CHEEP, CHEEP ORGANIC CHICKEN

Before the days of cheap, tasteless, battery chicken breasts on styro foam trays, hens were yard reared, fattened on greens and grains, and when dispatched to the pot, they tasted like poultry. The best bet for city dwellers today is to look for certified organic chickens. Sure you pay more, but with a little time and effort two people can enjoy 5  generous meals from one bird.

My approach is to buy large, size 17-20 fresh whole chickens in pairs. I find doing allows greater versatility. I then freeze the packaged meat for later use.

PORTIONING TWO CHICKENS

1. Remove the wings, then cut each through the joints into 3 pieces.
2. Cut through the hip joint and take off the Marylands. Separate the drumstick from the thigh.
3. Cut the length of the breast bone then cut the breasts away from the rib cage.
4. Clean all the remaining flesh from the bones.

WINGS: Put the wing tips into the stock pot. Collect the jointed wing sections in the freezer until there is enough to marinate and make a meal.

DRUMSTICKS: Marinate (try my Chinese Five Spice Chicken) then oven roast or BBQ. Alternatively strip the meal from the bone, add the bones to the stockpot and use the meat for a braise, curry, or pot pies

THIGHS: Remove the thigh meat from the bone. Add the bones to the stockpot. Four thighs will make a generous chicken curry, such as Kashmiri Chicken Biryani.

BREASTS: Remove the back strip and add it to the trimmings. Breast meat is infinitely flexible. Slice and stir fry, cut into two horizontally and crumbed as schnitzels, allow 1/2 large breast per person. Steamed breast meat is delicious added to Vietnamese coleslaw.

TRIMMINGS:  By adding the back strip off the breast to the trimmings you will have approx 350g of lean meat, enough to add to a Chicken & Lime Risotto, or to mince and make meatballs or to make Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup. These trimmings are wonderful for making satay sticks too.

BONES:  Make approx 6 litres of a rich stock.  Use the stock to make meal sized bowls of pho or ramen, or to enrich risotto or a braise

About ladyredspecs

I live in sunny Brisbane, Australia. My love of good food drives me as a cook, a reader, a traveller, an artist and but mostly as an eater. I cooked professionally for many years but have no formal training. Simply guided by a love of eating good food, respect for ingredients and an abhorrence of artificial additives, I cook instinctively applying the technical know how acquired by experience. I hope you enjoy what I share Sandra AKA ladyredspecs

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2 comments on “CHEEP, CHEEP ORGANIC CHICKEN”

1. Pingback: CHICKEN STOCK: « Please Pass the Recipe

2. Pingback: FRAGRANT SYRIAN CHICKEN « Please Pass the Recipe

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