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| White Bean, Chicken & Sage Crostini |
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The 2010 Usage & Attitude Survey Has Been Completed
In most cases, the findings were very similar to those last updated in 2007. There some minor changes in consumer awareness of other types of chicken (free range, raised without antibiotics or organic) but consumers continue to choose chicken most often at the grocery store – more than any other meats.
Consumers find Canadian chicken to be: > the best tasting By understanding consumer behaviours and approaches to our product, we can take the steps to ensure that Canadians stay informed and confident in the chicken they eat.
> the highest quality
> the best value
> produced to the highest health standards
> the most humanely raised
> the freshest
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Cooking Tips
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| Have chicken, will travel! If you're transporting cooked chicken,put it in an insulated container or ice chest until ready to eat. |
| Never leave cooked chicken at room temperature for more than two hours. |
| BBQ anyone? When barbecuing chicken outdoors, keep chicken refrigerated until ready to cook. And remember: Don't put the cooked chicken back on the same plate it was on when it was raw. |
| Save the best for last! When shopping,swing by the meat department for your chicken last so it won't stay unrefrigerated for a long period of time. |
| Freeze uncooked chicken if it is not to be used within two days. |
| Hot enough? Make sure your food is cooked well enough by using a food thermometer. |
| Help fight foodborne illness by observing the four pillars of food safety: Chill, Clean, Cook, Separate. |
| What's the rule on serve and preserve? Leftovers can be separated into small containers for quicker cooling. |
| Do you obey the thaw law? Never defrost chicken at room temperature. Defrost in a refrigerator at 4°C (40°F). |
| Changing dishcloths daily is a good way to avoid the spread of bacteria. |
| Get it straight – It's safe to separate! Separate your poultry from other items in your fridge such as fruit and vegetables and ensure it is well protected and wrapped. |
| Do you know how long cooked chicken keeps in the fridge? Visit the 'Safe Food Handling' section to find out. |
| After cutting raw poultry, be sure to thoroughly clean all surfaces and utensils with a disinfectant cleaner. Make your own by using 1 tsp of bleach per 3 cups of water. |
| Clean, cook, separate, chill. These are the four pillars of food safety. |
| Avoid crowding the pan with chicken pieces as the temperature will drop and the juices will flow out instead of staying in. |
| If you are cooking a stew, casserole or chicken pieces in a sauce, it's best to brown your chicken first. This seals in all the juices and improves the flavour. |
| To ensure your chicken breast fillets don't dry out and toughen when cooked, brush them with a little oil or marinde beforehand. |
| To get a crispy roast chicken skin: Place the washed chicken in the refrigerator uncovered for 2 hours. The skin will dry out and will be tasty and crisp when roasted. |
| What was in that chicken dish in the restaurant the other day? Was it curry? Go to our "Recipe" section for some delicious curry recipes. |
| Fancy a salad? Why not jazz it up with spicy marinated chicken? |
| Wondering what to do with that leftover chicken from the other night? How about a soup or a chicken pot pie? |
| Microwaving is an easy way to prepare chicken but is limited in terms of adding flavour to the meat. |
| Do you truss? Trussing means tying the legs of a roaster together. It makes for an evenly cooked chicken and scores high on the presentation scale. |
| Roasting on a rack allows the heat to reach all sides of the bird allowing for even cooking. |
| Roasters are generally older birds with more muscle, flavour, and fat. You can baste, stuff, and cook them in so many different ways. |
| To cover or not to cover? Covered chicken takes longer to cook in the oven than uncovered chicken. |
| Who doesn't love marinade? You can enjoy marinade even if you're watching your fat content. Use ingredients such as low-fat yogurt, juices, wine, herbs, and spices. |
| Using a non-stick skillet means less oil which means a health choice! |
| On a low carb diet? Chicken is right up your alley. Poacing, steaming and microwaving are methods of cooking where no additional fat is used. |
| Ever roasted a whole chicken? It's easy and can be a healthy way to cook chicken. Roasting on a rack, broiling, and grilling are all cooking methods that allow fat to drip away from the meat. |
| Do you like dark meat? You're not alone, tell the world! Dark meat is more moist and tender than white meat. |
| Special notice for carvers: Cutting meat across the grain will produce slices with shorter fibres, resulting in more tender pieces. |
| Don't like dry meat? Standing the chicken with the bottom end up allows more juices to run into the drier breast area. |
| Let roasted chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving to allow juices to be distributed throughout the meat. |
| Leaving the skin on the chicken while cooking helps to hold in juices which increases tenderness. For a healthy option, take the skin off before serving. |
| Avoid freezing chicken whenever possible. It eliminates additional moisture loss during thawing and results in less tender meat. |
| Bring gravies to a rolling boil before serving. |
| Do you like marinade? Everyone does! But remember, marinade that has come into contact with raw chicken should never be used as a sauce on cooked chicken. |
| Always cook chicken well done, not medium or rare. |
| To improve the flavour of poultry, rub the fowl inside and out with salt before roasting. |
| Do you like breaded chicken? After breading it, put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to help the bread bond to the chicken. You'll be glad you did! |
| To reduce fat when cooking, choose a low-fat spray instead of oil. |
| Make sure to keep poultry separate from other foods when preparing. Thoroughly clean all surfaces such as countertops and cutting boards after use. |
| Chicken is so versatile. You can even save the bones and skin to make your own chicken stock. |
| Vegetables are full of antioxidants (cancer fighting nutrients) as well as vitamins and nutrients. Visit the "Recipes" page for some ideas on veggies and chicken! |
| Visit the Low Sodium section of our "Recipes" section for some healthy recipe ideas. |
| Roasting chicken is a great addition to a low-carb diet. |
| Use spices instead of salt to give your food more flavour. There's such a variety to choose from! |
| What do you get when you cross a whole chicken with a can of your favourite brew? Beer can chicken! Get the recipe, invite your friends, and make it this weekend! |
| Visit the "Recipes" section for some healthy chicken snacks! |
| Do you know how long cooked chicken keeps in the fridge? Visit canfightbac.org to find out. |
| The way you cook your chicken can have an impact on its health benefits. Choosing a method like barbecuing and roasting is a great start! |
| Making your own chicken stock is so simple! Just save your leftover chicken bones and skin in the freezer until you have enough. They don't take much room and homemade chicken stock is delicious. |
| If your seasoning rubs are running low, try mixing them and find new ways to spice up your chicken! |
| Chill chicken drippings in a container in the refrigerator. The fat will rise to the top and harden, so you can take it off and make a wonderful chicken stock to use in your recipes. |
| To make gravy without fat, blend a tbsp of cornstarch with a cup of room-temperature broth by shaking the two together in a tightly lidded jar. Then heat the rest of the broth in a saucepan and add the blended liquid. Simmer until thickened. |
| If chicken is stuffed, remove stuffing to a separate container before refrigerating. |
| Keep raw poultry separate from other food. Cross-contamination is a leading cause of foodborne illness! |
| Take a trip to the dark side. Everybody's doing it! There are hundreds of recipes for dark meat out there! It's a delicious change from the more traditional boneless, skinless breast and offers great nutritional value. With such terrific variety out there, why not try something new? |
| When breading your chicken pieces, you may want to refrigerate the coated chicken for at least 30 minutes. This will help ensure that the crust is set and will better keep it on the chicken before it's cooked. |
| When you roast your chicken vertically, you eliminate the need to turn the bird! This helps brown the chicken more evenly and cooks chicken in less time. |
| When browning chicken pieces, use a non-stick skillet and a vegetable oil spray. |
| If you defrost chicken in the microwave, rotate it several times during thawing to ensure even thawing. |
| When warming chicken leftovers, add a little broth or water to create some steam. Helps keep the flavour! |
| When roasting a whole chicken, try to tie the legs – which allows the bird to heat evenly and not burn the legs before the rest of the chicken is cooked. |
| You shouldn't wash or rinse raw poultry before cooking. Proper cooking will destroy bacteria present in the juices. |
| Season chicken by preparing a low-fat or fat-free marinade of herbs, spices and juices or wine. |
| Wine, cranberry juice, lemon and low-fat yogurt are just some of the ingredients you can choose to create a delicious low-fat sauce. |
| Keep raw meats and poultry away from other foods during storage and preparation. Keep separate cutting boards for raw meats and vegetables. Always keep foods covered. |
| Barbecue tip: Use tongs to turn your grilled chicken. Too many fork pierces and your zesty juices may escape. |
| A quick way to get cooked chicken for a recipe is to buy a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store. A 3-pound (1.1 kg) rotisserie chicken provides 2.5 to 3 cups of boneless, skinless meat! |
| Cooked, cut-up chicken is at its best refrigerated for no longer than 2 days. |
| You may want to wait before adding barbecue sauce to your chicken until the last 5-10 minutes of grilling or frying. If you apply it too soon, you could burn on the outside and not cook enough on the inside. Also, to prevent chicken from burning, start grilling with the bone side down. |
| Always use medium heat for barbecuing chicken. Try putting an aluminium foil pan under the grill to catch drips. |
| Use glass or plastic containers when containing marinades. Why? Vinegar and citrus acid can react with metal and change the taste altogether. |
| Barbecuing, broiling or roasting chicken allows the fat to drip off. When you're cooking a roast, try placing chicken on a wire roasting rack. |
| Avoid having your chicken stick to your grill! Try searing first over the hot grill then, ensure that you turn it several times throughout cooking, basting with each turn. |
| Take all foods home as quickly as possible. Don't leave them outside, in the car or on the counter. |
| Ground poultry should never be refrozen. If partially or completely defrosted but still cold, cook first and then freeze if necessary. As long as the poultry is still full of ice crystals, it can be safely refrozen. |
| Barbecue tip: To heat your chicken evenly, keep the lid down. |
| When barbecuing chicken outdoors, keep it in the fridge until it's ready to cook. Don't place cooked chicken on the same plate you've used to get your raw chicken from the kitchen to the grill. |
| A neat barbecue idea: Soak some wood chips or shavings - make sure they're safe for food. Wring them out and add them atop your barbecue coals after you turn the barbecue off and before you remove your chicken. Close the lid and let the smoke flavour your food. There are many varieties out there – find the one that's right for you! |
| For especially moist and juicy chicken, simmer it in a small amount of water or broth. The meat will be low in fat, and so will the dish if you discard most of the simmering liquid and replace it with a low-fat sauce. |
| Clean utensils and cooking surfaces frequently during preparation. Use a mild bleach and water solution to sanitize cutting boards. |
| Rule of Thumb : Barbecue your boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs) for 10-15 minutes per side. Use a meat thermometer to be extra safe and sure, though! |
| Cook your boneless, skinless chicken breast to an internal temperature of 170°F (77°C). This will ensure that the chicken is safe, but not overcooked. |
| Never re-freeze raw, previously-frozen chicken. This can pose a food safety risk. |
| Bring any gravies made with chicken to a rolling boil before serving. |
| At the store, pick up your chicken, other refrigerated foods and frozen foods last. Ask the grocery clerk to pack the chicken with the frozen foods to keep the chicken colder on the way home. |
| Don't be fooled. All Canadian-raised chicken is grain-fed and free-run. Chickens in Canada are raised in clean, well-ventilated, climate-controlled barns, where they can roam freely. The main ingredient in all chicken feed is grain - usually a blend of wheat, corn and barley. Hormones and steroids are never given to chickens in Canada. |
| Chicken defrosted in the microwave should be cooked immediately. When defrosting, remove the outside portions as they thaw. This keeps the outside from starting to cook before the inside thaws. |
| Cook chicken without adding fats by baking, roasting, broiling, grilling or poaching. |
| A microwave moment : If you microwave chicken parts, the thick parts should be facing the outside of the dish. This allows for more even cooking. |
| The best way to tell if chicken is ready to serve is to test its temperature with a good thermometer. Slide the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken; the chicken's ready to serve if the temperature reades 170°F (77°C) for chicken pieces, 175°F (80°C) for chicken burgers or 180°F (83°C) for a whole chicken. The other way to test for doneness is to look for... |
| Removing the skin from chicken parts before or after cooking doesn't affect the fat content – but eating it does! About two thirds of the fat in chicken is in the skin. But you may not want to run away for it just yet. Chicken skin has protein, phosphorous, iron, calcium and Vitamin A! |
| Quick measuring standard: One pound of boneless chicken equals about 3 cups of chicken in cubes. |
| Chicken is one of the leanest protein choices. For example, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of baked chicken breast meat has only 2.1 grams of fat, less than broiled sirloin steak, trimmed pork chop or baked salmon. |
| Chicken meat goes with any marinade, glaze or barbecue sauce. Prepare extra and use it to enhance the flavour of salads or sandwiches. |
| When baking or broiling chicken, you can try cooking more than you need and use the extra cooked meat for low fat sandwiches, salads or cold meat. |
| Fresh chicken can be stored in the coldest part of your refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Ground chicken should be used within 1 day. |
| Only buy chicken marked “previously frozen” if you plan to cook it in the next day or two. |
| Never leave cooked chicken at room temperature for more than 2 hours. |
| Both skinless breast and skinless thigh are considered to be low-fat meat choices. It makes no difference to the fat content if you remove the skin from the chicken before or after cooking. In fact, cooking with the skin on retains flavour and moisture. |
| If you're going to be freezing your chicken for longer than two months, we recommend that you over wrap the store packaging with airtight plastic wrap or a plastic freezer bag. |
| Don't partially cook chicken – even if you're going to heat it all completely later. You can change methods right away – like from the microwave to a hot grill – but never let the heating process stop. This way, you're sure that any bacteria have been safely removed. |
| Try leaving your chicken uncovered while it's roasting. If it starts getting brown too quickly, then you can tent it with foil. |
| If a chicken pack is wet or dripping, the safe move is to place it in a separate bag. Dripping juices can cross-contaminate. |
| If you're using a marinade for basting, divide it in two. Set one batch aside to marinate. Set the other aside for basting. NEVER reuse a marinade as a baste. |
| Don't try to jam your grill or frying pan with too much chicken. If you leave space between pieces, they'll cook more evenly. |
| Always keep your chicken tightly wrapped in the fridge – otherwise, it may dry out and become tough. |
| When shopping for chicken, remember that skin can range in colour from white to yellow. This is just an indicator of where the chicken was raised and its diet, which consists mostly of grain and grain by-products. Click here for “What Chickens Eat”. |
| For a really flavourful rice, don't add water - add chicken broth! |
| If you're frying chicken and you want to lower your chances of getting burned by grease splatter, add a little salt in the frying pan before you add your chicken! |
