The question often asked by chefs around the world is “how to cook”. It challenges me to wonder how many cooking methods there are that can be applied to one 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 dish. Have you heard of chicken feet as a specialty?
I’ll go in alphabetical order so we can add more if we find more.
1. Bake: There are many recipes to bake a chicken; either whole (aka roast) or chicken pieces/breasts. We can also bake delicious chicken pot pies.
2. Blanch: You can put the chicken in boiling water first, and then in ice water, before grilling the meat. That way you can lock in the juices. Also the water used for boiling can be used as chicken stock.
3. Boil: Boiling chicken gives you a nice chicken soup or the chicken can be boiled before shredding and served as a side dish for noodle soup dishes. Also, boiling chicken before grilling shortens cooking time.
You can also double boil a chicken; this is slow cooking for a few hours, requiring you to cook the chicken in a 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 final result.
4. stew – this is like butler; add enough liquid to cover meats (dark soy sauce or just water) and allow chicken to cook slowly. This is usually done for hard chicken pieces, such as “ayam kampong” (free range hard chicken).
5. roast – this is like roasting chicken; moisten the chicken pieces with a little sauce, put them in a baking dish and cook them for a few minutes. These are lovely for sandwiches or salads.
6. Ferment: Yes, you can ferment the chicken and bake it afterwards. Sounds like a specialty.
7. Freezing could be said to be a method of cooking; cook without heat It works for ice cream, sherbet, and yogurt, but don’t think you should try it with chicken.
8. Fry: This is common in Asian recipes. There are many delicious recipes for frying chicken. We use a “kuali” or wok for best results. The other is sauteed. Once again, the best results are obtained with the wok. This is a quick, shallow fry over high heat. The juices lock in and the chicken cooks in small pieces for quick cooking. Best served hot. You can cook simple one-dish meals, such as fried koay teow, using this method. Delicious!
9. Grilling: One of the most common methods of cooking chicken is grilling or barbecuing.
10. Microwave: is it a cooking method? You can add some spices and seasonings and heat the chicken in the microwave. What method of cooking is it then if not in the microwave?
11. Pickle: Yes, there are recipes for pickled chicken. However, it is best eaten with something mild in flavor such as fresh salad and plain rice because of the strong pickled flavor.
12. Poached: Gently cook the chicken in a little water over low heat.
13. Rotisserie – This is another famous method of cooking chicken, and there are so many delicious roast chicken recipes that we can try.
14. Stir Fry – Chicken Stir Fry 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; scald 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 in 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 chicken gives it a crispy, golden exterior while leaving it soft on the inside, like it’s browned. It is achieved by rapidly applying high temperature to the chicken pieces.
18. simmer: gently bring the chicken to a boil; the sauce thereafter can be used as a sauce.
19. Smoked: Smoked chicken isn’t the easiest way to cook a chicken, but if done right, the result can be deliciously aromatic, tender, and juicy smoked chicken. Hmm!
20. Steam: Steaming is a very simple and healthy alternative to cooking chicken. Just add ginger and browned mushrooms.
21. Stew: Chicken stew needs no introduction. This is a slow cooking process that is worth waiting for; we put a little water, vegetables, etc. and let it boil until a thick sauce is obtained.
22. sweat: this is a term that I have just heard as a method of cooking; You can cook the chicken over low heat with a little oil.
23. Tandoor: You’ll need this big clay oven for this cooking method, but it’s worth it 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 form of grilling. Perhaps we can mix the cooked chicken meat with sauces and spread it on some bread to toast.
So there they are… all the various methods of cooking chicken. I didn’t know we had so many ways to cook them. Happy kitchen. Bon Appetite!
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