A chick is a young hen or rooster that has not yet matured. Chicken meat tastes almost the same as mature chicken meat, but its texture is juicier and more tender. In addition, a smaller carcass is more convenient for cooking. There are gherkin chickens on sale, the weight of which is no more than 300 grams.
The greatest value of chicken meat is the ability to provide the human body with animal protein at its low calorie content. It is this fact that contributes to the increasing turnover of the production of such meat. Science has proven that, without harming health, chicken meat can be eaten much more than the meat of other animals.
Farmer-raised chicken should weigh at least two kilograms. Today, chickens of a special meat breed are mass-produced – broilers. Broilers began to grow due to the fact that at the 8th week of life the poultry has well-developed muscle tissue, and at an older age – adipose tissue.
Nutritional value and beneficial properties
Due to its low calorie content and a set of nutrients, chicken meat can be considered one of the most valuable foods.
Table 1. “Chemical composition of the chicken”
Composition
Content in 100 grams
Water 70 g Ash 0,8 g Proteins 17,6 g Fats 12,3 g Carbohydrates 0,4 g
Vitamins
Vitamin PP (niacin) 3,2 mg Vitamin E (tocopherol) 0,3 mg Vitamin A (retinol) 40 mcg Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 2 mg Vitamin B1 (thiamine) 0,07 mg Vitamin B4 (choline) 118 mg Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) 0,8 mg Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 0,5 mg Vitamin B7 (biotin) 8,4 mg Vitamin B9 (folic acid) 3,3 mcg Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) 0,4 mcg
Minerals
Iron 1,5 mg Sodium 100 mg Calcium 10 mg Magnesium 25 mg Phosphorus 210 mg Potassium 300 mg Chlorine 76 mg Sulfur 180 mg Zinc 1,2 mg Fluorine 130 μg Iodine 4 μg Copper 68 mg Chromium 8 μg Cobalt 10 μg Manganese 0,02 mg Molybdenum 5 μg
The energy value of 100 grams of the product is 183 kcal.
Chicken is included in the diet of people who care about their figure and want to eat light, healthy food. It is given to babies in the form of the first complementary foods. Due to the high content of phosphorus, potassium, essential amino acids and protein, the presence of this product is highly desirable in any medical menu. In the case of regular consumption of chickens, cardiac activity and muscle work improves, and the elasticity of blood vessels increases. That is why chicken meat is recommended for people suffering from pathologies of the cardiovascular system and diabetes mellitus. Its use prevents the development of strokes, heart attacks and atherosclerosis, and normalizes blood pressure.
Chicken will help strengthen the immune system (while doing this task much better than pork or chicken). The nutritious chicken broth will help to saturate the body and restore strength, despite the low calorie content.
Chicken has a beneficial effect on the nervous system. People whose diet is rich in this product are less likely to suffer from insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
Selection rules
How to choose the right chicken? First of all, it is worth evaluating the appearance. The skin should be pale yellow with a pink tint, and the meat should be pale pink, but should not be bluish or gray.
If there is an unpleasant odor from the carcass, even a slight one, you should not buy it.
Use in cooking
Chicken meat can be used to make a wide variety of dishes. It goes well with cereals, vegetables, pasta. Chicken fillet is perfect for preparing baby food – meatballs, steamed cutlets, chops.
In the restaurant business, dishes made from chicken thighs and drumsticks are very popular. This meat can be used to make soufflé, aspic, pilaf, various salads. It is also used for the first courses – hodgepodge, broth, borscht, soups, pickle. The chicken can be smoked, boiled or baked whole. Any dish based on this product is always low in calories.
In order for chicken meat to be truly dietary, it is necessary to completely remove the skin before cooking. The fact is that it is in it that it contains a significant amount of histamine, which provokes all kinds of allergies. When fried, carcinogenic substances are formed in the skin. It is also recommended to cut off the fat from the belly and then add it to the pate.
As a side dish, chicken goes well with vegetables: zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, onions. It can be stuffed with tomatoes with sausages, cheese with the addition of pomegranate, stewed in cherry sauce or sour cream, fried with apples. Grilled or boiled chicken is used for diet sandwiches.
What to cook?
Chicken-based dishes will be a wonderful decoration for a festive table.
The simplest option is chicken stewed in sour cream. First, it is dipped in boiling water for 5 minutes, then placed in a saucepan, an incomplete glass of sour cream, a small bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste are added. Cover everything and stew in the oven. The potatoes must first be cut into cubes and fried in oil until they are lightly browned. Put it to the finished chicken in a saucepan, add butter mixed with flour (you need to take 1 teaspoon of one and the other), send everything to the oven and simmer for another 10 minutes. When serving, cut the chicken in half and garnish with potatoes.
Another very simple but more sophisticated option is chicken with cheese and pomegranate. For this, the chicken is rubbed with salt and pepper on the outside and inside. Cheese is chopped on a coarse grater, mixed with pomegranate seeds and stuffed with a chicken carcass, sewn up and placed in a preheated oven. Bake until cooked.
A very tasty and simple dish – baked chicken with apples. To do this, the carcass is cut in half, rubbed with a mixture of spices (salt, caraway seeds and allspice). Peel the apples and cut each in half, remove the seeds and spread them on a baking sheet, seasoned with cinnamon. They put the halves of the carcass on the apples, coat them with mayonnaise, add half a glass of water and bake until cooked in a preheated oven, periodically pouring the resulting juice over the dish.
Chicken cooks quickly in a slow cooker. Before cooking, the carcass is rubbed with cognac marinade, left in the refrigerator overnight, and then placed in a slow cooker using the “Baking” mode. Cooking time – 40 minutes. Chicken is served with potatoes or rice.
The most famous chicken chick dish is the tobacco chicken. This recipe came from Georgia and became popular in many countries. The original name – “tsitsila tapaka” – comes from the name of a special frying pan with a screw press or a heavy lid in which the chicken is cooked. Before cooking, the bones of the carcass are turned out of the joints, the brisket is broken, and then the carcass is flattened under pressure. To give a plane, the chicken is beaten with a hammer. Rub it well with marinade on all sides and put it under a press for 10-12 hours. After that, over moderate heat, fry on each side for 30 minutes. When frying, juice is released, from which the sauce is then prepared. You can also use tkemali or garlic sauce.
In terms of taste, tobacco chicken can only compete with Ararat-style chicken – a national Armenian dish. First, the carcass is fried, then boiled in a deep saucepan with fried flour, mushroom gravy, red pepper and cloves.
Another cooking option is roasting chicken in breadcrumbs. To do this, it is pre-boiled, cut into pieces, salted, rolled in egg, flour and bread crumbs. Fry the chicken slices in ghee until golden brown. Suitable for a festive lunch or dinner.
Harm and contraindications
Chicken can be harmful if not cooked properly because it can contain salmonella and histamine. You should not eat meat that has not been properly stored.
Although chicken meat is dietary, you definitely need to know the sense of proportion when eating it. The danger is the skin of a bird. In addition to the fact that it is very fatty, when fried, it is in it that many substances are concentrated that have a carcinogenic effect on the body. The histamine in the skin can provoke allergic reactions. To get the most out of this product, it needs to be boiled or baked.
Eating chicken chick meat is not recommended for people suffering from urolithiasis.
Chicken is a healthy nutritious product that is widely used in both adult and children’s menus. It is a real pleasure to cook dishes from it.
