From dark meat to breast, read my guide
These days, the most common chicken people buy is skinless chicken breast fillets. And don’t get me wrong, they have their place, when you want chicken which will cook quickly and absorb a lot of flavour. But read my guide to what chicken to buy and discover that, when it comes to chicken, there really is no such thing as a bad cut.
The cheapest and best way to buy chicken is always to buy a whole bird and then chop it up yourself – but I know everyone doesn’t necessarily have the time or the confidence to tackle that.
So if you’re not buying a whole chicken, the type of chicken you need depends on what you’re planning to make with it.
The darker meat around the legs has seen more exercise than the paler flesh around the breast, so it suits slower cooking in casseroles or stews, because it’s tougher but also has more flavour. The more tender breast meat is good for quick stir-fries or grilling, although drumsticks are also great on the barbecue.
Many people buy chicken breast fillets skinless because they’re lower in fat, but I would always recommend buying them with the skin on if you’re going to cook them whole. Why? Because the skin keeps the meat moist. You can always throw the skin away after cooking if you don’t want to eat it.
