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2 Chickens – using the rest

We have the 2 chickens all cut up, with just the bones and the skin remaining. We aren’t done here, folks still plenty of useful bits on them birds.

I seasoned the bones with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon pepper.
350 oven for 20 minutes, and cool.
You can see plenty of meaty bits still clinging to the chickens.
Pull all the meat you can from the bones.
Bones in my slow-cooker
Add celery, including the butt, carrots, a quartered onion, salt, pepper, thyme, basil, and lemon pepper and two tablespoons vinegar, it helps leach the minerals.
Cover with water, cook on low 10 hours.
Next day
everything cooked down and healthy flavorful stock.
Strain out solids.
Hearty healthy lovely bone broth.
Prepping for freezer
I have this great lidded ice cube tray that I use for chicken stock – the cubes are great for sauces, stir-fries and gravies.
I portion the rest into quart freezer bags for soups later.
Get all the air out, pressing out the bubbles. Seal almost completely lifting one corner to let any bubbles rise to the corner, then seal.
Even out portions then seal. Lay flat on a sheet tray to freeze.
I have these bins that I use in the freezer for organization. They are NOT freezer containers for storage, they are for organization only
I have the chicken pieces in the freezer already.
Then I can lay the sheet pan level over the bins to freeze items flat for easier stacking once frozen.

Meanwhile

The chicken skin.
I used my shears to cut the skin into smaller pieces.
In a pan over low, low heat with enough water just to cover the bottom of the pan.
Stir occasionally as the fat begins to render.
Not quite there. Turn the heat up a little medium low.
There we go!! Brown crispy, turn the heat up just a bit to give it a good crisp.
Scoop out and drain on paper towel, salt while warm.
Pour off and reserve the fat, it is fine for cooking – a trick I learned from my kosher friends. I use it for chicken stir-fry’s and for making grilled chicken salad and cheese sandwiches.

While that is happening back to the chicken meat.

Take the cooked meat you picked from the bones – I got about 2 cups. You will get more or less depending on the size of your chickens and your butchering skills.
Prepping chicken salad.
Chop the chicken meat, feel and listen for small bones and gristle – any you find just toss into the slow-cooker.
Add two stalks of celery (there is the butt I put into the slow-cooker.
I like to cut the veg in the chicken salad rather small, I want to get a bit of everything in every bite.
I added one mini sweet pepper – look at that well loved cutting board. My fav.
Again, finely chopped.
One small shallot – because I had it, and is milder than regular onion.
I added some capers, because I had them, and they add a nice briny pop of flavor.
Mustard and mayonnaise smooth and creamy.
Quick lunch.
1/4 cup chicken salad on bread
Chicken salad sandwich with apple and peanut butter. The next couple days’ lunches will be similar, busy cooking and have the chicken salad on hand, maybe grilled with cheese and a green salad.
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Angel

I have always cooked, I was that person who could make a meal from an empty fridge. I have lived alone and with large and small families, I have cooked for camps on wood stoves, and in professional kitchens. I have lived and worked all over the west from Montana, to Seattle to Arizona to San Diego. I have traveled, maybe not 'all over the world', yet, and have collected tastes recipes and techniques everywhere, and every one I meet.

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