General Chat

Yes you can.

Chicken breast MUST be cooked to an internal temp. of 170 degrees. Darker meat is recommended to 175 degrees. The juices should run clear.

Internal Temperatures for Proper Doneness
Whole Chicken - Thigh Area 175° - 180°F
Whole Chicken - Breast Area 170° - 175°F
Chicken Breast and Wings 170° - 175°F
Chicken Parts - Dark Meat 180°F
Ground Chicken 170°F


As far as defrosting, please, DO NOT leave chicken (or any other meat) on the counter to defrost. You are only looking for trouble if the temperature is over 40 degrees when defrosting.

Defrost meat in the fridge, well covered with something under it to catch the juice. Also it should be placed on the BOTTOM shelf. This is to ensure that if any chicken juice does escape the wrapping there will be little chance of cross contamination.

If you are in a rush, the other alternative is to place the poultry under cold RUNNING water until it has defrosted.

Deb

We check that meat is cooked thoroughly using a meat thermometer and by piercing the thickest part of the meat.
I have partially cooked chicken in a microwave. It is useful to do that before cooking chicken on a barbecue as it ensures it will be cooked completely.

Sue

Re Deb

Well I've never heard of that method before, that practice is frowned on in UK, as is putting it under running cold water.

Agree with everything else.
Mau

This leaflet just about covers it all.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Chicken_Food_Safety_Focus/index.asp

Sue

Food Hygiene say's NO!

BUT.....
I've never had a problem with cooking chicken from frozen, just make sure its very well cooked.
Mind you I'm old school, I never take a notice of best before or use by dates, If it smells ok it should be.
I never even cook a piece of beef until at least 4 weeks after the date on the packaging, its a lot more tender.
Its just the way I got dragged up.

Hi I always wash raw chicken (not frozen), making sure to wash round any surfaces afterwards and to dry it thoroughly.

Read ages ago to wash under wings in particular. Never had any probs...

Liz

How many times I have put chicken into defrost..........LOL and er indoors has said what ARE you doing? I had mis punched the button........onto COOK........LOL but it STILL goes in the oven to cook proper.......and we aint dead yet!!! as long as its well cooked......i trust! no problem.....
Bob

Hi Mau,

What method is frowned upon in the UK?

I took my advanced food safety a couple of years ago, and this was the method recommended by the Health Board.

I wish I had my text books here at home to quote from them, but they are at work.

I'll see what I can find on the net.

deb

http://www.food.gov.uk/

........has all the answers.

The equivalent to my Canadian certification is HACCP Advanced in the UK. I have read through the text and it is basicly the same.

Deb

Well I and o.h. and my son are here to tell the tale, and I do all those things have been said not to, I wash the chicken under the cold tap into the sink and then clean the sink etc afterwards, but do defrost in microwave, then cook in oven. However, I do always overcook it rather than under, so seem to have been lucky. I will bear all these things in mind tho.

Mau,,

Of course on the bottom shelf...


I mean to say NOT on the Top shelf,,,,my active brain typing error,,,!!!!!))

Will correct it,,,,,,,,,,,

Hi Deb
Sorry but I was trained to be extra careful when defrosting and cooking poultry, I also have certificates,
which state hygiene practices,guess things change through the years. Have friend who nearly died due to Salmonella poisoning, after eating meal out, so as I always say better to be safe than sorry. Folk who say they've had nothing happen to them are very lucky.
Mau xx

Kay xxx ;O)

Raymond.... you must have had a NIGHTMARE journey home.
Poor you, I know how it feels to be THAT ILL.... in my own bed!!

And all of us, just defrost carefully!!

Deanna X

Never heard of that before Alan. Is it imported?


Fish & chips tonight - from frozen :-)

Never cook a live chicken.

Sorry to add the boot here - but I live within sniffing distance of two Chicken Farms.

Having smelled their odour, I stopped eating Chicken some years ago! If the Manager doesn't eat it - then that tells me something!!

I can remember my Mum defrosting a frozen whole chicken by floating it in the sink - full of hot water - Yikes! - still survived it though not to be recommended!!

I also have my food handling certificate. The secret of cooking any chicken is in making sure it is thoroughly cooked and then not left hanging around at room temperature.

Lots of ready made chicken products like burgers, kievs etc are raw meat and they are cooked from frozen.

I usually buy quite small chickens and I find they defrost in my fridge in about a day. I have defrosted pieces of chicken in my microwave if I am in a hurry but that needs to be done carefully because outer bits can cook while inside is still frozen. I don't ever cook meat just in my microwave because I don't think the flavour is as good as in an oven, but it is fine to speed things up by partly cooking in the microwave so long as the meat is immediately moved to an oven or barbecue to finish off. You must never partially cook chicken then put it in the fridge till later.

I can't find the recipe online but I am sure I have seen a TV chef cooking a whole frozen chicken. I think if I remember rightly it had to be done for a long time in a low oven.
It might have been Ainsley Harriot whom I've seen cooking a frozen turkey.....I found this as one of several sites that say that is fine.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/2005/frozenturkey.html

It's important not to stuff the cavity with anything as that can prevent proper cooking. I usually leave my stuffing in a separate dish or put a little in the neck end of a bird.
I'm not sure what anyone else does but I always untruss chickens and open them up a bit so any heat can get right inside. I also usually cook them upside down for a while first then turn them over so the breast is uppermost. I find that seems to make the meat underneath cook better.

A meat thermometer is the best way to see it is all done properly.

I think what causes most food poisoning is food left lying about at room temperature. Cooked chicken should be cooled as quickly as possible then refrigerated. You can reheat it only once but you can cut it up and freeze the cooked meat to make into pies or something later.

Sue

Hi It is good to read all the tips on here.

I used to live near a Battery Farm and will only eat fresh free range chickens from a known source. Fortunately a butcher near here sells them.

I comfort myself that they have had a reasonable life...I would like to be a veggie but already have so many dietary limitations, it is not possible.

Liz

Wow Mac

You are amazing.

Be careful in January - perhaps just take your own food :-)

Penny

Maybe not Chicken Sandwiches though?

Jules X