Dos and don’ts for the best chicken
Much discussed and endlessly debated. And yet we’re going to spend a few more words on it: chicken. Do you want juicy meat and crispy skin, but don’t always get it? Here are the most common chicken mistakes and the best tips.
Because the meat doesn’t contain that much fat, you really need to pay attention when frying it, otherwise you’ll end up with dry chicken. In fact, it starts in the shop. Check and double-check that you aren’t buying meat that has been frozen before, as the meat retains its juices less effectively. Of course, you can never completely rule out a stint in the freezer with supermarket chicken, so for the best meat, simply go to the poultry butcher.
Breast or bone?
Thinking: ‘I won’t make things difficult with those thighs and legs and will just go for a nice, easy piece of fillet’? Think again. The breast may well be the most difficult part to prepare. It’s true that bone-in chicken thighs need to be cooked for longer and that it’s a challenge to cook them evenly. But the bone helps keep the meat juicy. That’s why an extra minute or a minute less doesn’t matter with legs. Fat in the bone melts and adds extra flavour. But your chicken breast will be completely dried out in that one minute. Still want chicken breast? Go ahead, but flatten it first so you can cook it evenly.
Crispy chicken skin
Want flavour and juiciness? Then go for a whole chicken from the oven. With skin, with bones, everything. Seriously, you’re making a blunder if you cut the meat off the bones beforehand. And whatever you do, leave the skin on, even if you’re only cooking the legs; the fat gives your dish much more flavour. Worried about flabby skin? No worries, you don’t have to be a chef for crispy chicken skin. Take your chicken out of its packaging and put it in the fridge for a few hours. The skin will dry out and become wonderfully crispy when cooked. Do pat the chicken dry first. Going for individual pieces in the pan? Make sure that pan is very hot.
Juicy with salt
Worried that your chicken leg is beyond saving after the fridge-drying technique? Don’t worry, the idea is for the skin to dry out, not the whole chicken. If you want extra-juicy meat, you can brine the chicken. It sounds super complicated, but it isn’t. The difference from a pinch of salt is that when brining, the structure of the chicken changes somewhat, which also makes it easier to cook the meat evenly.
