Ina Garten's Mustard Chicken • foolproof! (2024)

FAQs

Why put mustard on chicken before cooking? ›

It acts as a glue for spices

In this case, mustard is the perfect binder for spices to adhere to chicken or any meat for that matter. The tanginess tends to dilute during the cooking process, allowing the condiment to do its job without overpowering.

Mustard is a binder, just like egg, and it will help to hold the breading in place. It also adds a bit of flavor to the meat. Yes, you can use mustard as a substitute for egg when breading meat.

Mustard is an acidic condiment with a pH of roughly 3.7, making it an ideal addition to any meat marinade. Acid is key to marination because it denatures the proteins in meat which allows seasonings to penetrate and tenderization to occur.

There are three key tricks: tenderize, marinate, and controlled cooking time. When you use all three of these methods, you will have succulent, moist chicken every time, and you can apply these strategies to other cuts of meat as well.

Gordon Ramsay – Net Worth $220 Million

Even though he first gained notoriety in the food industry, his television programs account for the majority of his current income. Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, Master Chef, Hotel Hell, Faking It, and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares are some of these programs.

The secret to making the perfect fried chicken is the use of buttermilk, as it helps tenderize each piece while leaving each bite juicy and crispy.

While washing meat and poultry to remove dirt, slime, fat or blood may have been appropriate decades ago when many slaughtered and prepared their own food, the modern food safety system doesn't require it. Meat and poultry are cleaned during processing, so further washing is not necessary.

Washing chicken before cooking is an unnecessary practice, according to health authorities. Instead of ridding the poultry of bacteria, washing chicken only increases the risk of food poisoning and cross-contamination.

Make the chicken thinner

Thinner breasts or cutlets are less likely to dry out, as they won't spend as much time in the pan. A simple option is to pound the chicken until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, using a meat mallet/pounder, heavy skillet or even a hammer. This is best done between parchment paper or plastic wrap.

How do chefs get chicken so tender? ›

Gordon Ramsay's best recipes include Beef Wellington, Coq au Vin, Beef Stroganoff, Chicken Piccata, Rack of Lamb, Baked Salmon with Lemon and Dill, Shrimp Scampi, Beef and Guinness Stew, Spaghetti Carbonara, and Beef Burgundy.

Second, the mustard helps develop a smoky and delightful “bark” of flavor on the outside of your meat. I no longer smoke meat without first rubbing it with mustard. Check out our Big Green Egg Smoked Brisket recipe for some tips on smoking!

Some who use it claim that it helps hold on the rub, produces a better bark, and the vinegar in the mustard helps tenderize the meat. Personally, I don't see any advantage to using it over something like peanut or olive oil which helps keep rub on the meat too.

Try coating the meat in mustard and then sprinkling it with the rub. It doesn't alter the flavor but keeps the rub where its intended to be – flavoring your meat. You can also use an oil with a high smoke point – such as generic vegetable oil.

Ground mustard has an intense aroma with a sharp, hot, and slightly bitter taste. Similar to horseradish, ground mustard can awaken your senses and make your sinuses tingle. When added to sauces, dressings, rubs, and marinades, it adds depth and complexity to the flavors.