Boiling

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I prefer brining to make chicken moist and tender. I have only boiled the carcasses after cooking chicken. When I have boiled it otherwise I found it sort of...rubbery. Did I boil too long?
 
I do the same as Alix. I brine, but I don't like boiling. I find it really dries out the meat. I also find boiling makes the chicken a bit tasteless.
 
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I would brown it on high and quickly then I'd throw it in the oven. Boiling does cause it to be a bit rubbery.
 
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No it dosent! It makes it tender! :p it breaks up the fat and............ stuff. I must say I never brined because I just cook for myself. I eat what I feel like at the moment.
Anyhew.... I would win against you Iron Chef people! :) The judges would faint over my tender chicken. And chew fat over your rubbery birds! :p
 
-DEADLY SUSHI- said:
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I must say I never brined because I just cook for myself.
I don't understand what this has to do with not brining. Sorry I am running on very little sleep so if there is an obvious answer than please forgive me
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Because it takes hours just to brine. When Im hungry I open up the doors to my food hoard and see what might fit the bill. Once I find it, I then cook it. I dont 'plan' for a meal. :oops: Im single. :cool:
 
Ahhhh OK I see. Well yes I usually brine boneless skinless breasts for 2 hours, but I bet even a half hour would do wonders. Give it a shot at least one time. I bet you will want to do it a lot more after that.
 
-DEADLY SUSHI- said:
I boil my chicken 1st. THEN I will put it in the oven with spices. It makes it MUCH more moist and tender.

Do you agree?
Sush, I sometimes do that. It does take away from the flavor but, thats what all the spices are for
 
I "boil" chicken the old way I learned from Jeff Smith long ago --

Get a pot of water boiling, insert chicken (whole, parts, whatever) in pot. Wait for water to boil again, then turn heat off, cover, and let pot sit on burner for an hour.

Nice moist, non-rubbery bird.
 
How could I forget braising - that's probably the best way sush - try it sometime. Just brown both sides in some butter and oil, add some chicken stock and/or wine, seasonings, put the lid on - checking on it occasionally - turn if necessary. Then you choose the flavors from there i.e., kalamata olives with capers and rosemary or kalamata and feta with oregano, etc.
 
Exactly what kind of chickens are you talking about?

In my locality, "boiling fowl" (id em, old layers and some cocks past productivity) completely dissappeared from the market some 20 years ago.

The problem is however, that you cannot REALLY make Coq au Vin with something that will cook and be tender in 5 to 15 minutes. These old boiling hens had FLAVOUR, and the cooking process and the wine extracted it.

I have heard you can still buy them in certain ethnic localities or shops. But generally, no. If you Do have tough, old , tasty hens, then ENJOY them. They probably go to make dogfood these days. Lucky dogs.

And just what the (*^%%*&$(& is an "IRON CHEF" ??

I have seen this phrase bandied about in the forum for some time, with no indication of any meaning. Is it a chef that is so set in his(or her) ways that they rust if left out in the rain?

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Darkstream said:
And just what the (*^%%*&$(& is an "IRON CHEF" ??

I have seen this phrase bandied about in the forum for some time, with no indication of any meaning. Is it a chef that is so set in his(or her) ways that they rust if left out in the rain?

I guess they don't have the Food Network on Treasure Island?
 
BOILING chicken (as opposed to simmering it) is a guarantee of tough, rubbery meat. Boiling causes the proteins to seize up.

Simmering chicken (water just barely bubbles) is the way to go. Braising is a form of simmering, really.
Mudbug's method is virtually foolproof. She posted this long ago and now I swear by it!
 
The liquid when you braise should be at simmering or less, but technically, what seperates braising from simmering is that with the food you are braising, the liquid should only come up to about 3/4 of the way (i.e. Lamb Shanks, Osso Bucco, etc.).

Braising refers more to the cooking method, while simmering refers more to the temperature of the liquid itself. Simmering also refers to stock, soups, sauces, etc. which you could never really braise, unless say you have a huge beef or ham shank in there.

While I'm not the biggest advocate of him, Emerill Lagasse actually has quite a few good braising recipes if anyone is in need of ideas/inspiration.
 
nicole said:
Sush, I sometimes do that. It does take away from the flavor but, thats what all the spices are for

another variation, especially good with legs, is to place the leg in boiling water for a couple minutes only, then fry or roast, then let it relax by letting it rest in chicken stock a while. This gives it flavour and moisture, try it. Works with beef steaks too. (My idea ©):p
cheers
Waaza
 
ironchef said:
The liquid when you braise should be at simmering or less, but technically, what seperates braising from simmering is that with the food you are braising, the liquid should only come up to about 3/4 of the way (i.e. Lamb Shanks, Osso Bucco, etc.).

Braising refers more to the cooking method, while simmering refers more to the temperature of the liquid itself.
Humm ... actually ..... for braising the liquid should only come about 1/2 way up, or less ... 3/4 of the way up and you're getting into stewing territory. But you are right, "simmer" refers to a temperature (120-180F).... not a specific cooking method.

Mudbug and I had the same instructor at the "Culinary Academy of the Airwaves" from back in the old days. :LOL:

At first I thought Sushi was inhaling way too many fumes from toasting "herbs" from south of the border ... like the ones you use in making "I Love You Alice B. Toklas" brownies. But ... after thinking .... it could have the potential for a happy accident. In the absence of any specific information from Sushi ... I'm making wild guesses here.

We all know that heat causes proteins to seize up. Think about browning chicken in fat before we finish it off in the oven. By causing the proteins on the outside to seize up it forms a barrier that makes it harder for moisture to travel through and escape. While it would not be as flavorful .. perhaps Sushi is accomplishing the same thing with boiling water ... the seizing of the outer layers of protein? And, again in the absence of any in-depth info from Sushi ... perpahs his "boiling" is really just "blanching" the chicken just enough for that to happen?

Of course:

DEADLY SUSHI said:
When I HAD a grill I would boil the chicken for an about 40 minutes. I would then but on seasoning and plop it on the grill.
Humm .... that's a whole nother can of worms. At that point the chicken would be done and the grilling would just be drying out the skin and adding "post mortum" smoke flavor.

Of course the easiest way to resolve the questions would be for Sushi to try brining befor roasting and compare it to his boil-n-roast and see which is moister.
 
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