Chicken and yellow rice bowl (demonstration dish for five cooking questions)

Salt calibration exercise: divide about 400 g of a protein or vegetable into four 100 g portions; season at 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% salt by weight, weighing the salt but sprinkling it by hand; cook all four identically and taste side by side; dilute an over-salted portion with the unsalted one; try a squeeze of lemon on a bite.

Season the chicken with about 1% salt by weight, about 2.5 g for 250 g.

Butterfly the chicken breast so it cooks faster and keeps more moisture inside while giving more surface for browning.

Cook the rice with about 1.25 parts water to 1 part rice and a little chicken bouillon in a rice cooker; on a stove, bring to a boil then lower the heat so water does not evaporate faster than the rice absorbs it.

Heat the pan on high until over 450 degrees by infrared thermometer, then cook the chicken to about 155F in the centre with a deep brown crust.

Plate hot chicken and rice with cold dill sauce and lettuce, room-temperature tomatoes and pickled onions.

Taste and finish with Aleppo pepper and fresh parsley.