I have a definite affinity for Costco’s organic chicken. It’s amazing stuff–grilled, baked, fried in a bit of butter, over pasta, under pasta, with a little pepperjack and olive oil on a roll…you get the picture.
A couple weeks ago I discovered, in the pasta variation, that if I slice the chicken into chunks before cooking it, it works better than cooking the whole piece. The seasoning spreads more easily, it cooks faster, and is just as tender while being far more user-friendly.
Last time I cooked it, I added a spot of balsamic vinaigrette just before it was done, which added a nice little pizzazz. Tonight I thought I’d do the same thing, but added it a bit early and accidentally added way too much. I must admit I was despondent at first; I love balsamic vinaigrette, but too much can really mess up the pasta.
Boy, was I wrong. The vinaigrette boiled down to a tasty sauce for the pasta, which was excellent on its own, but even better then that, as it cooked down, it formed a thick, slightly sweet coating on each piece.
The moral of the story is that as much as the steam from boiling vinegar sears the nose, enough boiling has the opposite effect on the tongue. I may repeat this mistake tomorrow.
