What to do with a whole chicken!

Whether you get your chicken from one of our many farmers markets like I do, or you buy a grocery store chicken, there's a case to be made for buying a whole chicken - re connect with your food, it's better and cheaper for the farmer to not have tons of various parts and he passes that savings on to you, you can get multiple meals from one bird (love the idea of cook once eat twice?) not to mention you can easily make your own broth (better for your health and the environment). Of course I hope you come to the Doylestown Farmers Market on a Saturday or the Doylestown Hospital Farmers Market on a Wednesday and purchase all of your meat from Hershberger Heritage Farm. But it's so worth the effort - for flavor, health, the environment and our local economy - to connect with one of our local meat farmers at a farmers market.

If you don't want to try to separate the meat yourself while it's raw (it's easier than you think - especially with meat scissors made specifically for the task - try Amazon.com - but that's a topic for another time), at bare minimum, just put the whole chicken on a sheet pan, drizzle some oil, salt and pepper on the darn thing and roast it in the oven. Anyone can do that! If you're looking for something a little more sophisticated and flavorful, try this whole chicken meal plan. Here I give you two meals and broth out of one chicken. It's really not hard at all, you CAN do this! I have confidence in you! Enjoy and bon appetit!

1. Lemon & Fennel Scented Roast Chicken

1 Whole Hershberger Heritage Farm Chicken

1 medium red onion sliced in thick rounds

1 small fennel bulb, sliced ½” thick, stems and fronds reserved

1 bunch of spring onions, ends trimmed

3 cloves garlic, smashed

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Olive oil, salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons Offbeat Gourmet’s Meyer Lemon Marmalade

In a small or medium roasting pan, drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add red onion and scatter, next add sliced fennel bulb and garlic. Lay spring onions across onion and fennel. Add 1 cup water. Place chicken on top of spring onions and add the lemon zest and juice, rub to coat chicken making sure to get some zest in the crevices of the wings and inside the cavity of the chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff fennel fronds into the cavity of the chicken. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes (for fully defrosted chicken from the refrigerator). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pan in oven and bake for about 1 to 2 ½ hours depending on the size of the chicken (3 lbs will take an hour - 6lbs will take about 2 ½ hours). Test for doneness - thermometer should read 170 degrees to remove from oven and after resting should reach a final temp of 180 degrees. Remove chicken from oven and place on a plate or serving platter. Spread about 3 tablespoons of Offbeat Gourmet Meyer Lemon Marmalade on chicken to glaze and then cover chicken with enough tin foil to completely seal edges around platter. Allow chicken to rest covered for 15 minutes before serving. Spoon pan gravy and roasted vegetables over chicken or side dish of rice.

Once you have removed enough meat for this first meal, remove the remaining meat from the bones and reserve. Reserve all bones/carcass as well for making broth. Use both within 5 days of cooking.

2. Crock Pot Chicken Broth

Carcass of roasted chicken

1 medium onion, rough chopped

2 carrots, scrubbed and ends trimmed, unpeeled

3 stalks of celery, ends trimmed

1 bay leaf and 1 teaspoon tumeric

2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon vinegar

Any vegetable scraps you have (except broccoli, asparagus, cabbage or brussel sprouts)

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cover with water, fill almost to the top of the pot. Cover with lid and cook on high for 4-6 hours. Remove chicken, bay leaf and vegetables. Strain liquid if desired. Pour into storage container and allow to cool for 2 hours (uncovered), then refrigerate. Use within 6 days.

3. Chicken Rice Bowl

Cooked Jasmine rice – hot

Julienned cucumber, sprig of cilantro

Kimchi (optional)

Chopped tomato, fresh spinach chopped (or favorite seasonal green)

Fried or poached egg, sautéed mushrooms

Offbeat Gourmet Spicy Tomato Jam or Caramelized Balsamic Onions

Reserved chicken, shredded, at room temperature or heated with Offbeat Gourmet sauce

Place hot rice in serving bowl, top with each ingredient, keeping each ingredient in together in its own section – arranging like each is a pie slice. Top with Offbeat Gourmet sauce, egg and cilantro.