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How to cook Chicken
How to Bake Chicken
Baking is
an oven-based technique that is considered to be among the healthiest methods
for cooking chicken.
- Preheat oven to 350
degrees Fahrenheit.
- Dredge chicken pieces in flour seasoned with salt and
pepper.
- Melt 1/2 cup butter in large baking
pan in oven. Remove pan from oven; roll chicken in butter to evenly coat.
- Arrange chicken, skin side down, in single layer in baking
pan.
- Bake chicken 50 to 60 minutes or until no longer pink in
center, turning pieces over after 30 minutes.
How to Poach Chicken
Poaching is
a technique that cooks chicken slowly and gently in a simmering, but not
boiling, liquid that covers the food. The poaching liquid may be flavored or
seasoned.
- Combine ingredients for poaching liquid in large saucepan
or stockpot.
- Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels; add to
poaching liquid.
- Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat.
Immediately reduce heat to low and cover.
- Simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in
center.
- Remove chicken from liquid using tongs. Strain stock;
refrigerate or freeze for another use.
How to Brown Chicken
Browning
chicken is the first step in many recipes for cooking chicken.
- Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
- Add chicken pieces to hot oil in a single layer without
crowding.
- Cook 8 to 10 minutes per side or until chicken is browned;
remove with tongs. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
- Continue with your chicken recipe of choice, baking,
braising, or simmering the chicken accordingly until it is no longer pink in
center.
How to Braise Chicken
Braising is
a moist-heat cooking method used to tenderize tough cuts of meat. Chicken is
normally browned first and then braised.
- Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat oil in heavy, large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken pieces to hot oil in a single layer without
crowding.
- Cook 8 to 10 minutes per side or until chicken is browned;
remove with tongs. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
- Add braising liquid and other ingredients per recipe to
saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or as
recipe directs.
- Add chicken to ingredients in saucepan. Cover and simmer
according to recipe directions, typically 40 to 45 minutes, until chicken is
no longer pink in center.
How to Stir-Fry Chicken
Stir-frying
quickly cooks bite-size pieces of chicken over very high heat in a small amount
of oil.
- Place uncooked boneless, skinless chicken on cutting board.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken crosswise across the
grain into 1/4-inch strips.
- Heat wok or large skillet over high heat. (Test hot pan by
adding drop of water to pan; if water sizzles, pan is sufficiently hot.)
- Add about 2 tablespoons oil to hot pan, swirling to coat
all sides. Heat oil until hot -- about 30 seconds.
- Add chicken to wok; briskly toss and stir chicken with wok
utensil or wooden spoon, keeping chicken in constant motion, 3 to 5 minutes
or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
- Remove chicken; set aside and continue with recipe.
How to Sauté Chicken
Sautéing,
or pan-frying, is the technique of rapidly cooking or browning food in a small
amount of fat in a skillet.
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat until foamy.
- Add chicken to skillet in single layer; cook 6 to 8 minutes
per side or until chicken is lightly browned.
- Cover; reduce heat to low.
- Cook 10 to 20 minutes, depending on type of chicken, or
until chicken is tender and no longer pink in center.
How to Roast a Chicken
Roasting is
a technique often performed in the broiler.
- Preheat
oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle chicken halves with salt and
pepper.
- Place
chicken halves, skin side up, in single layer in large shallow baking pan.
Brush chicken with butter.
- Roast
chicken, basting frequently with butter, 45 minutes or until chicken is
tender.
How to Check If a Chicken Is Done
There are a
number of ways to determine if chicken is thoroughly cooked and ready to eat.
- For whole chickens, a meat thermometer inserted into the
thickest part of the thigh, but not near bone or fat, should register 180
to 185 degrees
Fahrenheit before removing from the oven.
- For stuffed whole chicken, insert the thermometer into the
center of the body cavity. When the stuffing registers 160 degrees
Fahrenheit, the chicken should be done. (Note: Chicken should only be
stuffed just before roasting. Never stuff a chicken ahead of time.)
- For roasted whole chicken breasts, the meat thermometer
should register 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
- To test bone-in chicken pieces, insert a fork in the
chicken. It should go in with ease and the juices should run clear. However,
the meat and juices nearest the bones might still be a little pink even
though the chicken is cooked thoroughly.
- Boneless chicken pieces are done when the centers are no
longer pink; you can determine this by simply cutting into the chicken with
a knife.
Safe
Storage for Chicken
Fresh, raw chicken can be stored in its original wrap for up to two days in the
coldest part of the refrigerator. However, freeze chicken immediately if you do
not plan to use it within two days after purchasing. You can freeze most chicken
in its original packaging safely for up to two months; if you plan to freeze it
longer, consider double-wrapping or rewrapping with freezer paper, aluminum
foil, or plastic wrap.
Stocking the freezer with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs can be a
real timesaver. Divide the chicken into efficient, meal-size portions and
package for freezing. These convenient packages defrost and cook quickly and
eliminate leftovers.
Airtight packaging is the key to freezing chicken successfully. When freezing
whole chickens, remove and rinse giblets (if any) and pat dry with paper towels.
Trim away any excess fat from the chicken. Tightly wrap, label, date, and freeze
both chicken and giblets in separate freezer-strength plastic, paper, or foil
wraps.
Thaw frozen chicken, wrapped, in the refrigerator for best results. Thawing
times for frozen chicken can vary depending on how thoroughly frozen the chicken
is and whether the chicken is whole or cut up. A general guideline is to allow
24 hours thawing time for a 5-pound whole chicken; allow about 5 hours per pound
for thawing chicken pieces. Never thaw chicken on the kitchen counter; this
promotes bacterial growth.
Safe
Handling
When handling raw chicken, you must keep everything that comes into contact with
it clean. Raw chicken should be rinsed and patted dry with paper towels before
cooking; cutting boards and knives must be washed in hot sudsy water after using
and hands must be scrubbed thoroughly before and after handling.
Chicken should always be cooked completely before eating. You should never cook
chicken partially and then store it to be finished later, since this promotes
bacterial growth as well.
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