This recipe and photos are courtesy of Cynthia Detterick-Pineda of Andrews, TX. More of Cynthia's
Southwest Recipes.
This recipe is my version of a dish my mother told me about from Emeril
Lagasse. She had seen him make a Mojito Fish that was pan fried and
covered with a Lime Mint Beurre Blanc Sauce. I will be honest; I had no
idea what a Beurre Blanc was. I didn’t even know how to pronounce it!
What else could I do but “Google” it, so I did. I think I sat there
reading what it was, but nothing made my mouth go into that “eu” sound
for the French pronunciation. A Beurre Blanc Sauce is a base sauce in
French cooking. It is used as a thickener for soups and stews, as well
as a base for many other dishes. I began to worry what I had got myself
into! A butter sauce with Lime didn’t sound quite right to me. I already
knew that lime and mint go well together since I do make Mojitos at
home. The Beurre Blanc is also used in a lot of Creole cuisine, and the
thought also helped relieve my worries. I would just have to try this
recipe and see what came out.
However, living in the middle of a desert doesn’t give you a lot of fish
options. I looked in the freezer and it suddenly came to me - CHICKEN! I
had to change a few details from the original recipe, like the fact you
are supposed to score the skin of the fish and add sugar to that side
when pan frying it, but I was fairly certain I could come up with some
sort of solution. My solutions usually involve trying to make as little
of a mess in the kitchen as possible, which is why the chicken is
grilled. So. if you would like to try the original recipe, as even I
would like to try it when I have some fish, then it is posted on the
Regis and Kelly website. For now though I will share my version with
you, and hope you like it as much as my dear hubby did!
Mojito Grilled Chicken Recipe
Recipe Type:
Poultry,
Chicken, Entree
Cuisine: Southwest
Yields: 4 servings
Chicken cook time: 20 min
Beurre Blanc Sauce cook time: 40 min
Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon fresh
lime rind (zest)
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed
lime juice
3 tablespoons good quality
white rum
3 teaspoons firmly-packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse
salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground
black pepper
Lime-Mint Beurre Blanc Sauce (see recipe below)
* The U.S. Department
of Agriculture, as well as food agencies in the United Kingdom and elsewhere,
advises against washing poultry. Rinsing chicken will not remove or kill much
bacteria, and the splashing of water around the sink can spread the bacteria
found in raw chicken. Cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit effectively
destroys the most common culprits behind food-borne illness.
Preparation:
Place chicken breasts in a medium-sized sealable container or resealable
plastic bag. In a small bowl whisk together the lime zest, lime juice,
rum, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the chicken,
seal container or plastic bag, and allow to marinate a minimum of 2
hours (overnight is best).
Make the Lime-Mint Beurre Blanc Sauce before serving time (allow 40
minutes to make this sauce, although it may not take that long for some
of you).
Heat the
Barbecue grill to medium-high heat. Place the chicken breast in the
center of the grill rack and cook, turning several times, until a
meat thermometer registers an
internal temperature of 165 degrees F (juices will run clear when cut with the tip of a knife).
This
is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers
asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the
Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the
Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent
thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined:
Thermapen Thermometer.
Serve with the Lime-Mint Beurre Blanc Sauce drizzled over the top. Garnish with a slice of lime and a sprig of fresh mint.
Makes 4 servings.
Lime-Mint Beurre Blanc Sauce:
1 cup fresh-squeezed
lime juice (about 8 to 10 limes)
1/2 cup dry white
wine
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots or green onions (red onions can be substituted)
2-inch slice of fresh
lime rind (zest)
1/4 cup whole
mint leaves
1 clove of
garlic, smashed
1/2 bay leaf (use a whole Bay leaf if dried)
4-inch sprig of fresh
thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon
black peppercorns
1/3 cup
heavy cream
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon chiffonade of mint or finely chopped mint leaves
In a 1-quart saucepan over high heat, add the lime juice, white wine,
shallots or green onions, lime zest, mint leaves, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt and
peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally,
reducing the liquid until it is almost all evaporated.
This will take approximately 12 minutes or more.
After the liquid has evaporated, add the heavy cream while still whisking. Bring the mixture back to a boil,
stirring constantly, and reduce by half (approximately 1 to 2 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat source and reduce the burner to medium low
(if you are using an electric stove you may need to use a different burner as the elements do not usually cool quickly).
While the pan is off the burner, add a few cubes of butter and whisk
constantly until the butter is melted. Return the pan to the burner so the heat can come back up. Add a few more cubes of the butter and,
again, remove from the heat while you whisk it until the butter is melted. You will continue this until all the butter has been added.
Once the butter is well incorporated, strain the sauce through a fine
wire mesh and return it to the pan. Stir in the mint (chiffonade or chopped)
and keep the sauce warm until ready to use. Do NOT allow the sauce to come back to a boil or it will separate.
