We often hear that farmed chicken meat does not grow at the same rate as that of large factories. In industrial hatcheries, chickens reach a considerable size in just 30 or 40 days thanks to supplements in their diet and multiple injections that seek to avoid diseases and increase productivity. For that reason, many people are wary of cooking supermarket-bought chicken.
Today I want to tell you about a method that I learned and that I always apply before cooking chicken or turkey breast. It is a simple practice that helps to improve both the flavor and texture of the meat.
The trick: soak in salted water
A few years ago I discovered that soaking chicken in a saline solution before cooking helps in several ways:
- It allows to eliminate a part of the impurities that the bird may have accumulated in its rapid growth.
- Compared to regular water, salt reduces bacterial activity.
- As one cook explained to me, salt helps the fibers in the meat retain water, making the chicken juicier and less dry after cooking.