
Butterflying a chicken breast means splitting it horizontally like a hamburger bun while keeping one edge intact. This creates a thinner, more uniform piece that cooks through quickly, before breading can burn. Uniform thickness also promotes even cooking and reduces time in a hot pan, helping the chicken stay moist and juicy. The technique works for pan cooking with oil and also for grilling, where the chicken can be finished with Tuscan olive oil, sea salt, and lemon juice. It is especially useful for breaded and shallow-fried preparations, and it can help in deep-frying by preventing exterior burning while the interior cooks. Choosing plump, evenly shaped breasts helps avoid overly thin cutlets after cutting.
"To butterfly a chicken breast is to split in half horizontally (like a hamburger bun) leaving one edge intact. A thinner piece of meat cooks quicker so your chicken breast will cook through before you've burnt your breading!" he explained. Additionally, when you butterfly a chicken cutlet, you're giving the meat a uniform thickness that cooks more evenly and quickly. With less time in a hot pan, the chicken will retain its moisture and juiciness."
"While this technique will work beautifully in a pan with oil, Brower told Tasting Table that butterflied chicken breasts will grill up nicely, too. "I like to butterfly chicken breast before grilling and finishing with Tuscan olive oil, sea salt and lemon juice," said Brower. The wet ingredients he adds to his grilled chicken breast also add moisture and flavor."
"When asked if certain preparations benefit most from a butterfly cut, Garrett Brower gave Tasting Table a definitive answer: "The obvious answer is also breaded and shallow-fried." However, if you're deep-frying your chicken cutlet, you should also consider using the butterfly cut on the chicken. "Use this technique in high heat preparations to avoid burning the exterior in the time it takes to cook the breast through," he explained."
"As for what to look for when purchasing chicken breasts at the supermarket, buy ones that are plump and evenly shaped. That way, when you make the butterfly cut, you don't end up with a cutlet that is too thin.Th"
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