Methods of cooking poultry
A number of basic cooking methods can be used for poultry.
These include broiling, roasting, braising, frying, and microwaving.
Broiling poultry
Chicken halves, quarters, or pieces can be broiled. Leave
the skin on to protect the meat from drying out. To reduce fat, remove the skin
just before eating.
Place the chicken skin side up on a cold broiler pan. Put it
in the broiler until so the tops of the pieces are about 4 to 6 inches from the
heat. Broil until nicely browned (usually about 20 to 30 minutes). Turn the
piece over with tong and continue broiling until done. For extra flavor, you
can brush the chicken with a sauce, such as barbecue sauce, as it cooks.
Roasting poultry
Roasting or baking is a popular cooking method for both
chicken and turkey. Leave the skin on during roasting to protect the bird from
drying out. You can remove the skin just before eating.
A whole bird can be filled with stuffing before it is
roasted. Never stuff a bird the day before and refrigerate it overnight. The
stuffing won’t chill properly and harmful bacteria will grow. Instead, stuff
the bird just before roasting. Be sure to check the stuffing for doneness with
a thermometer. Many people find that it is easier and safest to cook stuffing
separately in a baking dish.
A large whole bird takes
a long time to cook. Toasting chicken or turkey pieces is often more convenient
How to roast chicken or turkey pieces
1.
Arrange pieces in a large roasting or baking
pan, skin side up. Use a rack if desired.
2.
If you are roasting turkey brush with melted
butter or margarine.
Why? Turkey pieces are larger and take
longer to cook. The butter or margarine helps keep the pieces moist during
cooking.
3.
Sprinkle lightly with seasoning, such as ground
black pepper and dried, crushed marjoram or oregano.
4.
Roast uncovered at 350 ℉ until parts test done. Cooking time varies with
the size of the pieces and amount of bone.
Tip- turn turkey pieces over after half the
cooking time. Baste with pan dripping or melted butter or margarine.
Braising poultry
Braising is a common method of cooking poultry. There are
endless ways to vary the flavor depending on the ingredients you add. Braising can
be used to tenderize older poultry, such as stewing chickens. Broilers or
fryers can also be braised. They cook in less time than older poultry.
You can find many recipes for braised poultry dishes in
cookbooks. In general, here are the steps in braising.
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Brown the chicken in a small amount of oil in a
skillet. To reduce fat, you can remove the skin before browning.
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Next, add seasonings and liquid. The liquid
might be water, chicken broth, or vegetable juice. Vegetables can also be added
and cooked along with the poultry.
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Simmer the mixture until done. Chicken piece
from a broiler or fryer will take about 1 hour to cook.
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If desired, serve over a grain such as rice.
Frying poultry
Poultry can be coated with crumbs or batter
and pan-fried. Remember that frying adds fat and calories because the chicken
absorbs fat as it fries.
If you fry chicken, follow these guidelines.
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Wash and try chicken pieces carefully. If you
put moist chicken in hot fat, the fat will spatter or “pop” and could burn you.
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Use only enough oil to cover the bottom of the
skillet.
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Make sure the oil is hot before you add the
chicken. The chicken will absorb less oil.
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Start with large, meaty pieces such as the Brest
and thigh. Place in the skillet skin side down. Once these are partially
cooked, add the smaller pieces.
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Turn pieces after half the cooking time.
Microwaving poultry
Poultry cooked in the microwave will be moist and juicy, but
not brown or crisp. Sometimes a coating or sauce is added to give more color.
Before microwaving, be sure the poultry is completely thawed.
Pierce or remove the skin to keep it from bursting. When microwaving, pieces put the meatier parts
near the outside of the dish and the bonier parts towards the center. Cover the
cooking dish. If it has no cover, use an upside- down plate or waxed paper. Don’t
use plastic wrap.
Change the position of the poultry or rotate the pan often. This
will help the poultry cook more evenly.
Standing time needed to allow the center or thicker proportions
to finish cooking. At the end of the standing time, check the poultry in several
thick spots with a meat thermometer.
