Sharpening your sense of taste, learning to identify and understand different flavors, will take your cooking to a new level.
This entrancing — and endless — process of learning is given a savory endorsement in the March issue of Cooking Light magazine, in a feature about using all five senses when you cook.
The savvy use of complementary ingredients in the following recipe for chicken breast aglio e olio (the traditional Italian combination of garlic and oil) provides an exercise in the sense of taste. The recipe is contributed by restaurateur, TV host and cookbook author Lidia Bastianich, who is, of course, an authority on taste.
Chicken benefits from the strong flavors of garlic, capers and cherry peppers — as in the sauce for this dish. Taste the sauce before serving to be sure the flavors are balanced. You can use more or fewer capers, if you prefer. Bread crumbs serve as a thickener, giving the sauce body and texture. Serve with green beans and rice.
SKILLET CHICKEN BREAST AGLIO E OLIO
(Preparation 15 minutes, cooking time 8 minutes)
Six 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons capers, drained
4 pickled hot cherry peppers, halved and seeded
1 cup vegetable broth, preferably organic
1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Dredge chicken in flour.
Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add capers and peppers; cook 30 seconds. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in bread crumbs; cook until liquid thickens (about 1 minute). Taste sauce, and add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, if needed. Remove from heat; sprinkle with parsley.
Makes 6 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce).
Nutrition information per serving: 286 cal., 8.5 g total fat (3.3 g saturated), 40.9 g pro., 9.1 g carbo., 0.6 g fiber, 109 mg chol., 831 mg sodium. — Lidia Bastianich