RecipesThe Whole Chicken
Why is it, when someone canò€™t identify a particular new flavor, they say it tastes ò€œjust like chickenò€? For example, if someone tastes rattlesnake meat, they invariably say it tastes ò€œjust like chickenò€. Or it might be alligator meat they say tastes ò€œjust like chickenò€, even though technically an alligator is a reptile, and a chicken is part of the fowl species.
Ò When the first chicken was ever consumed remains a mystery. It is thought to be a descendent of the wild Red Junglefowl found in India. From its eventual domestication centuries ago, there are now more than 24 billion chickens on earth. This constitutes chickens as the most populous bird in existence.
Has it ever occurred to anyone that a chicken is the only animal of which we eat the whole? Not only do we eat all appendages, such as legs, breasts and thighs, we eat what comes from it, which of course are eggs.Ò We even use the carcass to make stock. Stock is the base component in many recipes such as soups, stews and sauces. There are hundreds of recipes for both, though eggs tend to be solely a breakfast item.
Ò Recipes that involve chicken are quite plentiful, from those served in restaurants to those made in our own homes. They range from simple barbeque chicken to salads, to Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Coq Au Vin. It is even the principle ingredient in the popular home remedy of chicken noodle soup, a staple when it comes to the common cold.Ò Gourmet Chefs use it in an abundance of their recipes. Truly, it is the oneÒ animal from which we utilizeÒ the whole of its parts.