Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Blackened Chicken



It's back to New Orleans for this mouth watering chicken recipe...

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 to 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

* 1 stick butter melted

* 2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Blackened Seasoning:

* 1 tablespoon salt
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 2 teaspoons onion powder
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 teaspoon white pepper
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground oregano

To prepare blackened seasoning: Mix all ingredients thoroughly and place in empty shaker. Shake well before using. Leftovers should be stored in cool, dry place.

Marinade:

* 2 cups water

* 2 tablespoons lemon juice

* 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

* 1 tablespoon lime juice

* 1 tablespoon of Worchester sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare you meat the night before you plan to cook. You can use fresh or frozen chicken as the main ingredient to this chicken breast recipe. If you use frozen allow for ample time to thaw the chicken.

1. Place your chicken breast between two pieces of wax paper and pound to an even thickness of 1/2 inch. This will enable you to easily cook your chicken to the desired doneness.

2. Rinse your chicken under running cold water and pat each chicken breast dry with paper towels and set aside.

3. Place chicken in container and mix well with marinade ingredients. Seal container and refrigerate. For best results its best to marinate you meat over night. Okay that was the hard part, now its time to cook the blackened chicken.

4. Remove chicken from marinade, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside. Melt 1 stick of butter. Moisten chicken breast with butter and then generously apply blackened seasoning mixture on both sides, set aside.

5. Add vegetable oil to a heavy bottom or cast iron skillet, and heat on high until skillet is sufficiently hot.

6. Add chicken breast to the skillet, cook for 2 minutes. Turn after two minutes and cook the other side. The chicken breast is done when its center has reached an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees. Do not overcrowd the skillet because this will cause uneven cooking.

Serve this with-







and wash it down with some Sweet Tea...





Enjoy!

2 comments:

Grover Tha Playboy said...

YESSSSS!

Della said...

Yes what? You like it?


Food Safety Tips
Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

* Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

* Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

* Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






Cavier & Vodka
Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household