The star ingredient in curries, roasts and takeaway buckets, chicken can be prepared and cooked in just about every way, making it an essential on just about any menu.
Since the mid-2000s Antipodeans have favoured one meat above all others — and its popularity is growing all the time. The top choice for everyone from gym-goers to dieters, late-night snackers to time-poor families, chicken is the favoured meat, with the average person consuming nearly 50 kilograms of it annually.
That is a ten-fold increase over the past 50-plus years, with Aussies eating just 4.6 kilograms per person in 1965. But why the recent upsurge in popularity? In many ways chicken has come to be seen as something of a meat superfood, favoured for its high-protein and low-calorie content, and as a source of selenium, vitamin B6 and other nutrients.
Perhaps more importantly — for chefs at least — there’s no end to its versatility, offering a subtle but appetising flavour that works well on its own or mixed with other foods. Chicken can be roasted, poached and fried; served in burgers, sandwiches and stews. And that’s before we even mention that pub favourite the schnitzel, and its loaded sibling the parmigiana.
For a restaurant, bar, cafe or takeaway spot, it’s also generally the meat that’s best value for money as you can use almost all of the bird for cooking. Even its bones can be used to make broths and soups. While the breast is the most succulent cut — and the most expensive — thigh is cheaper and fattier, affording it more flavour and making it perfect for pies, curries and stews. It also makes thighs, alongside wings and drumsticks, more appealing cuts for chefs when it comes to the bottom line.
As well as the massive variety of chicken based fast food, this is a meat that can be used for just about anything. Traditional dishes include the likes of French coq au vin and fricasé, Indian masala and Malaysian satay. And so such a versatile ingredient is well-matched with a versatile cooking appliance. These ovens can roast, grill or steam — giving you endless options to reinvent this popular protein.
