First Sasso Cull

[Thurston Garden]

We, (well, Stephen) killed, plucked and cleaned our first Sasso cockerel today. Sasso's are a French table variety which take double the time to mature than commercial pap. (Need to watch my self lol - my mate works for Ross Cobb!)

The eggs were posted from a PracticalPoultry forumite from whom I subsequently bought the parent stock. A second hatch was done after the parents were bought and these 5 birds should be ready for killing at the end of December.

The cockerel was just a bit over 13 weeks old - but he was a big bugger and particularly interested in his 2 sisters.



He killed out at 6lb and is already in the Rayburn.

[Chickenlady]

How did he taste then?

[Annpan]

He looks yummy, did you stick half a lemon up his ass and smother him in olive oil???





Just reaslised how the above comment could be misconstrued out of context

[Thurston Garden]

He would have slipped from my grip if covered in olive oil...... oh! the chicken you mean??

No, he was roasted naked - as a kind of control or test. The experiments will begin on the next birds. I had the breast which, although still light in colour, had a mellow taste. Stephen had a leg - large thick bone, dark rich meat and plenty of it.

There's loads of meat left and I have been mulling over exactly what to do tomorrow with it. We eat a lot of risotto, but there's too much meat left to start stripping the carcass ready for boiling for stock - that will come later in the week.

Any suggestions?

[Annpan]

In our house, the rare occasions that we decide to take out a mortgage to buy an organic chicken this is how we eat it.

Day 1 - Roast whole with lemon (up the bottom) and butter on top, then drizzle with olive oil.

Day 2 - cold breast meat on sandwiches and a leg or wing as part of a cold lunch

Day 3 - Half the chicken stripped of meat for curry or fajitas

Day 4 - Make stock and then chicken soup

The above depends on how big the bird was, how hungry we are and if we have guests, but in general that is the order. Left over soup is frozen and this way the bird lasts us a good few weeks before I have a hankering for more.

[Chickenlady]

Do you have any leeks at the moment? Chicken and leek is a good combination, as a pie, casserole, sauce for rice, etc.