Tasty Cajun Chicken

Hey internet,

It's been a while, but I'm back with a new recipe! School's starting up again, so my friends and I got together for the weekend to savour our last bits of freedom. Damn.

Well anyway, what's better for a get-together than to cook some cajun chicken together? (We also made a penne that I will post)

Here it is!

Tasty Cajun Chicken

Ingredients

• 
  1/3 cup oil
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning (recipe below)
• 2 pounds boneless chicken breast
• Cajun Seasoning:
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne powder
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon thyme

Directions

• Combine the ingredients for cajun seasoning in a large mixing bowl, as well as the italian seasoning. Add vinegar and mix well.
• Put the chicken in the cajun marinade one at a time. Place them in a resealable bag. Marinate chicken for 20 minutes or for up to 3 hours.
• Heat your skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil when the pan is hot. Place the chicken onto the hot skillet and brown both sides (about 15 minutes total).
• Original recipe: http://www.grouprecipes.com/4527/tasty-cajun-chicken.html#

Here's what I learned:

- Use less oil. Just use enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.

- I found that there was a bit too much marinade. Use your own discretion. Use enough vinegar that will cover all the chicken and add the seasoning to the vinegar instead of the other way around. If you want it to be spicier, put in more seasoning. Store any extra dry cajun seasoning in a separate container. If you like spicy, you'll want to use it later, trust.

- You don't want to burn your chicken. Keep the skillet closer to medium heat. If you've browned both sides of the chicken and it's still not cooked through, just add a bit of water (like 2 mm of water) and cover it. Keep cooking.

- To check if it's cooked, slice the thickest part open. Do not do this before 15 minutes. Unless it's a small breast (my chicken was about 1.5-2 inches thick), it will not be done and you'll let all the precious juice out that is keeping it moist

- Make a gravy after you cook the chicken. Turn the heat off first. Next, do this quickly. Mix water with 1/2 T corn starch in a small bowl. Turn the heat back on on high heat and pour water about 1/2 cup water into the pan (I just eyeball this really). Throw in the cornstarch mix too. While it's hot, scrape the brown bits at the bottom of the pan with a spatula (if you're paranoid of teflon bits, use a wooden spatula). Make sure that mixes with the water. Bring it to a boil and let it reduce (let the water evaporate). The sauce will thicken. Don't let it burn!!

Have fun people! Remember, wash everything! (except the spices)