Black Chicken

[Really Nice!]

I was in an Asian grocery store last week and saw black chicken. The meat, skin and bones are black. I've seen it on Iron Chef, but I forget how they prepared it.

Does anyone have experience with this bird? How do you prepare it? Any specific techniques, herbs, spices etc. I should consider?

[Suzanne F]

I think black chicken is traditionally used to make a restorative soup. Haven't tried it, though. But following some of Nina Simonds's suggestions in A Spoonful of Ginger, I'd just use water plus shaoxing wine, lots of sliced ginger, and scallions.

[fimbul]

I bought a black chicken a few months ago, and decided I'd buck tradition and just spatchcock and roast the thing.

Don't do that.

If the chicken I had was a good example of the breed, they're fairly scrawny little things, and kind of tough and dry to boot. I think soup is definitely the way to go.

I must confess, I was a little put off by the bird I cooked. My brain just isn't wired to accept glistening black fat, grey meat, and dark blue bones. I felt like I was eating muppet. The strange (to me) color was what drew me in and caused me to buy the bird, but in the end the color was much more unappetising than entertaining.

edit: to say I don't mean for my comments to put you off your own meal. I was just sayin', as they say.

Edited May 12, 2003 by fimbul (log)

[Jinmyo]

I felt like I was eating muppet.

Soup. Or braised with gojuchang and vegetables.

[tissue]

You can stuff the cavity with some garlic cloves and simmer on low heat for a long time.

[essvee]

My recipes state you just drink the broth, and discard the carcass.

[Jon Tseng]

Yes, I think I've run across bits of the stuff lurking at the bottom of soup. Most unpalatable (the bits of chicken, I mean - the soup is invariably lovely)

Chuck in ginseng, moo'er or various other funny fungi things.

This talk of chicken soup (sort of) leads onto chinese chicken broth; having spent a great deal of time faffing around with bones, brunoise, browning, bouquet garni and the other paraphenalia which go into a fancy french fond, I went back home the other weekend and had chicken soup.

Mum had simply taken a chicken (frozen - apparently they're bigger, cheaper and have more flavour) and boiled it with water for an hour and a bit. It made a wonderfully clear, meaty broth (surprising how clear it was - I was always under the impression this demanded much messing about with egg whites, gravy strainers or bits of kitchen towel.

Anyhow, I was struck by how pure a simply a broth could be prepared with such simply ingredients. Chicken soup for the soul, indeed...

J

[Suzanne F]

This ties in perfectly with the new piece on Bone Soup in TDG. Have a look, if you haven't already.