Boiled chicken is a popular dish that can be found on any table. However, not everyone knows how to boil chicken properly. Boiling chicken incorrectly can result in cracked skin, overcooked or undercooked meat, and even a strong unpleasant smell.
To avoid these issues, you should not think that simply putting the chicken in water and boiling it until it’s done is enough. Instead, follow these 4 steps, and you can successfully boil chicken with fresh, tender, sweet, juicy, and non-gamey meat:
Boiling chicken with hot water
To boil chicken, first make sure to clean the chicken by plucking the feathers and washing the internal organs. Then, boil water in a pot and add finely chopped scallions and ginger. The ginger and scallions will help eliminate the gamey smell of the chicken.
When the water is hot, gently put the chicken into the pot. At this point, the boiling water will have the aroma of scallions and ginger, which helps completely remove any gamey smell. Many people usually put the chicken into cold water or wait for the water to boil before adding the chicken. However, both methods are incorrect. Putting the chicken into cold water will make the skin tough. Putting the chicken into boiling water will cause the skin to contract suddenly and crack, resulting in unappetizing boiled chicken.
Dip the chicken 3 times
After putting the chicken into hot water, take it out and wait for about 30 seconds before putting it back into the hot water. Repeat this action 2 more times. Through this process, the chicken will “acclimate” to the hot water, and the skin will not break, resulting in more flavorful meat.
After that, cover the pot and simmer for another 20 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a bowl with cold water. This will make the skin crispier and give it a beautiful bright color, making your boiled chicken more appealing.
Season the chicken while boiling
Many people believe that when boiling chicken, adding a lot of seasoning ingredients will remove the gamey smell. However, this is a misconception. Chicken already has its own unique aroma and sweetness.
Adding too much seasoning can make the chicken lose its original sweetness and aroma. When boiling chicken, you can add a few slices of ginger and some scallions to eliminate the gamey smell, and a little bit of salt is enough.
Note the cooking time for the chicken
To boil tender and delicious chicken, it’s important to not overcook it, as it will lose its flavor, become tough, and dry. The pot used for boiling should have a height and width that are proportionate to the chicken to ensure even cooking. For a chicken weighing from 1.5 to 2 kg, a pot with a diameter of 28 cm is suitable.
If the pot is too large, the chicken will shrink and not look nice, while if the pot is too small, the chicken will not cook evenly. To cook the chicken, bring the water to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat. Using high heat will cause the chicken skin to contract and crack, while boiling for too long will make the skin soggy and the meat less tasty. The appropriate cooking time for chicken is 20-30 minutes.
Boiled chicken tips:
+ Take about 20 – 30ml of the chicken’s rendered fat mixed with turmeric to spread over the chicken. This is the secret to having a shiny yellow skin when boiling chicken.
+ If using fresh turmeric, after removing some fat, fish out the chicken fat and pound the turmeric branches and add them to the pan for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then turn off the heat and use the fat to spread over the chicken.
+ If using turmeric powder, put the powder in a small bowl (for drinking wine) or a small plate, then pour hot rendered fat from the pan into it, stir well, and wait until it settles. Don’t cook the turmeric powder in the fat like fresh turmeric, as it will burn.
– Wait until it settles, then use the fat to brush the chicken. The chicken will be yellow without an overwhelming turmeric smell (compared to putting turmeric directly into the boiling water, which can make the broth bitter).
– After taking out the boiled chicken, let it drain and then use the turmeric-flavored fat to spread over it. The chicken will have a beautiful appearance when cut into pieces.
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