It's time for me and chicken breasts to part ways.

[Slubberdegullion]

Sheesh they are dull. Dull and dry.

Dull, dry and expensive.

Just made chicken parmigiana and it's so-so. The sauce is nice but the most expensive bit of the thing has seriously underwhelmed me.

I have had these feelings for chicken breasts for some time, but this is it. We are finished [folds arms]

So what should I use instead if a recipe calls for the bland turgid meat? Veggie options gratefully received.

Buy a free range whole chicken from ALdi for £4.99 and either roast or poach it whole. Use the meat for other dishes like curry, stir fry, fried rice, sandwiches, pasta etc etc. Alternatively hack it up raw and use it for casseroles etc (this option is much harder work!).

You could try quorn chunks too. I quite like them. Turkey breast is nice too (and high in zinc), but that can also work out dry.

Thighs. Thighs are your friends. Cheaper, juicier and tastier. Even boned out thighs are cheaper than breast meat, and boning them isn't hard once you get the hang of it.

You must fry the chicken boobs in butter, garlic and rosemary before putting them in the oven. then they are moist and yummy.

Nom nom nom

Never done Quorn chunks. Have done Quorn mince which was OK on the texture front but tasted of, well the sauce.

£5 for a free range chook is very good value.

Aubergine parmigiana sounds nice

Apart from the fact that it contains aubergines. They are Wrong.

Tesco do a pack of chicken thigh fillets for about 3 quid. Not free range but the 'farm assured' or whatever. They are way tastier than breasts and we get through a lot of them!

another vote for thighs

Yes I came to this conclusion some time ago when I realised that they tasted pretty horrible in most things and are pretty bloody pricey. So now I use mushrooms or fish in stir fry, pork for casseroles, beef in fajitas. If I want chicken I cook a whole chicken, or cook chicken breasts on the bone in a white wine sauce.

I think once you take chicken off the bone there is not enough fat & stuff to make it taste nice.

How about turkey? Could Turkey be your new friend? We get turkey steaks to use in the same way as chicken breasts and turkey mince to use instead of beef mince. It's cheaper, tastes better and is reasonably low fat.

Another vote for thighs. Turkey is even dryer and tasteless than chicken breast.

DH will only eat breast dd1 will only eat thigh. Cooking in this house is a nightmare. We normally go for fish or slow cooked pork.

oi MotherPanda, you breast temptress. alternative mrs. Not how to make them better

although that sounds quite nice actually with the butter and herbs

Yy Habbibu. I am a thigh fan. Feel like I'm just generally going off chicken altogether, starting with the breasts.

Aubergines. Mm. Now I like a nice aubergine. i'd rather eat an aubergine than a chicken breast. It's all the arsing about with salting them and rinsing and patting dry that is a pita. How can they be wrong Habbibu? Nice proud vegetable they are.

Could turkey be my new friend? maybe. But it's the same off the bone thing isn't it? You are just getting mostly texture and not much flavour.

Maybe I am too high maintenance with my white meat needs.

Bloody Delia and her salting - there is no need to salt modern aubergines. They are lovely without bothering (although they do soak up fucktons of oil)

Is fucktons a technical term?

Now I did not know that. I have always salted my aubergines as I thought all the water made them squinchy. I won't salt next time then and see how we go.

I vote for chicken legs

Thighs here too. They are cheaper and way tastier.

Yes, it most certainly is Slubber. But if you didn't know that about aubergines, I'm not surprised you didn't know

I thought the salt was to draw out 'bitter juices'. I haven't bothered doing that for the last 20 years and my aubergine parmigiana is not bitter

Not wanting to be too much of a ponce, but if you buy from an organic butcher, IMO you can get away with less meat for more flavour. I mostly get thighs but if do get breast, I find one does 2 people if you are cooking in a sauce/stew type thing.

I bulk out with chickpeas etc and find you get a real chicken taste with less meat.

Doing it this way works out the same price for us as buying more, less tasty meat.

Also, you don't need to cook chicken as long as you think. Really.

I roast decent sized chickens in an hour, breasts only need 10-15 mins in a pan, max.

Love that I'm a breast temptress now. Couldn't stand to see you give up one of my staple foods. I've also just started to make fried chicken, big flourey yummy mess.

wouldn't know aubergine parmigana if I fell over it, but nicks fucktons as word of the week

Actually, stuff a chicken breast with goats cheese and chopped sundried tomatoes, wrap it liberally in streaky smoked bacon and fry gently on all sides. Finish off in the oven. Can't remember temps/times, sorry -just guess and make sure it's not pink (and the bacon is crispy).

Tis one yummy breast recipe .

Use thighs instead - cheaper and tastier.

Aubergines taste deadly, and are all style and soggy substance - so pretty on the outside, so dull and nasty on the inside. They are the evil con artists of the vegetable world.