need free range chicken advice

JohnB

I bought a 3 pound free range chicken at our farmer's market today. I've cooked one in the past and while the flavor was good, the meat on the thighs and drumsticks was chewy. I could have over-cooked it, which is something I know you have to be mindful of with free range hens, but any advice would be great. I'm thinking of using the dutch oven recipe listed here a few weeks back, where you brown the bird on both sides and cook it for about 80 minutes or so at 250.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any success with a free range hen in terms of tenderness of the meat. Brining perhaps?

thanks in advance!

Fidel

If the dark meat was chewy perhaps it could have been cooked longer? I find the texture of dark meat better when cooked to 195 or so.

Free range birds (or as I knew them growing up, yard birds) simply use their muscles more than caged birds. The muscles are more developed, darker, and more flavorful. Unless the bird you have is unusually lean then it should work very well in the french chicken in a pot recipe.

JohnB

merci!

Also, I hate to sound sacrilegious, but it doesn't seem like that recipe benefits from the Egg.

Sundown

chicken in a pot recipe = chicken in a DO

Think of your Egg just as you would your oven the only difference is the temperature of your Egg is more consistent than most electric ovens because they cycle on and off to maintain the temperature. And, you can pick up some of the smoke flavor if you take the lid off for a few minutes.