- Remove the skin (if desired)
This is often the part that concentrates the most fat and impurities. Removing it also lightens the dish.
- Wash in a container of cold water
Avoid rinsing directly under the tap: this could spray micro-droplets into the kitchen. Instead, use a large bowl, fill it with cold water, and submerge the chicken.
Rinse it two or three times to remove the preservative liquids.
- Soak with lemon or vinegar
Pour the juice of two lemons (or half a glass of white vinegar) into cold water. Let the chicken soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
This natural acid bath helps neutralize odors, remove surface impurities, and firm the flesh.
- Rinse one last time
A final rinse in clean water (still in the container) is enough to eliminate any taste of lemon or vinegar.
- Bonus option: express pre-cooking
Some families boil the chicken for five minutes before cooking it. The water, which is then discarded, carries away some of the residue and any traces of processing.