The Butchers Blade / Lee’s cooking notes
How to cook chicken safely
Prepare chicken carefully, follow the cut’s instructions and check the centre before serving.
Chicken is the most cooked meat in British kitchens, and it is also the one where good habits matter most. With the right preparation and a thermometer, you can get juicy, golden chicken every time while keeping your kitchen safe.
At The Butchers Blade, Lee offers whole birds, breasts, thighs and prepared chicken dishes, including bacon-wrapped legs ready for the oven. This guide covers handling, cooking methods for different cuts and how to make the most of every bird.
From preparation to plate
- Keep raw chicken refrigerated on the bottom shelf until you are ready to prepare it. Do not wash raw chicken.
- Use separate utensils and a board for raw poultry. Wash hands and clean surfaces after preparation.
- Follow the product instructions for your cut, weight and appliance. A whole bird, breast, thigh and prepared chicken meal need different methods.
- Check the thickest part with a clean thermometer, away from bone. Cook thoroughly before serving; for a whole bird, check more than one thick area.
- Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 1–2 hours. Use within 48 hours or freeze and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
Serving and pairing ideas
Try lemon-herb potatoes and seasonal vegetables with Chardonnay, or sparkling apple juice.
Which cut to choose
- Whole chicken
- Best value and perfect for a roast, followed by stock from the carcass.
- Breast fillets
- Lean and quick to cook. Bash to an even thickness for best results.
- Thighs and legs
- More flavour and much harder to dry out. Ideal for roasting, grilling and braising.
- Prepared chicken dishes
- Oven-ready options; follow the product instructions for fillings and coatings.
Handling raw chicken
Keep raw chicken covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge so juices cannot drip onto other food. Do not wash raw chicken; splashing spreads bacteria around your sink and worktops.
Use a separate board and knife for raw poultry, and wash hands, utensils and surfaces thoroughly after preparing it.
Cooking different cuts
Breasts cook quickly and evenly when they are an even thickness. Thighs and legs suit higher heat and longer cooking, rewarding you with crisp skin and juicy meat. A whole bird should be roasted following its weight and the label instructions.
Season ahead where you can: a little salt a few hours before cooking helps the meat stay juicy.
Checking it is cooked
Colour alone is not reliable. Use a clean thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone, and for a whole bird check both the breast and thigh. Juices should run clear and there should be no pink meat.
Leftovers and stock
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 1–2 hours. Use within 48 hours or freeze, and reheat only once until steaming hot. Simmer the carcass with vegetables and herbs for a stock that lifts soups and risottos.
From the counter
Lee’s tips
Thighs are the most underrated cut on my counter. More flavour than breast and almost impossible to dry out.
Let a roast chicken rest for 10–15 minutes before carving. It stays far juicier and it is much easier to carve.
Never bin the carcass. A pot of stock from a good bird is the start of your next great meal.
Try this
Lee’s crispy lemon and herb chicken thighs
Serves 4
You will need
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
- 4 garlic cloves, bashed
- A handful of thyme or rosemary
- 2 tbsp olive oil, sea salt and black pepper
- 600g new potatoes, halved
Method
- Preheat the oven. Toss the potatoes with half the oil and seasoning in a roasting tin.
- Rub the chicken with the remaining oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper and sit skin-side up on the potatoes.
- Tuck in the garlic, herbs and lemon wedges.
- Roast until the skin is crisp and the chicken is thoroughly cooked, checking the thickest thigh with a thermometer away from the bone.
- Squeeze over the roasted lemon and serve with greens or a crisp salad.
What goes with it
- Lemon and herb roast potatoes
- Roasted seasonal vegetables
- Creamy mash and gravy
- Garlic green beans
- Fresh salads in summer
What to drink
- Chardonnay with roast chicken
- Pinot Noir with chicken thighs and mushrooms
- A crisp lager or pale ale
- Sparkling apple juice for an alcohol-free option
Common mistakes to avoid
- Washing raw chicken in the sink
- Judging doneness by colour alone
- Using the same board for raw chicken and salad
- Cooking uneven breasts so the thin end dries out
Check before you serve
Colour alone is not a reliable temperature check. Chicken must be thoroughly cooked, including fillings in prepared products.
For poultry, pork, minced meat, sausages, rolled joints and mechanically tenderised meat, cook thoroughly: the centre should reach 70°C for 2 minutes, or 75°C for 30 seconds. Clean the thermometer before and after checking.
Food Standards Agency cooking guidanceQuestions people ask Lee
Should I wash chicken before cooking?
No. Washing spreads bacteria; thorough cooking makes chicken safe.
How do I keep chicken breast juicy?
Flatten to an even thickness, do not overcook and rest it briefly before slicing.
Can I reheat chicken?
Yes, once, until steaming hot throughout.
Can Lee spatchcock a chicken for me?
Ask at the counter in Sandbach Market Hall and Lee can prepare your bird the way you like.
Why buy from your local butcher
Buying from Lee’s counter at Sandbach Market Hall means you can ask for exactly the cut, thickness and weight you need, get it trimmed, rolled or diced while you wait, and pick up honest advice on how to cook it. Every sausage and burger is gluten free, and the shop’s own dry-aging cabinet brings deeper flavour to selected beef.
Storing your meat at home
Keep raw meat covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, away from ready-to-eat food, and use it by the date on the label. If you are not cooking it soon, freeze it on the day you buy it, label it with the date and defrost it fully in the fridge before cooking.
Ready to cook?
Order online for local delivery or collection, or come and see Lee at Unit A, Market Hall, High St, Sandbach CW11 1AX.
