The most effective way to remove blood from chicken legs

The most effective way to remove blood from chicken legs is blanching. Blanching water can quickly remove blood and impurities, mainly through key steps such as pouring cold water into the pot, controlling water temperature, skim off foam, controlling time, and subsequent treatment.

1. Put the chicken legs and cold water into the pot at the same time, ensuring that the amount of water completely covers the ingredients. During the slow heating process of cold water, blood will gradually seep out to avoid high temperatures causing surface proteins to rapidly solidify and lock in blood. This method is suitable for processing frozen chicken legs or parts with a lot of blood, and can maximize the dissolution of chromogenic substances such as myoglobin.

2. Control water temperature

Maintaining a slight boiling state of 80-90 degrees Celsius is the most ideal. Boiling too vigorously can cause the meat to shrink and make it difficult for blood to precipitate. Ginger slices or cooking wine can be added to help remove fishy odors, but salt should not be used to avoid changes in osmotic pressure affecting water discharge. A low flame in an induction cooker or gas stove can better maintain the appropriate temperature.

3. Skim the froth

When the water is about to boil, there will be grayish brown foam, which needs to be cleaned with a fine mesh spoon in time. These foam mainly contain myoglobin, fat, and impurities, and the more thoroughly removed, the fresher the subsequent cooking. During the process, the chicken leg can be flipped appropriately to allow blood to seep out evenly from all parts, but avoid vigorous agitation that can damage the meat quality.

4. Control time

Blanch the entire chicken leg in water for 3-5 minutes. Prolonged blanching can cause loss of freshness. Puncture the thickest part with chopsticks and ensure no blood or water seeps out, which meets the standard. Boned chicken legs take longer than boneless chicken legs and can be extended by 1-2 minutes. If refrigeration is required after blanching, it is recommended to quickly cool down with ice water to lock in the moisture.

5. After blanching, the chicken legs should be immediately rinsed with running water to remove any remaining foam on the surface, and dried with kitchen paper. If further marinating is needed, a knife can be used to enhance the flavor, but the depth should not exceed one-third of the thickness of the meat. This step can improve the taste and hygiene safety of the finished product during subsequent baking and stewing. In addition to blanching, soaking in salt water and scrubbing with flour can also assist in removing blood, but the effect is relatively limited. Salt water immersion should be prepared in a ratio of 15 grams of salt per liter of water, soaked for 30 minutes, and then rinsed with water; Flour scrubbing is suitable for instant cooking scenarios. Use dry flour to absorb surface blood and wash thoroughly. Regardless of the method used, it is necessary to ensure that the final center temperature of the ingredients reaches 75 degrees Celsius or above to avoid microbial risks. Processed chicken legs can be prioritized for cooking methods that preserve nutrients, such as steaming or stewing, and paired with mushrooms or root vegetables to increase dietary fiber intake.