Recipes

[JR8]

Reviving an old topic...
Here's a useful tip for any bacon fans. It a) means frying it makes less mess of the hob and b) it apparently comes out juicier c) it also renders some of the fat out of the bacon.
I'll be giving this one a go!
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'Weird Tip That Really Works: For Perfect Bacon, Add a Little Water to the Pan'
http://www.thekitchn.com/tip-for-perfec ... pan-191595

[rajagainstthemachine]

rybread, cheese and a bit of fish for breakfast these days



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[JR8]

Nice Though not sure if I could deal with whole capers for brekko.
A condiment we (my family back home) use is remoulade. Specifically the kind that is mayo + finely chopped mini-dill pickles ('cournichon' in French). It adds juice to the sandwich, and also some of the bitter edge without being as full-on as capers. The bitter edge is a good counter-point vs rich fish, meat, cheese etc.
Curious to see there is a x-over version of remoulade used in the US, even on soft-shell crab sandwiches!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remoulade

p.s. Come to think of it. For brekko in the UK we just have cereal and toast/jam (wonder if that's a US culinary import, since going back it would have more likely been porridge?). The above kind of thing is what we'd have for lunch, all spread out on the table. But that derives directly from the Scandi heritage of my mother. And it would be broadened out with pate, ham, sliced tomato, maybe some small sweet shrimp and so on. Usually a bowl of home-made soup to start with. Then pretty much what ever is at hand, including left overs from the last 'roast meal' esp chicken. Pick and mix. Served up on thick white or wholemeal bread. That darker/denser rye-bread (pic) is more central/northern Europe IME. And indeed per the OP is what my family up in Scandinavia would have as variants for both brekko and lunch.

[sundaymorningstaple]

You put anything on that soft-shell crab other than frying it in butter and a sprinkling with Old Bay Seasoning (or a home-made version of the same) on the top and a pinch under the soft topshell on each side and it's sacrilege! It's only the coon-asses in Louisiana that use Remoulade (and they are descended from French-Canadians crossed with what ever they could catch in the swamps of Louisiana). Some of their food is good, but some is just garbage. I lived on the outskirts of the Atchafalaya Basin for 7 years myself!

[JR8]

http://www.thekitchn.com/5-cocktail-ins ... ots-228091
'5 Cocktail-Inspired Jello Shots'

The flavour combo of ginger, lime and rum in the blend named 'Dark and stormy' sounds rather enticing

[the lynx]

Don't know if you guys have this as pet peeve, I absolutely hate it when my chicken turns out dry after I cook it no matter which method I did - roast, bake, pan, boil, or how slow I try to cook it. Steaming is probably the only way but man, this method doesn't work if you want to use spice and herbs on the chicken like paprika etc.

[x9200]

Don't know if you guys have this as pet peeve, I absolutely hate it when my chicken turns out dry after I cook it no matter which method I did - roast, bake, pan, boil, or how slow I try to cook it. Steaming is probably the only way but man, this method doesn't work if you want to use spice and herbs on the chicken like paprika etc.

Same here.
What my wife claims works (but I have never seen it in action) is, if you have a larger oven, take an ordinary but smaller in size, glass bottle, fill it with water and use it as a holder for the chicken (impale it) while backing it.

[x9200]

Another method that may work is to grill the chicken while still frozen at 200 deg C in an airfryer. I recently inherited one of these machines and I am very impressed what it does to the food and how quickly it does it.

This type:

[sundaymorningstaple]

Deep fry it! Guaranteed moist & juicy and only takes around 10 minutes to cook (the same way I deep fry 6kg turkeys in 30 minutes).

Sent from the ozone layer - the answer is out there!

[sundaymorningstaple]

X9200, I need to look into one of those things. I've never used one but sounds interesting.

Sent from the ozone layer - the answer is out there!

[Strong Eagle]

[flash=][/flash]

Don't know if you guys have this as pet peeve, I absolutely hate it when my chicken turns out dry after I cook it no matter which method I did - roast, bake, pan, boil, or how slow I try to cook it. Steaming is probably the only way but man, this method doesn't work if you want to use spice and herbs on the chicken like paprika etc.

You are cooking it too long! I cook succulent chicken all the time, from boneless breasts, to chicken strips to roast/grilled whole chicken to deep fried chicken. For bigger chunks of chicken a good meat thermometer is essential... cooked enough to remove all red at the bone, yet juicy and flavorful meat.

Correct temperature is also essential... to low and chicken comes out dry and stringy... too high and a blackened outside and raw inside.

If you wish, I will post some tips and recipes for doing really good chicken.

[the lynx]

[flash=][/flash]

Don't know if you guys have this as pet peeve, I absolutely hate it when my chicken turns out dry after I cook it no matter which method I did - roast, bake, pan, boil, or how slow I try to cook it. Steaming is probably the only way but man, this method doesn't work if you want to use spice and herbs on the chicken like paprika etc.

You are cooking it too long! I cook succulent chicken all the time, from boneless breasts, to chicken strips to roast/grilled whole chicken to deep fried chicken. For bigger chunks of chicken a good meat thermometer is essential... cooked enough to remove all red at the bone, yet juicy and flavorful meat.

Correct temperature is also essential... to low and chicken comes out dry and stringy... too high and a blackened outside and raw inside.

If you wish, I will post some tips and recipes for doing really good chicken.

Another thing I have observed as a noob cook is that a lot of good recipes you find online are Western (or based on Western climate). I have to minus a few degrees or few minutes off the recommended recipe, or I will end up overcooking (probably because cooking in tropical countries like SG is already warm and humid?)

[x9200]

X9200, I need to look into one of those things. I've never used one but sounds interesting.

It works like a small hurricane and the design makes the food cooked from all the sides - basically it is like a deep fryer (it has similar basket for example) but the medium is high speed running overheated air.

[JR8]

What cut of chicken, or is it whole chicken? [Chicken breast cuts can be dry, skinless ones more-so. This is why I *far* prefer skin-on bone-in thigh cuts => juicier and much more flavour, they need a few mins more pre-prep but it's more than paid back IMO].

Our oven here runs slightly too hot, maybe 10C. The one at our last stop in SG was similar +10/15C. It's a damn nuisance as you have to remember to knock off the extra each time you use it. If not it can be enough to cremate your stuff. Have you a meat thermometer? They don't cost a lot, maybe S$20? When I roast the oven settings are a guide, but my thermometer tells me what's actually happening.

- If you're referring to whole chicken. Make sure you're clear on fan oven vs 'conventional' settings. The effective difference between the two is meant to be the equivalent of about 25C. If you can use a lower rack height that might help. You can add moisture sources to the inside of the cavity during cooking, half an onion +/or lemon, or orange. Another trick is to lift the skin over the breasts and rub herb butter between the meat and skin, then re-attach the skin back down with a few cocktail sticks. Really juices things up and lets the skin crisp well - this is pretty awesome on the 'crown' of the Xmas turkey too.

There's another method <'beer can chicken'>. IIRC SMS might have mentioned this previously, it's 'Merican, popular on BBQs but works in the oven too. Youtube the <''> words and you'll see plenty of examples...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pypR--ZXtiY
'BEER CAN CHICKEN Video Recipe - Crispy Skin - How To make Beer Can Chicken with American Dry Rub

[JR8]

p.s. Something of an epiphany for me was discovering that the temperature dial should be considered a guide, rather than gospel. Perhaps more-so with the sometimes cheapo appliances SGn condos come with. 'Why spend on higher end brands, when ovens are not used much in SG?'.
Each time we move to a new rental place I have to try out my oven a couple of times to get comfortable with whether it runs high or low, or indeed varies either way.

You could always simply knock 20C of your oven temp, do you chicken, take it out and close the oven door, get the tray/pan on the counter-top, stick a pointy knife into the thickest part of meat and just visually check it's not pink and 'juices run clear'. If it is under stick in in for another 10mins, and repeat as required. Pretty soon you'll have the measure of it.

Add: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diMnpaE2x1E
'BBQ Bean Can Chicken'
Reckon this guy is one of SMSs cousins, who 'never left the ranch' I've previously got some good ideas from their channel. If you haven't room for a whole can and 4lb chicken, you could always use a 1/2 sized can + smaller chix.