1. Meat
– Harvest the meat from the bone to be used in any capacity. In our case we
grind the meat in order to make chicken jerky.
2. Skin
– We skin the quarter of chicken and put it on a grate over a dish and place it
in the oven at 350. I watch as the skins brown and crisp up (anywhere from 25
mins to 1 hr… just keep checking). I remove them when they are entirely hard
and put them on a cloth to absorb any excess fat. These are super yummy on
their own (certainly not in excess…. despite the amazingly addictive flavour)….I’ve been
known to add Himalayan sea salt and ground rosemary & thyme prior to putting them in
the oven….. oh yes I did! ….they were AWESOME! Use your imagination… curry powder
or cumin… garlic…k. You Get It. I’ve also been known to crumble some over a
fresh salad served with the chicken. Delish. Gotta love Crackling.
3. Rendered
Chicken Fat – The cool thing about making the skin (aka crackling) is you also
make rendered chicken fat at the same time. Make sure prior to cooking the
skins that there is no meat or bone on the skin… this will prolong its shelf
life tremendously. After the skins have transformed into little crunchy pieces
of deliciousness, you'll notice that there is clear liquid in the dish. HARVEST THIS NECTER!!! It’s
rendered chicken fat. GREAT FOR A PALEO DIET! Strain it through cheesecloth
before putting it in a jar. Cap the jar and let it cool to room temperature.
You will note it changes colour (as it solidifies). Once cool to the touch then
place in the fridge for random use. Just scoop out what you need! It cooks at a
high heat which makes it beautiful for roasting vegetables or simply as a dab
of oil as required. I am also a fan of using it for making fresh popcorn as it
gives it a yummy flavour. So ya….Keep this! It will last for a VERY LONG TIME
in the fridge.
4. Bones
– Without a doubt making broth is often my motivator for pulling a quarter chicken
out of our freezer.... between you and me what to do with the meat is completely secondary. There is nothing better than homemade broth from yummy tasty organic grass-fed
chicken! Grass-fed chicken is naturally more flavourful (try it yourself if you
don’t believe me) ~ you see it’s all in the grass! So throwing the uncooked
bones into a slow-cooker with some organic carrots, onions and celery greens is
just like a gift from the earth (yes….I did just say that!). So take the time
and make the broth. I recommend putting the bones and veg in a slow-cooker with
water added only to the top of the bones (don’t over water as this weakens the
flavour of the broth) set at low and walk away….. for like 10 hours. When you
return strain the contents through a sieve and place the broth in a jar ~ cap
the jar and let it cool on the counter…..um…..or just leave it in the
slow-cooker and add your soup ingredients….WHY WAIT??? Happy soup making!
and finally.........................
5. Pet
Food – After the broth has been separated you are left with a whole lot of
yumminess ~ maybe not the most appealing to guests or family but in that mess
is a dinner of champions for your furry little….or big…..friends. Separate ALL
bones from the meat and veg ~ this is extremely important as chicken bones are not animal friendly! For our Bella I take
out the celery greens and most of the onions as she’s not a fan…. I leave behind
a healthy amount of chicken meat and
some delicious soft carrots, a stray onion or two and a little broth. I tell
you she’s one happy puppy!!!
So there you have it!
One chicken quarter can provide 5…. count em’… FIVE
GASTRO DELIGHTS! Who knew? ….
WASTE NOT WANT NOT
