Fried chicken [Yanuar Putut Widjanarko/Pexels] I’m a major sucker for meat and chicken has always been my member one choice. For me, it is always chicken before beef, pork, veal, turkey, mutton, duck, chevron, etc. My love for chicken is based on the realization of how versatile the chicken taste can be. It allows me to savour its uniqueness in different ways. It tastes so well, no matter how you make it: smoke, fry, roast or boil.

Eating chicken has always been such fun for me, from when I was young. I remember impatiently eating for the huge piece of chicken that comes with every meal at Christmas. I could compete for the title of ‘Number One Fan of Chicken in the World’ and win. Over the years I have tried out various methods of preparing chicken. Some interesting and tasty ideas have come out of those experiments. You may already be familiar with some of the ideas (while others may have you wide-eyed, asking yourself why you have never thought of them).

1. IN A CLUB SANDWICH Whether boiled, fried, roasted, marinated; chicken goes incredibly well in a club sandwich. My special recipe combines baguette bread with cabbages, onion rings, scent leaves, fresh pepper, mayonnaise, black pepper, carrots slices, and boneless fried chicken. I peel the bones off and lay some pieces in a cabbage leaf. Then, I add the peppers and carrot slices and fold or roll it up (I make up to three of these).
Next, I prep my baguette surfaces first with mayo, then fresh pepper and onion rings. Then, I place the rolled cabbages, followed by the scent leaves, and close the sandwich. I press down a bit, cover with foil, and warm it up a few seconds. Then, I turn on the TV, and enjoy a meal made for the gods!

2. FLAKED/STRIPPED INTO YOUR PASTA Most times, people prefer to use shrimps, fish or eggs to garnish their macaroni or spaghetti. While I agree that these are tasty, I discovered that adding chicken strips/flakes instead can give your mouth a whole new experience with these meals. To use chicken, I boil it first (even though you can use chicken cooked in other ways). Boiled chicken strips are softer and soak in the pasta sauce faster for a richer taste. All you need to do is simply flake the cooked chicken, stripping to smaller chunks. Then you pour it into your pasta while the sauce is still bubbling around it.

3. FRIED IN COCONUT OIL We all know chicken fried in groundnut oil has a heavenly taste. There’s just something so divine about fried chicken that sends your taste buds wandering. I wondered about the outcome if coconut oil is used in place of the regular groundnut or vegetable oil. When I tried it in coconut oil it delivered a mouth-watering aroma with an amazing taste. I make bold to say frying chicken in coconut is a must-try. To get this experience, just boil the chicken, and set aside. Next, heat coconut oil in a frying pan and once hot, fry the chicken to a golden brown colour. It’s the same way you fry your regular chicken – only that you use coconut oil instead of vegetable or palm oil.

4. SPICY-GRILLED I am always the man at the grill when chicken is involved. I have a special recipe I use to make the meat spicy and delicious after grilling. I use a blend of onions, garlic, ginger, sage, scent leaves, curry and oregano powder to make the seasoning. Then, I spray it generously on the meat, turn, cover and leave to soak for at least an hour. For 10 average laps, put two onions, some garlic cloves, ginger, sage, scent leaves, curry and oregano powder in a blender. Add about half a glass of water and blend. Once pureed, add two seasoning cubes and a little bit more water, and then blend till it’s smooth and runny. This makes the seasoning mix. Next, spread the mix generously on the meat with a brush, cover and leave to marinate for at least an hour. Then, you can grill. I keep coating the meat with more seasoning mix, till it is ready. The result is an explosive experience of taste and aroma.

5. KENTUCKY STYLE I first tried this chicken method at an outlet of the popular eatery it is named after. The crunchy taste fascinated me so much I had to find out how it was made. I discovered the chicken was first very soft, then coated with a special flour mix. So, I decided to create my mix and try it out myself. I use the standard flour mix for recipes like buns and puff-puff, minus the sugar, for the coating. Next, I boil the chicken till the meat is very soft (the meat pulls out easily from the bone when you push a fork in it). Once done, I coat the meat generously with BBQ sauce, then roll the chicken in the flour. The BBQ sauce lets the flour stick faster. Then, I deep-fry the floured meat in vegetable oil, using a deep-fryer, till the four turns golden brown, and it’s ready to be enjoyed with a cold drink. Chicken is awesome, and there are hardly a lot of meat options that beat it. If you’re a fellow fan, you’ll understand why making delicious and tantalizing recipes with this versatile meat is so much fun. And if you aren’t, well, it’s not too late to start. Pick any of the recipes you see above and try them out. Also try to research and discover more amazing ideas to delight the taste buds of your friends and family. ----- Pulse Contributors is an initiative to highlight diverse journalistic voices. Pulse Contributors do not represent the company Pulse and contribute on their own behalf. -----