Text 4136, 63 rader
Skriven 2006-08-07 17:00:22 av Carol Shenkenberger (6:757/1)
   Kommentar till text 4118 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: Re: good chicken
========================
*** Quoting JIM WELLER from a message to CAROL SHENKENBERGER ***

JW> Same with my Mennonite birds.

 CS> but it's not a tremendous 'ohmygod' level  of difference.

JW> And they are even that level. We get that reaction all the time from
JW> guests.... about the bird and also about the richness of gravies and
JW> soups. They always ask what did we add to get such a flavour and I
JW> always say, "absolutely nothing". A simple roasted chicken with minima
JW> seasonings can become a true gourmet dish.

I'd like to try them then, but so far, I havent noted that level with the ones
here.  As I've mentioned, the locals tell me (when we can figure out how to
talk) that they arent true 'free range' but a sort of more humane 'battery'
with alot more room per chicken and some limited freedom to 'run around'.

They also have a special raising type for making 'sashimi chicken' ( an engrish
term when trying to stretch minimal cross-language skills).  Suitable for
eating as 'raw chicken' or 'barely cooked, still pink' (depends on the dish
ordered).  The dark meat will be normally prepared 'raw' and the breast,
poached very lightly and cut to almost spagetti strands.  They are definately
*not* battery raised nor even close.  Health of the bird is a major concern
and restrictions as well as meat testing is extremely tight.

I've never heard of anyone ever getting sick from it.  I will happily eat it in
a quality restraunt in Japan but it's more expensive than Kobe Beef.

 CS> What is notable is I've not seen one
 CS> yet that was much over  3lbs.

JW> Mine run 6-8 pounds; they are older, which is part of the reason they
JW> are more expensive. But I would rather have a great chicken dinner
JW> followed by a beans and rice dinner than two mediocre chicken dinners.

Well, 3lbs is about right for us 3 so that's not a problem.  I generally get
most of my chicken though at the commisary due to prices.  Other than chicken
necks and gizzards/livers, the meat price for chicken out in town is very high
for a whole one.  I'm not sure, but I think the bigger chickens are considered
to 'old and tough' so are sold either as ground meat, or choped fine.  The
necks are big and meaty and dont seem to match the size one would get from a
whole 3lb chicken.  More like a 6-8lb one?

 CS> pan when they were around  to see it <g>.

JW> Proper candling (holding the egg up to a bright light and looking for
JW> shadows) should eliminate that. I remember as a kid my mom would
JW> occasionally buy eggs form our egg lady that had tiny blood specks in
JW> them at a big discount and fish them out with a fork before frying or
JW> scrambling them. They were the rejects stores wouldn't accept. We neve
JW> had anything resembling balut though. The eggs would be less than one
JW> week old (we went once a week) and would have been refrigerated as soo
JW> as they were gathered, thereby killing any would-be baluts when they
JW> were pin head sized.

I figure the 2 times that happened (balut, once boiled and once in the pan)
were a fluke.  Neither occurance bothered me much (ws actually happy for the
boiled one though it had not been quite as developed as I would like).

                                       xxcarol

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