Discover Why do some chicken recipes call for trimming off the wing tips before cooking.
1 Answer
Trimming chicken wing tips prevents burning during cooking, especially at high temperatures, and can improve the overall presentation of the cooked chicken. They often contain very little meat and can become overly charred.
Detailed Explanation:
Chicken wing tips are the very end segments of the wings. They are mostly skin, bone, and cartilage with very little meat. Because of their thinness and exposed position, they tend to burn quickly when exposed to high heat during roasting, grilling, or frying. This burning can impart a bitter or acrid flavor to the rest of the chicken.
Removing the wing tips before cooking ensures that the rest of the wing, and indeed the entire chicken, cooks evenly without the risk of the tips becoming overly charred. It also improves the visual appeal of the finished dish, as burnt wing tips can look unappetizing. Some chefs also use the trimmed wing tips to make chicken stock, adding flavor to other dishes.
Pro Tip:
Save the trimmed wing tips in a freezer bag and use them later to make a flavorful homemade chicken stock. Roasting them in the oven before simmering them in water will deepen the flavor of the stock.