Lately, if you haven't been able to tell from my blog posts and recipes, I've been on a big whole food sort of kick. I blogged about a recent read The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball and about how I was falling in love with the idea of living off the land, getting my hands dirty, and genuinely farming.
Lets rewind back in time a few years. I was in high school? college? and my mom had left a chickn out to de-frost and asked that when I get home I clean it out, rub it down with seasoning and pop it in the oven. I called her, completely freaked out about how the heck I was supposed to clean it (like, did that mean I had to actually touch it?!?). She tried to talk me through it over the phone and I just stood in the kitchen sobbing, disgusted out of my mind at it's goose bumpy stretchy skin and little back bones. Needless to say, the still partly frozen chicken sat in the sink for another hour and a half until she got home and we ate dinner late that night. Mom and E still tease me about it to this day.
Flash forward again and we're back in 2013. I've grown up a lot, and I've been cooking meat (something I was never really used to doing). I've read about farming and longed for this idealistic picture of our own farm. I can do this right? So last week when I was prepping to make Soup #4, I needed a main course to go along side and decided it was time to bite the bullet and make my first whole chicken. OK, I also really wanted to use my new Le Creuset dish for just this purpose. If not now, when?
Things were going really well, I was just going to make a simple chicken with potatoes on the side. Mom gave me a basic overview*, and I was on my way. (*Side note: OK! I did call her to ask if I actually had to stick my hand inside the chicken...but I knew the answer. The call was mostly for moral support). I was OK with the squishy bumpy skin, but sticking my hand inside the chicken was a completely different story. So I improvised and filled the chicken up with water, turned it upside down and shook until all the little bitty organs came out. Then I closed my eyes, and shoved them down the garbage disposal. YUCK. Of course, E was mad I didn't save them for him..."no," I told him, "I'm not ready for that yet."
A bit disappointing that my idea of being tough enough to deal with cleaning a chicken were just ideas, but you know what? I did it. And I am sure that in time, it will probably get a little easier (I so hope it does!!). It did come out super delicious, just a bit of salt and pepper and garlic powder with onion and potatoes on the side. It needed to brown a little more, and maybe a good rub of oil or seasoning would have done the trick, but I am pretty happy with the end result. E had to cut it up for me, because, well, I'm not ready for that yet, and even when I make stock (usually once every 1-2 weeks), I don't like touching the little bones. But it was a yummy chicken, paired well with last week's soup, and we'll be enjoying the left overs tonight in stir-fry!
A bit disappointing that my idea of being tough enough to deal with cleaning a chicken were just ideas, but you know what? I did it. And I am sure that in time, it will probably get a little easier (I so hope it does!!). It did come out super delicious, just a bit of salt and pepper and garlic powder with onion and potatoes on the side. It needed to brown a little more, and maybe a good rub of oil or seasoning would have done the trick, but I am pretty happy with the end result. E had to cut it up for me, because, well, I'm not ready for that yet, and even when I make stock (usually once every 1-2 weeks), I don't like touching the little bones. But it was a yummy chicken, paired well with last week's soup, and we'll be enjoying the left overs tonight in stir-fry!
What's your fave way to cook up some chicken? I'm looking to try a new way - so share below! :)
XO
OMG Ani, LOL! This was a funny post. I hate touching poultry flesh too. I always wear gloves when handling raw meat. It helps. I would have thought being a nurse and dealing with tons of gross medical stuff would have toughened you up!
ReplyDeleteUGH! No way! That's what mom said too, but it's too gross. I'm a nurse, but I don't have to look at guts and flesh! BLEH! I think I need to have a pair of meat gloves just for handling meat. I do much better with ground beef, but really, I can't think about it too much... too funky!
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud of you! But I don't think the infamous chicken cleaning incident was back in high school! C'mon, you're a nurse now! Stick your hand in!
ReplyDeleteOkay, try this: boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Pound them flat between plastic wrAp with an empty wine bottle. When it's about 1/4" thick, brush with garlic purée, pesto, and add some provolone cheese. Roll up, place in a pan seam side down.
Bake covered at 350 for about a half hour. Serve drizzled with a little more pesto.
ReplyDeleteYUMMMMMM you just made my mouth water!! That sounds yummy! I have chicken breast in the cupboard, I may have to make this tomorrow night!
ReplyDeleteBest part- no bones! Oh, plus you have an excuse to finish off that open bottle of wine since you need the bottle. Right?
ReplyDeleteMy favorite way to fix chicken... Zankoo!
ReplyDeleteNow I know why you didn't call me for how to fix a whole chicken.
Love to read your words and hear your thoughts.
popi
nothing wrong with Zankou! Love you! XO
ReplyDelete