Along with my tenth wedding anniversary this summer, this fall marks my tenth year as an occupational therapist. A decade of pausing at some point during the day - sometimes at my desk, admittedly occasionally during rounds, and frequently while standing in front of my open fridge at 5 pm and asking myself: "What's for dinner?" I've picked up some tricks and tips along the way and in the next few months am going to be sharing some things that work for me, along with the things that don't (monthly meal planning!).
So today I'm not posting a recipe but am looking for some advice, I'm thinking a few days ahead - to Friday, I'm going to be working and am wanting to cook a chicken in a crock pot. A whole chicken. I hear this can be done but need some advice: Do you leave the skin on? Low or high? Do I need to add liquid. Should I put it in veggies? Thanks - and stay tuned for the results.
What ever you do, don't put broccoli in a slow cooker. Green mush, anyone?
ReplyDeleteHa - good to know
DeleteOK, I just typed a bunch of tips and now they didn't show. Hopefully I don't repeat myself but if I am, DISREGARD! We do a whole chicken in the crock pot ALL the time....my kids love whole chicken and so I have developed a variety of methods. For crock potting...
ReplyDeleteA roasting chicken works better.
Cook the chicken on low, skin on. I like a spice rub of paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, sometimes lemon juice....I think I followed a recipe once on All Recipes that was good but since I just make it up! Rub the spice on the inside and outside of the bird.
I sometimes put the bird on tinfoil balls if I want stuff to stay out of the fat, but it depends how full I am cramming the crockpot. It does help the veggies be less mushy. I ALWAYS put in potatoes and root veggies because I NEVER want to cook when I come home and the crock pot is on...but they get mushy, so make the pieces biggish and stick with root veggies. I find parsnip adds a lot of flavour, so I'd be tempted to try that.
Cook the chicken BREAST SIDE DOWN. This is from Deb on Smitten Kitchen. It means the juices flow through the bird into the dry breast meat. it makes a GIAGANTIC difference, creating a continually moist, succulent meat.
Finally, have all the stuff for chicken stock done when you're prepping the crock pot. Then you add the bones and make chicken noodle soup (again a la Deb in Smitten Kitchen for best results) and VOILA, another meal accomplished.
Enjoy!! If you like doing whole chicken, in the summer, you MUST try the Beer Ass Chicken. Amazing!
Great advice Sonja! This is the genius I needed!
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