Postby carluva » April 20th, 2020, 11:48 am
Generally, it is quite easy to tell if chicken is beginning to spoil. The smell is usually the first sign. Fresh chicken will always have a smell but the fresher the chicken from the kill, the milder the smell. When chicken is beginning to spoil, the small is obvious and if you are unsure, be safe an toss it.
I have also found that chicken becomes extremely slimy when beginning to spoil. Once the chicken is slimier than usual, it's tossed.
I have had these problems with chicken bought at Pricesmart on two occasions, so I just do not buy there.
For fresh chicken for stew, curry etc., I would usually clean off the excess fat, skin and the "clumps" under the ribs and the thighs (the parts that KFC leave and most enjoy). Same for quarters or legs, thighs for grilling or baking. For a whole chicken to roast, grill or bake, its the same thing as well but just a bit more effort to clean the cavity. I usually soak for a while in a vinegar and water mix or lime/lemon/water mix. Then, rinse each piece individually, place in a colander over a bowl and put in the fridge to drip dry for a few hours (or overnight).
Seasoning all depends on how its going to be cooked. Normal salt, black pepper, fresh grind seasoning or seasoning mix, garlic, etc. for curry or stew. Dry rubs, marinades for baking, rotisserie or grilling.
I hardly use flour on chicken cause the methods above usually work. They key (for me) is to let the chicken drip dry over the colander. That way, the remnants of any "fresh" water is removed. Sometimes, you'll be surprised how much you get.
Point to note - flour is reserved for "fresher" (not fresh as in freshly killed but rather fresh smelling) meats such as duck, common fowl and turkey. With those, the flour is rubbed on the meat into a paste and left to dwell for about 5 minutes. Then it is washed off and repeated, if necessary. What works for me is after the final rinse, rub the meat with a few leaves of podeenah (the big leaf thyme that grows uncontrollably in your yard), wash out gently and then leave to drain in the fridge.
Having said all of that - it is very unlikely, virtually impossible that similar efforts are placed into chicken you buy. I have stopped buying chicken thighs outside as its almost always layered with the fat that I will remove, has the small bits in the cavity and the skin is always large and intact (sure signs to me that it was not cleaned properly). What is done on the outside (especially food courts) is to drown the meat with sauce and strong flavours to mask the freshness and the fact that the meat was likely not cleaned well.
