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Each housewife seeks to ensure that in her fridge there are always stocks of products that can help her out at the most unexpected moment. One of these products is chicken carcass. Chicken is an indispensable way to feed a family quickly, tasty and satisfying. However, the chicken has one drawback - it defrosts for a long time. Of course, there are methods that can defrost a chicken in a few minutes, but the quality of the meat suffers. So, let's try to understand all the ways to defrost chicken meat.
How to defrost a chicken
To make the chicken juicy, tasty and healthy, it needs to be defrosted as long as possible. A sharp temperature drop kills the fibers of the fabric, and the meat becomes soft, like porridge. Therefore, the most proper way to defrost a chicken is the cooling chamber.It usually takes about a day, depending on the size of the carcass. A large chicken can be defrosted for 30 hours. If you are planning to cook a chicken dinner tomorrow, do not forget to put the chicken out of the freezer on one of the shelves of the refrigerator tonight.
The frozen carcass must be removed, pulled out of the packaging film and put into the cup. The tank should be deep enough and wide enough that the melting water does not flow out. You can cover a cup with a chicken with a film or a lid so that the smell of the chicken does not spread throughout the refrigerator. In addition, it protects the meat itself from foreign odors.
If you do not have so much time to defrost, you can speed up the process, leaving the chicken not in the refrigerating chamber, but simply at room temperature. To do this, remove the carcass from the freezer, remove the packaging, put it in a cup and leave it on the table. Thus, the chicken will defrost about 4-5 hours. The chicken thaws even faster if you make several cuts on the chicken. However, this will be relevant only if later the chicken will be finished and not baked. The cuts on the whole carcass will spoil the look of the dish.
How to quickly defrost chicken
If the guests came suddenly, there are several ways to quickly defrost chicken meat.
- Fill the chicken with water. This is the best way to defrost chicken meat, in the "time-quality" ratio. The fact is that water melts ice better than air. Dip the frozen chicken carcass in a container with cold water, and the ice will thaw in a couple of hours. To make the process go faster, you can dip the meat in warm water, and then periodically change the liquid as it cools. There is a lot of controversy about whether to remove the package when thawing chicken in water. You still don't need to remove the packaging, so the chicken will not lose its taste and after cooking it will be more juicy and tasty. Pouring frozen meat with hot water is not recommended, otherwise the fibers will simply cook and lose their structure. In addition, the meat will become tasteless and useless.
- The most popular tool for defrosting a chicken carcass is a microwave. All modern models of microwave ovens have a defrost function. Just put the chicken on a plate and turn on the microwave for 3-4 minutes.After the specified time, the carcass must be turned over and thawed again for 3 minutes. Then the carcass must be removed and checked to see if the meat has thawed completely. To do this, lower your hand into the belly of the chicken - wherever the hook was. If you find ice there, repeat the procedure. However, this method of defrosting should be resorted to as rarely as possible, and the chicken loses the lion’s share of its beneficial properties.
- You can defrost a chicken in a slow cooker. To do this, place the carcass on a special stand, which is designed for cooking manti and steam cutlets. Then pour water into the multicooker bowl and set the steam cooking mode. To defrost a medium-sized chicken, usually 10 minutes is enough.
- Another chicken can be defrosted in the oven. Usually this method is used if you plan to bake the chicken in the future. Remove the frozen chicken from the freezer, free it from the packaging and place on a baking sheet. The fire should be minimal so that the carcass is thawed, not baked. Usually, even the largest carcass is defrosted for no longer than 20 minutes. After that, the chicken can be got and done, everything that was previously planned.Marinate the meat or flush it with vegetables and fruits, and then send it back to the oven, setting the desired temperature.
Remember, the chicken turns out much more tasty and juicy, if before the heat treatment, it has a room temperature. If the chicken has been thawed in the refrigerator, let the meat warm on the kitchen table before cooking.
Can I bake frozen chicken
This question worries many housewives, especially when guests are on the doorstep. And you need to do not only the main course, but also salads and even dessert. Bake chicken and can be frozen. However, some sequence must be followed. First, the temperature in the oven should be minimal, at least 10-15 minutes. After that, remove the chicken, rinse it from the ice with blood, grease it with spices, add the fire and again send the carcass to the oven. If you put the chicken in the hot oven at once, it will be cooked unevenly.
Some housewives prefer to marinate chicken in advance. If you bought a fresh chicken, rinse and marinate it before freezing - grease with salt and spices before sending the carcass to the freezer.Then, when an emergency situation comes and you need an ready and tasty food in an hour, you can wrap the chicken carcass in foil and send it to the oven. First, keep the meat on low heat until the chicken has defrosted, then just open the foil and add fire. Tasty and ready dish will be ready in 40 minutes.
How to defrost chicken mince
If there is chicken mince in the refrigerator, you can not worry about a sudden dinner. However, in order to be always at hand, it must also be quickly defrosted. When cooking minced chicken it is best to divide it into small portions before freezing, so that if necessary you do not need to defrost the excess. Thawed chicken mince better in the refrigerator or at room temperature. If there is no time for this, dip a piece of minced meat in a waterproof bag and cover it with warm water.Or put the stuffing in the microwave for 5 minutes.
Chicken is an excellent product, not only tasty and easily digestible, but also easy to prepare. But in order to preserve its taste and benefits, the carcass must be properly thawed. Shock defrosting in the form of using a microwave oven and warm water is highly undesirable and can only be used in emergency cases. The rest of the time, try to defrost the chicken for a long time, preserving the taste and healthy qualities of white meat.
Video: how to carve chicken
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