Boiled chicken is an indispensable dish on the altar on the day of worship. But how to have a boiled chicken offering with a golden, glossy skin and an attractive shape is not something everyone knows. Let’s find out how to boil and shape a beautiful offering chicken in this article!
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1. How to Choose a Delicious Chicken
For live chickens: Choose chickens with a pink anus, bright red crest, shiny feathers, and lively eyes. Gently touch the chicken’s belly and choose one that feels firm, avoiding those that have been overfed and have wrinkled skin.
For pre-slaughtered chickens: Only choose chickens weighing between 1 – 1.5kg, with a light yellow color and an even tone, deeper yellow on the breast, wings, and back. The meat should be fresh and pink, with the skin intact, free from tears or unusual marks, and have good elasticity.
See also: How to make a beautiful and auspicious altar for your home
2. Tips for Boiling Delicious Chicken
Here are some tips to help you boil a delicious offering chicken without making the head black:
- After washing the chicken with salt, use a towel to dry it thoroughly and shape it before boiling.
- When boiling, you can add crushed ginger, grilled onions, lemon leaves, or onions to the water to enhance the flavor.
- Ensure the water level covers the chicken, boil on high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes to prevent the skin from shrinking and cracking.
- To keep the skin taut and maintain its color, after the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat and let it cool in the pot for 5 minutes before removing and dipping it in cooled boiled water.
- For a shinier and more golden appearance, you can mix chicken fat with a little turmeric juice and apply a thin layer all over the chicken.
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3. How to Shape the Chicken Beautifully and Simply
Kneeling Chicken
The kneeling position is the simplest and most popular way to shape an offering chicken. This style makes the chicken look more natural, and you can clearly see its head, wings, and legs. It also looks bigger and more attractive on the altar.
Instructions:
- Bend the chicken’s legs backward by making a slight cut at the joint.
- Use a string to tie the legs securely in a kneeling position.
- Straighten the chicken’s head and tuck its wings close to its body, adjusting for balance.
See also: What does the Year of the Dragon 2024 consist of?
Bowing Chicken – A Sign of Respect
The bowing position is considered the most complex as it requires more time and effort to shape the chicken. This style is often used during important ceremonies like New Year’s Eve offerings.
Offering a chicken in a bowing position symbolizes sending it to heaven to report on the events of the past year and pray for a prosperous new year. A beautifully shaped chicken demonstrates the host’s respect.
Instructions:
- After purchasing the chicken, clean it thoroughly and make two cuts under the neck (near the mouth). Thread the wings through these cuts, carefully adjusting them to protrude evenly from the mouth.
- Since the head is already fixed in place by the wings, simply tie the legs together close to the body.
Flying Chicken – Soar High
The flying position is relatively easy to achieve and is commonly used during death anniversaries. Even those without experience can manage this style.
Instructions:
- After cleaning the chicken, gently twist the wings backward and upward toward the back.
- Use a soft string to tie the wing joints to the head, positioning the legs neatly and keeping the head straight and facing forward.
Note: Tie gently to avoid tearing the skin during boiling.
Fairy Wings – A Beautiful and Meaningful Name
In addition to the kneeling and flying positions, the fairy wings style is also popular during holidays and Tet. It results in a beautiful shape and has a lovely and meaningful name.
Instructions:
- To create this shape, first, push the chicken’s neck backward, crossing the wings so that the joints touch and spread out like fairy wings, with the head in the middle.
- Use a string to secure it in place. Make a slight cut at the knee joints, bend the legs inward toward the belly, and adjust for a natural sitting position.
With these tips, your offering chicken will always have taut, golden skin and an attractive shape. Share your results with us in the comments below.
Celebrating Vietnam’s Thanh Minh Holiday with Traditional Cuisine
The annual celebration of T?t Thanh Minh is a time for the Vietnamese people to revere their ancestors. An important part of this holiday are the traditional dishes, such as sticky rice and boiled chicken, which have been enjoyed for generations.
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.
Should boiled chicken be chopped or kept whole in the refrigerator?
There is a common belief that leftover boiled chicken can simply be stored in the refrigerator and consumed gradually over time. However, if not properly preserved, the chicken will quickly turn bad.
The Perfect Boiled Chicken Recipe: Tender, Juicy, and Delicious – Achieve it with this Secret Broth
The ability to boil chicken is crucial because it is a common dish in Vietnamese households, but many people do not know how to do it properly.
Boiled chicken without salt and broth: This is the kind of water that helps the chicken firm, sweet meat, even the chef has to praise.
Boiling chicken is a common cooking method, but not everyone knows how to boil chicken properly to achieve juicy and flavorful meat. Using the wrong type of boiling liquid can result in a bland boiled chicken that doesn’t meet expectations.
