Topic: Pre-cooked chicken?

[TwoMorePlease]

Hi all,

Have you found that pre cooking chicken a certain way makes a difference? I tried the standard method.... which is just like making a curry but adding water instead of base gravy.... I have to say that I'm not noticing a difference between this and just boiling the chicken in chicken stock and mix powder ! I served curries to my family and none of them ever noticed a difference either.. so this raises the question.. is it worth going through the extra effort and giving yourself more washing up ? Maybe this is just me or I used a bad pre cook recipe .. although I followed most of the main channels and even some recipes from here .. looking forward to your thoughts. Thanks

[Peripatetic Phil]

I confess that I was ambivalent about the need to pre-cook chicken when preparing BIR food at home, primarily because at home one is not under the same time pressures as in a restaurant or T/A, but since adopting Syed's pre-cook recipe I no longer have any doubts that it is beneficial.  It adds whole new layers and depths of flavour, and the left-over pre-cook sauce can be used to lift even the most mundane curry.

** Phil.

[Stephen Lindsay]

Like Phil I am not cooking to a time pressure or in bulk therefore pre-cooking chicken seems unnecessary to me. When making Taz curries I add the raw cubed chicken after the first reduction of the base. I then cook this and reduce the second amount of base at the same time. I find the chicken is cooked when the base has reduced to the correct consistency.

My preferred method however is just to cook a batch of chicken tikka and use as and when I need it. I tend to use tikka in nearly all my curries.

[Robbo141]

I generally go chicken tikka or raw chicken, although I have tried a few pre-cooked chicken recipes, including the great Chef Syed?s.  I think it does make a difference but regardless, I still have the ability to produce my usual ?alright but not quite? with whatever meat I use.  I think I?m on my 8th batch of Syed?s chicken tikka right now. Superb.

I?m down to one portion of my Instant Pot Base, so think I may try this oily Taz base I see referred to. Seems an interesting alternative method for BIR.

Robbo

[livo]

If I'm only going to cook one or two dishes I'll usually just boil some cut chicken pieces in a diluted base gravy with a tsp of Knorr Chicken Seasoning powder.  If I'm doing a banquet or bulk cook, I'll go to the bother of pre-cooked.  I like Misty Ricardo's and the Kushi method.  As for Tikka it is always Syed's now although I still highly rate Chewytikka's.

Off topic (sort of), lamb definately benefits from pre-cooking as does potato and other hard vegetables for vegetable dishes.

[Peripatetic Phil]

A question for those (such as Stephen) who preferentially use chicken tikka when cooking BIR-style chicken curries

[Robbo141]

For me there?s definitely a different feel with the tikka because generally when I do it, it?s either in a skillet or outside on the grill, so there?s usually at least some char present.  Never on the pre-cooked though.  If I?m doing tikka purely to eat as an appetizer then I tend to go a little heavier on the char too. Honestly, with Syed?s tikka, it?s difficult not to just eat the lot straight out of the pan.
Only 10:25am here and now am hungry.

Robbo

[Stephen Lindsay]

A question for those (such as Stephen) who preferentially use chicken tikka when cooking BIR-style chicken curries

[Peripatetic Phil]

OK, that (I think) I can understand.  What does not work for me, tho', is the mouth-feel, which is why I prefer "conventional" pre-cooked chicken. Have you tried Syed's pre-cook recipe yet, Stephen ?  I personally think that it is a real winner.

** Phil.

[Stephen Lindsay]

Phil

I haven't tried it yet, but I have subscribed to his channel on YouTube. I will make a point of making this recipe when I do my next batch of tikka.

SL