Slim pickings

A boiling chicken carcass is enough to make me consider a vegetarian crossover. The entire process I've been through with this chicken has been repulsive. The smell emanating from my kitchen repulses me.

Yesterday began my not-so epic journey with this whole chicken. I had planned to do what my mother used to do: make several meals out of one bird. Usually she made a turkey, baked it, served it as dinner, then we ate on it for a few days before she boiled it and made a soup. I wasn't in the mood for turkey so I picked a young chicken. The first step, defrosting it, was easy. The next step of removing the neck and the gizzards from the cavity was disgusting. I failed as I should have kept both but they ended up in my trash. I know how to use gizzards for making stuffing and I know neck bones offer some of the best flavor (at least that holds true for pork, I assumed this would also be true for chicken). Handling the chicken was my least favorite part. It was just a tiny baby of a chicken and my heart mourned for it.

But I went on. I served it alongside homemade gravy (which turned out greasy) and mashed potatoes. Still, it made me feel ill. Something about the chicken, being whole. I can't really place my finger on it. So I decided to boil it, albeit prematurely, to get all the meat off that I will divide between chicken enchiladas and chicken and dumplings. Currently I have several cups of chicken meat, cooling. Tonight I'll make enchiladas, using this homemade sauce.

We'll see if we ever really do that vegetarian crossover. For now I'm lighting candles and trying to get the smell of boiled chicken out of my sinuses.