Chicken is a nutritious, easy-to-prepare food that is an excellent source of animal protein. The meat of this bird contains all the essential amino acids.
Chicken is different
Chicken is one of the common types of poultry. It is bred not only for meat, but also for eggs. All chicken breeds can be divided into three groups: egg, meat and meat and egg.
The industrial production of chickens is focused on raising a special breed - broilers. From such chickens, juicy, tender meat is obtained, which is perfect for frying.
The benefits of chicken
First of all, chicken is valued for a large amount of easily digestible protein, vitamin E, A, B2, B6, B12. It also contains a lot, in comparison with other types of poultry, potassium and phosphorus.
Chicken is low in carbs and low in fat. The main disadvantage of this bird is its skin, which is rich in fatty tissue. However, you can always delete it if you want. The exception is the wings: the skin on them is not so oily, it does not need to be removed.
Chicken broth deserves special attention. It is not as useful and harmless as it is rich in cholesterol. The misconception about its benefits has remained since the time of the total shortage of products.
How to choose a chicken
If you decide to purchase frozen chicken, carefully examine its packaging. The presence of pieces of ice in it means that the carcass has been thawed and re-frozen at least once.
A good chicken should have an opaque white skin without spots. Skin with a slightly yellowish tint is also allowed.
Chicken in cooking
Chicken is quite actively used in cooking. Excellent first and second courses, hot and cold appetizers are prepared from it. Chicken is also an ingredient in many salads.
For frying, it is better to choose an age-old chicken of average and above average fatness. The meat from the old chicken can be safely used for the preparation of minced products: meatballs, meatballs, cutlets.
For the preparation of the broth, it is better to choose the carcass of an adult, but not too old, medium-fat chicken. Old chickens and chickens are not suitable for this purpose, since the broths from them are not sufficiently fragrant and transparent.
For salads and cold appetizers, a carcass of any age is suitable. The excess fat on the chicken should be cut off and, after melting, added to pates, for roasting meat, and so on. The fat in a chicken carcass is located mainly in the lower abdomen.
How much to cook, fry and bake chicken
It takes 50-60 minutes for a whole chicken to cook completely. This indicator may increase if an old chicken carcass was chosen for cooking.
The individual parts of the chicken - breast, thighs - will be ready in half an hour, and the wings in 15-20 minutes.
It will take 20 minutes to fry chicken fillet, half an hour for thighs and breasts, and 25 minutes for legs and wings.
When baked in the oven, the chicken will be ready in 1, 5-2 hours. To make it juicy, it must be baked in a special bag or foil.
How many calories are in chicken
The calorie content of chicken is relatively small. There are almost 240 calories in 100 grams of fresh poultry. During heat treatment, its calorie content increases. So, in 100 grams of fried chicken there will already be almost 300 calories.
