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The best way to marinate chicken?

The best way to marinate chicken?

+ a chicken salad framework, potato vs cornstarch, latkes, & baked Alaska analysis

Keith McBrayer & Ethan Chlebowski
December 10, 2023

Good morning. This newsletter has covered hashbrowns, tortilla Españolas, & scallion potato pancakes. Given it’s Hannukah week, we’re giving the stage to perhaps the most famous of the potato fritters — the latke!

This version is a simple, barebones recipe — but countless other methods are out there.

If you have a great way of making latkes — send in your version, we’d love to hear!

TRY SOMETHING NEW 🤯

Latkes

Latke Ingredients

~1 lb (450 g) russet potatoes*
1/2 onion, grated or diced
1 egg, beaten
Sprinkle of salt
Neutral cooking oil

For serving

Applesauce
Sour cream

*a starchy potato is essential. If you can’t find russets, add in a spoonful of cornstarch, flour, or breadcrumbs to help bind the mixture together.

Instructions

1) Grate & drain the potatoes: Clean but don’t peel your potatoes. Using a box grater or food processor, shred the potatoes. Drain by squeezing them into a colander, dish towel, or cheesecloth.

You need these to be as dry as possible (you should wring out a substantial amount of water).

2) Add the egg & onion: Add the dry potato shreds to a bowl, and gently mix together with the onions, egg, and a sprinkle of salt. It should loosely bind together.

3) Fry & serve: Heat a layer of oil in a pan. Add large spoonfuls of the potato mixture — enough to flatten into a rough 3” (8 cm) circle — and cook until the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Flip each and brown the other side. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture.

Drain latkes on a wire rack or paper towel and immediately season with another sprinkle of salt.

Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream for dipping.

THROWBACK TIME 🍳

The best grilled chicken marinade?

Spiedie Fest is an entire festival dedicated to marinated chicken that is grilled and placed on Italian bread.

But can the famous marinade be improved upon for home use? Ethan’s version uses a 2 part, before-&-after marinade technique:

A mayo marinade for cooking and then a vinaigrette to be spread on after cooking, which solves for both great browning and a hit of added freshness.

Check out the video or written recipe — which might change how you grill chicken forever.

Making a big batch of spiedies chicken lets you toss together super flavorful leftovers all week..

THE LEFTOVER SHELF 🥡

Spiedies chicken salad

Leftover spiedies chicken could be used in so many ways: on pasta, on a salad, in a taco/burrito/tostada…

Today we’re making an extra tangy chicken salad using a newsletter favorite framework — the base chicken salad blueprint:

Chicken salad components

2 parts leftover chicken, crisped & diced, or just shredded
1 part crunchy fresh aromatics, finely diced: try carrots, onions, and celery, but scallions, pickles, and herbs would also work
1/4 part mayo
1/8 part mustard
Spices of choice to taste: try garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika
Salt & black pepper to taste

Serving Options

Crackers
Lettuce wraps
Sandwich bread + toppings and condiments of choice

To assemble:

Mix together all chicken salad components. Adjust with more mayo if desired, more mustard for acidity, and salt + spices to taste. Serve on whatever form factor you want.

Note — Adapt this framework to your preferences — feel free to add crunch & freshness through grapes instead of carrot bits, for instance. The chicken salad world is yours.

FOOD TRENDS EXPLAINED 🚀

Is the Baked Alaska back?

📷: Saveur

Q: What is Baked Alaska?

A: Baked Alaska is a dessert from New York City, supposedly invented in 1867 to honor the Alaska Purchase. It consists of three main components: a sponge cake base topped with layers of ice cream, then covered in a thick layer of meringue.

The assembled dessert is lightly toasted with a torch, and if you’re lucky: flambéed.

Although it may seem like a gimmick, the Baked Alaska is compelling for multiple culinary reasons:

Temperature contrast: The hot meringue insulates and protects the cold ice cream inside, creating an intriguing sensation when you take a bite.
Texture variety: The dessert combines a variety of textures: it's a delightful combination of hot and cold, light and rich, creamy and fluffy. The meringue provides a slightly crispy, caramelized exterior, while the ice cream offers a creamy, frozen center.
Visual appeal: Baked Alaska is visually stunning, with its toasted meringue exterior often shaped into artistic peaks and swirls. It serves as an attractive centerpiece for special occasions and adds to the overall dining experience, especially when lit on fire.

This dessert is also a practical choice. Because it requires minimal preparation, it’s efficient for both commercial kitchens and home cooks.

READER Q&A 🧠

Potato starch?

Question: “Whats the difference between corn starch & potato starch? Can they be used interchangeably?” - Lauren M

Answer: Feel free to substitute them for each other. Both starches can act as a thickener or a baking ingredient.

Both have a neutral flavor and can create a glossy, translucent finish when used as a thickener
Because pure starches don’t form gluten networks like flour, they create crispy fried batters and dredges (instead of chewy).

By the way, don’t confuse potato starch (neutral in flavor) with potato flour, which is made from whole, dehydrated potatoes and will taste like potato when cooked, although this can be desirable (like in potato rolls!).

For information on other substitutions, like rice flour, tapioca starch, or arrowroot powder, check out this resource for a full comparison.

READER PHOTO SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK 🏆

Perfect Pad See Ew

This week’s dinner winner is Austin B., who made Ethan’s Chicken Pad See Ew recipe. Looks very satisfying, Austin!

Reply with a picture of the best meal you made this week for a chance to be featured in a future email.