When you think about the best piece of chicken, what comes to your mind? Most people will say that it is the leg, and some will choose the breast. Although it does depend on the person eating it, did you know that there is an official best part of the chicken? We say official because it has been considered the most tender, juicy, and perfect piece of the entire body.
An oyster is a body part of the chicken that is considered to be the best part of it. It is quite dark which makes it a less preferable choice for a lot. But when you know about the taste, the texture, and the nutrition it provides, you won’t think twice before choosing chicken oysters the next time you go to the store.
What is a Chicken Oyster?
If you have never seen or heard about chicken oysters, don’t worry about it. You are not alone. It is quite uncommon for people to know other than chefs since all the marketing and ads we see are about other pieces of chicken. It is a small circular-shaped piece. The size will be about two thumbs together.
If the name confuses you, it surprisingly does look like an oyster from where it gets the name! Some people have said that they also taste the same.
When the chicken is being cooked the juice gathers at the center which is where the oysters are. Hence, they get all the moisture and best-textured pieces.
Where is it located?
The reason why most people struggle to find it is that it is basically hidden behind the muscles. If you consider a whole bird for roasting, the oysters will be at the back of the thigh near the spine. They are also on both sides of the backbone, so you will get two oysters if you consider cutting them.
However, considering the size and the number compared to other pieces of chicken, save the oysters for premium dishes, esteemed guests, or for your own to enjoy the tender, delicious, and tasty pieces of chicken.
When the bird gets cooked the juice and the fat tend to gather around the oyster and when it rests it goes back to the body. In this way, the fat gets through the oyster twice to make it oily, rich, and juicy. Although the fat content doesn’t sound healthy, comparatively it will be healthier to eat chicken than beef according to the doctors.
How to Cut
Although it might not be as easy to comprehend from the description as it is from a video, we are still adding it so that you can have a look while cooking or cutting.
From Raw
When you are cutting a raw chicken, you will need to put it with its legs up first as in the skinless whole chicken on its back. You will see there is a joint that connects the leg to the body, you will need to cut that diagonally but not all the way. Once you have it a bit, grab the leg with one hand and the body with the other. When you pull you’ll be able to see a white piece of meat.
You will want to keep that with the leg. Now, flip the bird, and cut it from behind to detach the leg from the body. Once you have done that you will see the oyster attached. Now you need to take a sharp knife to cut that apart as well.
For the raw chicken watch this video