Boiled chicken

Put the chicken in a pan and cover it with cold water or stock, then bring it just to a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. Cook until the thickest part reaches 75°C for 30 seconds; a fierce boil can make the meat tough.

Check the thickest part with a clean food thermometer: it should reach 75°C for 30 seconds. If you have no thermometer, cut into the centre and check that the meat is steaming hot all the way through, with no pink meat and clear juices.

Cool it quickly and put it in the fridge within 1–2 hours, in a covered container. Keep your fridge at 5°C or below and eat the chicken within 48 hours, or freeze it.

Strain it and use it as a light stock for chicken soup, chicken and vegetable broth, or gravy. Chill it promptly if you are not using it straight away, then lift off any solidified fat before reheating.

Shred it into chicken soup, chicken sandwiches or a chicken and leek pie. Cold leftovers also work in a chicken salad or coronation chicken.

Yes: boiled chicken breast fillet has 1.24 g fat per 100 g, compared with 4.6 g in boiled chicken. It also has 116 kcal per 100 g, compared with 171 kcal.

A 100 g portion provides 32 g of protein. Shredded chicken is an easy way to add it to a sandwich, soup or salad.