Cooking Journal #18

Chicken Leg and Thigh

I usually cook my rice with hot dogs. However, I do like to get fancy from time to time. So, I'd go to the local supermarket and raid their chicken section. I usually grab their legs and thigh section. In the old days, I'd grab their boneless breast section. Nowadays, though, after reading Modernist Cuisine, I decided that cooking bone-in is the way to go!

It's a simple enough deal to cook these. Once the oil is warmed up in the pan, I set it to medium, and put a leg and a thigh into it. Wait 20 minutes, and turn them over. Wait another 10 minutes, and take the leg out. Wait another 10-15 minutes and take the thigh out. Total time: 25-30 minutes for the leg. 40-45 minutes for the thigh.

The only problem with this is that last 5 minutes. I have to watch over them. I have the pan with glass lid, so I can actually watch them fry. However, I still go by smell.

The end result is delicious! Not as good as KFC, because I simply don't care about spices, but the meat is tender and juicy. Just the right amount of cooking.

Cooking Journal #15

FoodSaver

I usually buy my food by bulk. Of course, I need to save them for a long time. I like to wrap them for long storage in the freezer. The best kind would be FoodSaver vacuum bagger. Admittedly, it's a little bit over kill for freezing chicken.

The bag I use is split in the middle for portioning. It's just a long piece of plastic, so you can cut it however long you want. If you want to make a bag, you need to seal it. Use the seal button on the left.

My regular portion is a leg and a thigh. I put in a spoonful of Teriyaki sauce for marination. Just a little. You don't want too much liquid to drip in the device.

Then it's a simple matter of Vac and Seal.

And store in the refrigerator for some marinating time.

The truth is, you don't need the fancy vacuum machine. A simple cling wrap works just as well, cheaper and more convenient to boot. The wrapping quality isn't as good, so use the meat quickly.

Frying them takes some time. It all depends on the thickness of the meat. The leg will cook in about half-hour and a thigh slightly longer than that. No need to bread the chicken. It's good as-is.