Verdicts from USDA guidance and tables and from published kitchen tests. The figures are from those tests; yours will vary.
- Searing seals in the juices — FALSE. In one roast test, meat seared first lost 1.68% more juice than meat seared last. Searing adds colour and flavour.
- Wash raw chicken before cooking — FALSE. Washing splashes bacteria around the kitchen. Cooking to the right temperature is what kills them.
- All the alcohol cooks off — HALF TRUE. USDA: stirred in and simmered 15 minutes, 40% of the alcohol remains; after 2.5 hours, 5%.
- Salt makes water boil faster — FALSE. Salt raises the boiling point, not lowers it: 29 g in 1 kg of water lifts it by just 0.5 °C - too small to notice.
Do not wash raw chicken - it spreads bacteria. Cook poultry to a safe inside temperature of 74 °C (165 °F) instead, as USDA advises. Text and pictures were made with AI.
