Frozen Chicken?

[CWS4322]

Calm down Myrtle. No one is going to send you to Freezer Camp. You are safe. Big Chicken would never let you leave her side. She loves you, just like the rest of us, too much to have you go anywhere without her.

Love Addie

Dear Addie, Thanks for your comforting words. I know the Big Chicken loves me, but sometimes I panic--the sky is FALLING! the sky is FALLLING!

Love,
Myrtle

PS--Conrad is taking up all of the space at Freezer Camp. You're right, I'm safe.

 

[taxlady]

It must be Southern pronunciation - I call it ucky.

That's actually closer to how I would say it, but we both understand ooky.

 

[Mad Cook]

Bone-in, Skin-on breasts? Or boneless?

BTW, I visited Trader Joes and by golly they have kosher bone-in not overly huge chicken breasts, 2 to a package. Most of the skin is removed which I now prefer. Skin on is good for bbq, not so good for casserole dish type recipes. Bones add to the meat flavor tho, IMO.

Co-incidentally I was looking at pre-packed fresh chicken breasts the other day and skin-on breasts were about 1/3rd more expensive per kilo than skin-on, even allowing for the weight of the skin. No contest. Easy enough to remove the skin yourself unless you are feeding the five thousand.

 

[Addie]

Co-incidentally I was looking at pre-packed fresh chicken breasts the other day and skin-on breasts were about 1/3rd more expensive per kilo than skin-on, even allowing for the weight of the skin. No contest. Easy enough to remove the skin yourself unless you are feeding the five thousand.

Whether you want to believe it or not, you pay for that labor. I learned how to debone, do French bones, and lots of other skills because I am too cheap to pay someone I don't see for their labor. It is not that hard.

When I make chicken stock or even soup, I leave the bones in and the skin on. Then when the meat has cooked enough, I pull it out and remove it from the bones along with the skin. I have left tons of flavor behind while removing all the stuff I don't need anymore. I save the skin for Teddy.

 

[RPCookin]

I have some chicken sitting in the fridge that is defrosting and probably needs to be cooked as soon as its defrosted in order to not go bad. So I have two questions:

1) What is your favorite seasoning pair for chicken breasts? I usually do salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil, and sometimes a bit of ground cumin.

2) What is the best seasoning/use for chicken that needs to be cooked the same day and didn't have time to be marinated for extended periods of time? I was thinking of using one of those taco mix sauces but am open to suggestions.

Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, thyme, rosemary, marjoram (those last three can be mixed and matched to taste), Cajun seasoning mix, Jerk seasoning (mild or spicy depending on your preference), barbecue sauce, simmer with mushrooms and mushroom gravy.... there is no end to the list. Chicken breast has so little flavor of its own that you can do almost anything you like with it.

 

[Andypants]

Soy Sauce, ginger powder and garlic powder, add some sesame oil it you have it. Marinate 30 minutes, fry up in skillet. Pour sauce in pan and bring to boil reduce till syrupy. sliced green onions on top, put all over rice.

You use the marinade that had chicken parts in it? I always get the trots when I do that. Maybe reducing it kills all the salmonella beasties. I usually do an Asian style chicken with five spice powder, salt, and Szechuan pepper, then glaze for the last 20" with whatever I feel like (Hoisin, duck sauce, sweet and sour sauce (La Choy is my favorite), Chinese BBQ sauce, char siu sauce, tom yum paste, Thai curry paste, etc - sesame oil is an essential ingredient for me). Or Tandoori/curry powder. Since I bought a garlic press I almost never use garlic powder on chicken unless I am really in a hurry. I also prefer jarred ginger paste to powder, I have never tried fresh ginger. I suppose the press would work for that too. Olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika are also good. Paprika paste is also a very good chicken rub ingredient. http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f17/piros-arany-paprika-paste-91514.html

 

[PrincessFiona60]

You use the marinade that had chicken parts in it? I always get the trots when I do that. Maybe reducing it kills all the salmonella beasties. I usually do an Asian style chicken with five spice powder, salt, and Szechuan pepper, then glaze for the last 20" with whatever I feel like (Hoisin, duck sauce, sweet and sour sauce (La Choy is my favorite), Chinese BBQ sauce, char siu sauce, tom yum paste, Thai curry paste, etc - sesame oil is an essential ingredient for me). Or Tandoori/curry powder. Since I bought a garlic press I almost never use garlic powder on chicken unless I am really in a hurry. I also prefer jarred ginger paste to powder, I have never tried fresh ginger. I suppose the press would work for that too. Olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika are also good. Paprika paste is also a very good chicken rub ingredient. http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f17/piros-arany-paprika-paste-91514.html

It marinades for 30 minutes and then cooked through, does not give any bacteria present time to even wake up. I subscribe to the FDA.gov newsletter that lets me know when salmonella has been found in foods.

 

[aberfold]

I usually use the traditional lemon, rosemary, salt and pepper, garlic powder, paprika blend.
When I crave for some roasted chicken with Asian flavors, I definitely go with this blend:
- Chinese 5-spice
- tiny bit of turmeric powder (optional)
- soy sauce
- minced garlic
- minced onion
- a hint of honey
Done!