Tips

Secrets to Cooking Delicious and Beautiful Boiled Chicken

During Tet holiday, it is a tradition to have boiled chicken as an offering to our ancestors and also as a delicious dish to serve guests. Boiling chicken is not difficult, but to have a chicken that is both tasty and visually appealing requires some special tips and tricks.

Administrator

17 October, 2023

274

Choosing the chicken

For boiled chicken, choose a chicken with a naturally light yellow skin and evenly thin all over its body. The meat should be firm, the bones small, and there should not be too much yellow fat in the neck and thigh. Boiled industrial chickens will be soft, not crispy and delicious. It is best to boil fresh chicken, if frozen, it should be completely thawed before boiling.

Boiling time

Depending on the weight and whether the chicken is young or old, the boiling time will vary. On average, it takes about 30 minutes to boil a chicken. But to ensure even cooking, crispy and golden skin, it should be boiled on low heat for about 45-60 minutes.

Boiling with cold water

To avoid the chicken’s skin from tearing or having red blood inside while the outside is cooked, the chicken should be put in cold water from the beginning and then brought to a boil, rather than waiting for the water to boil before adding the chicken. The chicken should be placed with its belly facing down and the water should be poured so that it covers the entire chicken. The pot should not be too large as it will take a long time to boil, or too small as it will be difficult to cook the chicken evenly.

Add some spices

To make the boiled chicken and broth more flavorful, add a little salt, some purple shallots, or crushed ginger to the pot of cold water.

Boil on low heat

Initially, turn on high heat and cover the pot. When the water boils, skim off any impurities. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low. If the water boils vigorously, the chicken’s skin will tear, the outer meat will shrink while the inside is not cooked.

Depending on the weight of the chicken, boil for about 20 minutes more and then turn off the heat. To test if the chicken is cooked, insert a toothpick into the thickest part of the meat, if it doesn’t have a pink color, the chicken is cooked. If the chicken is not yet cooked, continue to boil on low heat for a bit longer.

If there is more time, after the water boils, turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let the chicken soak in the boiling water for about 30 minutes.

For ceremonial chicken, boil it briefly until it is still slightly pink to maintain its beautiful shape, prevent the skin from drying out and tearing. If you want to eat it well-cooked, you can boil it again after the ceremony.

Plunge into cold water

In order for the boiled chicken to have a moist and shiny skin, without losing its color, immediately immerse it in cold water until the chicken is completely cooled. You can use rendered chicken fat to brush onto the skin for a glossy, attractive appearance like those in restaurants.