Okay, hi! To start off my cooking ventures (as a beginner cook) on the inter-webs I thought it would be a good idea to not only start with Dinner meals but also to begin with meats we always have in our household (and are probably/ hopefully in yours): Chicken and mince! But tonight it will be chicken.
Tonight I attempted to make Lemon & Garlic grilled chicken for my family (two in-laws, a brother in-law and a husband) and I can't say that it went perfectly but I can say that it went better than I expected.
⇐ I used the recipe from a YouTube video I stumbled across and thought looked do-able (also, the dude who's in the video was really encouraging and made me believe in myself. So that's always nice). However (and this is where things get real interesting) he didn't list the measurements for any of his ingredients which forced me to eye ball everything..
(In hindsight, this is probably the worst thing a beginner cook could do, because I could have totally effed it all up. BUT though the dude didn't say how much he would use he did show the amounts. So I felt pretty okay about my decision to just go for it).
So here's what I uuuused:
- 4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
- 5 Cloves of Garlic
- 2 Medium Lemons
- 1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
- 1 Tbs Dried Oregano
- Salt and Black Pepper
Step 1: Slicing
Just like our dude in the video, I cut slits into each of my chicken breasts on both sides so that the flavors are better absorbed into the meat while it marinates. However (big l-o-l) I may have cut my slits too deep and my chicken may have began to fall apart. But only a little. So it wasn't a disaster just yet.
I also seasoned both sides my chicken BEFORE they went into the actual liquid marinade as I learned the S&P will be better absorbed this way and make the meat way more flavorful.
Step 2: Marinating
I have never marinated anything in my whole life so this was a new and exciting experience for all involved (which was literally just me and the chicken).
I added the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice and oregano into a glass bowl, covered it with plastic wrap and then placed it in the fridge so it could do it thang for an hour. Or at least hoped it would do its thang.
Step 3: Grilling
Okaaaaay! Now we're up to the exciting part (and the part where I get really panicy and slightly fck everything up. But we'll get to that).
I preheat my large frying pan and make sure it's good and hot before I throw my chicken on it. I don't oil it because the chicken is already coated in oil from the marinating. And as I'm taking the chicken out of the bowl I'm attempting to wipe as much garlic off as possible because I know it will burn and gross-everything-up while the chicken is cooking (the key word here is 'attempting').
Things would seem to be going well for the most part, the chicken is splattering away and beginning to smell freaking great, so I just wait for it grill itself cooked while flip it every so often. BUT the cooking of the chicken ends up taking a lot longer than I anticipated. The garlic, which I hadn't manage to wipe off, begins to burn on the bottom of the pan and coat it in a thick black sludge. At first I didn't mind. But then I looked up and saw that the entire house was slowly filling with smoke. I then, panic (it was on the inside and only slightly) turn the heat of the stove up so the chicken will cook faster (and I can end this madness). Which actually seems to work and is a culinary miracle. I check the chicken 12 more times to make sure it's absolutely cooked and then finally take it off of the stove. Thus ending the smoke signal conversation I was unintentionally having with the people in the north-shore.
In Conclusion: Yeah, pre'alright aye.
I served my chicken with carrots and white rice (we are a rice household and this will never change) and the general consensus of the family was that it was yum. My husband said that the meat really managed to retain all the flavor of the marinade, which I was super stoked about, and that it was really nicely cooked. He was just being nice. I could tell just be looking at it that it was dry and then when eating it found it wasn't as dry as I thought but still over-cooked. BUT it did manage to retain heaps of flavor so overall was enjoyable.
For next time I will remember to wipe all that fcknig garlic off the chicken before putting it on the pan. I also I think I may have messed with the chicken too much by turning it and poking it, when it was cooking, which slowed down process. So I'll leave it be a little more. In the comments of the recipe video I also saw someone say that it would be a good idea to make a separate sauce of lemon and garlic to coat the chicken with as it cooks so that it doesn't dry out.
Yah. Overall I did find this recipe relatively easy but my newbness just kind of.. made process a little more eventful than it needed to be.
Tonight I attempted to make Lemon & Garlic grilled chicken for my family (two in-laws, a brother in-law and a husband) and I can't say that it went perfectly but I can say that it went better than I expected.
(In hindsight, this is probably the worst thing a beginner cook could do, because I could have totally effed it all up. BUT though the dude didn't say how much he would use he did show the amounts. So I felt pretty okay about my decision to just go for it).
- 4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
- 5 Cloves of Garlic
- 2 Medium Lemons
- 1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
- 1 Tbs Dried Oregano
- Salt and Black Pepper
Step 1: Slicing
Just like our dude in the video, I cut slits into each of my chicken breasts on both sides so that the flavors are better absorbed into the meat while it marinates. However (big l-o-l) I may have cut my slits too deep and my chicken may have began to fall apart. But only a little. So it wasn't a disaster just yet.
I also seasoned both sides my chicken BEFORE they went into the actual liquid marinade as I learned the S&P will be better absorbed this way and make the meat way more flavorful.
Step 2: Marinating
I added the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice and oregano into a glass bowl, covered it with plastic wrap and then placed it in the fridge so it could do it thang for an hour. Or at least hoped it would do its thang.
Step 3: Grilling
Okaaaaay! Now we're up to the exciting part (and the part where I get really panicy and slightly fck everything up. But we'll get to that).
I preheat my large frying pan and make sure it's good and hot before I throw my chicken on it. I don't oil it because the chicken is already coated in oil from the marinating. And as I'm taking the chicken out of the bowl I'm attempting to wipe as much garlic off as possible because I know it will burn and gross-everything-up while the chicken is cooking (the key word here is 'attempting').
Things would seem to be going well for the most part, the chicken is splattering away and beginning to smell freaking great, so I just wait for it grill itself cooked while flip it every so often. BUT the cooking of the chicken ends up taking a lot longer than I anticipated. The garlic, which I hadn't manage to wipe off, begins to burn on the bottom of the pan and coat it in a thick black sludge. At first I didn't mind. But then I looked up and saw that the entire house was slowly filling with smoke. I then, panic (it was on the inside and only slightly) turn the heat of the stove up so the chicken will cook faster (and I can end this madness). Which actually seems to work and is a culinary miracle. I check the chicken 12 more times to make sure it's absolutely cooked and then finally take it off of the stove. Thus ending the smoke signal conversation I was unintentionally having with the people in the north-shore.
In Conclusion: Yeah, pre'alright aye.
For next time I will remember to wipe all that fcknig garlic off the chicken before putting it on the pan. I also I think I may have messed with the chicken too much by turning it and poking it, when it was cooking, which slowed down process. So I'll leave it be a little more. In the comments of the recipe video I also saw someone say that it would be a good idea to make a separate sauce of lemon and garlic to coat the chicken with as it cooks so that it doesn't dry out.
Yah. Overall I did find this recipe relatively easy but my newbness just kind of.. made process a little more eventful than it needed to be.
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