- It
is easy to prepare home-made broth or chicken stock. If you bone
chicken, save the bones, skin and any wing tips in a plastic container
and freeze until you have enough for a stock - or buy several pounds of
necks and backs. Place frozen or fresh bones in a large pot and
cover with water; add a small onion, large unpeeled carrot, sprinkling
of poultry seasoning, basil, bay leaf or whatever herbs you
prefer. Bring it to a boil then simmer for several hours.
Strain and refrigerate. Once the fat solidifies and rises to the
surface, lift off for a virtually fat free stock.
- Use the stock for soup
and sauces or substitute 250mL for a chicken bouillon cube.
- When baking or
broiling or micro waving chicken pieces, cook more than you need and
use the extra cooked meat for sandwiches and salads or to serve
cold.
- Bake chicken pieces or
whole chicken, coating first with Dijon mustard, a honey-mustard
mixture, curry sauce, Cajun spices or Hoisin sauce.
- For a succulent
variation when cooking chicken, sprinkle with a few seasonings such
as garlic, tarragon, thyme, or basil. Splash chicken pieces
with lemon, lime, orange juice or a fruit vinegar.
- Push fresh herbs under
the skin of a chicken or chicken pieces before roasting or
barbequing. Use herbs such as basil, dill, rosemary, tarragon,
thyme or sage.
- If you do not want to
use wine when called for in a recipe, substitute an equal amount of
chicken broth or apple juice or apple cider.
- To reduce fat and
calories used cooked, pureed vegetables to thicken gravies and
broths for chicken casseroles, stews and soups instead of butter and
flour.
- Substitute fat free
yogurt mixed with fat free sour cream for mayonnaise in chicken
salad.
- Serve a fondue where
cubed chicken is cooked in low fat or fat free bouillon then dipped
in low fat sauces.
- The
best method to test doneness is to use a meat thermometer. It
should register 85°C (185°F) in the thigh muscle or 75°C (165°F) in
the dressing of stuffed birds. Pierce flesh with a knife tip and
the juices should run clear WITHOUT ANY PINK.
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