The Cutting Board That's Got Me Hooked on Cooking - Plus My Favorite Chicken Recipes!
Chicken is a staple in our family menu, and I cook with chicken breasts quite often. It's delicious, affordable, and versatile – I can use it for a wide range of dishes. I usually buy 2-3 whole chickens at a time, portion them out into separate bags, and do some prep work. I separate the fillets into one bag, the wings and back into another, the upper skeleton into a third, and the drumsticks into a fourth. This is like Tasya from 'The Girls' could list a bunch of potato dishes, and I can do the same with chicken – maybe one day I'll write a separate review with my favorite chicken recipes.
Pardon the detour to chicken, but I wanted to mention it because this cutting board was specifically bought for cutting chicken. I have separate boards for different products, and I never mix and match – for example, I wouldn't cut veggies and meat on the same board.
Product Info
purchase location - Fix Priceprice - 279 rublespurpose - cutting boardname - Shiningmanufacturer - OOO 'Terraplast'distributor - OOO 'Fix Fry'size - 24.5x34.5 cmExternal Appearance
When I saw it in the store, I couldn't resist – it just caught my eye with its shiny surface. I have a lot of cutting boards, but none as shiny as this one. In fact, I was planning to buy a replacement for another board that turned out to be uneven, and it was a bit of a hassle to use. I even considered keeping it as a prop for photos, but I couldn't find a suitable replacement, so I kept using it in the kitchen: review on the larger cutting board, on the smaller one with the same color scheme, review on the brown cutting board.
I love the semi-transparent beige-green color of this cutting board, and it's not just because it's the only one available in the store. I would have chosen it anyway, as it looks so lightweight in my kitchen decor. The photo below shows just how transparent the material is, which adds a unique touch to my kitchen.
As you can see, the cutting board comes with a sticker that includes all the necessary information and a barcode for easy checkout. I had a bit of a struggle removing the sticker, as it left behind a residue that I had to carefully scrape off with my nails. Fortunately, the surface is now sticker-free.
This cutting board has two sides, one of which features a clever water-collecting groove along the edge. I've had cutting boards without this feature before, and let me tell you, it's a real pain to deal with spills and messes. The other side is completely flat and smooth.
I'm impressed to say that this cutting board is now perfectly flat, thanks to my thorough inspection in the store. I even laid it on the floor to test its flatness, just to be sure! This cutting board is made with high-quality materials, and I'm impressed with its craftsmanship. The surface is flawless, with no visible defects or imperfections.
The top edge features a convenient hole for hanging the cutting board from a hook, which is a thoughtful touch. Or, as some people claim online, you can use it to prep sliced veggies or fruits, but I tried that and it didn't work out for me.
There are tons of little bumps inside, and they're all over the place, but if you take a closer look, you'll see some are actually embedded inside the board while others are on the surface. But the good news is that all the bumps inside are safely secured, they don't stick out or get in the way. And on top of those bumps, there's a thin layer of material that prevents them from falling off or getting into your food.
Use Case
As I mentioned earlier, I bought this board specifically for chicken, which I always cut up as soon as I bring it home from the store. We don't often cook a whole chicken, unless it's a special occasion like a chicken schnitzel, when the chicken is seared to a golden brown in a pan. But for that, you need a smaller chicken, which is sometimes available in stores, and that's when I buy two or four of them at once, and freeze them whole, since smaller chickens are hard to find.
The knife cuts through the surface of the board smoothly, effortlessly - it doesn't pierce it. The blades don't dull from contact with the board surface. The knife doesn't get stuck in the plastic, making it easy to cut through a whole chicken.
I usually chop the chicken into portions, pack it up, and freeze it, but this time I was prepping for a big dinner party. I portioned out the chicken into plastic containers, stored them in the fridge, and the next day, when the guests arrived, I had four different dishes ready.
I made chicken nuggets from the breast. I chop the chicken into random pieces, season them, and whisk an egg. I also blend bread into breadcrumbs - I don't buy them separately. I heat up a skillet with some oil, dip the chicken pieces in the egg, coat them in breadcrumbs, and fry them until golden brown.
I chop up a small portion of the chicken breast and thighs, sauté them with some mushrooms, and use it as a filling for canapés. I made a 'Jullienne' canapé appetizer, which is basically a mushroom and chicken mixture topped with cream and cheese, and baked in the oven for 10 minutes.
From the bones and one of the thighs, I made a broth and cooked up a soup. I added some of the chicken to the soup and saved the rest for another dish. I won't share the soup recipe, as it's pretty straightforward and everyone has their own way of making it. I'll just say that I didn't sauté anything, and it's a pretty healthy option.
The fourth dish I made was a 'Sunflower' salad, which consists of lettuce leaves, cooked chicken, marinated mushrooms, cheese, corn, and mayonnaise. I arrange the salad in a circle on a plate, add the chicken, and break it up with my fingers.
I made this salad by layering ingredients - no chopping required, just a smooth spread of mayonnaise, followed by sautéed mushrooms and more mayonnaise, grated cheese and mayonnaise, and finally corn without mayonnaise. And that's how I ended up with a delicious, easy-to-make salad that looks like a sunflower.
Maintenance
The board is a breeze to clean with dish soap, and it dries in just a couple of minutes. If I need it dry faster, I can just blot it with a paper towel.
Verdict
I'm one of those people who loves cooking, and I always get excited when new kitchenware shows up - whether it's a board or a skillet. As soon as something new arrives, I start cooking up a storm. This self-assembly board has really won me over, as the prep time just flies by. I can chop a chicken in no time, as the knife glides smoothly across the board's surface, without getting stuck or making it hard to cut.
I'm hoping the board will be durable, as I haven't noticed any scratches on its surface yet.
I'd definitely recommend this purchase without hesitation!
attractive designexcellent build qualitydoesn't dull kniveshas two functional surfaceseasy to maintainI'd say the only con is the price, but I suppose you get what you pay for with quality products.
Thanks for reading, everyone ^-^