Chicken Casserole a little dry....

shelly

Not sure if this is the right place to put this query but seems you have a lot of cooking going on here


I done my first ever.....yes first ever sausage casserole last week and it was perfect and really tasty. This week I tried a chicken one. It was very nice but the chicken was dry. How on earth can it be dry when cooked in liquid??? I am wondering if its because I didn't seal the chicken in a frying pan first (I forgot ) or maybe I cooked it too long. I cooked it for 1 and half hours but the chicken chunks weren't very big, say the same size as you get in a curry.


Any suggestions for next time??


Thanks all.

Raksha

Browning the chicken helps to seal the juices in the meat fibres instead of leaching out and blending with the stock, so yes, not browning the meat may not have helped. Small pieces of chicken should cook quite quickly (20 - 30 mins) but you won't get the blend of flavours you get with prolonged cooking.

HTH

researcher

For long cooking you need to use leg or thigh rather than breast - which in my opinion is best left on the bird and roasted as it always goes dry! Don't worry though, you'll soon learn.

Mrs_pbradley936

researcher is right. Breast meat is not so good for slow cooking - it is also much more expensive.

shelly

Thanks all very much.

I only eat breastmeat from chickens so wouldn't want to try anything else. I think a combination of not sealing it and cooking it for too long was my problem. I was going on advice from friends at work so I'll blame them Next time I'll try to remember to seal it and not cook for so long, like researcher says...."You live and learn"

researcher

shelly wrote:

I only eat breastmeat from chickens so wouldn't want to try anything else.

Hi Shelly
I'm not being rude, but why don't you try the other parts of the bird like thigh which is the most succulent part of the chicken. They're just as healthy, much tastier, and almost every chef I've ever heard speak about them says the meat is better. If it's because of the fat, then remove the skin as the meat has no difference in fat content at all.

shelly

researcher wrote:

Hi Shelly
I'm not being rude, but why don't you try the other parts of the bird like thigh which is the most succulent part of the chicken. They're just as healthy, much tastier, and almost every chef I've ever heard speak about them says the meat is better. If it's because of the fat, then remove the skin as the meat has no difference in fat content at all.

I have a thing about only eating pure white meat from a chicken. When I prepare the breasts I have to cut off all traces of skin and blood and the other white fatty bits.

edda

I only use chicken breast meat in casseroles - both portions and chunks and don't normally have a problem with dry meat.

I never seal it first as I'm trying to eat healthily and don't like frying.

Could it be the meat itself at fault? Some chicken is pumped up with water to add weight - if you bought organic or free range there might have been less added water.

Rather than a high temperature for a short time, I cook on a lower temp for longer - this gives a better flavour and lets the juices mingle. (But not so low temp that the chicken is not cooked properly).

Good luck with your next attempt - you'll work out your own best method after a few goes!

janb5

Sorry but I dont agree with the last thread about sealing. You do not need to fry in excessive amounts of fat but chicken and meat for casseroles DOES need to be sealed suficiently. Uncooked meat is not a fun idea particularly as I had a `gypy tummy` after eating some chicken from Sainsbury`s cooked chicken counter!

mattogier

Raksha wrote:

Browning the chicken helps to seal the juices in the meat fibres instead of leaching out and blending with the stock

This is an urban myth I am afraid - the reason that one "browns" meat before casseroling or putting it in a pie is that it starts to break down the starches and proteins in to sugars and makes the "sweet" taste that is sooooo good. It will not "seal" in the juices.

Other posters here are right in that the leg / wing / carcass meat is better for this type of application - and have more flavor - typically the tougher the meat, the longer it needs to be cooked BUT the better it tastes.

Also good quality meat is better (Organic or Free Range) and tastes better and is less likely to dry out as they have a "proper" cell structure that has grown in the right way over 5 to 6 months rather than a factory produced chuck that is only 5 to six weeks old but fully grown.

On the money saving side of things - get a whole bird, take the breasts off and use for grilling, frying, etc. Take the "brown" meat for curries, pies or casseroles. The bits and bones can be used to make a stock for soup and or adding to the rest - the schmaltz (chicken fat) is great for roasting pots in.

I get 3 full meals from a single bird for 8 people and it works out at about 30p per meal per person and you are respectfully using the whole bird.

Cheers

Matt (HFW's unknown love child)

mattogier

edda wrote:

Could it be the meat itself at fault? Some chicken is pumped up with water to add weight - if you bought organic or free range there might have been less added water.

Very True!

edda wrote:

Rather than a high temperature for a short time, I cook on a lower temp for longer - this gives a better flavour and lets the juices mingle. (But not so low temp that the chicken is not cooked properly).

Chicken needs to reach 77 deg Celcius to be "Safe".