Kitchen Tips

Chicken hygiene is very important and there are a couple of steps which need to be followed to ensure no cross contamination occurs. You should have a separate designated chopping board for meat products. All vegetables and preparation work should be done before handling chicken. When preparing the chicken, in Justine's opinion, it is not necessary to wash it, however, it is important to pat the ...

It is important not to be complacent with kitchen hygiene, especially during our hot Australian summers and particularly when it comes to the handling of raw meat. Ensure that your hands and the surfaces in contact with the chicken are clean before and after use.  Wash work surfaces, knives and cutting boards with hot soapy water after handling chicken and before handling other foods. Always keep ...

It is always a good idea to keep a chicken or two in the freezer just in case, or sometimes you may have purchased a whole bird having only used the breasts and want to save the legs for another time. To look after them in the freezer, I always wrap my individual pieces or whole bird in baking parchment and then tightly wrap again in cling wrap. This will protect the skin and prevent "freezer burn" if ...

Enhance the remarkable qualities of spices in your cooking by simply dry roasting them in a frying pan over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes. Allow them to cool before grinding finely in a mortar and pestle or an electric spice mill. This will intensify their aromatic flavours and add a new depth to your dishes. Spices are best stored whole rather than ground in airtight containers.

The digital thermometer is an indispensable kitchen tool for both the professional chef and the home cook. It is one of the best ways to eliminate any concerns that you may have about whether the chicken is cooked. Insert the spike of the thermometer into the area between the drumstick and the thigh. Once the core temperature reaches 74°C the chicken can be removed from the oven and allow to rest for ...

The simple gravy is an ideal accompaniment for a roast chicken or any roast for thatmatter. I have fond memories of my grandfatherʼs Sunday lunch roasts. Big H, as he wasknown, always did the home cooking. There were no fancy reductions, just the pan juicesdeglazed* with the liquor used from cooking the vegetables, then thickened with a littlecornflour. It was delicious. The process of making really ...

A great stock is an essential ingredient in good cooking. In preparation for the week ahead, I usually make mine on the weekend. They are easy to make and can quietly bubble away on the stove, while I am doing other things. They also freeze well and enhance the flavour of so many other dishes like a risotto, soup or even a Vietnamese style Pho. Your taste buds will never be the same again... Hints ...

Get an extra two to three days out of your fresh herbs, simply by wrapping them in damp paper towel and placing them in the vegetable crisper. Slice the dried section off the cheese block and cover with cling film ensuring that the whole cheese block is covered. This will prevent cheese from drying out in the fridge. Place in the cheese section of the fridge for optimum temperate regulation. When ...

Quite a few of the recipes on the Chicken Channel call for the birds to be roasted or poached whole. While trussing is often regarded as a non-essential part of the preparation; I still feel that it is still worth doing. Trussing will help the chicken cook more evenly and help retain its shape throughout the cooking process, which will help with the carving. It also provides a useful support when ...

The freshness and quality of the mushrooms is one of the key elements to this simple dish. That is why it is important to remember when buying mushrooms that they have to feel firm and dry to the touch, which means that they still retain all their moisture and will not dry out while cooking. The mushrooms themselves should be unblemished and the caps creamy white in colour. A mushroom starts to show ...