A whole chicken includes cuts that benefit from different cooking methods.
Chicken is a favorite source of protein and is frequently featured in meals prepared both at home and in restaurants. The difference, however, between home and professionally-prepared chicken can be very noticeable. Chicken that is professionally prepared is flavorful, tender, juicy and easy to eat. Poorly-prepared chicken might be tough, chalky, dry or otherwise unpalatable. There are several key steps to begin cooking chicken professionally that will give you the delicious, restaurant-style results you are seeking. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Choose the right bird for your recipe. Commercial chickens, while mostly from the same breed, come in a variety of sizes and types, with the most common being "broiler/fryer" or "roaster." The broiler/fryer bird is slaughtered earlier, at about seven weeks, and is quite tender and mild-tasting. The roaster is an older bird, about 12 weeks, and has more meat but is slightly less tender. As their names would indicate, broiler/fryers are generally cut up into pieces and cooked quickly, while roasters tend to be roasted whole. Chicken growers and processors label their chickens with words such as "natural," "free-range," and "organic." These claims may or may not be regulated and have little impact on the quality of the chicken.
2. Choose the appropriate cut of chicken for your dish. If you will be roasting a whole bird, be aware that the white meat of the breasts becomes dry at a lower temperature than the dark meat of the legs and thighs. White meat chicken, taken from the breast, has a light flavor and delicate texture. It is best cooked quickly and at high heat, so that the outside will brown before the interior overcooks. Sometimes a breading is applied to the breast to improve texture and flavor in this lean cut. Dark meat chicken tends to benefit from lower temperatures and longer cooking times. Dark meat contains more fat and more connective tissue than white meat. Longer cooking breaks down the connective tissue while the fat within the meat makes the cut less dry.
3. Brine your chicken before cooking. A brine is a salt and water mixture of about 3/4 cup salt to one gallon water, in which the chicken soaks prior to cooking, usually overnight. Chicken in the supermarket has often been frozen prior to being put on display. Freezing breaks down cell structure within the chicken muscle, leading to more water loss during cooking. Brining helps to ensure more water remains in the muscle while also adding internal seasoning, and is a key step professionals use to improve the taste of their chicken.
4. Properly season your chicken. Professional cooks season at every step in the cooking process. Salt and pepper is appropriate in nearly every chicken recipe, and can be applied liberally to the surface of chicken, as well as to the internal cavity of the bird when roasting. Other herbs and spices that pair well with chicken's mild flavor include thyme, coriander and paprika. Aromatics such as onions, garlic, celery and carrots also greatly enhance chicken's mild flavor. Use them liberally.
5. Cook to the appropriate temperature. Chicken white meat is most palatable at no higher an internal temperature than 160 degrees, which is five degrees below what the the United States Department of Agriculture recommends as the safe minimum temperature for chicken. Most professionals can closely control the source of their chicken and the cooking environment, and cook white meat to a lower temperature than recommended. To be safe, 165 degrees is the minimum specified by the USDA. Dark meat, however, tastes best after it has reached 175 degrees.
6. Present your chicken attractively. Professionals know that their customers taste first with their eyes. This means that how you present your chicken at the table is important. Encircle a whole roast chicken with sliced vegetables, sprinkle pan-seared breasts with snipped parsley or stud chicken salad with red grapes and green onions. A pale cut of chicken alone on a plate will not taste as good as one that has been carefully arranged in an appetizing manner.
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