Why do whole chicken recipes advise rinsing the chicken? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate:
Does meat need to be washed before preparation?

I'm roasting a whole chicken for dinner tonight and the recipe told me to rinse the bird under cold water and pat it dry before doing anything else.

What is the reason for that? Does that improve the flavour or prevent any problems?

chicken

Best Answer

The theory is that washing the chicken (or any fowl) removes all of the contaminates from the surface and cavity of the bird (ie salmonella, etc.). People will be in one of two camps - 1. those that have been told to do all of their lives, so they do it, and 2. those who don't because it is really not necessary. You cook your birds to a certain temperature internally for a reason, that is to kill all of that stuff.

Really, the truth of the matter is that there are far higher risks in washing the bird and spreading all of those juices all over your sink (thus contaminating the sink and possibly some work surfaces).

There is no increase in flavour, there is no practical reason to bother. Professionally, it is not done.

However, having said that, the one time I do rinse and pat dry is when I am applying a rub. It ensures that the chicken is dry and I can effectively rub, instead of the rub turning to a paste.

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Do you rinse chicken before cooking?

Like all animals, chickens have bacteria in their gut. Pathogens such as campylobacter and salmonella can get on the birds during processing and packaging, and go all the way to your cutting board and utensils. Don't wash raw chicken because it can contaminate your kitchen. Cooking to proper temperature kills bacteria.

Why do some cultures wash chicken?

They do so to wash the slime and bacteria off chicken fresh from the package, or because many recipes still advise people to do so. "You should assume that if you have chicken, you have either Salmonella or Campylobacter bacteria on it, if not both," Quinlan explains in a press release.

Do chefs wash chicken?

For years, both the CDC and USDA have been advising home cooks not to wash or rinse their raw poultry. However, the idea of rinsing chicken is still debated among many pros. TODAYasked several chefs for their take on whether it's ever OK \u2014 or even advisable \u2014 to wash raw poultry.

Does washing chicken improve flavor?

When you are cooking the chicken, the bacteria is cooked out." So there you have it: According to an NYC chef, washing your chicken before cooking it is not only taking away from your chicken's flavor, it's also unnecessary.

Arabic Whole Roast Chicken | Middle Eastern Machine Chicken

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Sarah Chai, Klaus Nielsen, Klaus Nielsen, Klaus Nielsen