be sliced mushrooms, olives, or artichoke hearts.
Chicken Sauté
with Green Beans
4 boneless and
skinless chicken breast halves, 5 to 6 ounces each, pounded to half
their original thickness
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound green beans
2 shallots or one small onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup diced canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces mushrooms
4 large sprigs Italian parsley, enough for 2 tablespoons when chopped
1)If the chicken breasts haven’t been
pounded, pound them between two sheets of aluminum foil or wax paper
with the side of a cleaver or a meat pounder. Put the oil in a
12-inch skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and
pepper. Put the flour in a pie plate or on wax paper and dredge the
chicken in the flour. Shake off any excess flour and add the chicken
to the skillet. Increase the heat to medium high and cook for 3
minutes.
2)Meanwhile, run the hot water tap
and put 2 cups hot tap water in a large skillet or sauté pan. Put
over high heat, add 1 teaspoon salt and cover. Trim the green beans
and put them in the salted water as soon as it comes to a boil.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until just tender. Turn the chicken
over and cook for 3 minutes.
3)While the beans cook, dice the
shallots or small onion in a food processor or by hand. Remove the
chicken to a platter and add half the shallots to the skillet used
for the chicken. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook
for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and capers and cook for 1 minute.
Return the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the
chicken shows no pink inside. (Cut into the chicken with a paring
knife if you’re not sure.)
4)Meanwhile, drain the green beans in
a colander. Add the butter to the skillet used for the green beans.
Put over medium-high heat. Slice the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms
and remaining shallots to the skillet. Increase the heat to high.
5)Cook the mushroom mixture for 2
minutes while you chop the parsley. Add half the parsley and
green beans to the mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper to
taste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring a few times. Taste for salt and
pepper. Put the chicken and tomato sauce on a platter and sprinkle
with the remaining parsley. Serve with the green beans.
Per serving: 356 calories, 40.2 grams
protein, 20.5 grams carbohydrate, 10.3 grams fat, 3 grams saturated
fat, 98.2 mg cholesterol, 502 mg sodium. |
