Este truco de chef hace que el pollo al horno quede más jugoso: solo necesitas parmesano

Everyone knows the feeling of a chicken that comes out dry from the oven when you were hoping for tender, juicy meat. Basque chef Martín Berasategui, holder of 12 Michelin stars, insists his secret lies not in the oven, but in the cheese: "The juiciest chicken isn't oven-baked and contains just one tablespoon of vinegar and 100g of Parmesan cheese." Enough to transform a simple dinner into a chef's masterpiece in minutes.

In his show Robin Food, filmed in the Basque Country, the chef serves golden-brown chicken thigh strips on a parmesan emulsion, accompanied by a salad with sherry vinaigrette and Granny Smith apple sticks. Juicy chicken parmesan is exactly that: tender pieces, a light cheese sauce, and a touch of acidity, which you can recreate at home with a few simple steps.

Juicy chicken parmesan: choose the right piece and forget the oven

To achieve this texture, Martín Berasategui relies on the "contramuslo," the boneless, skinless thigh cut found at the butcher's. This cut contains more intramuscular fat and collagen than the breast meat, two elements that melt with heat and keep the fibers supple. While the tenderloin, being very lean, dries out quickly in the oven, the thigh is much more forgiving of minor errors in cooking time or temperature.

A whole roast chicken is still an option, but to achieve that juicy texture, the chef prefers to slice the thighs into strips rather than leaving a large piece in the oven. If you only have breast meat, slice it very thinly and reduce the cooking time even further to retain as much juice as possible.

Quick cooking of juicy parmesan chicken

We begin with the butchering: two thighs are cut into strips approximately 1 cm by 6 cm. A large frying pan is heated with a drizzle of olive oil and a sliced ​​garlic clove; as soon as a light smoke appears, the strips are spread out in a single layer and sautéed for two minutes over very high heat. The meat is cooked in small batches to keep the pan piping hot, and salt and pepper are added only at the end to prevent the juices from evaporating.

Meanwhile, the sauce is being prepared in a saucepan: 100g whole milk, 100g cream, and 200g chicken stock are brought to a boil, then removed from the heat before adding 100g grated Parmesan cheese. The mixture rests, covered, for a few minutes, then it is blended and strained into a smooth emulsion. On the plate, a spoonful of this cream sauce is served over the sautéed chicken, baby greens dressed with olive oil and 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar, and Granny Smith apple sticks for a touch of acidity.

Adapting the tip at home: a lighter version and oven baking

To lighten the dish, simply reduce the cream and increase the chicken stock, keeping a small handful of cheese for flavor. Since the Parmesan is already quite salty, you can be very sparing with the added salt. The plate gains in the amount of green salad and apples, which better balances the meal without compromising the tenderness of the chicken.

The question of cooking time remains: if you insist on using the oven, it's better to aim for an internal temperature rather than relying on a timer. The US government website FoodSafety.gov recommends that poultry be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (approximately 74°C); a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone, will allow you to achieve this without drying out the meat. Served with the Parmesan emulsion and the sherry vinaigrette salad, this chicken is already very close to the chef's version.