Spring chicken
If you want to feed yourself and your family, reduce the number of bugs in your yard, and find a good home for your food scraps, consider the humble chicken as a backyard pet. Chickens have been domesticated for thousands of years, and whether bred for meat or for egg production, they have all been bred to stick around, eat our castoffs, and return to the same roost or nest each night. Whether living to make eggs or make the dinner table, chickens can thrive in just about any yard, so long as you provide shelter, water and a predator-safe pen. To find out more about chickens, check out backyardchickens.com. If you aren’t the do-it-yourself type, find fresh birds at the City Market or ask your grocer for uncaged, grass-fed whole birds and bird parts.
 Chickens are named for the cooking methods they’re best suited for: broilers for quick cooking, roasters for longer cook times. |
All hens will lay eggs, whether or not they are fertilized. Around 10 weeks of age a hen will weigh between three and five pounds and is called a “broiler” because the meat is tender and suited to quick cooking methods. Most pullets (young hens) begin to lay eggs around 6 months of age; at first their eggs are small but nutrient-dense, and they will increase in size and frequency as the bird builds her skills. After eight months or so, birds are called “roasters” because their meat has enough fat, texture and flavor to stand up to longer cook times. “Tough old birds” contribute rich collagen, fat and flavor to stocks and stews; it is said the secret to Matzah Ball Soup is broth made with chicken feet (and plenty of schmaltz, which is chicken fat).—Lisa Reeder
Grilled Mojito Chicken
Flavored with the memory of a sweet trip to the Caribbean, this easy recipe from La Taza Coffeehouse should help you sail away.
4 chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half
1 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup good spiced rum
2 tbs. honey
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt and pepper
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Mix lime juice, rum, honey, mint, garlic and seasonings. Add chicken and marinate for at least one hour. Grill until caramelized on the outside; chicken should be cooked through by this point and still juicy. Serve with slices of lime and mint sprigs as a garnish. Serves four.
Kitchen shears
 Shears let you disassemble a bird and use some parts for stock. |
While turkey and Thanksgiving may merit a carving set, the weeknight chicken gets roasted whole or it gets the kitchen shears. Shears make it easy to buy a whole chicken and cut it apart, then marinate it and cook it to your liking. Not only is this the most economical route; you will also end up with a variety of pieces to choose from, and the main “frame” of the chicken can be used to make chicken stock or frozen for future stockmaking. Look for shears that twist apart for easy cleaning—but make sure you know how they go back together! The Seasonal Cook (seasonalcook.com) carries a variety of shears, including Poultry Shears by OXO that have a slight curve and additional length for larger birds.—L.R.