Very useful tips for buying and preparing chicken from our colleagues on the site Food, drink, stories.
Chicken is one of the most common foods on our table, so it is good to know how to buy and prepare it.
How to buy chicken?
To begin with, it is very important to know how to recognize a quality chicken when buying. Try to find "domestic" chickens, that is, those that have been raised in a natural way in a rural household, and fed organic food. These animals are of far better quality because they lived a normal life, ran, pecked, and most importantly - they were not supplemented with hormones or some chemical aids for accelerated growth. Of course, this type of food is less available and more expensive than industrially raised chicken, but its nutrition and quality justify the higher price. The most cost-effective option is to buy a whole chicken, then gut it yourself at home and divide it into portions of meat that you will prepare, or freeze for later use, and you can use the skeleton that remains for an excellent homemade soup.
When choosing a chicken, pay attention to the skin. It should be opaque and free of gunk and grease. The color of the skin often indicates what the chicken was fed. If it was fed with corn, it will have a yellowish shade. If you buy skinless chicken pieces, the meat should look "chubby" and have a nice pink color.
Always store chicken meat in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator (2-3 days) or in the freezer (up to 6 months), and be sure to COMPLETELY thaw frozen meat before cooking.
How to prepare chicken?
Almost all parts of the chicken can be used, and it takes a basic knowledge of tranching to get the most out of the whole chicken. When preparing chicken, always season it first - whether you stick to the simple version with salt and pepper or a little more complex with rubbing butter or oil with herbs, garlic or exotic spices. Use a meat thermometer. It's not crucial, but it can help a lot to get the perfect result. It is very important that the chicken meat is completely thermally processed. Do not forget that the meat should be at room temperature before cooking, and that it is preferable to let it rest for 10-15 minutes after cooking, so that it relaxes and becomes juicier and softer.
Techniques for slow preparation
Slow cooking is a great way to get the most out of your chicken. Buckwheat, carob, or whole chicken are the most common choices for slow cooking, and roasting, boiling, or poaching are the most common slow cooking techniques. Poaching results in very juicy meat, and if you use soup or some other tasty liquid, the meat will take on additional flavors during poaching.
Techniques for quick preparation
Quick techniques include pan-frying or baking in the oven, and the parts of the chicken that are prepared the fastest are the breast and liver. Overcooked chicken has an unpleasant, almost mealy texture, so take care not to overcook it. Chicken breast is convenient to prepare, because it is practically naturally divided into portions. To enrich the flavor of the meat, marinate the meat overnight before cooking, or cut a pocket in the meat and stuff it with spices and butter and wrap it in bacon. Chicken liver is often used to prepare delicious and smooth homemade pâté, but it is equally fantastic when simply fried in hot oil or butter with a little salt and pepper and onion.
What goes well with chicken?
Due to the mild and relatively neutral taste, there is almost no variant in which chicken would not have a place. From soups, stews and stews, through all cooked dishes, stews, pasta, with all kinds of vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes, chicken is the perfect food that gives every dish optimal nutritional value and great taste. Grilled, fried or fried, it is an excellent addition to low-calorie salads. Thanks to its mild taste, it can be easily combined with sweet sauces or fruit.
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