How to choose good chicken
When buying chicken, it is best to choose local chicken. If you decide to buy live chicken, pay attention to choosing healthy chicken. To identify healthy chicken, you can look for the following signs: shiny and smooth feathers, bright and shiny feathers, firm chicken body, large tongue scales, and clear eyes.
For processed chicken, look for a chicken with light yellow skin that is naturally colored and evenly thin throughout the body. When checking the chicken meat, consider its elasticity, small air pocket, and the amount of yellow fat that does not accumulate much in the neck and thighs.
Avoid choosing industrially processed chicken as they are often soft, not crispy, and lack good flavor. To ensure food quality, prioritize local chicken or free-range chicken.
Preliminary processing of chicken
When you bring the chicken home, the first step is to clean the chicken and rub salt evenly on the surface, then wash it thoroughly to ensure cleanliness. If you plan to use the chicken for a meal, look for a hen. Hens usually have small bones, white tender meat, bright yellow skin, sweet taste, and pleasant aroma…
After cleaning the chicken, remove all the excess fat from the abdomen and neck of the chicken for later use, especially for pressing and collecting chicken fat…
Next, put the chicken in a pot to boil, ensuring that there is enough water to submerge the chicken. Add dried onions, shallots, or spring onions to the pot while the chicken is boiling (if you plan to cook chicken soup, you can also add a few slices of ginger).
Note that if you plan to use the chicken broth to make soup, limit putting ginger in the boiling water, as ginger can affect the taste of other vegetables when cooked together.
How to boil chicken deliciously
Start the chicken boiling process by adding 2 large spoons of salt to the pot, ensuring that the amount of water is moderately salty, similar to when you prepare for cooking soup. Place the pot on the stove and bring it to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to a lower level and let the pot continue to simmer for about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. Then, turn off the heat.
Before continuing, soak the chicken in the pot for about 30 minutes. Then, take the chicken out and rinse it under cold filtered water to make the chicken meat crispy and delicious. During the rinsing process, carefully remove any impurities and dirt sticking to the chicken meat, then let the chicken drain.
While the chicken is boiling, you can also separate the fat from the chicken’s belly and neck for later use. Place the chicken fat in a pan and heat it up. Note that when you first put the fat in the pan, keep a safe distance to avoid splattering oil. Cook over medium heat and when the fat has melted, reduce the heat to low to prevent the fat from burning.
How to boil chicken to have crisp and attractive skin
First, take about 20 – 30ml of fat from the chicken after pressing it and mix it with turmeric. This is a secret to make the chicken skin shiny and attract the attention of diners.
If you use fresh turmeric, after taking the excess fat, cut the turmeric into small slices and mix them with the chicken fat in the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then turn off the heat and use this fat to brush over the chicken.
If you use turmeric powder, place the turmeric powder in a small bowl, then pour the hot oil from the pan onto it and stir well. Wait for the turmeric fat to settle and clarify, do not heat it further to avoid a strong turmeric smell (compared to directly adding turmeric to the boiling pot).
After the fat has settled, use this layer of fat to brush over the chicken. This process helps the chicken skin have a beautiful golden color without changing the taste (compared to directly mixing turmeric into the boiling pot).
To ensure the chicken meat is well-cut, let the chicken cool completely before proceeding. You can put the chicken in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes – 1 hour before cutting, which helps the meat look better when processed. The excess chicken fat after boiling can also be collected for later use, such as stir-frying vegetables or cooking delicious chicken rice dishes.
To have a bright and smooth boiled chicken skin, after boiling, immediately soak the chicken in boiling water to cool it down; or you can use cold water to cool it down. Wait until the chicken is completely cooled before placing it on a plate. If this step is not done, the chicken skin may become dry and unattractive.
Finally, to make the chicken meat softer and smoother, you can take a piece of turmeric, peel it, crush it into small pieces, and squeeze out the juice. Mix this turmeric juice with the chicken fat that has been fried previously, then apply it to the chicken. The result will be a boiled chicken with shining, smooth, and attractive skin.
Wishing you success in cooking delicious and tempting boiled chicken!
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