Yes, I am starting this blog post with a picture of a lowly packaged chicken. Not very exciting, not much to see here, right? Wrong. Chicken recipes should start with a really, really good chicken. Not only for the sake of knowing that the animal had a humane life and death, but for the taste.
I discovered Empire chickens at Trader Joe's last year. I remember taking that first one out of the package and it felt much different than other chickens I had bought in the past. It felt tacky, whereas most raw chickens feel clammy and slippery. It felt as if it had been rubbed in butter. And it was a reasonable size, not some mammoth chicken like the very cheap ones that you find at the grocery store. It had traces of hair? maybe feathers on the wings. It wasn't unnaturally bald, in other words. It had a neck that was still attached. It actually resembled what was once a living bird. For me, this was a good thing.
When Kosher practices were first followed, it wasn't because some nice people were worried about the chickens' welfare. It was the assurance that the killing and butchering practices they used were clean, humane and followed Jewish dietary laws, or the rabbi would not bless it. In Islamic law, they have similar rules about halal. Interestingly, in this modern day and age, we once again need to have separate restrictions in order to ensure safe handling practices. To understand the specifics of Kosher meat, you can read it here.
At that time, I was using a very simple roasted chicken recipe that involved brining it in kosher salt overnight, and roasting it with only a little bit of pepper and sugar added (for crisping and browning). What I noticed was such a difference in taste. It tasted more, dare I say, chickeny. I felt like one of those people who say, "This is what chickens used to taste like when I was a kid", which you can say about almost anything these days...apples, steak, real Coke.
Last week I came down with a nasty cold, and I happened to have bought an Empire chicken at the store, so I decided to make chicken soup. I found a very simple recipe and stuck my good old Empire chicken in a pot with whatever I could find in my vegetable drawer - some leeks, carrots, half an onion, some celery. Even with my stuffed up nose, I knew that my house smelled good that day.
Was it ever delicious! Like something someone's grandmother had made, with a rich, healing broth. And for that, I give all of the credit to that lovely Empire chicken.
Tonight I made a roasted chicken, using a paste made from smoked paprika, lemon juice, honey, and garlic powder, and of course my trusty Empire Chicken. The seasonings were really good, but again, it was the flavor of the meat that made the dish.
Sure, they cost more than your average grocery store chicken. I usually end up paying about $11-13 and it's a medium sized bird. But the convenience of being able to get it at TJ's and the excellent quality and flavor will make it my chicken of choice as long as I can get it.
