Don't be Chicken! - Technique

Don't be Chicken! / CM

DON'T BE CHICKEN — From the COOKS.COM Culinary Archive.

DON'T BE CHICKEN

How to Cut up a Chicken and Prepare It

Supermarkets charge a premium to consumers for providing the convenience of chickens which are cut-up and ready to cook. Once you have the equipment and the knowledge to cut your own chickens at home, you'll be able to realize substantial savings. You'll also be able to produce the types of cut that you require, and you will be able to make premium sections which include more meat than store cut pieces normally do.

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THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT AND A FEW PRECAUTIONS

A Few Words about Cutting Boards

New products on the market such as disposable cutting sheets can help make cleanup easier, but these products will increase costs.

When selecting a cutting board, choose dishwasher safe NSF approved materials. Wood cutting boards should be saved for other meats, fruits and vegetables, but avoided when cutting poultry, as wood is not easily sterilized. If you must use wood, rub it down with a solution of kosher salt and vinegar. Scrape it down with a board scraper. Pour on several tablespoons of rum and allow to soak into the wood for several minutes.

Dedicate your cutting board to raw poultry use only. After use, wash thoroughly in hot soapy water and wipe down with a rum or vodka soaked paper towel and store in a dry place. To avoid bacterial contamination, never use the same utensils or dishes with raw poultry that you will use for cooked poultry. It is not enough to simply cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap, as droplets may spill onto the dish as the plastic or foil is removed, or your hands may touch the dish after removing the wrap. Always use a separate dish and utensils and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with hot soapy water before handling the fresh equipment. It doesn't pay to use shortcuts when handling poultry.

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Cooking and Cutting Equipment

Use a sharp, good quality knife, but not your best (or even a particularly expensive) knife, as you will be cutting through bone. A cleaver can also be useful once you become more practiced.

If you plan to make lots of homemade soups and stocks, (see recipes below) you may want to consider investing in a cooker with a cast iron burner. These are available also as hot-plate type appliances. The cast iron burners are helpful in maintaining a slow and even heat. Heavy cast iron or stainless steel pans prevent scorching and allow you to start off well by browning food nicely when required without burning.

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Selecting, Cutting, and Storing Chicken

Select plump chickens that are white--yellowish in color with skin that is intact. Avoid chickens with bluish or reddish areas. Do not consider chickens which have been double wrapped in plastic wrap, since these might have been sitting for too long and re-packaged.

Rinse the chicken well in cold running water and remove packets from inside. Pat dry.

Grasp one leg and pull it up and away from the body of the chicken. Cut through the skin to expose the hip joint. Bend the leg backwards until the hip joint pops out of the socket. Cut through the joint entirely. Repeat this with the opposite leg.

Bend the drumstick toward the thigh in order to expose the knee joint. Using the point of your knife, locate the junction between the two bones. Cut this into two pieces through the joint. When cutting around the joint of the chicken leg lower half (the section which remains once the drumstick has been removed) include a portion of meat from the backbone by slicing further along with your knife. Repeat with the other leg.

Holding the wing away from the body, sever through the joint, including a portion of the breast in the cut along with the wing. Repeat with the other wing.

There is a small section of cartilage where each rib bone attaches to the back rib cage. Together, these form a line which can be cut through in order to sever the breast rib cage section from the backbone rib cage section. Slice through this cartilage and pull the back rib cage outward (you will hear a snap as it cracks) to remove the lower carcass. Save this for the stockpot.

Tip: Save it for a rainy day! Keep a ziplock bag in the freezer until you're ready to make soup. Each time you cut up a chicken, add the "extras" to the stockpot bag. Before too long you'll have the makings of a wonderful, hearty soup to take the chill off those cold rainy days.

To separate the chicken breasts, (which are still attached to one another), place them skin side down on the cutting board. Plunge the sharp tip of a sturdy knife straight down into the keel bone (the darker bone in the center) dividing it in half. Draw the knife down and straight towards you to break the keel bone in half and slice down through the cartilage. You can hit the back of your knife with a heavy item to help finish this procedure in the event your knife seems "stuck". Rinse in cold running water to remove any shards.

If you won't be using your chicken pieces right away, place them in ziplock bags and store them in the refrigerator for up to two to three days. See the section later in this article for longer storage options.

You may want to use one of the following marination methods to enhance flavor and keeping qualities. Rinse off marinade prior to cooking and then re-season. Discard remaining marinade after use.

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MARINADES FOR CHICKEN

Directions: For each marinade given, combine ingredients and pour over cut chicken pieces in Ziploc bag. Refrigerate until needed, one hour to overnight.

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Fried Chicken Tenderizing Marinade

1 cup buttermilk.
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

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Brine

1 cup kosher salt dissolved in 1 quart water.

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Oriental Marinade

1/2 cup white or rice vinegar mixed with 1/4 cup peanut oil.
1 tablespoon of salt or 3 tablespoons soy sauce.
1-2 tablespoons chopped ginger.
1 tablespoon dark molasses.

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Italian Marinade

1/2 cup wine vinegar.
1/4 cup olive oil.
1/2 teaspoon oregano.
3/4 teaspoon basil.
1/4 teaspoon garlic and onion powder.
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
1 teaspoon kosher salt.
1/2 teaspoon pepper.
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley.
1/2 teaspoon crushed rosemary or sage.

Note: you can substitute 3-4 cloves of minced or crushed garlic and a freshly chopped onion, but do not add these until last few hours of marinating as the strong flavors do not keep well overnight in the refrigerator.

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Citrus Marinade

One half cup vegetable or olive oil.
1/2 cup chopped grapefruit, lemons,
  or oranges (no need to remove seeds).
1/4 cup freshly squeezed citrus juice.
1/2 teaspoon salt or 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
1-2 chopped fresh green onions.
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley or cilantro.
1/2 teaspoon celery seed.

If using oranges, a few tablespoons of freshly minced ginger are a nice addition.

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CHICKEN STOCK

Preparing Chicken Stock

Place one gallon sized plastic stockpot freezer bag full of chicken backs, wing tips, gizzards, skin, miscellaneous bones (no livers), etc. into 6 to 8 quarts of water in a large stockpot. Add one large onion which has been stuck with a few cloves. Add two to three carrots, two to three stocks of celery, 8 to 10 peppercorns, two bay leaves and three to four fresh sage leaves and a stick of fresh rosemary and a pinch of thyme. Mince a half a dozen large cloves of garlic, and 1/3 cup of fresh Italian parsley and 3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper. Simmer, do not boil, over low heat for several hours. Remove and discard bones, bay leaves, and cloves. Mince onion, carrots and celery and return to soup. Chill and skim congealed fat from surface.

Soup can be stored in refrigerator for up to one week, but can be freshened by being brought to the boil and then returned to refrigeration. If you don't plan on using the stock within this time frame, freeze it.

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Freezing Stock

Some convenient methods of freezing stock are:

1. Pour the cooled stock into ice cube trays and freeze. Pop out of the trays and store in ziplock bags. Take out only as much as you need.

2. Line a bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil with sufficient overhang to cover the top of the bowl. Pour the stock into the bowl and freeze. Bring the foil or wrap over the top to cover in full to close. Remove from bowl and return to freezer.

3. Simply store in plastic containers, ziplock bags, microwave-safe, can-freeze jars, or Food Saver bags. Microwave-safe containers, Food Saver bags and can-freeze jars are particularly convenient since food can also be microwaved or heated in the same container, saving on dishes.

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What Can I Do with Chicken Stock?

From a stockpot emerge all of the great soups the world has to offer. The list of recipes which can be enhanced by the use of homemade chicken stock is endless and limited only by the imagination. Here are a few great ideas to help get you started.

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A FEW GOOD SOUPS (OR, FROM ONE, MANY!)

Italian Wedding Soup

Add 2 heads of washed Escarole greens which have been torn into bite-size pieces to the soup during the last 30-45 minutes of cooking. Stir in chopped Pepperoni or Proscuitto and pork meatballs (see below). Season with salt and pepper to taste, red pepper flakes, and one half teaspoon each basil and oregano. During the last five minutes, add one can cannellini beans, drained (or you may pressure cook dried beans in advance). Serve with crusty bread for dipping. Optionally, add spaghetti which has been broken into 3 inch pieces, cooked, and drained. Sprinkle before serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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Pork Meatballs

Combine 1 egg with 1 lb ground pork and 1 cup bread or cracker crumbs and 4 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix to combine and form into 2 inch balls. Drop into soup for final 40 minutes of cooking. Recipe may be doubled or tripled and you may optionally use half ground veal or beef and half pork.

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Kale Soup

Chop 2 to 3 pounds of well washed Kale greens from which the stems have been removed and add to chicken stock during last 45 to 60 minutes of cooking. Add 1 tablespoon Frank's hot sauce, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 pound chorizo or linguica, chopped, and one can of pink or black beans, drained. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with garlic flavored croutons.

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Oriental Noodle Soup

Slice Chinese cabbage or bok choy into 1 inch pieces. During final hour of cooking, add one quarter cup thinly sliced ginger (removed before serving) along with greens to the Stockpot. Thinly slice pork loin or chicken breast (or optionally use pork meatballs from recipe above, eliminating the Parmesan cheese) and add to soup to simmer during last 40 minutes. Serve with Udon or other fresh noodles which have been prepared according to package directions. Season to taste with soy sauce and black pepper.

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Pork and Cabbage Soup

Roast three to four pork chops in the oven at 425F for 15 minutes and transfer to Stockpot while still hot for the final half-hour of cooking. Add finely chopped Savoy cabbage, 1 large Vidalia or sweet onion, finely minced or chopped, one half cup well washed jasmine rice, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a tablespoon Frank's hot sauce. Simmer until rice is tender and serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Variation #1: Add one can Campbell's Tomato Soup, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika for a hot, sweet, sour cabbage soup variation.

Variation #2: Use chopped pork loin instead of pork chops. Serve with Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.

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Millefanti Soup

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of bread crumbs, freshly made in an equal quantity of grated Parmesan cheese. Whisk together with two whole eggs. When ready to serve, pour 2 quarts of boiling chicken stock over the bread crumb mixture, beating rapidly with a wire whisk. Boil over medium-high heat for five minutes, stirring continuously. Serve with a side dish of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, black olives, crusty Italian bread and a good quality extra-virgin olive oil seasoned with oregano, basil, chopped garlic and sea salt and pepper for dipping.

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BEYOND SOUP

Chicken Gravy

In a small saucepan, using 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil saute one onion, thinly sliced, and two minced cloves of garlic. Do not allow the garlic to brown, so you may wish to add it just as the onions become translucent. Add two cups of chicken stock. Stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons Wondra flour, 1/2 teaspoon Bell's seasoning (or powdered sage), 1/2 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder, one small can sliced mushrooms (add the mushrooms toward the end so they stay firm) and one half teaspoon Gravy Master, Kitchen Bouquet or Maggi (optional). Alternatively, add 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or one bouillon cube, crushed. Stir in one quarter cup chopped celery leaves or freshly chopped parsley. Simmer over low heat until thickened, season to taste with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder before serving, but do not add salt until you taste the gravy first. Thin to desired consistency using additional stock or a few pats of butter or tablespoons of cream. Thicken with additional Wondra flour, stirring as you add in order to avoid lumps. If you have leftover chicken drippings from a roast, these may be added.

Variation: Sauté salt pork or bacon to use at the start instead of olive oil or butter. If you're on a special diet, just use olive oil.

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Chicken Fricassee

Prepare the same as the gravy above, but add more chicken stock to make a thinner gravy. Add additional sweet onions, as desired and 1-2 lbs boned chicken breast depending on the amount of servings required. You may want to substitute a large package of fresh mushrooms for the canned mushrooms. Prepare Mueller's or Pennysylvania Dutch broad style egg noodles according to directions on package. Using a slotted spoon, mound chicken meat on top of noodles for each serving, and top with a ladle of gravy.

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Chicken Stew

Prepare the same as the gravy above, but add more chicken stock to make a thinner gravy. Add 1/2 inch chunks of 4-5 whole large carrots and 3-4 large potatoes cut into one inch chunks. Slice and add a large sweet onion or two. Add 1-2 pounds chicken breast cut into one inch chunks.

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Roasted Chicken, Italian Style

Select a large roasting chicken. Cut into serving sized pieces. Chop 1/4 lb salt pork, bacon, or smoked ham and add to oil. Using a cleaver, cut the breasts into three sections. Cut the leg into two pieces (thigh and drumstick). Select a large baking sheet. Pour in 1/3 cup olive oil. Place chicken pieces in pan, well separated. Thinly slice one onion and distribute over chicken pieces. Peel and cut 3-4 baking potatoes into 2 1/2 inch chunks and distribute between chicken pieces.

Turn all to coat well with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon each of basil, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Place in pre-heated 425F degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F and continue to roast until chicken is tender and juices run clear and not pink when poked with a knife straight through to the bone (about 1 hour, depending upon the size of the chicken). Be careful not to overcook as this will make the chicken dry. The white meat will finish cooking before the dark meat, so you might want to take that out while the rest finishes cooking.

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Back to the Test Kitchen

And now, for us, it's back again to the Test Kitchen of Cooks.com to discover and re-discover new and tried-and-true masterpieces of flavor. And so we'll leave you, for now, on your own path to adventure in culinary preparation, armed with new ideas and fresh menus.

We hope we've provided an inspirational springboard to help you reinvent your poultry repertoire.

Use your imagination to create combinations of these dishes to invent your own classic. And be sure to share it with us at Cooks.com so that we may share it with all of you.

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DON'T BE CHICKEN

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