Impress Your Guests With These Whole Chicken Recipes
You're at the grocery aisle, wondering what you can cook for the family (or for guests for an upcoming party). You know that chicken is a no-fail alternative, but it's coming off as rather plain to you. What do you do? Go with whole chicken! Everyone gets to choose their favorite part-whether it's the healthy breast or the tasty thigh. Plus, it's simply impressive to show that you know how to truss a chicken. Don't know how, yet? Here's a quick and easy tutorial:
With that skill down, here's what you can do with your whole chicken:
1 Make a Roast Chicken
For a tasty, golden roasted chicken, marinate chicken overnight in minced garlic, minced onions, Dijon mustard, herbs, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Rub softened butter in between the skin and the meat. Truss chicken. Roast in a 325°F turbo broiler for about 45 minutes or in an oven preheated to 350°F for 1 hour or until cooked through.
2 You can steam it!Â
Make a moist, steamed whole chicken by stuffing the cavity with aromatics like ginger, garlic, lemongrass, leeks, and celery. Brush entire chicken with sesame oil and sweet soy sauce. Season with salt and white pepper. Truss chicken and cook in a preheated steamer for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
3 Braise it!Â
For a flavorful braised whole chicken, fill the cavity with sticky or glutinous fried rice. Truss chicken and braise in a large pot in chicken stock flavored with soy sauce, brown sugar, shiitake mushrooms, leeks, carrots, and sesame oil for about 40 minutes or until cooked through.
Cooking whole chicken can seem daunting, but it's worth the reward! It's also not just the main course; it's also a beautiful showstopper. Here are some more whole chicken recipes you should definitely make to show off those skills:
Article was published in the May 2016 issue of Yummy magazine. Minor edits were made by Yummy.ph editors.Â
