Comments on: I might buy a whole chicken again, but then again…eh

By: Summer

Summer — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:14:01 +0000

I have to echo the “go gelatin” comments–it’s fabulous stuff! It gives broth a rich, smooth quality and makes the best soup. I like to roast a brined chicken, eat some for dinner, and have leftover cold chicken another day. Then I remove the remaining meat from the carcass, make stock with the carcass, and use the stock, gelatin, meat and some veges for soup. It’s a great way to eat well and inexpensively.
To brine a chicken:
1 chicken, rinsed and excess fat removed
2 qt cold water
1/4-3/8c. table salt (double volume for kosher salt)
1/4c. granulated sugar, opt. (helps with browning)
Using a container large enough to hold the chicken, dissolve the salt in the water. Submerge the chicken and refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours. Remove, rinse and pat dry. You can cook it immediately or refrigerate uncovered for a day or two-the drier the skin, the crispier it’ll roast up.

By: Jes.

Jes. — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:58:00 +0000

try cooking it in the oven next time! I use a roasting pan, spread some butter on it, sprinkle some lemon pepper or some combination of seasonings on there, sometimes I cut up carrots and celery to throw in there too. Then I just bake it uncovered for 20min/pound. It’s so yummy and juicy.
After that meal i make sure to pick all the meat off the bones and put it in a container in the fridge like you did. It’s great for chicken casserole or better yet, home made chicken noodle soup!

By: Saralyn.

Saralyn. — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:49:00 +0000

The best slow cooker tip I’ve ever received is to suspend the chicken on three golf ball sized balls of foil when roasting it in a crock pot. The chicken seems to taste dry when it sits in it’s juices. This way the juice drips down and it comes out tasting like a rotissere chicken. Bon apetite!

By: Happy in the Home.

Happy in the Home. — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:02:00 +0000

That gross jello is real gelatin from the cooking of the bones. It is VERY high in nutritional value. I can’t remember exactly but I think it is drawing calcium out of the bones.

The gelatin is not the fat. Don’t throw it out, this is the stuff that wonderful broth is made out of! You know the broth made from simmering the bones all day long. After you cook and eat your first meal on the chicken, chill the broth all night long. In the morning the fat will be settled on the top. Take all the white stuff off and discard it. The broth/gelatin will be left. Debone the chicken and put the big bones back in the broth and cook most of the day with onion and seasonings. Take out the bones and add carrots and celery. When those are tender add the noodles and the meat! Yum!

By: Tammy B..

Tammy B.. — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 23:05:00 +0000

The first time that I roasted a chicken I was totally grossed out, but it did get easier for me the more I did it.

By: Anonymous.

Anonymous. — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:08:00 +0000

The jell around the chicken is from the protein that comes out in the juices during cooking. When I cool things after cooking, I just scrape that off the top of the juices. You can also leave it and it adds a wonderful flavor to things like soup or gravy.

A great way to bake chicken is to rub seasonings between the meat and the skin, then bake in the oven. The meat will be delicious.