Cooking: Chicken
- chicken thighs & legs should be cooked longer (I.e. braised) since the dark meat contains collagen and fat that needs time to render.
- dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue (collagen , which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender. The longer it cooks, the more that connective tissue breaks down.
- gentle techniques—such as braising at a relatively low heat and grilling over an indirect fire—work best. The goal is to keep the meat at an internal temp between 140 and 195 degrees—the collagen breakdown sweet spot—for as long as possible.
- don't go past 210°F. At that point, the meat gets stringy and loses its chicken-y flavour.
- don’t wash your chicken!
- running water over your raw chicken will only spread any bacteria on the meat all over your sink (and possibly elsewhere). And it’s not necessary: The proper amount of heat from cooking will kill anything on the skin anyway.
- allow to rest after cooking and account for carryover cooking (5 degrees at most - maybe less for smaller pieces)
- especially for full roast chickens.
- resting allows the juices to redistribute and muscle fibres to relax.
- try a mayo or yogurt marinade with whatever herbs & spices.
- use temperature not colour to determine doneness.
- for a number of reasons, chicken may still be slightly pink even when fully cooked.
- Breasts
- cook to 155-160°F.
- a quick brine goes a long way (salt water, buttermilk, etc.)
- for a subtle crust, dredge in flour with spices or herbs
- always pat dry first
- pound or butterfly the thicker side to get an even thickness
- Pan-steamed: medium heat, 1 minute per side (lightly golden), reduce heat to low and cover for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and keep covered for another 10 minutes.
- Pan-seared: medium-high heat, sear for 5 minutes, flip once, finish with butter basting.
- Dry-poach in oven: cover breasts with a piece of parchment paper.
- generally better to butterfly the breast for a juicer result instead of cooking the breast full
- the thinner portions of the breast will overcook if cooked full.
- Recipes:
- Roast Chicken
- spatchcock for crispier, even, quicker cooking
- Kenji seasons with salt & baking powder then lets rest in the fridge to dry out
- he also slathers it in mayo and herbs - see here
- pat dry and rub with oil. Could also spread butter under the skin. Season generously with salt & pepper and stuff cavity with lemon, garlic, herbs. Lay on bed of vegetables and potatoes. Preheat oven to 450 and reduce to 400 immediately after putting chicken in. Cook until juices run clear. Rest.
- Julie Child's timing for roast chicken is foolproof. Multiply the weight of the chicken by 7 and add 45, this is the cooking time. Depending on the weight of the chicken be prepared to add 10-20 minutes of buffer time. ie- 4 lb. chicken: 4 x 7= 28, plus 45= 73 minutes (plus buffer time if needed).
- roast in lemon- and sage-infused milk
- weird but useful tip: Before roasting a chicken, use a hair dryer to completely dry out the skin.
- Why? To crisp up and brown, the skin has to heat up to a high temperature — above 300°F, so the bird’s flesh has to go into the oven very, very dry. If it’s not completely dry when it starts cooking, the skin won’t get hotter than the boiling point of the water inside it, a comparatively cool 212 degrees.
- Dutch oven
- in a covered Dutch oven in 250 oven, a whole chicken loses much less moisture than one in an uncovered tray. Also, more juice remains in the Dutch oven to be used for a sauce.
- simple chicken sauce: strain and press liquid out of aromatic vegetables; add lemon juice/salt/pepper.
- Thighs
- pat dry (especially the skin)
- Skinless: use medium to medium-high heat but let the pan get REAL hot
- Skin-on: start in a cold pan, skin down, to allow fat to render