Tuesday, April 6, 2010

I'll Have the Chicken Marsala with a Side of Heavy Smoke, Please


What the recipe states: Heat the olive oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Slip the cutlets into the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden, turning once.

What this means in my hands: Turn on all fans. Open all windows and doors. Your house is about to be so filled with smoke you may not be able to see or breathe.

It's happened several times before. It happened again, yesterday. This must be a conspiracy, don't you think? I am sure my stove, skillet, oil and poultry of the day somehow get together for a team meeting and conspire against me to fill my house with smoke everytime I decide to try what sounds like a delicious recipe. Yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds. Ok, so maybe it's not a conspiracy. I'll blame it on the stove. My stove seems to get extra hot. If a recipe states that something should be cooked over medium-high heat, I know I need to turn it down a notch and instead, try medium first. I know this, but I don't always do it. Hence, a house filled with smoke.

Yesterday as I was cooking, the first few pieces of chicken turned out just right -- absolutely perfect. Then, as I put in the last couple pieces, the smoke billowed up and was quickly out of control. Jacob, who was playing in the living room, shouted, "Why is it so foggy in our house?" I was already laughing because I couldn't believe I had caused all this smoke AGAIN, but Jacob's question made me laugh even harder. Fog?!?! How funny! I turned on all the fans in the house and opened the doors, trying to help the problem. It was so bad, I felt like I could hardly breathe. Jacob ran to the pantry and grabbed the broom. He waved it through the air (I guess, fanning the smoke away) shouting, "I can save the day! I can save the day!" As I laughed hysterically at Jacob and our smoke situation, I waited to hear the smoke alarm. Can you believe not one smoke alarm went off?? Hmmmmmm.....

I was hoping most of the smoke would clear before Heath arrived home, but just as I was thinking that, I heard the door open. Then, a split second later, "What are you doing in here?!?!" Oh, just cooking dinner -- chicken marsala with a heavy side of smoke. Hungry?

Eventually, the smoke did clear and we all took our places around the dinner table. The chicken marsala was actually very good. Despite the smoke, nothing was burnt...except the oil in the pan. Unfortunately, while the smoke went away, the smell lingered....and lingers still. I'm not sure how to get rid of it. Any tips? Our house and all its contents smell like oil. It's not what I would call a pleasant aroma. I guess I'll just have to wait a few days for it to dissipate. In the meantime, perhaps a little (or a lot) of Febreze will do the trick.

Now....what's on tonight's dinner menu? I do not know, but I can assure you, it will not involve the smoky combination of my stove, a skillet, olive oil and poultry. Sandwiches anyone?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Diane Ashdown's candles work wonders for getting odors out of the house...
Fran