We recently took our first batch of chickens to butcher. I had the larger ones cut, but we kept a few of the smaller ones as whole roasters. Free-range chicken meat can be slightly tougher, since the birds actually use their muscles while alive and also because the meat isn't injected with a sodium solution after butcher. The trade off, however, is that it is WAY more flavorful. So for Sunday dinner I decided to cook one in the crock pot. I figured, if a crock pot can't produce moist, tender meat, then nothing can! The results were delicious. My husband commented several times during dinner that he couldn't believe how tender the chicken was. The next day I made the leftovers into chicken salad sandwiches and even while eating these he was like, "man this chicken is so good!" He might have just been boosting my ego... I'll take it!
The best part? I plunked it all in the crock pot and went about my day! 7 hours later? Dinner was ready!
First I created a bed of deliciousness for the chicken to rest upon as it cooked. I covered the bottom of the crock pot with sliced onions and 3 crushed garlic cloves. Then I sliced lemon, added a few sprigs of rosemary and two bay leaves. I made a gravy out of the drippings and, because of the rosemary and lemon, it had a citrusy flavor. If you don't want this, then omit the lemon at the least, possibly both.
If you were a chicken, wouldn't you want to bed with these delicious, aromatic ingredients?
I added about half a cup of water. It's not necessary, but I like to get the steaming process started ASAP.
Then I put the chicken in. In my younger days, I would have slathered the butter with an herb butter, but now that I'm trying to be less of a fatty, I just slathered the bird with Italian seasoning. I can assure you, that if you massage that bird with butter, especially under the skin, it will be mouth-wateringly delicious... but higher in calories.
Then I let this puppy simmer on low for about 7 hours. I did break the cardinal rule of crock potting and I opened the lid at 6 hours to stick a meat thermometer in. You can also tell it's done because the meat will literally fall right off the bone. Wiggle one of those drumsticks and the bone will practically pull right out. In fact, this can make removal from the crock pot a bit tricky!
I ended up with a fair amount of meat (enough for chicken dinner one night, a plethora of chicken salad, and some for a lettuce salad for lunch). In addition I ended up with almost 2 cups of drippings that I used to make a quick gravy.
The best part? I plunked it all in the crock pot and went about my day! 7 hours later? Dinner was ready!
First I created a bed of deliciousness for the chicken to rest upon as it cooked. I covered the bottom of the crock pot with sliced onions and 3 crushed garlic cloves. Then I sliced lemon, added a few sprigs of rosemary and two bay leaves. I made a gravy out of the drippings and, because of the rosemary and lemon, it had a citrusy flavor. If you don't want this, then omit the lemon at the least, possibly both.
If you were a chicken, wouldn't you want to bed with these delicious, aromatic ingredients?
I added about half a cup of water. It's not necessary, but I like to get the steaming process started ASAP.
Then I put the chicken in. In my younger days, I would have slathered the butter with an herb butter, but now that I'm trying to be less of a fatty, I just slathered the bird with Italian seasoning. I can assure you, that if you massage that bird with butter, especially under the skin, it will be mouth-wateringly delicious... but higher in calories.
Then I let this puppy simmer on low for about 7 hours. I did break the cardinal rule of crock potting and I opened the lid at 6 hours to stick a meat thermometer in. You can also tell it's done because the meat will literally fall right off the bone. Wiggle one of those drumsticks and the bone will practically pull right out. In fact, this can make removal from the crock pot a bit tricky!
I ended up with a fair amount of meat (enough for chicken dinner one night, a plethora of chicken salad, and some for a lettuce salad for lunch). In addition I ended up with almost 2 cups of drippings that I used to make a quick gravy.
I also made a potato and zucchini hash and asparagus. For the hash, I basically just sauteed some garlic, then through in some onions, zucchini, and potatoes and fried 'em up! I tossed the mixture with chopped fresh basil.
Quick, easy, and most importantly, delicious!!
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