Add flavor to boring roast chicken. Rather than using a roasting rack, place thick slices of onion in the bottom of the pan, and place the chicken on top of them. The chicken juices will be absorbed by the onion, creating a caramelization on the bottom of the pan. After roasting, remove the chicken, add a little water to the pan and cook on high heat for a few minutes. This will create a tasty sauce for your chicken.
Cook your chicken over other ingredients. If you are making a chicken dish that includes an ingredient like onions, cook the chicken over them. Oil the pan and cut the onion into slices. Put them in the pan and place the chicken over them. The juices from the chicken will soak into the onion.
If you plan to let your chicken sit in the oven for a while after it is baked, then subtract a few minutes from its baking time. Since chicken continues to bake even after it is taken away from a heat source, it can dry out quickly in an oven that is still hot.
If you cook with chicken stock or beef stock instead of water, you can enhance the flavor of everything you cook, from mashed potatoes and rice, to soups and stews. Alternatively, you can still use water but add some bouillon cubes to it. Doing this will allow your food to get the moisture it needs but also add another level of flavor to the dish.
Make your own stock for better tasting meals. You can easily make your own stock anytime you cook chicken, turkey, or beef. Retain the juices, and let the fat rise to the top, skim the fat, and freeze. Now next time a recipe you are making calls for stock, you will have fresh stock on-hand.
Bring back the old-time schmatlz, or chicken fat, to add richness and deep flavor to almost anything. Scmaltz has been used for years, often for all kinds of home cooking since it has a flavor that is richer than duck fat. You can even use it to poach all kinds of tasty fish.
