The freshest chicken I've ever had

[B Edulis]

Just came back from spending the holiday in the Catskills where I discovered the processing plant in Fallsburg for Murray's chicken. I threaded my way back to the office and also found big discounts -- about half price. But the most amazing this was the quality. I'm presuming the chicken I bought had been killed only hours earlier and the texture was very different from any chicken I've ever worked with. The flesh was really soft and there was this obvious transparent connective tissue that held the skin and fat and flesh together. It was pliant and stretchy, which made the chicken really easy to de-fat and skin. And cooked, it was extra tender. It also didn't have that faintly icky smell that most chicken has (I might be more sensitive to this since chicken's the only warm-blooded critter I eat or cook). (The plant didn't smell much either.)

I think I might be spoiled for life.

[Fat Guy]

You can get freshly killed chicken at live poultry markets in some of the larger cities. Last time I checked W & S Live Poultry in Long Island City, Queens, was still going strong, and I think there's one in Chinatown and another in the Bronx as well. You can also get freshly killed chicken in many of the menu items at Grand Sichuan International in Manhattan, where the fresh chicken is described as "not long time refrigerated."

[Wilfrid]

Yes, I was knocked out by the chickeny taste of the chicken at Grand Sizchuan. Shortly before being paralysed by the Sizchuan peppercorns.

[yvonne johnson]

I'm wondering if others find the free-range Giannone chickens imported from Montreal to be spectacular. A NYTimes article a few years back cited the chef, David Cunningham as saying they were "the closest in flavor and juiciness to the famous poulet de Bresse of France". They are fed corn, soy and wheat and no antibiotics or growth hormones are given.

Giannone Poultry chill their chickens with frigid air rather than water. This procedure lowers the chance of bacteria occuring and also prevents the watery feel that many other chickens have.

Jefferson Mkt in NY carries them, and I think they can be ordered from D'Artagnan. We rarely buy any other kind.

[ngatti]

I'm wondering if others find the free-range Giannone chickens imported from Montreal to be spectacular.  A NYTimes article a few years back cited the chef, David Cunningham as saying they were "the closest in flavor and juiciness to the famous poulet de Bresse of France". They are fed corn, soy and wheat and no antibiotics or growth hormones are given.

Giannone Poultry chill their chickens with frigid air rather than water.  This procedure lowers the chance of bacteria occuring and also prevents the watery feel that many other chickens have.

Jefferson Mkt in NY carries them, and I think they can be ordered from D'Artagnan.  We rarely buy any other kind.

I use them ( 'johnny jones' exclusively). Switched from B&E. They are very good. I didn't know about the D'artagnon connection. I thought they (d'artagnon) only used their own house brand of free-range.

Nick

[Liza]

Wondering if anyone can compare them with the fresh chickens sold at the Union Square farmer's market on Saturdays by the Meisserich family?

[yvonne johnson]

Nick, D'Artagnan, (800) 327-8246 carries Giannone chickens ($2.15 a pound approx), but they favored my buying them at my local store as they are not packed in cryovac(sp?), and shipping an individual chicken to my home would not be in as a controlled environment as shipping to a store, if that makes sense.

[it aint easy being cheesy]

Buddy's Chickens in the Texas Hill Country are Big, Beautiful, Clean, and oh so tasty.

Sounds like a plus size commericial.

[Sandra Levine]

I posted about Giannone chickens some time ago on another thread. It was a Giannone chicken I used in the Millionaire Chicken dish I brought to the NY potluck. I think it is a wonderful, deeply flavorful chicken. I buy mine at Jefferson Market.

Come to think of it, I may not have posted, but may have PM'd Liza about Giannone after she posted about "Smart Chickens" on the roasting chicken thread. Whatever. I prefer Giannone to any chicken I've had in the U.S.

[Suzanne F]

Yes, D'Artagnan now has the Canadian chickens -- just found out at the Fancy Food Show. And I used to think the Eberly chix they got were the best but these are even better!

In NYC, you can probably order them through Gourmet Garage, rather than try to do a retail order direct. It may cost you a bit more, but those birds are worth it!!

[Jaymes]

Buddy's Chickens in the Texas Hill Country are Big, Beautiful, Clean, and oh so tasty.

Where, in the Hill Country, does one find Buddy's chickens? Must one know Buddy personally?

[Sandra Levine]

In NYC, you can probably order them through Gourmet Garage

Jefferson Market carries them regularly -- no special ordering is necessary.

[it aint easy being cheesy]

Buddy's Chickens

830-672-3039

[jhlurie]

Stroud's, a semi-famous place in Kansas City is fairly well known for freshly killed chicken, pan fried up all yummy-like. Their charming motto (with appropriate T-shirts... I've seen 'em) is "we choke our own chickens".

One of the few reasons I know to go to KC as a culinary destination, except for tons of beef and great mexican food.

Fort Worth, Texas also apparently has a Stroud's, even though the Stroud's website doesn't record this. It's at 5555 Bridge St. (Interstate 30); (817) 654-0600.

[Stone]

Whilst trekking in Nepal, we got tired of eating potato curry, lentils and bad fake food (soup from powder, bad pizzas, tuna lasagne), so we bought a chicken. The sucker was running around someone's yard, and we bought it for about $4. The guest house turned it into chicken curry -- it was delicious. At the next town we discussed the prospects of goat curry. We could have gotten one (a goat) for about $15. We couldn't get enough people to chip in.

[Suzanne F]

Ah, Stroud's -- the ne plus ultra of fried chicken (don't hit me, I've never been to Charles's Southern Kitchen )