TDG: Desperate Measures: Chicken and Peppers

[Xanthippe]

I've heard that dairy can help tame the capsaicin in chilis, but this may be an old wive's tale.  Or old husband's tale, depending on the teller.

No less an esteemed personage than Jean Andrews, "The Pepper Lady," sez the old tale (whether told by wife or husband!) is true, SWoodyWhite. Think of Indian cuisine and the wonderful yogurt/onion/cucumber condiment (I'm blanking on the name for it) that accompanies spicy curries and such.

Anna N., the more one handles fresh hot peppers, the more capsaicin-resistent one's hands become. I don't wear rubber gloves at all anymore, except when I work with Scotch bonnets or habeneros. Just don't touch your face or eyes without thoroughly washing your hands!! I learned the hard way . . .

[col klink]

I beg to differ, o salty one.

I'll brine (of course) boneless, skinless thighs . . .

Well if they're boneless and skinless than you're likely to run into the same problems cooking them as breasts; and of course if you don't overcook a well prepared grilled breast it's going taste great. The trick is turning all of the fat and skin into something edible. Ok, it's not that hard except for Ben.

edit: Upon further pondering, grilled thighs with skin and fat are still fantastic because chicken fat isn't nearly gristly as duck, pork and beef fat. If it's taken to a high enough temperature, it will render out, and that temp is higher than breasts. When a whole chicken is roasted and is pulled out based on the breast temperature more than likely the thighs will be underdone, that's why I like to cut open the skin between the breast and the legs to ensure the most even heating without disassemblying the whole carcus (I learned that trick from Mario Batali. )

[fifi]

Great article Mamster. I will definitely try the chicken boobs. I am a poblano freak and went through my "poblano period" a few months ago.

I only have one problem now. The poblanos I have been getting lately are pretty much tasteless? What gives with that? It doesn't seem to matter if I get them at Fiesta (a local market that specializes in food from south of the border) or the local grocery. I made my usual cream of poblano soup a couple of months ago and it didn't taste like much more than a cream of chicken soup. Has anyone else run into this problem?

[Xanthippe]

I only have one problem now. The poblanos I have been getting lately are pretty much tasteless? What gives with that? It doesn't seem to matter if I get them at Fiesta (a local market that specializes in food from south of the border) or the local grocery. I made my usual cream of poblano soup a couple of months ago and it didn't taste like much more than a cream of chicken soup. Has anyone else run into this problem?

Yes. The last time I made poblano rajas, they were so tasteless I ended up jettisoning most of them.

[Anna N]

I just bought poblanos - I've posted on another thread about them - one turned out to be very, very hot and the others were almost as mild as sweet green peppers - embarassing - as I had told The Dane that this was not going to bite his head off - naturally, he got the only really, really hot one in the bunch! Anna N

[fifi]

Yes, I have found poblanos to be fickle in the heat department. I cut all kinds of chiles without gloves and don't have a problem. The last few times out with poblanos I regretted the no-gloves routine and they weren't all that hot to taste. But they still didn't have any poblano flavor.

I think I will e-mail that chile pepper institute or whatever it is and see if they have an answer. I will report back if I get iny info.

[mamster]

The ones I get at the supermarket are usually quite good, but if yours are not, I have two words: farmer's market. If you don't have a farmer's market, I have four words: start a farmer's market.