Fresh chicken meat, an ingredient that is undeniably a staple for many due to the versatility of poultry to all your favorite recipes.
Chicken Breast: A favorite among health enthusiasts that is high in energy and protein while being low in fat, making it a healthy choice. It has a relatively dry and slightly coarse texture, but is suitable for many dishes such as roasted chicken, grilled chicken, or chicken tom yum. A popular dish to try is soy sauce marinated grilled chicken.
Chicken Tenderloin: Another popular cut for its high protein and low fat content that is similar to chicken breast, but with a firmer and more tender texture. It can be used in various ways such as stir fried, fried, or grilled. Examples include garlic pepper chicken stir fry and crispy fried chicken tenderloin.
Chicken Drumstick: A favorite amongst children due to its juicy and firm texture with chicken cartilage for a satisfying bite. They are delicious when deep-fried for a crispy texture, or cooked in soups for a mellow and balanced taste.
Chicken Thighs: While it may look similar to chicken breast in appearance, chicken thigh has more intramuscular fat, making it tender and juicy; ideal for stir-fries, stews, or grilling. A popular dish is honey grilled chicken thigh, which is a combination of tender meat and sweet, aromatic honey.
Chicken Leg Quarter: This cut is the perfect combination with a firm texture from the drumstick and juicy tenderness from the thigh, making it a favorite for many in cooking a variety of recipes such as lemongrass grilled chicken, which offers a biteful of chicken with an aromatic punch from the lemongrass.
Drumette: The upper cut of the chicken wing that resembles a mini drumstick. It is firm, tender, and juicy in texture, perfect for frying, grilling, or in soups.
Wingette (Middle Wing): This cut contains two small bones inside and has a moderate amount of fat, making it tender, juicy and often fried for a crispy texture while maintaining tenderness in the meat.
Wing Tip: A cut of fresh chicken with almost no meat, but rather just skin covering the bones. It is ideal as a crispy snack, for grilling or added to soups for a mellow flavor.
Chicken Feet: Chicken feet is much loved by many for its gelatinous texture and high collagen content, perfect for spicy soups such as chicken feet tom yum, in stews for easier eating, or in spicy stir-fries which pairs well with this cut.
Whether it’s a healthy dish or your favorite comfort food, having cuts of fresh chicken meat in your refrigerator helps to save time and allows you to create a variety of dishes. Not only is chicken easy to cook, but it is also rich in nutrients, providing high protein with low fat, making it perfect for fitness enthusiasts or those that need to increase their protein intake to support muscle recovery and overall health.
Besides fresh chicken we are all familiar with, duck is another type of poultry that can be used in cooking. However, duck and chicken meat differ in several aspects, including texture, flavor, and dishes, as follows:
Fresh Chicken Meat: More tender with lower fat content when compared to duck meat, making the meat light and fluffier when cooked. It has a milder taste than duck meat, making it versatile when combined with various seasonings and ingredients such as fried chicken, grilled chicken, braised chicken, or chicken stir fry.
Duck Meat: Denser, juicier, and tender with a bite due to its higher fat content compared to chicken meat, making it moist and tender when cooked. Duck meat has a distinct flavor that is richer than chicken, which explains why many prefer it in dishes that require stronger flavor and juiciness, such as honey-roasted duck, 5-spice braised duck, or Peking duck.
