Cooking Class…Day 2: “Pound That Chicken Like It’s Your Husband and You’re Mad at Him!”

I may be one of the few black people who, if given the choice, would rarely, if ever, eat chicken.

Blasphemous, I know.

Fried chicken … baked chicken … BBQ chicken … rotisserie chicken … chicken cutlets … “Would you like chicken with your Caesar salad, ma’am???” ...“NO! I’ve had enough chicken to last me a lifetime, thank you very much.”

(Although, buffalo wings are a COMPLETELY different story! They’re just heavenly. ...As a matter of fact, I’m currently contemplating going on a mini North Jersey road trip to find the best buffalo wings in town. The top contenders thus far are Sharkey’s and The Shannon Rose Irish Pub, which are both located in Clifton.)

So needless to say I wasn’t all that thrilled when I learned we were making chicken marsala in our Week 2 cooking class. Great, more chicken, I thought. But turns out I learned a thing or two in the kitchen...

1. Thick slabs of chicken cutlets are NOT OK. “Pound that chicken like it’s your husband and you’re mad at him” my cooking instructor joked. (Not surprisingly, several women in my class seemed to get the hang of chicken-pounding technique as soon as he said this.)

2. Sliced scallions burn my eyes as much as onions…

3. Always slice “cooked” chicken to make sure it’s completely done – many of us would have ended up eating semi-raw meat had we not been reminded of this important rule

4. Always shake off excess flour when dredging. According to our instructor, coating your chicken cutlets in too much flour is going to dirty the oil and “make your food taste like CRAP!” (True story.)

Quick & East Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

* 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

* 1/3 cup of sliced, fresh mushrooms

* flour, for dredging

* 1 tbsp olive oil

* 1 tbsp butter

* ¼ cup Marsala wine

* ¼ cup chicken broth (not stock!)

* salt and pepper

this is not my hand

Directions:

* Cut each chicken breast in half and pound between layers of plastic wrap until each is about ¼ inch thick. Season lightly with salt and pepper and dredge in flour

* Heat olive in a large sauté pan over medium heat. After oil is super hot, drop in butter

* Shake off the excess flour from chicken breasts and sauté about two minutes per side until lightly browned.

* Add Marsala wine, chicken broth and mushrooms to the pan. Reduce to simmer and cook until mushrooms soften and sauce thickens slightly, about five minutes.

(Makes two servings)

…in case you need a nice little side dish or some carbs to go with your chicken marsala, try:

Orzo With Herbs

Ingredients:

2 cups of orzo

6 scallions

2 cups of chicken broth

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp chopped dill

Salt and pepper

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

* Cook the orzo in salted boiling water until al dente, about eight minutes, then drain

* Chop six scallions, then throw them into a pan coated with olive oil. Cook until tender, about two minutes

* Stir the chicken broth, scallions, parsley, dill, and salt and pepper into the orzo. Simmer until slightly thickened, about three minutes.

* Stir in grated Parmesan cheese

(Note: if orzo still is too watery, dump some liquid out and add more Parmesan cheese. That’s what our instructor did. …True story.)