Why do I support local?
There are better, tastier, more nutritious and more sustainable ways to purchase meat and to enjoy meat. Pasture-raised chicken is the most delicious and nutritious chicken you can find. There is simply no comparison between pasture-raised chicken and the animals that are produced by corporate farming practices. The animals live a full life, and here on Bales Farms that life includes pasture everyday without the use of antibiotics, steroids or growth hormones. So please find a local farmer and use them as your chicken supplier. Visit your natural foods grocery store (Natural Foods Market in Johnson City, Boone Street Market in Jonesboro and Three Rivers Market in Knoxville to name a few) and/or buy directly.
~Aliceson Bales, owner
Okay y’all.
You know I love a whole chicken. And you know who else loved a whole chicken?
Your grandmother.
And every person who cooked a meal prior to 1980.
You know who else still loves a whole chicken? Every chef in America plus almost every home cook in Europe (and really any other place besides the United States) as well as the knowledgeable home cooks here in our fair land.
If you’re still on the proverbial fence about using a whole chicken I encourage you to read on. . . .
Buying a whole chicken can be daunting, I get it. Seeing those two beige cutlets void of skin and bone on a white paper towel shrink wrapped in styrofoam has become second-nature to folks but really it shouldn’t be the normal. Especially YOUR normal. Why should you spend the time, effort, energy and money it takes to make two pieces of beige meat tasty for one meal when you can prepare multiple family meals once with less time, less effort and less money????? (The obvious answer is you shouldn’t). Prior to 1980 everybody bought whole chickens and either prepared them whole at home or cut them up to use in their kitchens. In the early 80s the grocery stores decided to offer VALUE ADDED chicken – that’s an industry term for up-selling and making more money – they would cut chicken into parts and pieces and sell them for more of a profit. And we all fell for their shenanigans didn’t we? But not any more!
And now I’ll step off my soapbox and share with you the best, easiest, fastest and most delicious way to prepare chicken. You ready??
- Defrost your chicken.
- Put the whole chicken in a ziploc bag.
- Generously salt your chicken.
- Pour buttermilk in the bag until the chicken is covered.
- Refrigerate the chicken in the brine for 8-24 hours.
- Rinse the chicken.
- Pat dry (honestly, sometimes I don’t do this step).
- Place the chicken in a cast iron skillet.
- Generously salt the chicken.
- Roast at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
That’s it! It’s easy! And then you have so many ways to serve your chicken and make a complete meal (lots of these recommendations will take less than 20 minutes if you use the chicken you have already roasted). Here are my top favorites:
- Carve and serve with roasted veggies and bread for an amazing and upscale meal your family and friends will rave about for weeks
- Chicken street tacos with rice and corn salad
- Barbeque chicken sandwiches with tater tots
- Caesar salad with bread (and a glass of wine)
- Bacon, corn, avocado and chicken chopped salad
- Chicken nachos
- Pasta
- Soups
- Cheesy chicken casserole with cornbread
- Quinoa bowls with roasted veggies
And then after I’ve used the chicken meat all the ways for all the meals, I make bone broth (which I’m making now to be honest).
All these recipes for all these options are here on the blog and/or in my cookbook. And they’re all easy and beloved by my people.
I hope this has encouraged you to take the plunge and work with the whole bird. You’ll love and never go back, I promise! It’s so easy and economical and freeing.
— Aliceson Bales
Bales Farms, Greene County
You can purchase Aliceson’s cookbook, and well as Bales Farm’s chicken, pork, and beef products online, with pick up options across the Tricities. You can pick up on-farm, or meet at weekly delivery spots in Johnson City and Kingsport.
https://balesfarmstn.com/