Chicken

Chicken is versatile, relatively cheap and comes in a variety of cuts. Chicken is easy to cook with because its mild flavour doesn't compete with other ingredients. Our guide explains the different sorts of whole bird, the cuts available, and the best way of cooking each.

Whole chicken
Corn-fed, capon, poussin and poulet
Buying a whole chicken is often much cheaper than buying individual cuts. Whole chickens come in a variety of guises with different names that reflect their age or diet. Corn-fed chickens have yellow flesh and have more flavour than normal birds. Capons are large, young birds which are fattened on corn, giving the meat a marbling of fat which makes it more succulent. Poulet - spring chicken - and poussin are very young birds, so they're smaller and have a delicate flavour.

Fresh-chilled and frozen chicken
If using a fresh-chilled chicken, it can be cooked straight away. A basic rule of thumb is to check the inside of the bird for giblets as cooking will melt the plastic bag they're put in before being replaced.

Both fresh-chilled birds and frozen chickens are washed, but the weight of a frozen bird will include water from the washing process. If a chicken is hung for 24 hours before being chilled or frozen, the flavour increases.

Frozen birds need thawing, which should be done as slowly as possible in the fridge or in cold water, refreshing it often. Remove the giblets as soon as possible to allow the thawing to start from inside the cavity. Quick-thawing increases the risk of food poisoning from bacteria. When buying frozen chicken, look out for ice between the wrapper and the skin which shows that it's been thawed and refrozen.

Checking it's cooked
When roasting chicken, the best way to check that the bird is cooked is by inserting a thermometer into the thick part of the thigh. A reading of 75°C (170°F) shows it's cooked.

Which cut?

Chicken breast
One of the more popular ways to buy chicken, but also the most expensive, is to buy a breast. Chicken breasts are ideal sizes for a single portion and there's no wastage at all, but two breast pieces can cost as much as a small whole bird. You can buy them with or without skin. The meat on a breast is usually very lean and can be treated like a steak, which makes it versatile. Use it whole or cut into strips or cubes for stir-fries and kebabs. The meat turns creamy white when cooked. But be warned - if you plan to remove the skin before cooking, the meat may dry out if it's roasted or grilled without fat.

Chicken legs
Chicken legs are dark meat and can be much more fatty than breast portions. Often sold as drumsticks, with the bone left in the centre, legs are a cheap way of buying cut chicken. One drawback is that the bone increases the joint weight, so there will be less meat per kilo than with breasts. Drumsticks are ideal for roasting or deep frying and can be used as 'finger food'. Chicken thighs can also be bought on their own as mini boned-and-rolled cuts. Although dark and slightly fatty, this meat is ideal for casseroles and other slow-cooked dishes. Thighs can be stuffed or marinated to provide a richer flavour.

Chicken wings
Chicken wings have dark meat, similar to legs, and are relatively inexpensive cuts - but they're quite fatty and contain a large amount of bone and inedible material per kilo. Wings can be bought as small wing-only pieces which contain little meat, or have some of the body meat attached. Wings are ideal for deep-frying or barbecuing and can be made more interesting with marinades, coatings and dips.

Recipes

Restaurant-Style Buffalo Chicken Wings

INGREDIENTS:

* oil for deep frying
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/4 cup hot sauce
* 1 dash ground black pepper
* 1 dash garlic powder
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 10 chicken wings

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). The oil should be just enough to cover wings entirely, an inch or so deep. Combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving.
2. In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.
3. Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl, add hot sauce mixture and stir together. Serve.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

INGREDIENTS:

* 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 6 slices Swiss cheese
* 6 slices ham
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 6 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.
2. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
3. Remove the toothpicks, and transfer the breasts to a warm platter. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm.

Gerry's Chicken Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
* 12 small chile peppers, diced (optional)
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
* 1 bunch green onions, chopped
* 1/2 pint heavy cream
* 6 (6 inch) corn tortillas
* 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch strips. Place in a medium bowl with desired marinade, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken and onions until chicken is evenly brown. Stir in diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, stewed tomatoes, chile peppers, soup and broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover skillet, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
4. Remove chicken from skillet, and shred when cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, allow skillet mixture to simmer and reduce to about 2 1/4 cups. In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken and about 1/4 cup skillet mixture (just enough to make a paste like mixture). Mix together with half the chopped green onions. Pour remaining 2 cups of skillet mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
5. In a second skillet, heat cream over low heat, being careful not to boil. Dip tortillas in the warm cream to soften and coat. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Top chicken mixture with half the shredded cheese, and roll up tortillas. Place rolled tortillas in baking dish, seam side down, and drizzle with enchilada sauce. Cover with remaining shredded cheese, and sprinkle remaining chopped green onion over cheese. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Millie Pasquinelli's Fried Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 (2 to 3 pound) whole chickens, cut into pieces
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 5 tablespoons seasoned salt
* 3 tablespoons garlic powder
* salt and pepper to taste
* 4 eggs, beaten
* 1 quart vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a shallow plate or bowl, mix the flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Roll or shake the chicken pieces in the flour mixture and place on a platter. Then dip each chicken piece in the egg and roll again in flour mixture.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil for frying. Fry coated chicken pieces in hot oil for about 5 minutes on each side. Cover skillet and cook on lower heat for about 10 minutes. Remove cover, turn up heat and fry for 5 minutes on each side to make chicken crispy. Chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and its juices run clear. Drain fried chicken on paper towels and keep warm in oven until ready to serve.

Peanut-Ginger Marinade

INGREDIENTS:

* 1/2 cup hot water
* 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
* 1/4 cup chile paste
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons white vinegar
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
* 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, gradually stir hot water into peanut butter. Stir in chili paste, soy sauce, oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground red pepper. Place chicken in marinade, and turn to coat evenly. Cover, and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate. Thread chicken pieces onto skewers. Discard marinade.
3. Grill chicken 8 to 10 minutes per side, or until no longer pink, and juices run clear.