Post by bw on Sept 5, 2005 13:55:28 GMT -5
This is a cross post
METHOD OF KILLING CHICKENS – best with two people. (If possible, try to see this being done by someone who is experienced.)
Start boiling a big pot of water, and light the fire early in the morning. Prepare clean bowls for the liver and heart another for the blood, feet and head and another for the innards.
Prepare a very sharp pointed knife one or two sharp knives for preparing the bird and a small mallet.
Go down to the chicken shed and lift your chosen chickens from their perch before the start of their day and put them into a cage or cardboard box with air holes. Leave the box outside the kitchen door.
One person lifts a chicken out and takes it into the kitchen holding the legs together, and the wings together in the other hand - gently but very firmly placing the chicken’s head horizontally. The other person quickly hits the chicken with the mallet on the head. The head should drop if the chicken has been properly stunned. Now the head into one hand and push the pointed knife into the chicken’s neck, through the jugular vein. The blood should flow easily into your receptacle and the chicken will be dead in seconds.
Keep holding the bird firmly until there is no sign of life, then lay it down near where you’ll be plucking. (we use a bin for the feathers and pluck over the fireplace)
Go and get you next bird, and by the time you’ve finished killing several birds your water should be almost boiling. Bring the pot over to the fire, resting a corner on the braise to keep it warm.
To pluck the bird easily, hold it by the feet and completely submerge it in the very hot water for a minute or so, moving it around gently. Take the bird out and pull of bunches of feathers very quickly while the skin is still hot, because you dip only once. (doing it again will only cook the skin and the pores will close) With practice, you can pluck a bird, in a few minutes.
When you have finished plucking all the birds, singe the fine hairs either over a gas ring or go over each bird with a plumber’s blowtorch (air entry closed!).
TO EMPTY THE BIRDS
Cut the skin of the neck close to the shoulders all the way round and pull it up towards the head. Twist the head round – it should be easy to pull off.
Turn the bird and cut around the anus, being careful not to puncture the colon. Make a slit from above the anus up to the bird’s breast, put your hand in and gently ease all out the innards. They should come out in one piece, but you may have to fish around for the heart and liver. Take everything out and check it is healthy and intact.
Separate the gall bladder (the small green sack) from the liver carefully. Put the livers in heart in a small bowl (for pâté) and slit the gizzard just enough to open it and remove the contents (stones, grass, insects and grain) along with the hard skin which should peel off easily. Put the gizzards aside with the liver to make “salade de gèsiers”.
Take off the feet by bending them at the knee, slitting the sinews and cutting the skin with a sharp knife. We put the feet, head and any clean waste into our dogs’ “soupe”. We feed the innards and all waste to our magpies or use them as bait for foxes and “fouines”. (Fabrice is a registered trapper) You can either burn or bury them under trees if you can’t find another use.
Wash or wipe the birds and prepare them for the freezer or the oven. Sweep the floor, brush all the feathers into the fire or put them on your “soft fruit” compost, wipe the kitchen table and have a cuppa or even an appero!
METHOD OF KILLING CHICKENS – best with two people. (If possible, try to see this being done by someone who is experienced.)
Start boiling a big pot of water, and light the fire early in the morning. Prepare clean bowls for the liver and heart another for the blood, feet and head and another for the innards.
Prepare a very sharp pointed knife one or two sharp knives for preparing the bird and a small mallet.
Go down to the chicken shed and lift your chosen chickens from their perch before the start of their day and put them into a cage or cardboard box with air holes. Leave the box outside the kitchen door.
One person lifts a chicken out and takes it into the kitchen holding the legs together, and the wings together in the other hand - gently but very firmly placing the chicken’s head horizontally. The other person quickly hits the chicken with the mallet on the head. The head should drop if the chicken has been properly stunned. Now the head into one hand and push the pointed knife into the chicken’s neck, through the jugular vein. The blood should flow easily into your receptacle and the chicken will be dead in seconds.
Keep holding the bird firmly until there is no sign of life, then lay it down near where you’ll be plucking. (we use a bin for the feathers and pluck over the fireplace)
Go and get you next bird, and by the time you’ve finished killing several birds your water should be almost boiling. Bring the pot over to the fire, resting a corner on the braise to keep it warm.
To pluck the bird easily, hold it by the feet and completely submerge it in the very hot water for a minute or so, moving it around gently. Take the bird out and pull of bunches of feathers very quickly while the skin is still hot, because you dip only once. (doing it again will only cook the skin and the pores will close) With practice, you can pluck a bird, in a few minutes.
When you have finished plucking all the birds, singe the fine hairs either over a gas ring or go over each bird with a plumber’s blowtorch (air entry closed!).
TO EMPTY THE BIRDS
Cut the skin of the neck close to the shoulders all the way round and pull it up towards the head. Twist the head round – it should be easy to pull off.
Turn the bird and cut around the anus, being careful not to puncture the colon. Make a slit from above the anus up to the bird’s breast, put your hand in and gently ease all out the innards. They should come out in one piece, but you may have to fish around for the heart and liver. Take everything out and check it is healthy and intact.
Separate the gall bladder (the small green sack) from the liver carefully. Put the livers in heart in a small bowl (for pâté) and slit the gizzard just enough to open it and remove the contents (stones, grass, insects and grain) along with the hard skin which should peel off easily. Put the gizzards aside with the liver to make “salade de gèsiers”.
Take off the feet by bending them at the knee, slitting the sinews and cutting the skin with a sharp knife. We put the feet, head and any clean waste into our dogs’ “soupe”. We feed the innards and all waste to our magpies or use them as bait for foxes and “fouines”. (Fabrice is a registered trapper) You can either burn or bury them under trees if you can’t find another use.
Wash or wipe the birds and prepare them for the freezer or the oven. Sweep the floor, brush all the feathers into the fire or put them on your “soft fruit” compost, wipe the kitchen table and have a cuppa or even an appero!
--- I understand--but some people do butcher--I have done it and if need be--will do it again.
