welovepamperedcheftoo

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I know someone posted something about doing the chicken in the microwave. Could you please bump it for me.

This sounds like a cool thing to do at a show, but I have a dumb question. How do you gracefully cut the thing?! I can just see myself with grease all over myself and chicken flying all over the place. I don't know if I have ever cooked a whole chicken!!

From: <NOBR>

katmo_kin</NOBR>

Sent: 9/20/2006 9:24 AM

Can you give specific instructions on the chicken or tell me where I can find specifics? Also, I didn't know you could use the floral in the microwave. Is there anything different or specific you have to do to brownies to cook those in the micro? Isn't there a metal piece in the floral?

I'm so glad you mentioned a fryer, Whitney - I've been meaning to ask about that! Can someone tell me the difference between a fryer and a roaster? (Admitting my lack of cooking experience here!!) The first three times I bought a chicken to bake (two before the new pan and one since) I bought a 'roaster' since that's what I wanted it for, right? Then when I was telling my daughter about the miracle of chicken in the microwave, and that I paid $6 something for a slightly under 5 pound chicken she told me she buys whole birds for 59 cents a pound at Food Depot.

So the next time I went to buy a chicken at WalMart I looked around and what do you know - there are whole chickens for 74 cents a pound! (But the more expensive roasters are still there.) Over 5 pounds and under $4!! It said something like young hen - NOT roaster (but not fryer either I think). So when I went to bake it I was thrilled that it didn't have the neck and gizzards etc inside - yay, didn't have to throw them away (sorry, NOT making soup with those aweful looking things LOL!) What's it all about????? Marilyn in GA

Marilyn,

This info is from Hormel Foods. I hope it helps! I didn't really know, either--except I know fryers are always smaller...

Whitney

Types of Chicken

There are several varieties of chicken available to the consumer, such as regular chicken, Cornish game hens, and poussin, also known as spring chicken. Cornish game hens are very small pump chickens that are a cross between a Cornish and Plymouth Rock chicken. They produce a greater amount of white meat in comparison to their dark meat, than other birds and the meat is very tender. The Cornish hen generally weighs between 1 and 2 pounds and is prepared as a single serving. A poussin is an extremely young, small chicken, and it provides a very mild flavor. Because it is so young, it has very little fat. Regular chickens are classified according to their age. Listed below are the common classifications.

Broiler-Fryer	A chicken ranging in age from 7 to 13 weeks and weighing from 1-1/2 to 4 pounds. Their meat is very tender and they can be prepared by most any cooking method, such as broiling, braising, frying, roasting, and grilling. Depending on their size, a broiler-fryer will generally serve 3 or 4 people.
Roaster	A chicken ranging in age from 3 to 5 months and weighing from 3-1/2 to 7 pounds. Their meat is tender and more flavorful that the broiler-fryer chickens. They make a good roasting chicken but can be prepared by other methods and are good in other dishes. A roaster chicken will generally serve approximately 5 to 7 people.
Stewing Chickens	A mature chicken, which is over 10 months old and weighing in the range of 4 to 7 pounds. Their meat is very flavorful but tougher than that of the broiler-fryers and roasters. They are best used for stews and soups, or should be cooked slowly with a moist heat method such as simmering or braising.
Capons	Male chickens that have been castrated. They are generally under 8 months old and will weigh in the range of 5 to 9 pounds. The capon has more white meat but generally has a higher fat content. Their meat is the most flavorable of all the chickens and it is very tender. Capons are great roasting chickens and will serve approximately 6 to 9 people.


	Roaster	Capon	Boiler/Fryer	Cornish Game Hen
The picture above illustrates the difference in size between some of the different types of chickens.

Thanks Whitney! So my bird must have been a youngster who was bigger than usual! Interesting!! Marilyn

I put on a pair of gloves - it is less gross for them to watch me when it's not getting into my finger nails! lol. I cut the legs/wings off with the utility knife, then cut the breast parts off and cut into bite size pieces. I put the chicken back in the juices... yum yum. You can put on a SA plate you warm up with hot water if you want. :)

What else is everyone making in their Deep Covered Baker ??? I'm going to try a corned beef next week.

Thanks for all the suggestions & info @ poultry. I majored in Food Science, but it seems like there's more choices today.

I've been inspired to get out that roaster & use it.

About the carving a chicken, I've always carve the turkey in my house, so a chicken is easy. My director did a training demo last year at a meeting, & I think everybody saw how easy it can be. She served the chicken (cut-up) on the SA rect platter in rect woven, & the veggies in med bowls in rect stand. The meal looked & tasted wonderful.

Okay, I made this tonight, and it took about 40 minutes. Next time, I'll know to season it UNDER the skin b/c DH removed the skin when he was carving it (less fat of course). So, give me some seasoning tips. This time, I just used salt/pepper and some Grill Mates Montreal Chicken seasoning. I spritzed it with butter spray, sprinkled the seasonings on, and then rubbed them in. So, what are some other seasoning options...I like to TASTE my seasoning when I'm eating it.

I don't have the baker yet, so these ideas aren't practiced:

To season under the skin:

Slide fingers under skin to seperate it- then "smoosh" in room temp butter that has your seasonings mixed into it. If you don't want to use the butter to save on fat cals, just make up a rub with chopped garlic and your seasonings.

Cut up a couple of lemons and chunk up an onion and put into the chicken cavity.

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