This week I’m turning my attention to chicken, the most consumed meat in Ireland. For most of us, it passes through the fridge at some point in the week, often ending up in the same old dishes. With any poultry, I would encourage you to try spend a little bit extra for a higher-welfare bird. It will repay you with flavour and it supports a higher-quality food production system. A high-quality bird should have a deeper colour, thick skin that doesn’t break apart when pulled, a clean, nondescript smell and nice firm legs.
This week I’m taking the breasts and thighs and creating two dishes that are anything but boring. If you want to challenge yourself, you can buy a whole bird and break it down with a knife. Not only will this give you more meat than buying individual pieces, but you’ll have the carcass to make a simple chicken stock, which can be used for lots of other dishes during the week. There’s a video on my YouTube channel where you can see me breaking down a bird.
The first dish is one for the weekend, with a couple of extra steps that deliver a taste sensation. Chicken breasts are flattened and breaded before being fried in a shallow pan. The magic occurs in the blending of mayonnaise, sesame, vinegar and gochujang paste – a Korean fermented red pepper paste that is spicy, savoury and sour in equal measure. It’s also popping up in supermarkets more often so you don’t have to take a plane to find it. A crisp and zesty slaw brings everything together in a soft brioche bun.
The second recipe is more of a midweek crowd pleaser, and definitely one that can stretch into a boxed lunch or sandwich the following day if you cook it in bulk. While creating your own satay sauce from scratch may seem daunting, the blender does all the work in record time. The magic trick is to use peanut butter as the base, which holds everything together and powers up the base flavour. All that’s left to do is marinate your thighs on skewers and cook them up in less than 10 minutes. I’ve garnished them simply with some chilli, spring onion and coriander but a salad will work just fine. If you want to go all out, stuff a crispy baguette with the chicken along with the garnishes and you end up with a hybrid “Vietnamese banh mi meets satay” situation that won’t disappoint.
Chicken breasts and thighs are simple, cost-effective ingredients, but the possibilities are endless. Give these a go.
Tip of the week
Try buying a whole chicken and break the pieces down yourself. It’ll save you money and it means the whole bird is used. The stock in itself is a kitchen essential.
Recipe: Sesame fried chicken burgersRecipe: Chicken satay skewers