Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Why I Cook a Whole Chicken Just for Me




Cooking a Whole Chicken Is a Smart Thing To Do When You are Cooking for One

I've never met a cooked chicken I didn't like. Well, except once. Many years ago I ordered a baked chicken quarter from a local family restaurant. That chicken must have been sitting in the refrigerator, cooked, for at least five days, got warmed up, and was as stale as a shut-up room. Needless to say, I never visited that restaurant again (it went out of business shortly thereafter). But that stale experience never has to be yours when cooking a whole chicken just for yourself.

Although I'm cooking for only one person, I never worry about a whole cooked chicken going stale before I can eat it all. In fact, I often cook a whole chicken because, first, I love it, and second, it's such an economically smart thing to do, especially when whole chickens are on sale. For about five dollars, I can have at least five chicken servings, plus herbed chicken stock for a pot of soup, and even chicken sauce or biscuits for the dog. When a chicken comes into my house, nothing goes to waste. Here's what I do.