How many different ways can you cook a chicken?

The question often asked by cooks around the world is “how to cook”. It challenges me to wonder how many cooking methods there are that can be applied to a main ingredient. Let’s try this with the ever-so-famous chicken. And mind you, every part of the chicken can be turned into a plate. Have you heard of chicken feet as a specialty?

I’ll go in alphabetical order so we can add more if we find more.

1.Baking: there are many recipes to bake a chicken; either whole (aka roast) or chicken pieces/breasts. We can also bake delicious chicken pies.

2. Blanch: You can put the chicken in boiling water first, then in ice water, before grilling the meat. That way you can lock in the juices. Also the water used for boiling can be used as chicken broth.

3. Boiling – Boiling the chicken gives you a nice chicken soup or the chicken can be boiled before shredding and served as a side dish for noodle soup dishes. Also, boiling chicken before grilling shortens cooking time.

You can also double boil a chicken; this is slow cooking for a few hours, which requires you to cook the chicken in a pot placed in another pot of boiling water. Cooks with indirect heat for more even cooking. Delicious but you have to be patient for the final result.

4. stew – this is like butler; add enough liquid to cover the meats (dark soy sauce or just water) and let the chicken cook slowly. This is usually done for tough chicken pieces, such as “ayam kampong” (the tough free-range chicken).

5. roast – this is like roasting chicken; We moisten the chicken pieces with a little sauce, put them in a baking dish and cook them for a few minutes. These are lovely on sandwiches or salads.

6. Ferment: Yes, you can ferment the chicken and bake it afterwards. Sounds like a specialty.

7. Freezing is arguably a method of cooking; cook without heat It works for ice cream, sherbet, and yogurt, but don’t think you should try it with chicken.

8. Frying: This is common in Asian recipes. There are many delicious recipes for frying chicken. We use a “kuali” or wok for best results. The other is stir-fried. Once again, the best results are obtained with the wok. This is fast, shallow frying over high heat. The juices are locked in and the chicken is cooked into small pieces for quick cooking. Best served hot. You can cook simple one-dish meals, like fried koay teow, using this method. Delicious!

9. Grilling – One of the most common methods of cooking chicken is on the grill or on the barbecue.

10. Microwave: is it a cooking method? You can add some spices and seasonings and microwave the chicken. What cooking method is it then if not in the microwave?

11. Pickle: Yes, there are pickled chicken recipes. However, it is best eaten with something mild in flavor like fresh salad and plain rice given the strong pickled flavor.

12. Poached: Gently cook the chicken in a little water over low heat.

13. Roast – This is another famous method of cooking chicken, and there are so many delicious rotisserie chicken recipes that we can try.

14. Stir Fry – Chicken Stir Fry is a very simple recipe. It only takes a few minutes to sauté the chicken with a little oil and herbs/a light sauce. Delicious!

15. blanching: this is the first process to clean the chicken; scald with boiling water to remove feathers.

16. scrambled – cooking scrambled chicken is like cooking scrambled eggs; cook shredded chicken or small chicken pieces in light seasoning. In fact, we can cook scrambled eggs with chicken. What about that. Then eat it with rice or as a sandwich.

17. Sear: Searing chicken gives it a golden, crispy exterior while leaving it soft on the inside, like it’s browned. It is achieved by the rapid application of high heat to the chicken pieces.

18. Simmer: Gently simmer chicken; the sauce thereafter can be used as a dip.

19. Smoked: Smoked chicken isn’t the easiest way to cook chicken, but done right, the result can be deliciously aromatic, tender, and juicy smoked chicken. Hmm!

20. Steam: Steaming is a very simple and healthy alternative to cooking chicken. Just add ginger and browned mushrooms.

21. Stew: Chicken stew needs no introduction. This is a slow cooking process that is worth the wait; we put a little water, vegetables, etc. and let it boil until a thick sauce is obtained.

22. sweat: This is a term I just heard about as a method of cooking; You can cook the chicken over low heat with a little oil.

23. Tandoor: You’ll need this big clay oven for this cooking method, but it’s worth it if you have one. It is chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, and grilled in this special clay oven over a charcoal fire. Hmm… heavenly!

24. Toast: Toasting is another form of grilling. Perhaps we can mix the cooked chicken meat with sauces and spread it on some toasting bread.

So there they are… all the various methods of cooking chicken. I didn’t know we had so many ways to cook them. Happy kitchen. Enjoy!
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