How to cook the perfect chicken: life hacks, tips, recipes

How do you cook chicken so that the meat is soft and juicy and, preferably, with a beautiful crispy crust? Professional chefs know the answer to this question.

We have already told you how to cook chicken according to the recipe of the famous chef Jamie Oliver: he suggests baking the whole carcass with lemon, vegetables, and spicy herbs. Today we're sharing life hacks for cooking chicken from Julia Child, the legendary American chef who taught the world the intricacies of French cooking. First, she wrote the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which, by the way, was recognized as a fundamental study of French cuisine. And then she was the host of her own TV show, French Chef, where she taught millions of viewers how to cook.

In our article, we reveal the main secrets of Julia Child's chicken cooking. We also share our own selection of recipes.

Tip one

Trim the wings and remove the breastbone. Julia Child says that before you bake a whole chicken, you must do two things: cut off the elbow part of the wings and remove the breastbone. Firstly, the finished dish will look more presentable in this way, and secondly, it will make it easier to divide the carcass into portions.

Tip two

Remove moisture. Before cooking chicken, always dry the skin and meat of the chicken with paper towels. Julia Child assured that excess moisture will prevent the formation of a crispy crust and the meat will turn out to be stewed rather than fried.

Tip number three

Do not stuff the chicken. If you want the meat to roast quickly and evenly, follow Julia's advice and don't fill the carcass with stuffing. Instead of stuffing vegetables or buckwheat inside, it's better to put a piece of butter and a bunch of spicy herbs inside the chicken. Julia's favorite stuffing option is salt, a teaspoon of dried or fresh tarragon, finely chopped shallots, and a few sprigs of parsley.

Tip number four

Don't rush to add salt. Julia Child assured me that you should add salt to the meat only after the gravy has thickened. The thing is that as the liquid evaporates, the flavor of the sauce becomes more intense, and if you salt the dish at the beginning of cooking, you will end up with a salty gravy.

Tip number five

Give your chicken a massage. This tip may sound ridiculous, but we're not joking. Julia Child advised everyone who plans to bake a whole chicken to rub it with butter before cooking. Julia called this know-how "butter massage". According to her, this simple manipulation is the reason for the crispy and appetizing crust.

Tip number six

Don't forget about the sides. Julia claimed that in order to make the chicken appetizing and juicy, it needs to be baked on all sides. Julia advised to cook the chicken according to the following scheme:

• Put the carcass on the breast and brown it at 220°C for 15 minutes.
• Hold it for five minutes on the left and right sides.
• Reduce the temperature in the oven to 175°C, put the carcass on the back, and bring it to readiness.

And don't forget to pour the juice over the chicken, so the skin is well-saturated and won't burn.

Tip number seven

Do not keep the chicken on the fire for too long: it will become dry and tasteless. Julia Child advised to always check the readiness of the dish: pierce the meat with a knife and look at the color of the juice. If it is not pink, but transparent and slightly yellowish, take the dish out of the oven immediately.

Tip number eight

Tie up the bird. Tying a chicken carcass with cooking rope is a classic chef's technique. This technique helps to achieve even roasting of the meat and preserve the beautiful appearance of the carcass.

Tip nine

Fry in small batches. If you are not cooking a whole carcass, but in portions, Julia advised not to place the chicken pieces too close together, as she said that this would cause the meat to release too much moisture. To get an appetizing crust, it is better to fry the chicken 2-3 pieces at a time.

Tip number ten

Cook chicken in wine. Julia Child assured that the right choice of wine plays an important role in the "perfection" of chicken. She advised stewing the bird in strong dry white wines, such as white Burgundy or Côtes du Rhône. If you don't like acid in meat dishes, you can replace regular wine with French vermouth.

We also share with you recipes for cooking chicken in wine:

• Italian-style chicken stewed in white wine
• Creamy chicken stewed in white wine
• Chicken in wine with sweet peppers

• Chicken in red wine
• Chicken with mushrooms in wine
• Braised chicken with dried fruit and wine