chicken for the pot - look away if you are a veggie

[Shirley]

Today we despatched one of our cockerels - well, I say 'we' - I mean David!! All went fairly well - I think... but rigor mortis set in and the legs stuck in the 'standing' fashion... this meant that they were a bit singed when cooked.

Anyone done this despatching and preparation before and able to offer any hints???

[Hepsibah]

We've done quite a few cockerels for the pot now and we have found it best to hang them for at least twenty-four hours before trying to eat them and preferably up to four days. The rigor has subsided by then so they are much more tender.
What we do now is dispatch them, cut their throats and hang them upside-down for the blood to drain out. If you don't drain them they are increadibly tough. Then we leave them for a day or two in a cool airy place, for us that is our shed. To prepare them, we dip them in boiling water for just a couple of seconds to loosen the feathers before plucking (be prepared for the oils in the feathers to smell a bit).
After plucking we cut off the feet then the head, leaving most of the neck on, make a cut down the centre back of the neck all the way down to the body of the chicken then strip the skin back off the neck. Once the neck is exposed we cut the neck off as close to the body as we can, the skin can be trimmed so there is enough to tuck under the bird as it cooks but not too much.
Then comes the messy bit. We cut around the vent, making the hole large enough to fit a hand in. If it's too small, it is difficult to remove the innards. Putting a hand into the opening and keeping it up under inside the cavity, we run our hands all the way to the top of the bird and run it around the insides to seperate the membranes. Once this is done the innards can be scooped out in one go. My other half can get the crop out in the same operation but if, like me you can't, it can be removed through the neck opening.
We use a naked flame (kitchen blowtorch) to remove any remaining feathers and hairs then rinse carefully inside and out before drying and putting it in the fridge.
Hep

[Shirley]

Hep!!

That's fantastic mate.. thank you.

We did eat it this evening and it was pretty tough!! 3 more to go... although one is probably worth selling/trading with someone in the area that wants a superstud light sussex roo!!

Cheers

[Wombat]

G'Day Guys,

I don't have huge experience, did one at a farm butchery day a few years ago. The only suggestion I would make (and this is from memory) the water should be 61 deg C. The feathers come out easily but the hot water does not razz the skin.

Nev