How many different ways can a chicken be cooked?

The question that cooks are often asked is “how to cook”. It challenges me to wonder how many cooking methods there are that can be applied to a main ingredient. Let’s try this with the ever so famous chicken. And mind you, every part of the chicken can be turned into a plate. Have you heard of chicken feet as a specialty?

I’ll go alphabetically so we can add more if we find more.

Baking: there are many recipes for baking a chicken; either whole (aka roast) or chicken chunks / breasts. We can also bake delicious chicken cakes.

2. blanching: you can put the chicken in boiling water first and then in ice water before grilling the meat. That way you can block the juices. Also, the water used for boiling can be used as chicken broth.

Boil – Boiling the chicken gives you a nice chicken soup or the chicken can be boiled before shredding and serving as a garnish for noodle soup dishes. Boiling chicken before grilling also shortens the cooking time.

You can also boil a chicken twice; this is a slow cooker for a few hours, which requires you to cook the chicken in one pot placed in another pot of boiling water. Cooks with indirect heat for more even cooking. Delicious but you have to be patient for the end result.

4. hot coals – this is like stewing; add enough liquid to cover the meats (dark soy sauce or just water) and let the chicken cook slowly. This is generally done for tough chicken pieces, such as “ayam kampong” (the tough free-range chicken).

5. Grilling – this is like grilling chicken; We moisten the chicken pieces with a little sauce, put them in a baking dish and cook them for a few minutes. They are ideal for sandwiches or salads.

6. Ferment: Yes, you can ferment the chicken and bake it thereafter. Sounds like a specialty.

7. freezing: freezing is possibly a cooking method; cook without heat. It works for ice cream, sorbets, and yogurts, but don’t think you should try it with chicken.

8. frying – this is common in Asian recipes. There are many delicious recipes for frying chicken. We use a “kuali” or wok for this for best results. The other is to fry. Again, the best results are obtained with the wok. This is a quick and shallow fry over high heat. The juices are locked in and the chicken is cooked in small pieces for quick cooking. It is recommended to serve hot. You can cook simple one-dish meals, such as fried koay teow, using this method. Delicious!

9. Grill – One of the most common methods of cooking chicken is broiling or broiling.

10. microwave: is that a cooking method? You can add some spices and seasonings and heat the chicken in the microwave. What cooking method is it then if not in the microwave?

11. Pickle – yes, there are pickled chicken recipes. However, it is best eaten with something mild in flavor like fresh salad and plain rice, given the strong pickled flavor.

12. poach – gently cook the chicken in a little water over low heat.

13. Roast – This is another famous method of cooking chicken, and there are so many delicious roast chicken recipes that we can try.

14. Stir-fry – Stir-fry chicken is a very simple recipe. It only takes a few minutes to sauté the chicken with a little oil and herbs / a light sauce. Delicious!

15. blanching: this is the first process to clean the chicken; blanch with boiling water to remove the feathers.

16. scrambled – cooking scrambled chicken is like cooking scrambled eggs; cook shredded chicken or small pieces of chicken with a light seasoning. In fact, we can cook scrambled eggs with chicken. What about that. Then eat it with rice or as a sandwich.

17. Browning – Browning the chicken gives it a nice brown, crispy exterior while leaving it soft on the inside, as if it were browned. It is achieved by the rapid application of high temperature to the chicken pieces.

18. simmer – gently bring the chicken to a boil; the sauce can thereafter be used as a sauce.

19. Smoked – Smoked chicken is not the easiest way to cook a chicken, but done right the result can be a deliciously aromatic, tender and juicy smoked chicken. Hmm!

20. Steaming: Steaming is a very simple and healthy alternative to cooking chicken. Just add ginger and / or mushrooms.

21. Stew: Chicken stew needs no introduction. This is a slow cooking process that is worth the wait; we put some water, vegetables, etc. and let it boil until a thick sauce is obtained.

22. sweat – this is a term I just heard as a cooking method; You can cook the chicken over low heat with a little oil.

23. tandoor – You will need this large clay oven for this cooking method, but it is well worth the time if you have one. It is chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, and grilled in this special clay oven over a charcoal fire. Hmm … heavenly!

24. Toast: Toasting is another way of grilling. Maybe we can mix cooked chicken meat with sauces and spread it on some bread to toast.

So there it is … all the various methods of cooking chicken. I never knew we had so many ways to cook them. Happy cooking. Enjoy your meal!

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