Chicken bacon alfredo?

[GinnyPNW]

Ginny - looks and sounds great! - I CMT'd that tout suite! Thanks for the lead.

When do you freeze? before or after?

After I cook them, serve 2, freeze balance. I can then throw them, bag and all, into a pot of boiling water, or cold water to thaw, then heat to temp in the oven. They make great meals for camping trips! I'm sure I've shared that in a "What's for Dinner" thread more than once!

P.S. If you are not a jalapeno/cream cheese fan, do a www search for chicken bombs and you'll find lots of other ideas...spinach, ham/cheese, etc.

 

[GotGarlic]

I've cooked chicken breast before in a dish partially filled with water that I flavor with bay leaf, thyme, whatever spice I have in the oven and that was pretty good. I'm not sure of the word poach. Isn't that boiling the water? Obviously I don't eat poached eggs. LOL

But I think I'll cook the chicken through, then do the pasta. That's because I still have to do the bacon and that will take a couple hours. I'm dicing and cooking 3lbs so I'll have bacon crumbles for scrambled eggs and whatnot, and that will take at least two hours. I do it slowly.

The only reason I'm doing so much at one time is because the chicken is nearing its end date and has to be cooked ASAP. I'd rather take a chance on this dish than toss 2 chicken breasts.

Boiling is cooking food in liquid at a temperature of 212F (boiling point). You can see the water bubbling out of the pot. Boiling tender foods can make them tough.

Poaching is cooking in liquid at a temperature below boiling, usually between 170 and 200F. It's gentler on the food. It does take longer, but I think it's worth it for the improved texture. I use it for chicken salad, unless I have leftover grilled chicken. Btw, do you have a grill? That would be a great way to add flavor to a dish like this.

 

[GotGarlic]

Very interesting taxy. Maybe we could do a .... experiment with the Forum?

Everyone try both ways and post their opinions?
I fully understand that "taste" is subjective but it would be interesting, no?

Unless, of course, Kenji has already done it - then some of our opinions would be compromised

If not Kenji, you know someone else over there has

https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-poach-chicken-breast​

 

[GotGarlic]

If not Kenji, you know someone else over there has

https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-poach-chicken-breast​

There was a problem with the link. Here's the correct one: https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-poach-chicken-breast

 

[taxlady]

I would never boil chicken. The high heat hits the outside, causing the meat fibers to tighten. This shrinks the edges, making them tough.

Their theory sounds like the one that has been disproved, where people thought that searing meat "sealed in flavor." I think it's unlikely.

Now, I am tempted to experiment. Take a few cubes of some kind of meat and put some in cold water and some in boiling and when they are cooked, taste the water that they were cooked in and compare. Maybe even try scalding some first and do three pots for the experiment.

 

[taxlady]

There was a problem with the link. Here's the correct one: https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-poach-chicken-breast

That certainly gives good info about how tender the chicken will be by each method, but it does not address how much of the flavour goes into the water.

 

[GotGarlic]

No, that would be a different test. Without some sophisticated equipment, I don't know how they can test "how much of the flavor" goes because they would they would first have to know how much flavor is in the food they're going to test. And it probably vary each time.

Although they may have tested something similar.

 

[taxlady]

No, that would be a different test. Without some sophisticated equipment, I don't know how they can test "how much of the flavor" goes because they would they would first have to know how much flavor is in the food they're going to test. And it probably vary each time.

Although they may have tested something similar.

I think that by using equal amounts of meat and water, it should be possible to get an idea of the amount of flavour that goes into the water by tasting the water at the end of the cooking period. It would probably be a good idea to measure the water at the end of cooking too. The start from cold method would probably lose more water to evaporation and then the flavour in the water would be more concentrated.

 

[rodentraiser]

I have a recipe on my other computer for balsamic BBQ chicken and it's delicious. But I really do have a problem getting a good Alfredo sauce. I have done a homemade one but I really didn't like that one either. If I could find a good one, I'd like to do potatoes and ham in a rich Alfredo sauce.

It could be I just don't like Alfredo.

Anyway, my next attempts are sour cream chicken and then smothered chicken breasts.

 

[rodentraiser]

I think that by using equal amounts of meat and water, it should be possible to get an idea of the amount of flavour that goes into the water by tasting the water at the end of the cooking period. It would probably be a good idea to measure the water at the end of cooking too. The start from cold method would probably lose more water to evaporation and then the flavour in the water would be more concentrated.

Or you could do both at the same time and have an immediate way to see which one tastes better.

I usually put the chicken in the water in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I never thought the chicken was that tough but next time I'll cook it at 200 for a longer time.

I used to cook pork strips in my oven on a cookie sheet at 200 for about an hour or longer, and that got them pretty tender. Now I just use my crock pot.

 

[dragnlaw]

rr, by pork strips - are you talking about Pork Loin or Pork Tenderloin?

 

[rodentraiser]

Um, any kind of pork, I guess. I would just buy a hunk of what was on sale and then cut it into strips and marinade it with that mesquite flavoring mix you get in the envelope.

If I put pork in the crock pot, I try to get the Hormel pork tenderloin, though. I don't cut that up and it fits in my crock pot. I find I have to have it in there for at least 9 hours to really tenderize it (it'll fall apart when I lift it out), but I can eat it with just a fork.

But even the strips will be tender after being in the oven at 200 degrees. When I do those, I put them in tortillas with cheese and onion and whatever else I might have around. They're pretty good.