Help! I've got chicken in the freezer and I can't get it out!

[framing fowl]

We butchered a few weeks ago, put the meat in the fridge in a slightly salty water for a couple of days, rinsed and put in freezer bags. MyT Man asked the other day, "So, when are we going to have some of that chicken?" I quickly fed him some salmon quiche to distract him while frantically thumbing through some recipe books.

Let's just say that cooking is not my first love. I'm hoping y'all can help me out with some good chicken recipes that showcase the taste of home grown chicken! Baking in the oven is good, and crockpots are my friend. I'm not much of a griller.

I know this probably sounds pretty silly. I really want to get it out of the freezer and use it, but I at the same time, I can't bring myself to do it. I just really want it to turn out good. BTW, we also have the hearts, livers, crops, etc.

 

[me&thegals]

We just had chicken today It's easy and not that exciting, but I think roasted at 300-350 for 2-3 hours is hard to beat!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

fire up the crockpot and cook it real slow with taters, onions and carrots...and some broth. then debone completely, thicken a bit, maybe add some noodles.. bake up some biscuits and voila! chicken-n-biscuits!

but dont over stress on making this The Best Chicken Ever.. just go what is easy and works for you

you'll do great!

 

[freemotion]

Do you have a nice big cast iron skillet with a tight-fitting lid? If not, you need one! It is my favorite pan for creating good flavor in most meat dishes. You can really brown things without fear. Toss the non-stick skillet into the back of the cupboard!

You can cut the chicken into pieces and brown them in some type of fat or oil in the pre-heated skillet (put the pan on a low heat....3 on my electric stove is perfect...for maybe 10 minutes. Then turn it up right before you cook your food in it. This will make it non-stick for eggs, too!) Add some chopped onion, maybe one medium, and saute until almost translucent, then add diced garlic, a clove or two or three or four....and saute a minute or two longer, then add some water or broth and put the lid on the pan. Turn the heat down and let it cook for an hour or two, check for tenderness and turn the meat every 20 min or so. Or not. I forget sometimes and it comes out fine.

You can thicken the gravy if you'd like. If there is too much water in the pan, you can take the chicken out and let the water boil off a bit to intensify the flavor, then thicken it. I like to use a half cup of cold water (broth if there is some in the fridge that is cold) to which I've added a heaping spoonful of cornstarch (a tablespoon, maybe?) and stir the lumps out, add it to the boiling broth and boil it for a minute or two. Add salt and pepper and you are good to go!

Don't season your broth until after you reduce it, or it could end up too salty or peppery or whatnot.

Sometimes I add rosemary in the early stages, and sometimes I use scallions instead of onions. Usually, actually. I love scallions.

 

[Wildsky]

We just had chicken today It's easy and not that exciting, but I think roasted at 300-350 for 2-3 hours is hard to beat!

My fav. Roasted chicken with a nice crispy skin!

I just took one out the freezer myself, but it will be for Tuesday.

 

[Farmfresh]

Do you have a nice big cast iron skillet with a tight-fitting lid? If not, you need one!

BOY oh BOY do I agree!

I have a cast iron dutch oven that makes the BEST roasted herbed chicken in it.

Drop in one chicken - If you want stick an onion inside of the chicken and also salt and pepper the inside cavity.

Rub the chicken with some butter

Sprinkle the chicken with herbs - I like thyme (or lemon thyme), sage and garlic

Add a little water and some chunked potatoes, carrots, celery.

Stick on the cast iron lid and pop into a low 300 - 325 oven for around a hour!

YUMMY!

The taste just can NOT be matched with any other cooking gear ... you gotta have cast iron!

 

[framing fowl]

Whew! I knew you guys would save the day! I just went to the freezer and pulled a bag out to start dethawing! Unfortunately, it's already quartered up so will be cooking the pieces. I do have a cast iron dutch oven with tight lid and a great cast iron skillet but don't have a lid that fits that. Can you use the dutch oven on the stovetop in place of the skillet with lid? I would think so...

Sometimes the things we do seem so trivial ~I've cooked hundreds of chicken from the grocery but for some reason, I really felt paralyzed by the thought of cooking the first ones I'd grown and butchered. Maybe it was just the thought of knowing that I knew who I was cooking? Perhaps it was the sentiment of knowing the work that went into the project and wanting the meal to be extra special and more important. I don't know but I do feel better now, and I'm hungry, and I'm excited for dinner tomorrow night!

 

[freemotion]

Yes, the dutch oven will work stove top or you can brown it on top and then stick it in the oven to finish. Either way will be delicious.

I have a secret....don't tell anyone! I was nervous cooking my first home-raised bird, too. I wasn't attached, but it seemed so much more precious than the $0.69 per pound Frankenchickens I was used to cooking that I didn't want to mess it up! My mom talked me through the method I posted above.

I do the store chickens in an open roaster in the oven for crispy skin. The ones my dad processed are dual purpose birds of various breeds and he was in a hurry and some parts are missing some skin, and the birds were not finished and are a bit on the lean side. So I didn't want to risk dry meat, so I used the covered method. I don't have a dutch oven (yet!) so I cut it up and used the skillet.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I've got some home grown chicken in the freezer that I want to cook up too. The last time I cooked a home grown bird, he was a little tough. I think the roo was too old. I'm hoping for more tender chicken this time. I like the recipes and have to try them in the next few days.

 

[Farmfresh]

I think that is a benefit!

You are so right - I am always very careful with the birds and produce that I raise. Knowing how much work was involved makes me take EXTRA time to cook it to make it taste great and VERY aware of preventing any waste. We tend to EAT those leftovers. We use the WHOLE animal we got butchered. I package it like we eat it and make best use of parts like backs and neck bones. I save the extra fat to use in cooking. Finally we feed table scraps or anything inedible to either dogs, chickens or compost pile. Because of this we save even MORE money.

If all we had more appreciation for our food it would be a good thing. How many times is food scraped out into a garbage disposal to be washed down the drain just because it was not appealing in some way? What a waste.