Day 3

If you follow our blog then you already know that this week I was off site for the shooting of our 15 new how-to videos. Our current how-to videos have been very popular especially with people who would usually shy away from cooking. In two minutes or less, we show you how to prepare tasty chicken dishes of all kinds, how –to cut a whole chicken and how-to make sauces, marinades and rubs.

On Wednesday (Day 3) we shot these how-to videos!

How-To Make Thai Chicken Burgers

How-To Make Butter Chicken

How-To Make a Surf & Turf Jambalaya

How-To Make a Quick Chicken Paprikash

How-To Make a Simple Chicken Curry

How-To Make Louisiana Fried Chicken

The day went longer than usual but there was a lot to get through. It’s amazing how many different ways chicken can be cooked. I especially enjoyed watching the fried chicken come to a perfect golden color. My mouth was watering! I think everyone was feeling the same way.

Day 4

We finished- off the shoot with two more recipes, California Chicken Paella and Chicken Breasts in Parchment and then it was time to plate the food. It’s amazing how pretty food can look when it is served on a beautiful plate with colorful garnishes. You can take the simplest recipe and make it look like a gourmet meal just by taking that extra little step.

I’m REALLY excited to see the new series of how-to videos but I’m even more excited to be able to share them with you. We won’t be releasing the videos all at once. Some of them are seasonal so keep your eyes peeled throughout the year as new ones are released!

This week I’m off site for the shooting of our 15 new how-to videos. Our current how-to videos have been very popular especially with people who would usually shy away from cooking. In two minutes or less, we show you how to prepare tasty chicken dishes of all kinds, how –to cut a whole chicken and how-to make sauces, marinades and rubs. If you haven’t had a chance to view our how-to’s, here’s a list of the videos that are available on our web site.

How-to make BBQ sauce

How-to blacken chicken

How-to make a wicked nacho dip

How-to make an awesome stir fry

How-to make a decent chicken chili

How-to make BBQ rubs

How-to make tournedos

How-to make chicken pâté

How-to make basic chicken meatballs

How-to spatchcock

How-to make beer can chicken

How-to bake wings

How-to know when chicken is cooked

How-to marinate chicken

How-to make chicken cutlets

How-to carve a whole chicken

How-to section a chicken

How-to poach chicken

How-to stuff a whole chicken

How-to braise chicken

Day 1

Monday was the first day of the filming of our how-to videos. Everyone arrived on site at 8:00 a.m. to set-up the cameras and prepare the set. Once everything was up and ready-to-go, the food preparation and cooking started.

Did it ever smell good! We started with a simple Chicken Meatloaf, Ground Chicken and Salsa Sloppy Joes, Chicken Pot Pie and Greek Salad with Chicken.

While preparing the ingredients for the chicken pot pie, the smell of sautéed carrots, celery, leeks, cremini mushrooms filled the air and it was hard to resist grabbing a spoonful. The filming went very well with very few retakes which was perfect because everyone was able to head home at a reasonable hour. It’s a good thing because the weather man was calling for freezing rain.

Day 2

The filming started bright and early and everyone was raring to go! The first recipe of the day was Chicken Pad Thai then we moved on to Chicken Nori Rolls and then onto the refrigerator shots (shots of placing food in the refrigerator).

While we were on lunch break, I took the time to ask the crew a few questions about what is involved in the shooting of these how-to videos.

Amanda (Talent)

What is the biggest challenge of preparing food, especially chicken, for the how-to videos?

This is the third round of “How To’s” for Chicken Farmers of Canada that we’ve produced, and always being behind the scenes, I never realized what was involved in the cooking process. This year, being in front of the camera, I now know how much precision goes into each shot: The placing, the cutting, the look of each piece.  Everything has a play. Not being much of a cook myself, it’s sometimes a challenge for me to cut the chicken in proper fashion, while maintaining that perfect shot. However, no matter the shot, we make it work, and it always turns out how we want it. These recipes are great, and we look forward to producing more in the future.

Renée (Director)

What do you try to achieve when directing a how-to video?

To illustrate certain procedures that some people might find daunting and simplify them for people who don’t usually cook for themselves. By using classic recipes and making them fun, people are more willing to try them.

Kevin (Chef)

This is your first experience with preparing foods for how-to videos. What have you enjoyed the most about this experience so far and what have been some of the challenges?

It’s always a good thing to have a change of pace. The restaurant industry is always extremely busy. I’ve always been entertained by cooking shows and I was excited to be part of something in that area. It was extremely difficult/different to organize the horde of food and equipment of the insanely random shot orders. Not to mention the tiny space to prepare all of the dishes multiple times on a hot-plate. But it all went fantastically!

Robin (Director of Photography)

What do you enjoy the most about shooting how-to videos and what are some of the challenges you sometimes come across during a shoot?

I enjoy the creative freedom when setting up lights and camera angles. When shooting long hours it gets tricky to adapt to the sun rise and sun sets that change the kitchen’s lighting.

Devin (Second Camera Operator)

What do you enjoy the most about shooting how-to videos and what are some of the challenges you sometimes come across during a shoot?

Most of the time, the how-to’s are very interesting. It’s fun to learn about every step of the process. The challenge is that it’s difficult keeping track of continuity, making sure every little detail stays consistent shot-to-shot.

Jonathan (Third Camera Operator)

What do you enjoy the most about shooting how-to videos and what are some of the challenges you sometimes come across during a shoot?

The best part about filming these how-to videos is that they open my mind to how easy cooking can be if you break it down step-by-step.

The challenges we face are being able to film on schedule to catch every possible amount of daylight we can.

If you’re watching your waistline, then poaching is a great way to keep your weight in check. By cooking chicken in seasoned liquid, you infuse the chicken with flavour without adding any fat.  Poaching also helps keep chicken moist and tender.

So how do you poach chicken?  Here’s a simple way to get you started.

What you’ll need:

• 1 large deep skillet
• 2 bone-in, skin-off chicken breasts
• 1 Liter of water
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 chopped onion
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• Salt & pepper

1. Pour the water into the pan and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Add in the lemon juice.
3. Add the onion, bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper to season the water.
4. Add chicken to the pan using tongs.
5. Lower heat to med-high and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Once you’ve mastered the poaching technique, you can try it using your favourite liquids and seasonings.

Here are the ingredients I use for my poached chicken. Low-sodium chicken broth, white wine, crushed garlic, shallots, chopped celery and carrots, peppercorns, fresh thyme sprigs (or tarragon) and bay leaf.

I make about 4-6 chicken breasts that way I have plenty of moist and delicious leftover chicken that I can slice or chop up the next day to use in salads or sandwiches.

Check out our easy to follow step-by-step “How to Poach Chicken” video.

Need a few more ideas?  Try out these recipes from our web site.

Apple Cider Poached Chicken and Arugula Salad

Poached Chicken and Fruit Salad with Mint Dressing

Poached Chicken and Goat Cheese Over Farfalle and Spinach

What is a chicken cutlet?  It’s a boneless, skinless chicken breast that is pounded down very thinly to tenderize the meat.  It is then dredged in a mixture of flour, eggs and breadcrumbs before it is fast-fried in a skillet.  This method of cooking is a great way to save time on those busy nights!

What you’ll need:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Plastic wrap
• Cutting Board
• Pounding mallet
• Eggs, lightly beaten
• Bread crumbs
• Flour
• Oil

Instructions:

1. Place eggs, flour and breadcrumbs in their own shallow plates.
2. Place chicken breast between two large pieces of plastic wrap.
3. Pound with the flat side of the mallet until chicken is ¼ inch thick
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.  Adjust the heat if the oil gets too hot.
5. First dip the chicken breast in the flour, making sure to cover both sides evenly
6. Dip the chicken into the eggs to coat both sides of the chicken
7. Dip the chicken into the bread crumbs to coat both sides of the chicken
8. Cook the coated chicken in the fry pan for about 2-3 minutes per side until the coating looks golden and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

You can jazz up the flavour by adding your favourite herbs and seasoning to the breadcrumbs before coating the chicken.  I like to add oregano, fresh cracked pepper, a little salt and some grated parmesan cheese.

Note: the same technique is used for chicken parmesan, except the chicken is cooked in the oven with tomato sauce and cheese.

Check out our “How to Make Chicken Cutlets”  video here!

It may be BBQ season but sometimes you just need to get out of the heat!  These chicken wings are an awesome and effortless way to enjoy chicken while keeping cool indoors. 

What you’ll need:

• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Large sealable plastic back
• Chicken wings
• Seasoned breadcrumbs
• Baking sheet

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (170°C)
2. If you are working with the full chicken wing, you’ll need to use a sharp knife to split it at the joint.  If you’re pressed for time, you can get them pre-cut.
3. Place seasoned bread crumbs in a sealable plastic bag along with the chicken wings and shake the bag until each wing is well coated.
4. Place the wings on a baking sheet and then into the oven.
5. Bake 20 – 25 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Tips:

If you can’t find seasoned bread crumbs, you can buy regular bread crumbs and season them yourself by using your favourite seasonings.

If you like your chicken wings in sauce, simply toss them in your favourite chicken wing sauce, or try getting creative with seasonings and sauces.  Think Indian flavours for seasoning or a maple syrup BBQ sauce.  I personally, always reach for the hot sauce while my husband prefers honey garlic. I think it’s time I whip up a batch of chicken wings and be a little more imaginative.

Want to see how they’re made? Check-out our video on “How to Bake Wings” and let us know what your favourite chicken wing topping is in the comments!

Last Friday was our last day of shooting our new series of “How-To” videos.  Everyone was in a great mood, with the weather in our favour and knowing that the weekend ahead was looking promising for more of the same!

We started off the day with “How to Make Your Basic Chicken Meatballs” and then on to“How to Make Chicken Tournedos”.  Both of these shoots went really quickly and we managed to move onto“How to Blacken Chicken” by late afternoon.

I have to say that on the last day of the shoot I was a little sad because I really enjoyed working with such an amazing group of people.  We all worked hard but we also had a lot of fun and some good laughs.

It was a great experience for me to be on-site for the making of these videos and being able to see first-hand how much work was put into each video.  The dedication and creativity of the team was very inspiring and I can’t wait to do it again!  Until then, back to my office setting, which I also enjoy very much.

When I arrived on-site on Thursday morning, the crew was already set-up and ready to go.  We decided to start the day off with the "What the Heck is Spatchcocking and How do You Do it?" video shoot.

Spatchcocking chicken is not a technique known to many but it is becoming more-and-more popular.  So what is spatchcocking and how do you do it?  Essentially it's chicken that is prepared by first cutting out the backbone with kitchen shears and then pressing down on the breastbone until the chicken becomes flattened - it's almost like butterflying a whole bird..  It actually makes for a super presentation when serving it to your family or guests.  
That video shoot took up most of the day.  It isn't that spatchcocking is difficult, it's that we had to do more video shots on this particular technique than the others.

In the afternoon we started on the "How to Make Beer Can Chicken".  We really lucked out on the weather!  It was hot (maybe a little too hot?) and sunny so we all got a good dose of vitamin D but made sure stay hydrated by drinking tons of water.

The day went long for the crew and they worked through until the late evening but everyone seemed to be having too much fun to even notice.  Once everyone was packed up, it was off to a good night sleep to have everyone up and ready the next day for day 3 of our "How To" videos!
 

Stay tuned for day 3 of the shooting of our new video series!

Day 1 – Wednesday July 13, 2011

On Wednesday, I had the privilege of being on-site for my first time ever to see how our “how-to” videos are filmed.  It was amazing to see how long it took to create a short, 1-minute video with the numerous takes, the skill and detail that is involved!

This will be a three-day process and I’m really excited to be here!

Just to give you an idea, we started our morning with our “How to Make Chicken Paté” video. What a process this was!  It took us all morning, and into the late afternoon!  To be fair, it was definitely one of the more detailed videos because of the process and sheer number of steps involved in making paté. 

We also managed to get our “How to Make a Decent Chicken Chilli” how-to make a decent chilli and “How to Make and AWESOME Stir Fry” videos completed, too!

By the time I left the scene, I was drooling from all of the aromas filling the air.

Stay tuned to find out how the rest of the week went and have a great weekend!

Have you checked out our “How-To” videos?  If you haven’t, you should.  Our series of how-to videos will teach you everything from poaching chicken to carving a whole chicken, just to name a few.  And we’re not done yet because next week, we’ll be creating 10 more videos to give you practical step-by-step instructions on how-to do almost everything chicken!

They are:

1.      What the Heck is Spatchcocking and How do You Do it?

2.      How to Make Chicken Tournedos

3.      How to Make Beer Can Chicken

4.      How to Make a Wicked Nacho Dip

5.      How to Blacken Chicken

6.      How to Make Your Basic Chicken Meatballs

7.      How to Make Chicken Paté

8.      How to Make an AWESOME stir fry

9.      How to Make a Decent Chicken Chili

10.  BBQ Sauces and Rubs – DIY

I’ll be on-site for the filming and will fill you in on the details of how it all went.  In the meantime, take a look at the videos that are currently available on our web site.

How to carve a whole chicken

How to poach chicken

How to brine chicken

How to stuff a whole chicken

How to braise chicken

How to make chicken cutlets

How to marinate chicken

How to bake wings

How to know when chicken is cooked

Enjoy!

When I arrived on-site on Thursday morning, the crew was already set-up and ready to go.  We decided to start the day off with the "What the Heck is Spatchcocking and How do You Do it?" video shoot.

Spatchcocking chicken is not a technique known to many but it is becoming more-and-more popular.  So what is spatchcocking and how do you do it?  Essentially it's chicken that is prepared by first cutting out the backbone with kitchen shears and then pressing down on the breastbone until the chicken becomes flattened - it's almost like butterflying a whole bird..  It actually makes for a super presentation when serving it to your family or guests.  

That video shoot took up most of the day.  It isn't that spatchcocking is difficult, it's that we had to do more video shots on this particular technique than the others.

In the afternoon we started on the "How to Make Beer Can Chicken".  We really lucked out on the weather!  It was hot (maybe a little too hot?) and sunny so we all got a good dose of vitamin D but made sure stay hydrated by drinking tons of water.

The day went long for the crew and they worked through until the late evening but everyone seemed to be having too much fun to even notice.  Once everyone was packed up, it was off to a good night sleep to have everyone up and ready the next day for day 3 of our "How To" videos!

Stay tuned for day 3 of the shooting of our new video series!