Advice You Can Chew On: Cutlets & Coddled Eggs

Crispy Chicken Cutlets (Courtesy of ZoomYummy)

Welcome to Advice You Can Chew On, where you ask Free Spirit Eater your food related questions for expert advice you will not find on search engines. We have discussed differences between basil and Thai Basil as well as sour cream and creme fraiche. This week our readers ask for help on an inexplicable dinner disaster, along with the fascinating question of how poaching differs from coddling an egg.

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Dear FreeSpiritEater,

My Mom’s chicken cutlets never come out right! They’re never crisp  and always greasy. She washes the chicken and while it’s still wet, puts it in the bread crumbs so it will stick and then she cooks them. How can I help my mom make non-greasy breaded chicken cutlets?

Ashley P. Syosset, NY

Oh no! Chicken should be moist, not greasy, even if it’s fried. I believe I know where your mother went wrong. She skipped a few steps, but no worries, by the time we’re done you will have a better understanding of the standard breading procedure. Your mom’s greasy chicken will be replaced with crisp, juicy flavorful chicken in no time.  The first step is preparation. You will dirty a few plates or bowls, but it’s worth the extra effort. Lay out five pans, bowls or plates to hold your ingredients.

• The first pan holds chicken which has been patted dry.
• The second contains seasoned flour. The flour adds to the flavor and helps seal it in.  It also allows an egg wash to adhere. Coat both sides evenly, shake off excess flour and move on to the next pan.
• The third pan has the egg wash. The typical composition is 1 tablespoon of milk or water per whole egg.  This helps form a tight seal and allows breadcrumbs to coat the chicken evenly.
• The fourth pan  holds bread crumbs.  I suggest using panko crumbs for coating chicken cutlets. Panko has a very light texture, and resembles flakes unlike traditional pulverized crumbs. The result is that you use less breadcrumbs while achieving the ultimate crunch. Place the chicken over the crumbs and with the palm of your hand press down on one side and make your way to the other end to ensure the crumbs adhere properly. Flip and repeat making sure to shake off excess crumbs.
• Place your beautifully breaded chicken in the fifth and final pan.  Make sure to not place one piece on top of another. This will cause them to stick together and eventually become soggy. To ensure the layers of coatings stick , place them in the refrigerator, lightly covered, for no more than a half hour.

This may seem  like a lot to remember but  the best way to remind yourself is to always think, wet, dry, wet, dry (chicken=wet, dry=flour, wet=egg wash, dry=bread crumbs). If your Mom follows these steps, seasons the flour and makes sure to pan fry the cutlets in hot oil, I guarantee her cutlets will not be soggy anymore!

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Coddled Eggs

Dear FreeSpiritEater:

What is the difference between coddled eggs and poached eggs?

-Cathy

To understand the difference between coddled eggs and poached eggs,  we must examine

each cooking method. Poaching is a method of gently cooking food in liquid that is just below the boiling point.  The liquid’s surface will  show a quivering movement rather than a rolling boil. When poaching an egg, salt  and with some sort of acid is added to the liquid.  This acid may be vinegar or lemon juice, and prevents the egg from sticking to the pan. A trick is to mix the water creating a vortex while adding the whole egg to be poached. This way, it is less likely to fall apart because the white wraps around the yolk and looks much more appealing to the eye for presentation.

Coddling is similar, in that the eggs are cooked in water just below boiling as well. The only difference is the cooking vessel,  a coddler. Egg coddlers have been used in England since the 1800′s.  They are greased and seasoned before the addition of the egg. The coddler is then sealed and partially submerged in water about half way up the body. Found in porcelain and glass, the elegantly designed coddler can be filled with additional ingredients.  The egg is then served in the same container. One thing to keep in mind when choosing between the two cooking methods is the versatility offered with the coddler, while using less dishes.

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Thanks for checking out Advice You Can Chew On. Don’t be shy! If you have a food related question you would like to have answered and be featured in next week’s column you can easily submit it here. Or just e-mail your question, name and town to FreeSpiritEater@Bromography.com. Don’t forget to come back next Friday for more advice and answers to your questions. Until then, remember to never settle for anything less than delicious. =]