General Cooking (rec.food.cooking) For general food and cooking discussion. Foods of all kinds, food procurement, cooking methods and techniques, eating, etc.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
Bob
 
Posts: n/a
Default Other ways to cook roasting chicken?

Priscilla wrote:

> That's what I was considering, but I wondered if there were any recipes
> that worked extra well with pieces from a roasting bird.


The recipe I follow for Chicken & Dumplings (which I got from Cook's
Illustrated) calls for a 6-7 pound bird. The "choice" parts (drumsticks,
thighs, and breasts) are kept whole, while the remainder is used to make the
broth:

Chicken and Dumplings with Aromatic Vegetables (Cooks Illustrated)
Serves 6 to 8
"A touch of heavy cream gives the dish a more refined look and rich flavor,
but for a weeknight dinner, you may want to omit it. If you are in a hurry,
you may poach boneless chicken breasts in low-sodium canned stock, then pull
the breast into large pieces, and skip step 1 below."

Poached Chicken with Creamed Gravy and Aromatic Vegetables
1 large roasting chicken, 6 to 7 pounds
large onion, cut into large chunks (not necessary to peel)
2 bay leaves
Salt
3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-by-1/2-inch pieces
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-by-1/2-inch pieces
6 boiling onions, peeled and halved
4 tablespoons softened butter or chicken fat from the cooked chicken
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dry sherry or vermouth [I prefer sherry or Madeira]
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Ground black or white pepper

Baking Powder Dumplings
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk

Preliminary: Cut up chicken as follows:
Cut off legs, separate thighs and drumsticks. Cut off wings. Cut off breasts
and separate. Cut along ribs on both sides to remove back. Reserve
breasts, thighs, and drumsticks. Hack remainder (wings, back, breast bones,
and ribs) into 1- to 2-inch pieces.

1. For the chicken: Heat deep 11- or 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over
medium-high heat. Add hacked-up chicken pieces (back, neck, and wings) and
onion chunks; saute until onion softens and chicken loses its raw color,
about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue to cook until
chicken pieces give up most of their liquid, about 20 minutes. Increase heat
to medium-high, add 6 cups hot water, chicken parts (drumsticks, thighs, and
breasts), bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon salt, then bring to simmer. Reduce
heat; continue to simmer, partially covered, until broth is flavorful and
chicken parts are just cooked through, about 20 minutes longer. Remove
chicken parts and set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from
bones in 2- to 3-inch chunks. Strain broth, discarding chicken pieces. Skim
and reserve fat from broth and set aside 4 cups of broth, reserving extra
for another use.

2. While broth is cooling, bring 1/2-inch water to simmer in cleaned skillet
fitted with steamer basket. Add vegetables; cover and steam until just
tender, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

3. For the dumplings: Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.
Heat butter and milk to simmer and add to dry ingredients. Mix with a fork
or knead by hand two to three times until mixture just comes together. Form
dough into desired shape; set aside. [The article illustrates flat
noodle-like dumplings, biscuit-like dumplings, and round puffy dumplings. I
always ignore those instructions, and just drop spoonfuls of the dough onto
the simmering chicken. I think the more you handle the dumpling dough, the
more leaden it gets.]

4. Heat butter or reserved chicken fat in cleaned skillet over medium-high
heat. Whisk in flour and thyme; cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns
golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Continuing to whisk constantly, gradually add sherry
or vermouth, then reserved 4 cups chicken stock; simmer until gravy thickens
slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in optional cream and chicken and vegetables;
return to simmer.

5. Lay formed dumplings on surface of chicken mixture; cover and simmer
until dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes for strip dumplings and
15 minutes for balls and biscuit rounds. Gently stir in peas and parsley.
Adjust seasonings, including generous amounts of salt and pepper. Ladle
portion of meat, sauce, vegetables, and dumplings into soup plates and serve
immediately.


Variation:
CHICKEN AND HERBED DUMPLINGS WITH AROMATIC VEGETABLES
Follow recipe for Chicken and Dumplings with Aromatic Vegetables, adding 1/4
cup minced soft fresh herb leaves such as parsley, chives (or scallion
greens), dill, and tarragon to dumpling mixture along with dry ingredients.
If other herbs are unavailable, all parsley may be used.


Bob


  #2 (permalink)   Report Post  
jmcquown
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Priscilla H. Ballou wrote:
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>
>> In article >, "Priscilla H. Ballou"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Hahabogus wrote:
>>>
>>>> Others have told me that I like rotisserie chicken...if I haven't
>>>> mentioned it before. I rub the bird with a lemon zest, garlic
>>>> powder, black pepper mix...inside and out, then spin the bird for
>>>> approx 1 hr 15 min. Oh and a pinch of salt.
>>>>
>>>> But for a change you could debone the bird and stuff it, with
>>>> either a bread style stuffing ,a cordon blue style mix, or a
>>>> spinach mix. Tie it up well and roast/rotisserie/grill that.
>>>
>>> Nice ideas. I doubt the entire roaster would fit in my rotisserie,
>>> though. I'm thinking of maybe doing the drumsticks and thighs in
>>> the rotisserie basket.
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> Priscilla

>>
>> Make soup.

>
> Out of a roaster? Wouldn't that be rather a waste? I'd use a tough
> old
> hen for soup, given my druthers.
>
> Priscilla


I doubt the chicken knows whether it was raised to be a roaster or a fryer.
I just buy what is cheapest and to hell with all that other stuff

Jill


  #3 (permalink)   Report Post  
Sheryl Rosen
 
Posts: n/a
Default

jmcquown at wrote on 1/22/05 5:24 AM:

> Priscilla H. Ballou wrote:


>>>
>>> Make soup.

>>
>> Out of a roaster? Wouldn't that be rather a waste? I'd use a tough
>> old
>> hen for soup, given my druthers.
>>
>> Priscilla

>
> I doubt the chicken knows whether it was raised to be a roaster or a fryer.
> I just buy what is cheapest and to hell with all that other stuff
>
> Jill
>
>


Duh. It's about flavor.
For a self-proclaimed soup expert, you should know that an old hen is too
tough to roast, but it's perfect for simmering to make stock. A roasting
chicken is a "roaster" because it's relatively young, usually 10-12 weeks
old. A "fryer" is smaller and younger still. Broilers and fryers are
usually 6-7 weeks old, and usually weigh under 4 lbs. Roasters usually
weigh 4-8 lbs. Roasted, fried either way these young chickens cook up nice
and tender.

But hens sold as "fowl" or "soup chickens" are usually a year, maybe 18
months old, and likely are retired egg layers. (though not necessarily).

Since they are older and tougher, they need to be stewed or simmered to cook
up tender. The stock made from a hen is much deeper and richer, and when
chilled, will turn to a nice, firm gelatinous mass. And the meat will be
much more flavorful than from a young chicken, even after long simmering.

On my grandparents' farm, they raised chickens so they could sell the eggs.
My grandparents made a nice living in the 1950's and 60's from selling eggs.
And when the egg layers got too old to produce good eggs every day, they
were sold as soup or stew chickens. Of course, some were kept for the
family. My grandmother made the most awesome chicken soup and chicken and
dumplings with those old hens. What I buy today doesn't even taste like
chicken compared to what I ate as little girl.

You can make soup from a roasting chicken, but why waste all that
wonderfully tender meat by simmering it in a pot of water? If you can't
find a hen or a "fowl", you're better off using legs and wings for soup.
It's not the meat that makes the stock, it's the bones, anyway.

  #4 (permalink)   Report Post  
sf
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 13:31:00 -0500, "Priscilla H. Ballou"
> wrote:

> I have (or will soon have) a couple of Perdue roasting chickens for a
> good price. The only problem is: I think I may be sick of roast fowl
> for a bit.
>
> Roasters are different from fryers in terms of piece size,
> tenderness/toughness, and fattiness, I know, so I'm wondering what would
> be suitable ways to cook one of these roasters other than roasting it.
> I'm pretty good at cutting up chickens, so getting it into pieces is no
> problem. I have a small rotisserie, so I'm thinking about possibly
> doing something with that.
>
> Other ideas?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Priscilla, back in r.f.c. after a lengthy absence



Hi Priscilla! Welcome back!

Have you ever cooked a "roaster" before? I haven't seen one
in years, but I do remember that the roasters I bought were
definately misnamed. They were better for stewing/braising
than dry roasting.

sf
  #5 (permalink)   Report Post  
Nexis
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Priscilla H. Ballou" > wrote in message
...
> I have (or will soon have) a couple of Perdue roasting chickens for a
> good price. The only problem is: I think I may be sick of roast fowl
> for a bit.
>
> Roasters are different from fryers in terms of piece size,
> tenderness/toughness, and fattiness, I know, so I'm wondering what would
> be suitable ways to cook one of these roasters other than roasting it.
> I'm pretty good at cutting up chickens, so getting it into pieces is no
> problem. I have a small rotisserie, so I'm thinking about possibly
> doing something with that.
>
> Other ideas?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Priscilla, back in r.f.c. after a lengthy absence


I use roasters to make soup when I can't get a stewing hen. You can use them
for other moist method recipes too, like cacciatore, arroz con pollo, coq au
vin as well.

kimberly




  #6 (permalink)   Report Post  
Priscilla Ballou
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> Hi Priscilla! Welcome back!


Thanks!

> Have you ever cooked a "roaster" before?


Heck, yeah. I've roasted dozens of them. The point is that I wanted to
do something *other* than roasting it.

> I haven't seen one
> in years,


No Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters in your neck of the woods? You not in
the US?

> but I do remember that the roasters I bought were
> definately misnamed. They were better for stewing/braising
> than dry roasting.


The roasters I get here in Boston (whether Perdue or the store brand)
have all been nice and fatty.

Priscilla

--
"It is very, very dangerous to treat any human, lowest
of the low even, with contempt and arrogant whatever.
The Lord takes this kind of treatment very, very personal."
- QBaal in newsgroup alt.religion.christian.episcopal
  #7 (permalink)   Report Post  
sf
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 20:52:22 GMT, Priscilla Ballou
> wrote:

> No Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters in your neck of the woods? You not in
> the US?


Perdue isn't a major brand on the left coast. It's Foster
Farms Chicken out here.

sf
  #8 (permalink)   Report Post  
Priscilla Ballou
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 20:52:22 GMT, Priscilla Ballou
> > wrote:
>
> > No Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters in your neck of the woods? You not in
> > the US?

>
> Perdue isn't a major brand on the left coast. It's Foster
> Farms Chicken out here.


Ah.

Priscilla

--
"It is very, very dangerous to treat any human, lowest
of the low even, with contempt and arrogant whatever.
The Lord takes this kind of treatment very, very personal."
- QBaal in newsgroup alt.religion.christian.episcopal
  #9 (permalink)   Report Post  
Puester
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Priscilla Ballou wrote:
> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
>
>>Hi Priscilla! Welcome back!

>
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>>Have you ever cooked a "roaster" before?

>
>
> Heck, yeah. I've roasted dozens of them. The point is that I wanted to
> do something *other* than roasting it.
>
>
>>I haven't seen one
>>in years,

>
>
> No Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters in your neck of the woods? You not in
> the US?
>
>


They don't ship Perdue to the western U.S. In the Rocky Mt. region
we get Butterball roasting chickens and local private labels.

In Calif. I remember Zacky Farms.

gloria p
  #10 (permalink)   Report Post  
sf
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 22:43:14 GMT, Puester
> wrote:

> In Calif. I remember Zacky Farms.


They were gobbled up by Foster Farms not too long ago.

sf


  #11 (permalink)   Report Post  
Melba's Jammin'
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article >, "jmcquown"
> wrote:

> Priscilla H. Ballou wrote:
> > Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> >>
> >> In article >, "Priscilla H. Ballou"
> >> > wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hahabogus wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Others have told me that I like rotisserie chicken...if I
> >>>> haven't mentioned it before. I rub the bird with a lemon zest,
> >>>> garlic powder, black pepper mix...inside and out, then spin the
> >>>> bird for approx 1 hr 15 min. Oh and a pinch of salt.
> >>>>
> >>>> But for a change you could debone the bird and stuff it, with
> >>>> either a bread style stuffing ,a cordon blue style mix, or a
> >>>> spinach mix. Tie it up well and roast/rotisserie/grill that.
> >>>
> >>> Nice ideas. I doubt the entire roaster would fit in my
> >>> rotisserie, though. I'm thinking of maybe doing the drumsticks
> >>> and thighs in the rotisserie basket.
> >>>
> >>> Thanks.
> >>>
> >>> Priscilla
> >>
> >> Make soup.

> >
> > Out of a roaster? Wouldn't that be rather a waste? I'd use a
> > tough old hen for soup, given my druthers.
> >
> > Priscilla

>
> I doubt the chicken knows whether it was raised to be a roaster or a
> fryer. I just buy what is cheapest and to hell with all that other
> stuff
> Jill


Chicken doesn't have to know -- the cook does. A roasting chicken will
be older and larger than a fryer and more flavorful due to its advancing
age. The stewer may not be any bigger than the roaster but will be
older. And tougher. And more flavorful. In theory.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Trip Report and pics added 1-13-05
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.
  #16 (permalink)   Report Post  
Sheryl Rosen
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Priscilla Ballou at wrote on 1/23/05 6:27 PM:

> In article >,
> Sheryl Rosen > wrote:
>
>> Melba's Jammin' at
wrote on 1/23/05 1:45 PM:
>>
>>>> I doubt the chicken knows whether it was raised to be a roaster or a
>>>> fryer. I just buy what is cheapest and to hell with all that other
>>>> stuff
>>>> Jill
>>>
>>> Chicken doesn't have to know -- the cook does. A roasting chicken will
>>> be older and larger than a fryer and more flavorful due to its advancing
>>> age. The stewer may not be any bigger than the roaster but will be
>>> older. And tougher. And more flavorful. In theory.

>>
>> Yup.
>> That's basically what I wrote yesterday.
>> Chickens don't know much, anyway.
>> I'm thinking people aren't seeing my posts...

>
> I saw your post on this topic and thought it covered the topic well.
> That is, assuming the post that impressed me was yours. Hmmm. ;-)


Thanks, Priscilla.
I hope it was mine!!!!
It is very silly to boil a roasting chicken....the great thing about them is
how tender and meaty they are!

I've got split chicken breasts in the oven tonight. Seasoned liberally with
Ozark seasoning, and then coated with seasoned flour. I was going for
oven-fried chicken. I checked it a few minutes ago and I needed to add some
butter to the skin side because some of the flour was still raw. I also
made roasted rutabaga. Chunked a small yellow rutabaga, salted and
peppered, tossed with a bit of olive oil, and roasted it in a second pan
beside the chicken. Rice pilaf as an accompaniment.

Can't wait for dinner to be ready.
>
> Priscilla with the swiss cheese memory


  #17 (permalink)   Report Post  
Priscilla Ballou
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article >,
Sheryl Rosen > wrote:

> I also
> made roasted rutabaga. Chunked a small yellow rutabaga, salted and
> peppered, tossed with a bit of olive oil, and roasted it in a second pan
> beside the chicken.


Hmmmm. Now that's an interesting idea. The only problem is, I love
regular boiled/mashed rutabaga so much!

Priscilla, who loves her turnips

--
"It is very, very dangerous to treat any human, lowest
of the low even, with contempt and arrogant whatever.
The Lord takes this kind of treatment very, very personal."
- QBaal in newsgroup alt.religion.christian.episcopal
  #18 (permalink)   Report Post  
Bob
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Orlando wrote:

>> 2. While broth is cooling, bring 1/2-inch water to simmer in cleaned
>> skillet fitted with steamer basket. Add vegetables; cover and steam
>> until just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

>
> Which would yield flavorless vegetables. Why not just cook them in the
> broth?


Lightly steamed vegetables are flavorless to you? How odd. I eat them on a
regular basis and I think they've got PLENTY of flavor.

At any rate, here's what the article had to say:

"Our updated chicken and dumplings needed vegetables, but where and how to
cook them? In an attempt to streamline the process, we tried cooking the
vegetables along with the poaching chicken parts. After fishing out hot,
slightly overcooked vegetables from among the chicken parts and pieces, we
decided this little shortcut wasn't worth it. So we simply washed the pot,
returned it to the stove, and steamed the vegetables for ten minutes while
removing the meat from the bone, straining the stock and making the dumpling
dough. Because the vegetables would cook again for a short time in the
sauce, we wanted them slightly undercooked at this point. Steaming them
separately gave us more control."

Since I was quoting a Cook's Illustrated article, I felt bound to transcribe
it accurately. You are, of course, perfectly at liberty to cook the dish
however you want. If I wanted to fool around with that part of the recipe, I
wouldn't cook the vegetables in the broth; I'd cook them in the butter or
chicken fat before adding the flour and thyme. But do whatever YOU like;
one of the great things about being an amateur cook is that you can
experiment and mold recipes to your own tastes.

Bob


  #19 (permalink)   Report Post  
Sheryl Rosen
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Priscilla Ballou at wrote on 1/23/05 7:57 PM:

> In article >,
> Sheryl Rosen > wrote:
>
>> I also
>> made roasted rutabaga. Chunked a small yellow rutabaga, salted and
>> peppered, tossed with a bit of olive oil, and roasted it in a second pan
>> beside the chicken.

>
> Hmmmm. Now that's an interesting idea. The only problem is, I love
> regular boiled/mashed rutabaga so much!
>
> Priscilla, who loves her turnips


I love it boiled and mashed too, but i was feeling lazy and already had the
oven on, and thought, what the hell, it's worth a shot. It actually was very
good. I roasted it uncovered for probably an hour, maybe an hour plus 10
min. I think next time I will cook it for half an hour with foil, then
remove the foil for the last 30-40 minutes. The cubes weren't as soft as i
would have thought they would be. However, the firmer, but still cooked
through texture was different and certainly delicious. I will make it this
way again.

The oven fried chicken came out delicious, also. I am a huge fan of Ozark
Seasoning from Penzey's, especially on chicken. I mixed in the seasoning
with some flour and coated the chicken with it, after having washed the
chicken pieces but not patted them dry. I think next time, I'll use milk or
egg wash to help the flour stick, rather than water. It will add some fat
and help cook the coating and let it get crisp. As it was, it really
reminded me of flavor of KFC. Only better. The leftovers will be great the
next couple of days!

Sometimes I use this same seasoned flour mixture on boneless chicken breasts
that I've cut into strips, and fry them. Really yummy. But I love how it
makes the chicken skin taste. This stuff is really quite good.

  #21 (permalink)   Report Post  
Bob
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Orlando wrote:

> If the broth is already there and going to be used to simmer the
> dumplings, why not use it for the vegetables as well? In fact, why not
> steam the vegetables separately with the broth as liquid instead of
> water?


The broth isn't "already there." In the recipe, at the time when the
vegetables are being steamed, the broth is still full of chopped-up chicken
bones and miscellaneous parts. It needs to be strained before it could be
used for anything else. Of course, you *could* defer cooking the vegetables
until after the broth was strained, then cook the vegetables in the broth as
you seem so desperately to want. It just adds several minutes to the cooking
process and doesn't seem to gain you anything. Remember that the vegetables
are deliberately undercooked, so it's not like they're going to pick up much
(if any) flavor from the broth. It's also debatable whether you should WANT
the vegetables to be strongly flavored of chicken, since everything else in
the dish will be.

Likewise you *could* steam the vegetables over the broth, but you don't want
the broth to condense too much because you need a certain amount of liquid
for the final dish -- unless you want to add water at that point, but then
what have you gained by steaming the vegetables over the broth?

Finally, the reason you can't cook the vegetables at the same time that you
cook the dumplings is that the dumplings will cook in much less time.

Bob


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
50 Great Ways to Cook Potatoes U.S. Janet B. General Cooking 20 03-12-2016 08:55 PM
Chicken soup Two Ways George Leppla General Cooking 1 09-11-2012 11:53 PM
What are some ways to cook food so it tastes good and is good for you ? wingmark General Cooking 12 14-07-2011 07:32 PM
Dinner Tonight: Asian Chicken, two ways Bob Terwilliger General Cooking 3 04-03-2006 03:33 AM
How many ways to cook an egg? zuuum General Cooking 82 11-08-2004 06:07 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:04 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 FoodBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Food and drink"