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JennGM
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| Posted: Nov 12 2013 at 4:16pm | IP Logged
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We've made a change in the past year to pastured natural chickens from a local farmer. The taste difference is wonderful, but I've got a few complaints from my dh about how hard it is to remove the meat from the bones, and how much less meat there is.
I'm not worried about the latter -- I don't want plumped up breasts. But I make very simple chicken meals and think I need a little adapting to make these a little less tough. One of my simple meals is roasted chicken. Sometimes it's just salt and garlic and bake in the oven, sometimes covered, sometimes not. On a better day I'll add some veggies to it. But there is less gravy and hard to get off the bones.
So, any hints on cooking these pastured chickens? Some simple egg, wheat, and dairy free recipes? I'm also looking for some simple crock-pot meals for my recuperation stage.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: Nov 12 2013 at 6:16pm | IP Logged
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I've noticed that poultry seems to be more tender and much moister when cooked in our Rival Roaster Oven ~ seems to steam the meat somewhat. You could probably cook two chickens at a time and use the extra for additional meals, or freeze the leftover ~ might be worth a try if you happen to have access to an electric roaster. Rice or cornbread stuffing might be nice to try if you're looking for variety with roasted chicken.
We use chicken in soups and casseroles quite a lot, too. We make a Hawaiian chicken dish with pineapple, chicken broth, onion soup mix and rice. A favorite soup includes lots of garlic, fresh ginger, cilantro, mushrooms and rice ~ very healthy this time of year. Dc children always add lots of lemon juice as well.
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mathmama
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After being vegetarian for years we had to start eating meat again. I didn't have a clue how to cook meat. Chicken is a major staple here and we buy pasture raised straight from the farmer. The only way (I really mean the only way) I cook a chicken is to slow cook it. Formerly I used my crock pot, but sometimes my chicken didn't fit. Luckily, I have a slow cook feature on my oven. It is so easy and perfect every time. I just cut up some veggies (carrots and onions here) throw them on the bottom, put the chicken (almost always frozen solid because I forget to take it out) on top, sprinkle on salt, pour a little water over, sprinkle with a little basil, cover with foil and cook all day on low. It is perfect every time. Lots of drippings for gravy.
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MarilynW
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| Posted: Nov 14 2013 at 5:54pm | IP Logged
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Jennn - roast your chicken in the crockpot - it turns out very soft and tender.
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stacykay
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| Posted: Nov 15 2013 at 8:39am | IP Logged
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Chicken in the crock pot is always wonderful, but some days, I don't think about what we are having for dinner until mid-afternoon. (Menu planning is definitely in order  !) However, for those days, I use my dutch oven to cook the chicken (if it isn't a stir-fry or skillet-type recipe.) It always turns out tender and delicious. My boys eat every scrap!
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Stacy in MI
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Nov 15 2013 at 8:53am | IP Logged
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I like chicken in the crockpot, which also makes it a breeze to use the carcass for stock.
But, when I do it, I miss the crispy skin.
Still, even in the oven, long and slow helps it stay moist. I often put lemon halves in the cavity to help with moisture and flavor, and with a larger bird that needs to roast longer, I will roast it breast down for a while and then flip it over for the last 30 minutes or so for it to get crispy.
With all of these options I will salt and pepper the cavity and up and under the skin.
If I have fresh herbs on hand, like thyme, I will put those in the cavity with the lemons and under the skin with the seasoning.
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juliana147
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| Posted: Nov 15 2013 at 8:55am | IP Logged
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Jenn, here are some thoughts, if you find chicken soup as comforting as I do during a recovery:
I put the whole chicken (or two) in a large stock pot, add an onion and celery, lots of water, and let it boil away for hours. This gives a nice supply of cooked meat, and a nutritious broth that can then be turned into a bunch of different soups. This week, I'm experimenting with different soup flavors, using the broth as a base. So far, so good: my family has liked all of them.
I tend to serve the broth and some of the cooked chicken as a very simple chicken soup, with rice, the first day. I set aside some broth and meat for the next meal.
The next day, you could take some broth and veggies and add them to a crock pot to cook. Add in more of the cooked chicken at the last minute before serving so it doesn't fall apart.
Hope that helps, if you like soup!
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JennGM
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| Posted: Nov 15 2013 at 2:13pm | IP Logged
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I love all these ideas. Thank you so much!
Juliana, I am a big fan of soup, and was hoping to have enough energy/time to prepare some batches for my recovery. My boys don't really like soup, so it would mainly be for me. I was contemplating the crock-pot way, so thanks for the details! I also want to just do broth with my leftover bones...but I admit I've just been too tire to tackle that!
Now, after my OP, Beth's post about having a slower cooking feature on her oven got me to thinking of trying how I cook my birds just a little differently. So this week I did my usual set up -- salt, garlic, carrots, a little water, in my Pampered Chef stoneware Deep Covered Baker) and used the Roast settings with a little lower temps.
Chicken came out moist and tender and pulled away perfectly. So it was the cook, not the chicken.
When you chicken in the crockpot, what do you add so it's not soup or stew?
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Jennifer G. Miller
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Nov 15 2013 at 3:07pm | IP Logged
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I've rested the chicken up on thickly sliced lemons. I've also seen where people will do it with aluminum foil balls. It doesn't really need added liquid.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Simple Chicken Meals
