Don’t Overlook the Old Hen!
When chickens stop laying eggs, many people don’t realize they can still be a great food source. While often overlooked, old chicken hens can be a healthy and economical option, providing a return on investment for those who keep poultry.
Using old hens can reduce grocery costs and offer a unique culinary experience.
This article will guide you through processing and cooking old hens, covering preparation, cooking techniques, and recipe ideas, so you can make the most of these often-underappreciated birds.
Why choose old hens? Benefits beyond the egg
Old hens aren’t just egg-layers past their prime. They can be a great source of healthy meat. Because they often forage, they tend to be leaner than commercially raised chickens. They can also be raised naturally, making them a healthier choice for people who watch what they eat.
But there are other reasons to eat old hens:
- Save money. Raising chickens at home is often cheaper than buying meat at the store.
- Recoup costs. Using older birds helps you get some of your investment back.
- Sustainability. Eating the whole animal reduces waste. It also recognizes the animal’s life cycle by using it fully.
From Coop to Kitchen: Preparing the Old Hen
There’s a bit more involved in preparing an older hen for the table than just tossing a supermarket chicken into the oven. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Butchering Basics: A Necessary Skill
If you’re raising chickens for meat, you’ll need to learn how to butcher them. The most important thing is to dispatch the bird humanely, using a method that’s quick and painless.
For food safety, you’ll want to process the chicken fairly quickly after killing it, which will reduce the risk of spoilage and preserve the flavor.
Skinning vs. Plucking: Choosing Your Method
For older birds, skinning is often easier because older hens can be tougher to pluck. Feather condition can vary, and a sharp knife is essential for efficient skinning.
If you want to roast the chicken with the skin on, plucking may be preferred. Scalding the bird first can help loosen the feathers and make plucking easier.
Cleaning and Gutting: Essential Steps
As with any poultry, you’ll want to remove the innards as soon as possible to prevent contamination and preserve the meat’s quality. Rinse the cavity thoroughly with cold water to ensure a safe and flavorful result.
Don’t throw away the giblets! You can save them to make a flavorful stock or gravy.
Cooking techniques for tougher meat
If you’re dealing with an older bird, the key to making it palatable is to cook it “low and slow.” Slow cooking breaks down those tough muscle fibers, and moist heat helps tenderize the meat.
Braising: Coq au Vin as an example
Dishes like braises, stews, and pressure-canned chicken are good ways to get an older chicken tenderized. A classic example is Coq au Vin, a dish from the French peasantry that was designed to make tough old birds taste delicious.
I once made a Coq au Vin with an old hen, and it was fantastic. If you’re planning to make this dish, you might dry-age the meat for a week or so in the fridge before you start cooking. This will remove some of the moisture and concentrate the flavor.
For the Coq au Vin, you’ll need bacon, wine, whiskey, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Fry the bacon and brown the chicken until it’s crispy. You can flambé the chicken with whiskey or cognac, if you like. Then, cook the chicken low and slow in a casserole dish at 200 degrees for 4 hours or more.
Broth is best
Old hens make excellent soup. Simmer the carcass for hours to make the most flavorful broth.
Beyond the main course: Utilizing all parts of the chicken
Don’t toss that carcass just yet! There are lots of ways to get the most out of a chicken.
Making chicken broth: A versatile base
Simmer the leftover bones with vegetables and herbs to make a flavorful and nutritious broth. Homemade broth is far superior to the store-bought kind, and you can use it as a base for soups, stews, and sauces.
Chicken feet: A culinary delicacy
Chicken feet can be used to make a collagen-rich broth, adding a unique flavor and texture to your stock. They’re a popular ingredient in cuisines around the world.
Giblets: Adding flavor and nutrients
Sauté the giblets and add them to gravy or stuffing for a rich, savory flavor. Giblets are a good source of iron and other essential nutrients.
Rendered chicken fat (schmaltz): A culinary treasure
Schmaltz can be used for cooking and adds a unique flavor to dishes. It’s a traditional ingredient in Jewish cuisine.
Summary
Don’t overlook the potential of older chickens. They’re a sustainable, economical, and healthy source of protein, especially when you’re willing to get creative in the kitchen.
I encourage you to embrace the challenge of working with tougher birds. With the right recipes and cooking techniques, you can transform an old hen into a flavorful and satisfying meal.
So, go ahead and try a new recipe or cooking method. Experiment with different preparations, and discover just how versatile old chickens can be. You might be surprised at the delicious results!