As far as cooking from scratch is concerned, basic rules are the most important ones to focus on.
Everything else should depend on your own creativity.
Today we focus on preparing one of our favorite kinds of meat – chicken.
So, before you go out to buy some meat to prepare your favorite chicken-based meal, make sure you check out these useful tips for buying, storing, and cooking this popular type of poultry.
Tip #1: Buy By Period
Always double-check the “Buy By” date of the meat you are buying. When buying fresh chicken meat, it is crucial to get the latest possible date so you know your meat is as fresh as possible.
Tip #2: Storing
When you buy raw or frozen chicken, make sure you don’t leave it at room temperature for too long. When cooking chicken meat, use unfrozen raw chicken that has been stored in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Do it within 2 days.
Tip #3: Leftovers
Once you’ve prepared your meal, make sure to never leave cooked chicken meat out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Tip #4: Defrosting
When defrosting, thaw your frozen chicken in the refrigerator. If you are really in a hurry though, use the defrost setting on your microwave.
Tip #5: Rinsing
Once the raw chicken meat is ready, rinse it using cold water and pat them dry using paper towels.
Tip #6: Clean Utensils
Use hot, soapy water to clean all the utensils that will come into contact with raw chicken or its juices during the preparation of your meal.
Tip #7: Doneness
Always be sure your chicken is cooked throughout. You can check for the level of doneness by making a slit in the thickest part of the piece of chicken piece and looking to see if it is cooked through all the way to the middle.
Also, the juices from the chicken should run clear rather than pink.
Tip #8: Marinade
Should you choose to marinate your chicken meat, make sure you don’t use the same marinade that was on your raw chicken as a basting sauce during cooking or a dipping sauce afterward. Divide the marinade into two or more bowls to use for different purposes.
Tip #9: Chicken Thighs
It might sound odd, but chicken thighs are a much smarter buy than chicken breasts. It’s cheaper and almost impossible to mess up.
Plus they are tastier!
Tip #10: Milk As The Secret Ingredient
Not that many people know this, but adding milk to your favorite chicken meat recipe will do wonders to its flavor, tenderness and richness.
Check out this amazing recipe by none other than Jamie Oliver!
Tip# 11: Parchment As The Secret Ingredient
Chicken meat is so lean that it can sometimes be tricky to cook as it may turn out to be dry and tasteless in the end.
However, placing a single piece of parchment paper over the chicken meat before putting it into the oven will protect it and prevent it from drying out.
Check Out Some Of Our Most Delicious But Healthy Chicken Recipes
