We love chicken breasts because they’re a quick-cooking lean source of protein, but those qualities can lead to dry, stringy results if you aren’t careful, especially when sautéing, broiling, or grilling. Poaching, by contrast, is forgiving. Though it may conjure images of bland spa cuisine, we created a super-flavorful poaching liquid, which we used to brine the breasts for added juiciness. Allowing the chicken to gently poach in the residual heat, elevated in a steamer basket, ensured even cooking and guaranteed moist, savory breasts, ready to be paired with a bold sauce or added to salads or sandwiches. Parsley may be substituted for the cilantro in the vinaigrette. You can omit the Warm Tomato-Ginger vinaigrette and instead serve with any of the sauces here.
Ingredients
- 4 (4- to 6-ounce) organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all visible fat
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 2 tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- Pinch ground cumin
- Pinch ground fennel
- 6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- Salt and pepper
- 1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
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For the chicken
- Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound thick ends gently with meat pounder until ¾ inch thick. Whisk 4 quarts water, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and garlic together in Dutch oven until salt and sugar are dissolved. Arrange breasts, skinned side up, in steamer basket, making sure not to overlap them. Submerge steamer basket in brine and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Heat pot over medium heat, stirring liquid occasionally to even out hot spots, until water registers 175 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot, remove from burner, and let stand until meat registers 160 degrees, 17 to 22 minutes.
- Transfer breasts to carving board, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. For the vinaigrette
- While chicken rests, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot, ginger, cumin, and fennel and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and ⅛ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes have softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in vinegar and sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste; cover to keep warm.
- Slice each chicken breast on bias into ¼-inch-thick slices and transfer to serving platter or individual plates. Stir cilantro and remaining 1 tablespoon oil into vinaigrette and serve with the sliced chicken.
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving | Calories 220 kcal Calories from Fat: 90 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 10 g 29% |
Saturated Fat 1.5 g 8% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
Cholesterol 85 mg 28% |
Sodium 360 mg 6% |
carbohydrates 4 g 3% |
Dietary Fiber 1 g 3% |
Sugars 3 g 3% |
Protein 26 g 52% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |
