Chicken is one of the most versatile foods in the world, you can roast, fry, bake, grilled, sauté, or braise. Whether you've never cooked a chicken before, or you're looking for a new twist on the same old bird, here's the ultimate guide on how to cook chicken.
Deep Fried Chicken
The basic secret to deep-frying chicken is maintaining a moderate temperature of oil. You oil should be hot enough to fry the chicken until it's cooked well enough inside out. When the oil is too hot, it will start to smoke and the chicken will cook on the outside when its it still raw inside.
There are many ways to deep fry chicken, you can marinate your chicken with spices or dip your chicken in a simple batter or seasoned flour before you fry them, which helps to protect and further seal in moisture.
Roasted Chicken
The key to getting a crispy and juicy roasted chicken is to cover it for about 60 minutes and then finish it off uncovered so the skin gets crispy, for another 20-30 minutes or until clear juices run from the meat. Seasoning seasoning your chicken ahead of time is a good idea, so that the flavors penetrate the flesh all the way to the bone. A moderate temperature of 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 is advisable. When the chicken is cooked, you can increase your temperature slightly for the crispy outside.
Baked Chicken
The difference between a Roasted and Baked chicken is that baked chicken is prepared with chicken parts, individual drumsticks, thighs, breasts, and wings whereas roasted chicken is cooked whole. Also, baked chicken is dredged in seasoned flour before we cook it, which we don't do when roasting a whole bird.
When baking, it’s easy to overcook your chicken and end up with dry, rubbery chicken.
A good tip is to rub the chicken with a little olive oil before baking to add moisture to the chicken and also help the seasonings stick to the breast.
Chicken piece to best at a high temperature, this will allow the meat to cook quickly and retain a lot of moisture. Lower temperature will result in longer cooking time and a higher chance of dry chicken.
Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken is a backyard classic and making grilled chicken is very easy. Grilled chicken consists of chicken parts or entire birds that are barbecued, grilled or smoked. There are many global and regional preparation techniques and cooking styles. Grilled chicken is often seasoned or coated in a spice rub, barbecue sauce, or both.
Tenderize the chicken pieces and grill on high heat. It is important to allow your chicken to rest about 3-5 minutes begore cutting it to keep it juicy.
Sauteed Chicken
Making sautéed or pan-fried chicken is a two-stage procedure that involves cooking in a hot pan with a small amount of fat and then finishing it off either in the oven or by simmering it in some sort of sauce. This lets flavors develop while also ensuring that the chicken is fully cooked. Boneless chicken breast cutlets are great for this method.
Chicken Curry (Boiled Chicken)
A popular way to eat boiled chicken is in a curry. Chicken soup is another one of the most popular recipe examples of boiled chicken, and is often used as a relief for such ailments as a cold.
Boiled chicken is good for sick people because it contains cysteine which helps thin mucus in the lungs making it easier to breath.
Season your chicken cuts with your favourite spices and if you prefer vegetables, you can add them to your chicken. Boil in moderate heat and be sure not to overcook your chicken but boil it well enough until its soft enough to fall off the bone.
Poached Chicken
Poaching chicken requires no fat for cooking and the chicken breasts which are usually use for the dish are naturally lean, there are plenty of reasons why poached chicken can stand on its own.
Poaching chicken involves covering chicken pieces with water and letting them simmer on the stovetop until the chicken is cooked through. The gentle, gradual heat that poaching provides can actually lead to one of the most tender, succulent, perfectly cooked pieces of white-meat chicken you’ll ever eat.
