Supreme

A supreme has two meanings in recipes. For citrus, it is a wedge of fruit cut out with no peel, pith or membrane, and to supreme a fruit means to cut out those clean wedges. For poultry, a supreme is a boneless chicken breast with the first joint of the wing still attached.

How to do it

For citrus:

1. Zest the fruit first if the recipe needs zest.
2. Cut a thin slice from the top and bottom so the fruit stands flat.
3. Cut down the sides following the curve, removing the peel and all the white pith in strips.
4. Hold the fruit in your hand over a bowl.
5. With a sharp paring knife, cut down along one side of a membrane to the center, then along the other side of the same wedge. Lift the wedge out.
6. Repeat all the way round, turning the membranes like the pages of a book.
7. Squeeze the leftover membrane over the bowl to catch the juice.

For chicken, cut the breast off the bone, keeping the first wing joint on. Scrape that bone clean, as in a French trim.

Why it works

Citrus membranes are tough and a little bitter. Cutting the flesh out from between them leaves soft, juicy wedges that look clean on a plate and do not fall apart in a salad. With chicken, the bone holds the shape of the breast and keeps the meat by it moist.

Common mistakes

• Leaving white pith on the fruit. It tastes bitter. Cut deep enough to show the flesh all round.
• Cutting deep into the fruit when you remove the peel, which wastes flesh.
• Using a dull knife, which squashes the fruit and loses juice.
• Supreming soft, old fruit. Firm, heavy fruit gives the best wedges.

In recipes

"Orange supremes" or "citrus suprêmes" are knife-cut wedges with no membrane. Some recipes call these segments. A "chicken supreme" or "airline chicken breast" is the cut with the wing bone on. "Sauce suprême" is a separate thing: a cream-enriched chicken sauce.