Chicken is versatile, relatively cheap and comes in a variety of cuts. Chicken is easy to cook with because its mild flavour doesn't compete with other ingredients.

One of the more popular ways to buy chicken, but also the most expensive, is to buy a breast. Chicken breasts are ideal sizes for a single portion and there's no wastage at all, but two breast pieces can cost as much as a small whole bird. You can buy them with or without skin. The meat on a breast is usually very lean and can be treated like a steak, which makes it versatile. Use it whole or cut into strips or cubes for stir-fries and kebabs. The meat turns creamy white when cooked. But be warned - if you plan to remove the skin before cooking, the meat may dry out if it's roasted or grilled without fat.

Chicken legs are dark meat and can be much more fatty than breast portions. Often sold as drumsticks, with the bone left in the centre, legs are a cheap way of buying cut chicken. One drawback is that the bone increases the joint weight, so there will be less meat per kilo than with breasts. Drumsticks are ideal for roasting or deep frying and can be used as 'finger food'. Chicken thighs can also be bought on their own as mini boned-and-rolled cuts. Although dark and slightly fatty, this meat is ideal for casseroles and other slow-cooked dishes. Thighs can be stuffed or marinated to provide a richer flavour.

Chicken wings have dark meat, similar to legs, and are relatively inexpensive cuts - but they're quite fatty and contain a large amount of bone and inedible material per kilo. Wings can be bought as small wing-only pieces which contain little meat, or have some of the body meat attached. Wings are ideal for deep-frying or barbecuing and can be made more interesting with marinades, coatings and dips.

When roasting chicken, the best way to check that the bird is cooked is by inserting a thermometer into the thick part of the thigh. A reading of 75°C (170°F) shows it's cooked.