Cooking Heritage Breed Chicken
Heritage breed chicken is slow food! It is grown slowly, taking
6-9 months to mature, and must be cooked equally slowly. Braising is the best technique to use, which means cooking the
whole chicken in some liquid in a pot or pan with a close fitting lid until the
meat is tender. Braising can be done on the stovetop, though it works best in
the oven, at around 350F. For braising,
the meat does not need to be cut up like for stewing and it does not need to be
covered in liquid – an inch or two in the bottom of the pot or pan will do the
trick. The liquid can just be water, in which case you will get wonderful stock.
We like to use milk, or buttermilk; wine is lovely, too. One of our customers
recommended beer! You can add herbs and spices if you like. Whichever you use,
make sure it never dries out, or the bird will be tough. If you remember, baste
occasionally. Cook it until the meat falls off the bone and it will be perfect.
Using a pressure cooker also works very well and cuts down the cooking time considerably to around 45 minutes or so which can be followed up by 10 minutes of roasting to brown the bird.
Heritage breed chicken has a far more intense chicken flavor than commercial broilers and a smoother, firmer texture. It is equally well suited for stews, soups and curries, and does very well in slow cooker recipes.
Using a pressure cooker also works very well and cuts down the cooking time considerably to around 45 minutes or so which can be followed up by 10 minutes of roasting to brown the bird.
Heritage breed chicken has a far more intense chicken flavor than commercial broilers and a smoother, firmer texture. It is equally well suited for stews, soups and curries, and does very well in slow cooker recipes.
