"Boiling hens"? [Was: Choose The Right Bird For Chicken Soup

[Phred]

Chicken soup is a popular way to use chicken. The type of chicken used
to make soup makes a difference in how it will come out. If you are
buying the chicken specifically for soup, choose a kosher pullet (which
is a young female chicken that is old enough to lay eggs). Kosher
pullets are raised in a free-range environment and eat natural
vegetation and insects. If a kosher pullet is not available, select a
soup chicken, which are usually older, female birds. The meat might be
tougher than a younger chicken, but it has more flavor. Cook the
chicken whole first before cutting it into pieces. This process will
take longer to cook, but the chicken will release more flavor into the
soup.

This information is interesting but I live in Australia and have never
seen a kosher pullet or the gender of chickens shown on the
packaging. Do you have any suggestions for the best type of chicken
to use in Australia?

Same as anywhere else on the planet... a stewing hen... typically an
old hen that has stopped laying, ie. cyberfowl.

Thirty something years ago you could buy "boiling hens" here in Oz
pretty much as you describe them. However, I haven't seen the things
in the local supermarkets for decades now. Would be interesting to
know if they're still available in the big smokes further south.
[Cross-posted to aus.food]

Cheers, Phred.

[ant]

In article

On May 12, 10:25=EF=BF=BDpm, meeleend

Kosher pullets are raised in a free-range environment and
eat natural vegetation and insects.

This information is interesting but I live in Australia and have never
seen a kosher pullet or the gender of chickens shown on the
packaging. Do you have any suggestions for the best type of chicken
to use in Australia?

Same as anywhere else on the planet... a stewing hen... typically an
old hen that has stopped laying, ie. cyberfowl.

Thirty something years ago you could buy "boiling hens" here in Oz
pretty much as you describe them. However, I haven't seen the things
in the local supermarkets for decades now. Would be interesting to
know if they're still available in the big smokes further south.
[Cross-posted to aus.food]

It's hard to find "tasty" chooks these days. It sounds like this Kosher bird
is a young, free range chook. But many have commented that free-range,
whilst being morally right, are the same breeds of hen and are just as
tasteless as the mass produced ones. I'm trying to remember if it's Kosher
or Halal where you're forbidden to eat an animal that eats other animals...
no carnivores. I think that's halal though.

Best chook to use to make stock is a cheap chook! and then cook it, by
roasting or however you like. Then cut it up, and put into COLD water in a
big pot, and bring gently to the simmer. I do a soak and simmer series of
cycles over a day or so. Strain off the stock and freeze. And then I
re-cook the chook, and use it again! There's a bundle of bones in the
freezer that made some excellent stock and will do so again.

[Leonard Blaisdell]

Post by ant
There's a bundle of bones in the
freezer that made some excellent stock and will do so again.

So how many times do you re-boil previously boiled chicken bones? At
some point, do you grind them up and throw them in the garden? Just
curious.

leo

["Michael" @hotmail.com>]

I think the best thing you can do is to roast the bones along with your
mirepoix, before adding it the cold water and simmering slowly( I use a slow
cooker). Using the actual chicken meat (apart from the leftover bits
clinging to the carcass after you've roasted it or whatever) isn't necessary
for a full flavoured stock, and isn't very economical either, especially if
you buy free-range/organic chooks. Bay leaves, dried or otherwise are an
essential, and parsley stalks are another good 'neutral' enhancer that won't
limit what the stock can be used for.

Maggie Beer has some good tips here:
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/cookandchef/txt/s1906088.htm

Post by Leonard Blaisdell

Post by ant
There's a bundle of bones in the
freezer that made some excellent stock and will do so again.

So how many times do you re-boil previously boiled chicken bones? At
some point, do you grind them up and throw them in the garden? Just
curious.

[Dan Goodman]

Post by Leonard Blaisdell

Post by ant
There's a bundle of bones in the
freezer that made some excellent stock and will do so again.

So how many times do you re-boil previously boiled chicken bones? At
some point, do you grind them up and throw them in the garden? Just
curious.

After a certain point, they disintegrate.

[ant]

Post by Leonard Blaisdell

Post by ant
There's a bundle of bones in the
freezer that made some excellent stock and will do so again.

So how many times do you re-boil previously boiled chicken bones? At
some point, do you grind them up and throw them in the garden? Just
curious.

When they stop smelling good and become bland. So far they keep coming good
if I grill or bake them a bit before doing some more stock.
I just chuck em under the trees when they're dead, and the local foxes or
feral cats make off with them.

[Dan Goodman]

Post by ant

In article

On May 12, 10:25=EF=BF=BDpm, meeleend

Kosher pullets are raised in a free-range environment and
eat natural vegetation and insects.

This information is interesting but I live in Australia and have never
seen a kosher pullet or the gender of chickens shown on the
packaging. Do you have any suggestions for the best type of
chicken to use in Australia?

Same as anywhere else on the planet... a stewing hen... typically
an old hen that has stopped laying, ie. cyberfowl.

Thirty something years ago you could buy "boiling hens" here in Oz
pretty much as you describe them. However, I haven't seen the
things in the local supermarkets for decades now. Would be
interesting to know if they're still available in the big smokes
further south. [Cross-posted to aus.food]

It's hard to find "tasty" chooks these days. It sounds like this
Kosher bird is a young, free range chook. But many have commented
that free-range, whilst being morally right, are the same breeds of
hen and are just as tasteless as the mass produced ones. I'm trying
to remember if it's Kosher or Halal where you're forbidden to eat an
animal that eats other animals... no carnivores. I think that's halal
though.

Kosher for sure, but might also be Halal.

Post by ant
Best chook to use to make stock is a cheap chook! and then cook it,
by roasting or however you like. Then cut it up, and put into COLD
water in a big pot, and bring gently to the simmer. I do a soak and
simmer series of cycles over a day or so. Strain off the stock and
freeze. And then I re-cook the chook, and use it again! There's a
bundle of bones in the freezer that made some excellent stock and
will do so again.

[Chookie]

Post by Phred
Thirty something years ago you could buy "boiling hens" here in Oz
pretty much as you describe them. However, I haven't seen the things
in the local supermarkets for decades now. Would be interesting to
know if they're still available in the big smokes further south.

Certainly they are available in (western) Sydney. Try an Asian butchery or
chicken shop.