The Confident Kitchen Series

In a recent article called Tweaking:  A Study in Flavour Amendment, I describe how to make each dish that you make flavourful and perfectly seasoned.  I included the following recipe in that particular article, however, I am reposting separately to make sure that you can access the recipe for Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Strawberry Salsa easily and practice your new ‘tweak-ability’.

In summary, it is now your turn to try some of the flavour boosting tweaking ideas from the article mentioned above. Don’t forget to taste, taste, and then, taste again; even if it means that you have to buy a few extra teaspoons. It will help you build your ‘tweaking’ capabilities and in turn, build confidence in the kitchen.

This tweaking process is often ignored until the dish is finished and on the table. In professional kitchens, the tasting ritual is encouraged by having containers of fresh spoons available for the cooks and executive chef for continual tastings while food is being prepared. It is an important element in cooking and one that is stressed in good kitchens.

In the article, I discussed how to “tweak” a dish until it is pleasing to your taste.

To reiterate, the three most important steps in developing flavours are:

1. “taste,
2. taste and then,
3. taste again”.

It is now your turn to try some of the flavour boosting tweaking ideas. Don’t forget to taste, taste, and then, taste again; even if it means that you have to buy a few extra teaspoons. It will help you build your ‘tweaking’ capabilities and in turn, build confidence in the kitchen.

Let’s practice our skills in Flavour Amendment by making Roasted Strawberry Salsa on Grilled Chicken Breast. Happy tweaking!

Roasted Strawberry Salsa on Grilled Chicken Breast

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts

Quick Poultry Rub:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Roasted Strawberry Salsa

• 2 cups fresh strawberries (1/4 inch dice)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small dice
• ½ vanilla pod or cinnamon stick (or both)
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• Fresh Basil, as required, cut into very fine shreds
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon finely sliced chives or green onions, optional

METHOD:
For the Quick Poultry Rub:

METHOD:  

1. Combine all the ingredients above in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Store in an airtight container.
3. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

For the Roasted Strawberry Salsa:

1. Preheat your oven to 350^oF/180^oC (325^oF if using a convection oven).
2. Prepare the Chicken Breasts:  Sprinkle the Quick Poultry Dry Rub all over the chicken breasts and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Grill the chicken breasts or roast in the oven at the same time as the strawberries are roasting until golden brown and delicious (Internal temperature is 165^oF).
4. On a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place the diced strawberries.
5. Toss lightly with the brown sugar, butter, and vanilla pod or cinnamon stick.
6. Roast in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to gently coat the ingredients. The strawberries will turn a darker shade of red and the juices will become viscous (thick & caramelized).
7. Remove the pan from the oven and add the white balsamic vinegar and chiffonade of basil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (black pepper and strawberries are a magical flavour pairing).
8. Serve alongside the grilled or roasted chicken breast.  Enjoy with a glass of Zinfandel.

LEARNING TIPS:  

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

• Chiffonade
• Tweaking
  __________

Happy Tweaking, everyone!

You might also Enjoy these UrbnSpice Posts:

Roasted Turkey Thighs with Honey Dijon Glaze

Tweaking – A Study in Flavour Amendment

How to Caramelize Onions

If you give this recipe for Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Strawberry Salsa a try, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy! 

 

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

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