Chicken is versatile, relatively cheap and comes in a variety of cuts, all of which are healthier than red meat. It doesn t have an overpowering flavour, and so doesn't compete with other ingredients. In fact, because chicken takes on flavourings easily, it enables cooks to control the taste balance of a meal. Whole Chicken Buying a whole chicken is often much cheaper than buying individual cuts.
Whole chickens come in a variety of guises with different names that reflect their age or diet.
Corn-fed chickens have yellow flesh and have more flavour than normal birds. Capons are large, young birds which are fattened on corn, giving the meat a marbling of fat which makes it more succulent. If using a fresh-chilled chicken, it can be cooked straight away. A basic rule of thumb is to check the inside of the bird for giblets as cooking will melt the plastic bag they are put in before being replaced. Both fresh-chilled birds and frozen chickens are washed, but the weight of a frozen bird will include water from the washing process.