Should I use my SS instead of non stick?

[GB]

For dinner tonight I am making Chicken in a Horseradish Pan Sauce over Orange and Herb Couscous. The recipe instructions say to cook the chicken in a non stick pan which is the same pan the sauce will be made in. Now wouldn't it make more sense to use a stainless steel pan? That is what I am going to do, but I wanted to see if anyone sees any reason that non stick would specifically be called for with this recipe.


Chicken in a Horseradish Pan Sauce over Orange and Herb Couscous

2 tbsp evoo
4 chicken breasts
salt
pepper
2 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cups couscous
Zest of one navel orange
3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 med yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp horseradish
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup half and half

Preheat large non stick skillet with 2 tbsp evoo over med-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until done.

While chicken is cooking, add 1 1/2 cups of stock and the rest of the evoo to a sauce pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove pot from heat and add couscous, zest, and parsley. Stir, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Once chicken is done, remove to a plate and cover with foil. Put skillet back on the heat and add onion, horseradish, and thyme. Cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add mustard and 3/4 cup of stock plus half and half. Bring to a simmer and then reduce by half. Return chicken to skillet and heat through.

Fluff couscous with a fork. serve the chicken over the couscous topped with the pan sauce.

 

[TomW]

I'm with you

.. The recipe instructions say to cook the chicken in a non stick pan which is the same pan the sauce will be made in. Now wouldn't it make more sense to use a stainless steel pan? That is what I am going to do ...

The chicken will definately cook better in a NON non-stick pan. The rest of the meal will be easier to clean up if the directions are followed.

I think you have made the right call.

Tom

 

[GB]

Thanks Tom. This recipe came from Rachael Ray so ease of clean up is high on her priority list, at the expense of taste sometimes.

 

[AndreainDC]

hey, gb. totally agree with your decision to go ss. I would bet you dinner was better for it!

 

[auntdot]

We found a great place to get SS pots and pans, they all have 1/4 inch of steel on the bottom.

Would strongly recommend the SS.

Use our non stick stuff rarely, but they do have their uses. Always reach for one when doing fried eggs. Always have problems with them if I do not.

But the SS always gives a nice sear and flavor to the meat, IMHO.

 

[Andy M.]

GB:

How did it turn out? I'd bet the SS was not a problem.

 

[urmaniac13]

I also cook our chicken breasts with SS regularly and works out wonderfully... I hope so did yours... anyway this recipe sounds delicious!! Let us know how it came out!!

 

[GB]

GB:

How did it turn out? I'd bet the SS was not a problem.

Well the short answer is that it turned out pretty well.

Here is the long answer however. I set the pan over the heat (a little above med-high which has always been sufficient for cooking meats in my SS on this stove). I put the oil in and got it nice and hot. I saw it shimmer and has wisps of smoke. The chicken went in and I got that great sizzling sound that makes us all drool. I left the chicken alone without touching it for about 3 minutes before I checked on how it was doing. Much to my surprise though each piece was stuck to the pan. I knew that heat was not the issue (but turned it up a tad anyway) and I knew I had enough fat and that it was hot enough so I figured maybe I had not let the meat sit long enough. I left it alone again for another few minutes, but when I went to check again they were still stuck. I have no idea why. I lifted them with my tongs the best I could and did a decent job of not leaving too much chicken stuck to the pan. I am stumped as to why they stuck though.

The meal turned out pretty well, but there was a bitter taste in the sauce and I am not sure what caused it. Had I not known better I would have thought the bitter was from the orange zest in the couscous, but I tasted that separately and that tasted fine. The bitter was in the sauce which had no zest. Perhaps I cooked the horseradish too long? Could that cause it to turn bitter?

Bitterness aside, I liked this meal and will make it again, using my SS

 

[mish]

The recipe instructions say to cook the chicken in a non stick pan which is the same pan the sauce will be made in. Now wouldn't it make more sense to use a stainless steel pan? I wanted to see if anyone sees any reason that non stick would specifically be called for with this recipe.

2 tbsp evoo
4 chicken breasts

Preheat large non stick skillet with 2 tbsp evoo over med-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until done.

Just noticed your post, GB. Sounds like a cooking light recipe... When you try to cook 4 chicken breasts in 2 tbs of oil, the chicken will probably burn & stick to the pan -- i.e. not enough oil, so the instructions try to compensate by using a non-stick pan. Might work with 2 tbl of oil, if one was stir frying in a wok, and the chicken was cut in very thin pieces - cooked quickly.

 

[GB]

Because I switched to a SS pan Mish, I actually increased the amount of oil (I used enough to cover the bottom of the pan). I also used 3 breasts instead of 4.

 

[jennyema]

I would always use SS for anything that creates a pan sauce.

Nostick just doesn't cut it for that purpose, IMO.

I agree with Mish about that "light" angle specifying the nonstick skillet.

I have had chicken stick sometimes with my SS (like yesterday when I mad coq au vin) but a wiggle or two usually takes care of it.

The bitter can be (1) burned something, like the herbs or onion (2) orange pith (3) the horseradish. I have found that horseradish sometimes tastes bitter right out of the jar even when it it pretty fresh. Did you taste it first?

I also suspect the mustard/horseradish/herb combo may have had a sort of bitter flavor. I don't think it was the chix ...

 

[mish]

Because I switched to a SS pan Mish, I actually increased the amount of oil (I used enough to cover the bottom of the pan). I also used 3 breasts instead of 4.

I'm not surprised, GB. Two tbl of oil is not enough to cook just about anything, let alone 4 chicken breasts.