Why Did it Take Me So Long to. . .?

[jtoepfert100]

realize that it is so much easier and more flavorful (not to mention cheaper) to buy chicken with the skin still on and skin it yourself?

I've always been afraid of chicken with the skin on figuring that even if I skinned it myself, I would still be eating more fat than if I bought the boneless, skinless variety. Boy, was I wrong! Just to experiment, I had DH pick up a package of skin on, bone-in thighs last night (I made the Oven Fried Buttermilk Chicken). For a mere $2.00 I got 4 big,juicy thighs. The skin was a breeze to get off and there was SO much less fat on the thighs than typically come on the boneless, skinless ones. I usually spend twice as much time defatting the skinless thigs than it took me to de-skin the thighs last night. And the taste??? No comparison! We haven't been buying too much chicken lately because of the cost, but now I no longer need to worry about that.

Now that I'm feeling brave, next step - a whole chicken!:)

[MISSINDI]

Try Barefoot Contessa's Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken - very simple to make and especially yummy. You can find it on FoodTV's site, because she just made it again recently. Both Giada DeLaurentiis and Michael Chiarello also have their own versions that are equally simple and yummy. What 'till you see that you can get the whole chicken for about $6-7, and the taste beats more rotisserie storebought chickens. On the menu for Saturday night, along with those yummy roasted carrots. :D

[jtoepfert100]

Perfect! And I have carrots to use up, too. Saturday is our annual Seafood Extravaganza but this sounds great for Sunday. Going to get the recipe now. . .:D

[MISSINDI]

Here you go. And, see, you didn't have to buy a thing with this post. ;) She used the bacon in the chicken recipe to make a salad, so I put that recipe below. Enjoy!

Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 3 to 4 servings

1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
4 lemons
3 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 pound sliced bacon
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 425F. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, reserving enough thyme to garnish the chicken dish, 1 lemon, halved, and 2 halves of the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Cut 2 of the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.

Slice the chicken on a platter. Garnish the chicken platter with the bacon slices, roasted garlic, reserved thyme and 1 lemon, sliced. Serve with the gravy.

Baby Leaf Salad with Bacon
Prep Time: 13 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

8 ounces good bacon
1 extra large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 pound chunk very good Parmesan
Mesclun greens for 4, washed and spun dry

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lay the bacon on a baking sheet, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until crisp. Dry on paper towels and large dice.

For the dressing, place the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into the bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade. Process until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube (as though you were making mayonnaise) and process until thick. Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and pulse 3 times.

Toss the lettuce with enough dressing to moisten well. Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. With a very sharp knife or a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan into large shards and arrange them on the lettuce. Sprinkle the diced bacon over the salad and serve.

[jtoepfert100]

Thanks - I was off getting it on the site. Saw the salad recipe but probably can't justify that much fat in a salad. Have you served the chicken skinned (before or after cooking) with good results?

[cinnamon_queen]

I've always felt the same way as you regarding the skin-on chicken! You may have just inspired me to change my ways (or at least try a new technique!) I don't care what the recipe calls for, I will always sub boneless skinless chicken breasts (even though they are Empire Kosher Chickens) for skin-on chicken!

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by jtoepfert100
Thanks - I was off getting it on the site. Saw the salad recipe but probably can't justify that much fat in a salad. Have you served the chicken skinned (before or after cooking) with good results?

Yes, I don't eat it with the skin (dh does) and the chicken is very moist and juicy, tastes fine. Hope this helps!

[jtoepfert100]

Thanks for the help. DH would eat his with the skin on, too, so I'll leave his on and take mine off. FYI - It's BBQ Spaghetti tonight - probably with some leftover turkey sausage and mushrooms.:)

[VegasDramaQueen]

I can't understand the 1 1/2 cups of olive oil in the salad dressing. For 4 people that sounds like waaaay too much. I make my own Italian dressing and I use 3/4 cup of olive oil for 8 people and it's plenty. I watched her make this dressing and she did use 1 1/2 cups. I will try it using half the amount of olive oil and see what happens. 1 1/2 cups of oil divided by 4 people is about 3/8 of a cup per person. Far too much as far as I'm concerned.

[jtoepfert100]

Originally posted by cinnamon_queen
I've always felt the same way as you regarding the skin-on chicken! You may have just inspired me to change my ways (or at least try a new technique!) I don't care what the recipe calls for, I will always sub boneless skinless chicken breasts (even though they are Empire Kosher Chickens) for skin-on chicken!

Go for it, cinnamon_queen! FYI - it's easier to skin the chicken when it's still a teensy bit frozen. Let us know if you do it.

VegasDramaQueen - keep us posted on that dressing. I suspect it will come out just fine. I would think even less than 3/4 cup would be okay, but I'm used to (and prefer) low- and non-fat things.

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by jtoepfert100

but I'm used to (and prefer) low- and non-fat things.

Geesh, where's the fun in that? ;) 'Course it rationalizes all the cookies from the online Cookie Exchange, right? By the way, came across a magazine I thought you might want; I put it in today's mail for you. I'm trying to downsize (just a bit) my stuff at home so packing it all isn't as big a burden as I think it will be. :D

[Molli526]

I am not so sure I can take the plunge of skinning *raw* chicken. I can cook the whole bird, and skin it after it has been cooked.

[kimmer99]

Wait, I'm confused. Are you skinning whole chickens before you roast them? Doesn't that lead to a dried out bird?

[jtoepfert100]

Originally posted by MISSINDI

By the way, came across a magazine I thought you might want; I put it in today's mail for you. I'm trying to downsize (just a bit) my stuff at home so packing it all isn't as big a burden as I think it will be. :D

:D :D :D Yeah!!! That is so sweet of you! I can never have enough magazines. I've been frustrated recently because we just moved and because they are being forwarded, I haven't received any magazines in quite awhile.


Originally posted by MISSINDI


Geesh, where's the fun in that? ;) 'Course it rationalizes all the cookies from the online Cookie Exchange, right?

But of course!


molli526 - It's weird, I almost always have DH trim the fat from our meat because it seems icky but the skin thing didn't bother me last night. Of course, I was in a "mood", so perhaps I just needed to take a big knife to something.

But equally stranger is that I don't mind and almost enjoy deveining shrimp. . . :confused: :eek:

[MISSINDI]

Molli - I'm with you. I can't take apart a chicken, much less truss or season it. I always leave it for dh to do. Likewise, if we go out to eat and I order lobster, dh has to take it apart for me. I can't bring myself to look at it in its full state. Of course, he always tries to get me to order something else, because it means more work for him. :) I could definitely very easily become vegetarian. :)

Jen - I know what you mean about the magazine forwarding thing. The biggest thing I hate about moving, except for the obvious packing, unpacking and settling in, is getting my mail to arrive at the proper place. I love my magazines and hate anything that disrupts my receiving them. :D

[Kay Henderson]

It's neat to see people trying new things.

Unless I am in a hurry or using a recipe that needs boneless and I do not choose to spend the time to boning it, I use bone-in chicken. The bone contributes a lot of flavor and this is true of all cuts.

Missindi, skinning raw chicken may be esthetically unappealing, but it is not difficult. Breasts and thighs are particularly easy. Just put your thumb or fingers under the skin and pull. You can also easily pull off (or possibly cut off if stuck) any fat. For legs, I pull the skin back toward the foot (peeling off like a latex glove). I then pull it all off by using a paper towel, which provides some friction, to yank the skin away from the bone.

Kay

[MISSINDI]

No, Kay, not difficult at all. I just can't bring myself to touch chickens, etc. in that state. Along the same lines of looking at fish, eyeballs still intact, at the seafood counter, etc. You know?

[jtoepfert100]

Originally posted by MISSINDI
Along the same lines of looking at fish, eyeballs still intact, at the seafood counter, etc. You know?

:eek: :eek: :eek:

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by jtoepfert100


:eek: :eek: :eek:

LOL, although our two-year-old son sure loves it. Yuck.