Hen/rooster meat in dual purpose breeds

[Cody brown]

I'm not aware of any one thread that covers all this, maybe someone else is. There ae a lot of recipes scattered in the threads in this forum section but I don't know a good way to find them.

The way I cook a 16 to 23 week old cockerel or an 8 month old pullet is to cut them into parts and rinse the meat. I don't dry the meat but don't add any water to the dish either. I coat the meat in herbs, I usually use oregano and basil but sometimes use thyme or parsley. You can add garlic or onion if you wish. There are no set rules on how you flavor it. I bake it in a tightly covered dish in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 3 hours. The dish needs to have a tight cover so the moisture does not evaporate and let it burn.

When you are finished carefully remove the meat with a slotted spoon. Be careful because the meat is so tender it might fall off the bone. Use a slotted spoon because you probably have about a half cup of liquid in the bottom. If you remove the fat from it that liquid is about the best chicken broth yo have ever tasted.

Thankyou, i will try and see what other recipes i can find. But thats sounds delicious

 

[Ridgerunner]

Old mature roosters make the best broth but old hens aren't far behind. Even young cockerels and pullets make good broth. There are all kinds of different broth recipes: oven, stovetop, or pressure cooker. I use a crock pot.

When I butcher I take the time to part them, cut them into serving pieces. That's how I cook them anyway. I save the back, neck, gizzard, heart, and feet for broth. Yeah, I know where those feet have been. I scald them, twist the claws and spurs out, and skin them. That gets the feet clean enough for me but many people just throw the feet away or feed them to a dog. I freeze all this in a zip-loc bag. When I cook the chicken parts I save the bones. These go into broth too.

To make broth I put a bay leaf and a dozen peppercorns in a large crock pot. Toss in a carrot and stick of celery, a rough cut onion and some garlic. I add whatever herbs I feel like, parsley, chives, oregano, basil, or thyme can work. Then I put in the chicken and bones and top off with water. I cook that overnight on low, which means 14 to 20 hours. I strain the big chunks out, de-fat it, and then strain it through cheesecloth. Lots of broth.

But I don't stop there. I then go through the big chunks and pick the meat out. Be careful there can be some small bones. It's surprising how much meat you can get, neck and back both. Some people find this meat mushy but I think it is great on chicken tacos, in a chicken salad, or in soups and stews. I like it on bread as a sandwich for lunch.

There is a twist in this. You can use the entire rooster or hen if you wish, instead of cooking the parts with another recipe. You probably want to use half a hen for each batch so you have room for water to make broth. For a big rooster you might want three batches. Some people take the breasts and legs out after 8 hours, take the meat off the bones, and put the bones back in to finish making broth. That way the meat is firmer but still well-cooked and tender.

There are so many different ways you can cook our old hens and roosters. Did anybody mention Coq au Vin, I remember seeing chicken and dumplings. With a good recipe I'd think sausage would be great. I think I said it in a different thread, but if somebody says you can't cook an old chicken they are just admitting they don't know how.

 

[3KillerBs]

You probably want to use half a hen for each batch so you have room for water to make broth. For a big rooster you might want three batches. Some people take the breasts and legs out after 8 hours, take the meat off the bones, and put the bones back in to finish making broth. That way the meat is firmer but still well-cooked and tender.

I can do an entire retired hen in one batch because I have one of those big, oval crockpots.

Also, I'm after super-strong, jellied stock -- the sort that's firm enough to literally cut with a knife when chilled -- rather than broth so that makes a difference. (I actually have to water it down to cook rice for Arroz con Pollo because the amount of gelatin prevents the rice from fully absorbing the liquid).

If I don't make chicken and dumplings I make chicken chili (white or red -- both are great), using both the stock and the cooked, shredded meat off the bones.

And the flock gets the mess of bones, skin, organs, etc. after I've picked the meat so the cycle of life continues with very little waste.