How to stuff and/or spice the chicken BELOW the skin?
Recently watch a cooking show, and in one of the recipes (before cooking the chicken) the instruction was to put the spice below the skin of the chicken.
How to do it? Does it have some special methods to preserve the quality?
Best Answer
It's a tradeoff: salting (and using herbs or spices) a chicken under the skin, rather than on the surface of the skin, will result in a better-seasoned bird but it will make the presentation of the whole bird a bit less attractive, since the skin is no longer exactly where it should be. I've also noticed that the skin gets crispier when you salt it between the skin and the meat.
You can use a spatula as BaffledCook says but I find it easier to just use my hands. Just find a spot on the bird's breast where the skin and meat are a little separated, like the chest cavity opening, where it's been cut during butchering. Slowly slide your fingertips in between the skin and the meat, separating the two, and work your way all over the breasts with both hands. Go slow so you don't tear the skin. If possible, leave the skin attached at the breastbone and near the wings, that will keep the skin relatively in-place for presentation and there isn't much meat that needs seasoning in those spots anyway.
You can work your way over to the thighs and drumsticks this way too, though if you do, the skin will be quite separated from the carcass and your presentation will suffer more. Also, thighs and drumsticks aren't quite as thick as the breast, so salting them on the surface of the skin is more effective.
Pictures about "How to stuff and/or spice the chicken BELOW the skin?"
Should I season under chicken skin?
It's a tradeoff: salting (and using herbs or spices) a chicken under the skin, rather than on the surface of the skin, will result in a better-seasoned bird but it will make the presentation of the whole bird a bit less attractive, since the skin is no longer exactly where it should be.Do you season chicken thighs under skin?
Recipe Tips Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel before seasoning. This will help the skin to get crispy. Rub the seasoning on both sides of the chicken, both on top of the skin and under the skin. You want the tasty rub to be all over the chicken for the best flavor.What does putting butter under chicken skin do?
One trick for maximizing flavor in baked chicken is to tuck under the skin a bit of butter mixed with other ingredients like herbs and mustard (this is called compound butter). The butter mixture is easy to make, adds flavor, and helps keep the chicken meat moist.How to Stuff Chicken Skin with Butter with @LetsFeast
More answers regarding how to stuff and/or spice the chicken BELOW the skin?
Answer 2
You must loosen the skin of the chicken with a dull object, like a spatula, then you can add the spices as you see fit.
This video shows how to do it and adds some fat to keep the (turkey) chicken breast moist.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Julia Filirovska, Asit Naskar, Julia Filirovska, James Ampong Quilario