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Photo:Garten: Noam Galai/WireImage/Getty Images. Recipe: Photograher: Greg Dupree Prop Stylist: Thom Driver Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall.
Garten: Noam Galai/WireImage/Getty Images. Recipe: Photograher: Greg Dupree Prop Stylist: Thom Driver Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall.
It’s clear that Ina Garten loves chicken as much as we do. From recipes like herCreamy Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Thymeto herlife-changing cooking tips, the Barefoot Contessa stays giving us all the tools we need for success with this popular protein. In her most recentInstagram video, Garten took some time to answer a question everybody’s been clucking about: “How do you make chicken that’s not dry?”
And if you’ve never heard of this cooking method before, it might sound outlandish. “Undercook and chicken don’t go in the same sentence for me,” says one person in the comment section. But there’s actually a culinary term to describe what Garten has shown us. It’s called “carryover cooking.”
Carryover cooking is when you cook food over direct heat (like the oven or stove) until it’s almost reached the ideal temperature. Then, you allow the food to continue cooking off the heat, usually covered. Afterextensive testing, culinary expert Martin Earl claims, “If you want to perfect your dish, you have to account for carryover cooking.” However, he also mentions that “the only way to do that is to use accurate, reliable temperature instruments.” (Seeour recommendations for the best food thermometerson the market.)
EatingWell’s senior food editorCarolyn Malcounalso weighed in on Ina’s tip to slightly undercook your chicken. She says, “I recommend pulling it when it’s five degrees lower than the target temperature (so for chicken, pull it at 160°F), tent it with foil, then let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Not only does it allow for carryover cooking, but it helps the juices redistribute in the piece of meat for juicier results every time.”
8 Essential Cooking Tips We Learned From Ina Garten’s Instagram
So grab your meat thermometer and start cooking the most tender and juicy chicken right in your own kitchen! Even skinless chicken breast (a notoriously dry main dish) can have amazing results when using carryover cooking correctly. Make it saucy on the stovetop with dishes like ourCreamy Balsamic Chicken & Mushroom Skillet, or practice roasting it in the oven with our juicy and citrusyBaked Lemon-Pepper Chicken.
Keep reading:How Long Can Cooked Chicken Sit Out?
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