Perking Up Chicken Breasts

tYesterday's New York Times Dining Section honed in on an old kitchen standby - chicken breasts. These have been one of the staples of both home and restaurant cooking for more than a century. Unfortunately the desire for them has waned due to the fact that chickens are pumped with hormones and other additives thus creating a bigger but tasteless breast meat. That's all going to change.

The article, expertly written by the Dining' regular Melissa Clark tells of her hatred of this meat and why she didn't want to deal with them. She writes of them being too dry and flavorless. However thanks to the help of some chefs she manages to create some tasty dishes. She puts an Asian spin on them with a garlic chili ginger sauce. Of course the breasts are cooked in a chicken broth first which renders them better tasting . other ingredients such as soy sauce - always good bet - and brown sugar are also added. Like Goldilocks looking for that just right blend, Ms., Clark then does a variation of a Spanish style stuffed and crisped chicken breast .the stuffing calls forr ham and cheese, - wonderful but then she adds sauerkraut, I'm not a fan of this so this wouldn't appeal to me.

I'm a big believer that chicken breasts are at their best when grilled. Drizzle olive oil and just season with salt and pepper and to me they're fine.If you want a more tender meat then marinade them in a mix of olive oil and lemon juice for a n hour before cooking. This way they'll absorb the flavor while the citric acid breaks down the meat.

Chicken breasts should aways be a kitchen standard. Maybe they have changed in texture and taste over the years but that doesn't mean to abandon them. There are several ways t bring them back tot heir former glory. It's just a question of how to do it.