WTF Cookbook

Mik

Delicious, easy and you can mix and match herbs of any sort. I've been using Italian parsley and cilantro.

Butter-Basted Chicken Breasts
By Ali Slagle
Published Feb. 27, 2025

Butter-Basted Chicken Breasts

Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes

For juicy, bronzed and flavorful chicken breasts, all it takes is a butter-baste. Spooning hot butter and aromatics over steak is a common technique, but applying that method to lean, quick-cooking proteins like boneless chicken breasts is particularly beneficial because the butter keeps the white meat from drying out while imparting the flavor of whatever ingredients are sizzling in it. Here, that’s garlic and woodsy herbs, but you could also use ground or whole spices or finely chopped ginger or scallions. Serve with rice pilaf or lemon linguine, and a green vegetable like roasted brussels sprouts or stir-fried green beans.

Ingredients
Yield:
3 to 4 servings
1½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and black pepper
1tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
3tablespoons unsalted butter
4garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
4rosemary, thyme or sage sprigs, or a mix

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Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional Information
Preparation
Step 1
Use a meat mallet or heavy skillet to pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Coat all sides with the oil.

Step 2
Heat a large, preferably cast-iron, skillet over medium-high until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until golden underneath, 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 3
Reduce heat to medium-low. Flip the chicken and add the butter, garlic and herbs. When the butter is foaming, tilt the skillet and spoon the melting butter over the chicken until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon the butter onto any pale areas to create an even crust.

Step 4
Transfer the chicken to plates and top with all the butter and bits in the skillet. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Steve Miller

That sounds great!

Mik

It is, and easy as it could be. It’s a big lift to make boneless chicken breasts interesting, much less delicious. I get the air chilled or Purdue Perfect Portions, which are pre-brined. Prefer the air chilled. I do recommend fresh herbs for this.

Bernard

Dinner tonight, Coquille Saint-Jacques. I haven't made it in years. It was heavenly.

Bernard

... the recipe.

I made only a quarter of the recipe. It looks complicated but it's not. Basically: mise-en-place, make the sauce, add the scallops and bake. Easy.

This is the full recipe:

1/4 cup butter
1 medium green pepper finely chopped(I omitted this)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 lb fresh button mushrooms (chopped if they are large)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
2-1/2 cups half-and-half
3 Tablespoons grated parmesan
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 lb fresh scallops (frozen works in need be)
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 F.
Saute green pepper and onion in butter for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms for another 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the four, salt, and lemon pepper. Cook on low heat for 3 more minutes stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add half-an-half, cheese, paprika, and nutmeg. Bring to boil stirring constantly, reduce heat to low and cook until thick and smooth. Remove from heat, stir in scallops and wine.

Spoon into scallop shells (great for first course), or ramekins, etc. Mix bread crumbs with Italian seasoning and 2 Tablespoons butter. Sprinkle over scallops. Bake at 450 F for 12 to 15 minutes.

Most delectable!

Steve Miller

That looks fantastic!

AdagioM

@bernard Looks great, and I can taste it in my imagination! I haven’t had that in decades…

Mik

@Bernard said:

I just made this. It's super good. The ingredient amounts don't seem to be enough while preparing it, but it comes out perfect. I don't have Korean chili flakes so I used Chili Crisp, and it's wonderful.

Korean Carrot Salad

1 lb carrot
1 tsp kosher salt
1.5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
.5 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru), or .25 tsp cayenne pepper + 1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp minced garlic

Peel the carrots and cut them into thin strips. I used my food processor. Put the carrots in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let them sit for 10 minutes to wilt.

Mix in the sugar, vinegar, and chili flakes. ( or cayenne pepper and paprika). Toss well.

Heat the oil over medium-low heat and sauté the garlic until it becomes aromatic (don't burn it!). Pour the warm garlic oil over the carrots and mix.

Serve warm or cold.

Making this tonight. Hungry for carrots lately.

Daniel

@wtg said:

Am recreating our WTF Cookbook! Will try to preserve as much history as possible. The Cookbook was originally started by ChickGrand on 8 July 2008....

If you're looking for Thanksgiving recipes, here's a link back to groupee. Will move those recipes over here soon.

https://well-temperedforum.groupee.net/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2960022933/m/8190056954

There's a blast from the past.

Mik

Carrot salad was very good. Thanks, Bernard!

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