You have heard it a million times before, that no matter what…it probably tastes like chicken. Why is that? Could it be that when the argument comes about…you know, the one about “which came first” chicken would be the thing that came to mind? Could it be that chicken has no taste of it’s own…or maybe it is because chicken is a blank slate…a universally good food for marrying with pretty much any other flavor combination. I would have to think the latter. Chicken, which is very high in protein is just great for almost anything. Most diet plans will include chicken and if you have a great enough imagination you can pretty do whatever you want with it. You can fry it, saute it, boil it, poach it or any other cooking method you can think of.
One of my favorite things to do with it is to stuff it. There are so many ways to stuff a chicken and with anything you want…the list is endless. I also like to bone it out before hand, which I think is ideal, especially if you are doing Quail or Game Hen. It is easy to do (with practice) and one of the best things to use would be a stiff mashed potato. Garlic mash works well but it must be stiffer than a puree. As the bird roasts in the oven the juices will flavor the potatoes and gives a whole new depth to it. Another benefit will be that there will be almost no bones. The next time you roast a bird…try boning it out…you might like it better.
The way to do it is very simple. Get a boning knife…making sure it is very sharp. Flip the bird over (wing tips pointing down) and make a sharp stright cut along the underside. Go along the length of the body, and then working one side at a time slowly work the flesh away from the rib cage. Once you get to the top of the bird, work the same action on the other side of the bird. Whatever you do though, make sure you don’t detatch the bird from the skin. Once you finish, remove the inner wing and thigh bones, but save them for making stock. When you are finished boning out the bird, stuff it with stiff mashed potatoes, and form the chicken back together and cook it seem side down. Cook as you would normally and enjoy.
That’s it for now. Have a great week…and I will see you all next time. Bye.
