Once the leg is free, if you wish to separate the thigh from the drumstick, lay the leg skin-side down on the cutting board and cut at the joint straight through the bend. Don’t worry if you don’t hit the joint perfectly; a chef’s knife will easily cut through the top of the bone here. To debone the thigh, if you so desire, place the thigh face down on a cutting board. Imagine a line between the two exposed tips of bone. Drag the tip of your knife along this line. You should feel the knife following the bone. With a little trimming around the ends of the bone, the meat should come free. It’s not really worth trying to debone a drumstick, as it has too many tendons. What you can do is cut in a straight line around the thin end and pull the meat down toward the thick end, creating a kind of lollipop. These are great grilled.
Once you have removed the legs, it’s time to remove the wings. To do this, flip the bird over so that it is breast-side down. Grab the wing and wiggle it a bit to get a sense of where the wing joins the back. Make a semicircular cut to expose this joint, then cut through the joint. Flip the bird back over and finish cutting through the flesh. Leave as much meat on the body side of the cut as possible. You can separate the parts of the wing by simply pressing a chef’s knife through the joints. Add the tips to your stock.
Now you have a bird with no wings and no legs. Removing the breast is fairly straightforward. For boneless breasts, start at the top of the bird and use the tip of your knife to cut down, riding first against the breastbone then the ribs, until the breast comes free. You will have to deal with the wishbone, which comes out into the breast slightly at the front of the chicken. You can either carefully cut around this or use your knife or shears to cut through it and remove it once you have the rest of the breast off.
For a bone-in breast, start by taking a sharp knife or kitchen shears and cut through the ribs, and wishbone from the back (large opening) to the front following the contour of the bottom of the breast meat. Save the back for stock. Once you have freed the breast from the back, place it breast-side down on the board and use a large kitchen knife to cut right through the middle of the breastbone. Or you can use a knife or kitchen shears to cut to either side of it. There is no one way to break down a chicken, but with a little practice it is easy to accomplish.
Butterflying Chicken
This is the best way to prepare a chicken for the grill. Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring or boning knife, or, better yet, a pair of kitchen shears, cut away the body from either side of the spine and remove. I find if you are using a knife it works best to place the large opening away from you and work toward yourself (be careful), and the opposite if you are using shears.
Once you have the backbone removed (save it for stock), you have a choice. You can keep the chicken breast-side down and splay it open slightly. From here you can use your knife to cut through the soft cartilage on either side of the breastbone that runs down the middle of the chicken, and carefully remove the bone, or you can simply flip the chicken over, splay it out slightly, then press down. The chicken will flatten, breaking the bones in a clean line to one side of the breastbone.
Removing the breastbone is a little more “refined,” but the choice is yours. Unless I’m cooking for someone I want to impress, I usually don’t bother.
Grilling Chicken
1 chicken, 3–5 pounds, brined overnight and butterflied (see the brine recipe, page 112)
Salt and black pepper
About 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce (or make your own ahead of time; see next page)
Prepare a grill with medium, indirect heat. Charcoal is best, but gas will also work. Make sure your grill is well cleaned, and use a paper towel with a bit of olive oil on it and a pair of tongs to oil your grill surface. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken on the grill, breast-side up, cover, and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size the chicken. Use a grilling brush to baste the bird with your sauce about every 15 minutes. Flip the chicken breast-side down directly over your heat source and baste the bone side of the bird liberally with more sauce. Cover and cook for another 5 to 15 minutes or until the skin is nice and crispy — slightly burnt.
BBQ Sauce
13⁄4 cups cider vinegar
1⁄4 cup tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons molasses
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 slice of lemon
Combine all ingredients in a jar and mix well. Ideally this should sit for at least a week in the refrigerator before use. Any leftovers can be brought to a quick boil and used for dipping.
Poaching Chicken
by Robert Booz
1 tablespoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon of pickling spice tied in cheesecloth or a coffee filter
6–7 cups water
3 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, or a combination of breasts and boneless, skinless thighs
1 lemon, cut in half
Put the salt, pickling spice, and water in a large pot and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat to low and add the chicken, poaching for 20 minutes or until the chicken is firm and cooked through. Remove from the heat and add the two lemon halves, squeezing the juice out as you add them. Let all rest in the pot at least 30 minutes before removing the chicken. Discard all but the chicken.
Chicken Stew
by Daniele Dominick
5 pounds chicken legs, thighs, and breasts, skin removed (see Tip, page 119)
Olive oil
1 large carrot peeled
1 stalk celery, whole
1 large Spanish onion, unpeeled
2 medium Spanish onions, chopped
4 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large carrots, peeled, split lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
Salt and pepper
Season the chicken liberally with salt. In the bottom of a large stockpot, brown the chicken pieces with a bit of oil. Add the carrot, the whole celery stalk, and whole onion. Add water until all is covered by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for about 3 hours.
Drain the vegetables and chicken, conserving the liquid. Slowly, over medium heat, reduce the stock by half (about 2 hours).
Shred the chicken and remove all the bones. In another pot, sauté the rest of the onions, celery, and carrot, in oil until nicely browned (about 10 minutes). Add the tomato paste and cook until it begins to darken and stick to the bottom of pot, being careful not to burn it. Add the shredded chicken, potatoes, and stock with bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any remaining bits from the bottom of the pot. Add water to thin as needed.
Let the stew come to a boil, and then simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and potatoes are cooked through.
Tip: The skin can be seasoned with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and baked until crispy in a 350°F oven. It makes a wonderful substitute for bacon on a BLT.
Big Spiced Wings
by Gordon Hamersley
6 pounds large chicken wings (16 wings total)
5 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon five spice powder
2 teaspoons vanilla powder (a vanilla extract alternative)
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon paprika
1⁄4 cup honey
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
Combine all the ingredients but the chicken wings. Mix with the wings and marinate in the fridge for 30–60 minutes.
Lay the wings out on a rack fitted on a sheet pan. Brushing with marinade every 10 minutes,
roast at 375°F for 35–40 minutes. Serve hot.
It’s Offal
The innards are the best parts. The next five recipes are by Jefferson Munroe, and the last is by Betsy Carnie.
Korean BBQ Hearts
Grilled to chewy perfection, this serves 6 as an appetizer.
1 pound chicken hearts
1 1-inch knob of ginger root, grated
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup chili paste (sriracha or sambal)
1⁄4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
Clean the chicken hearts of any residual blood or membranes. Combine all ingredients but the hearts in a nonreactive bowl, mixing well. Add the hearts, being sure to coat them thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
Skewer the hearts and grill on the top rack in a covered grill over medium heat for 7 minutes on each side or until the outside begins to caramelize and the hearts firm up. If you are using a charcoal grill, be sure that the coals are at least 4 inches below the grill surface.
Moroccan Braised Gizzards
Inspired by a beloved Paula Wolfert recipe, this tagine can cook and cook and cook!
2 pounds chicken gizzards, well cleaned
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or chicken fat
1 large white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 fennel bulb, chopped finely
2 stalks rhubarb, chopped finely
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric or a pinch of saffron
2 cups water or stock
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1⁄2 cup kalamata or green olives, pitted
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for serving
Salt and pepper, to taste
Hot rice, for serving
Preheat the oven to 220°F. Clean the gizzards and wash thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt. Heat oil over medium-high heat and brown the gizzards. Be sure to use a heavy-bottomed pan and brown only a few at a time to ensure proper browning. Once they’re browned, remove them to a separate dish and lower the heat to medium. Sauté the onion, garlic, and fennel until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the rhubarb, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, and turmeric, and and sauté for another 5 minutes; then add the water, chickpeas, vinegar, and the gizzards.
Once the mixture comes to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours. Give it a stir after the first hour. After 2 hours, check to make sure the gizzards are tender, adjust the seasoning, and add the olives. Let the whole pot rest for 10 minutes, then serve over rice with the chopped cilantro.
Confit of Gizzards
Confit, a term that comes from French, refers to something that has been cooked in fat, but it might as well mean “deliciousness cooked in delicious fat” because it makes everything better. These gizzards should be put away for a week in your fridge after cooking to let the flavors meld. Then they’re great browned with some eggs in the morning (think unsmoked bacon) or cooked under the broiler for 7 minutes before tossing with some greens, fresh herbs, and vinegar. Or without anything else whenever you’re in the mood for a tasty little snack. Properly stored they’ll keep up to three months in your fridge, but I doubt that they’ll last that long.
2 pounds gizzards
4 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1–2 cups rendered chicken fat, duck fat, or lard (in a pinch you can use olive oil)
Clean and thoroughly wash the gizzards. Dry well; curing is intended to remove as much water as possible. Smash the garlic, break up the bay leaves, pluck the leaves from the thyme sprigs, and toss with the gizzards and salt in a bowl. Place in fridge and leave overnight. Drain off any excess liquid in the morning and place the gizzards in a colander over a bowl. Wait another 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 220°F. Pat dry the gizzards, removing any seasoning that has clung to them. Combine the gizzards with the fat in an ovenproof pan and place over medium-low heat. Once the fat reaches a simmer, move it to the oven and allow to cook for 4 to 6 hours or longer. You’ll know the gizzards are done when they’re lying at the bottom of the pan and the fat looks clear, as this will indicate that they are no longer releasing any liquid. To store I usually use Mason jars, but any container will do. Fill the container four-fifths full with gizzards, then pour the melted fat over them, making sure not to scoop any of the cooking liquid from the bottom of the pan as it will spoil too quickly. The fat should completely cover the gizzards. Be sure there are no air pockets. Any extra cooking liquid works well as a concentrated, salty stock for cooking grains or adding to vegetable sautés.
Chicken Foot Souse
Best eaten with your hands, this makes perfect (and exciting!) picnic fare.
1 lb chicken feet
3 lemons
1 head of garlic, unpeeled
1⁄4 cup salt plus more to taste
1 small bunch cilantro
2 pimiento peppers
1 medium red onion, peeled, halved, sliced, and separated into half-rings
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 hot pepper such as habañero or jalepeño, minced (optional)
Wash the feet, and with a sharp paring knife trim away the toes and any dirt that has been impacted into the soles. Cut one lemon in half and rub the halves all over the feet, paying special attention to any openings in the skin. Place the feet in a pan with the garlic and cover with water. Add the ∑ cup of salt and bring the pot to a simmer; simmer for 2 hours or until tender. Meanwhile, juice the remaining lemons and set aside the juice. Once the feet are tender, drain and rinse them three times in fresh, cold water.
Chop the cilantro and pimiento peppers and puree in a food processor, adding salt to taste. Place the feet, onion, and cucumbers in a bowl and pour 1 cup water, the lemon juice, the cilantro mixture, and the hot pepper, if using, over the feet. Mix well and allow to marinate for 3 hours.
Chicken Liver Mousse
1 pound chicken livers, cleaned of any connective tissue and soaked overnight in milk
1 tablespoon chicken fat or extra-virgin olive oil
1 stick butter cut into 5 pieces, at room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon
1 medium Spanish onion, peeled, halved, sliced and separated into half-rings
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup Madeira
1 pinch ground pistachios
1 sprinkle unsweetened cocoa powder
Rinse the livers and dry well. Place a pan over medium-high heat and add the chicken fat or olive oil. Once the pan is good and hot, sear the livers in small batches, browning well. Set the livers aside, reduce the heat to medium and add the 1 tablespoon of butter and the onions and garlic saled to tast. Cook until softened and lightly browned. Deglaze the pan with the Madeira and add the livers back. Cook, stirring, until the livers are cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Remove the livers from the heat and let them cool to room temperature, which will take about 20 minutes. You want the butter at room temperature and the livers and onion in the same range — if the livers are too hot, they’ll melt the butter and your mousse will separate; if the butter is too cold, the food processor will cut it up rather than whip it into a mixture. It’ll still be delicious, but the texture won’t be quite the same.
When everything is at the same temperature, put the liver mixture in the food processor and get it whizzing away until it is well puréed, then add the butter to the spinning processor one piece at a time. When the butter has been incorporated, season again with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that when cold you won’t taste
the salt as much. Scoop it into a suitable container and sprinkle with ground pistachios and a dusting of cocoa powder. Eat with just about anything crunchy.
Chicken Liver Pâté
created by Betsy Carnie
5 large chicken livers, about 7 ounces, soaked in milk overnight
2 tablespoons chicken fat or clarified butter
1⁄2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup sherry
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme, minced, plus a sprig for serving
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 8-ounce package Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature
Rinse and dry the chicken livers.
Add the chicken fat or clarified butter to a pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, brown the chicken livers well; reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and sauté until lightly browned, approximately 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the sherry, scraping any bits from the bottom. Transfer the contents of the pan into the bowl of a food processor and add the herbs, spices, salt, and pepper. Puree until smooth, then add the Neufchatel cheese in 2-ounce pieces while the food processor is running. Puree until well incorporated. Adjust seasoning to taste. Use a spatula to turn and the press pâté into a tureen or ramekin of your choice. Or you can line a mold with plastic wrap and press the pâté into that. Chill overnight.
The Mobile Poultry Slaughterhouse Page 13
