Making the most of half price chickens

Sainsburys, a supermarket in the UK, are selling half price chickens if you use their loyalty card (Nectar). They cost £2.98 each. We haven’t had chicken for ages as it has become so expensive. Early in the year I bought 10 chicken breasts for £18 and they were a lot bigger and nicer than supermarket ones. However they have increased in price, and I needed any room in my freezer to preserve my home grown harvests. I wasn’t going to buy any half price supermarket chickens this year as the last lot were rubbery, but I caved in. It will be so nice to have some bones for a chicken stock and soup.

I have cooked some of the chickens already, pulled the meat off, and frozen it in portions. We don’t eat a lot of meat and so each medium chicken will make 4 or 5 meals, even more if there are leftovers. When I buy the chickens at the supermarket I weigh them on the veg scales. Mr S was embarrassed and hid 😁.  There can be quite a bit of difference in the weight of the packaged chickens which are all sold at the same price. I obviously chose the heaviest.

I wanted to show you one butchered which is something else that you can do if you don’t want to cook, or freeze the whole chickens. Apologises for the photos but it was still dark outside and so the lighting isn’t great.

This chicken wasn’t big by any stretch of the imagination. It was called a medium but I reckon they would have been labelled as small 5 years ago. You will need a sharp knife to butcher them but it is relatively easy.

We take the wishbone out first by making a small incission in the back at the bottom.

The wings are then cut off. Feel for where they connect to the body and cut through the flesh, avoiding the bones.

Next the legs are cut off at the top of the thigh.. These can be separated into legs and thighs but we don’t do that often. It is easier to cut the legs and the wings if the chicken is upside down.

With the chicken the right way up, the top is cut down the middle, as close to the bone as possible. This makes it possible to cut the first breast away from the carcuss. This is repeated on the other side. As you can see on a photo later in the post, there is little left on the rib cage. Those breasts are bigger than the ones sold in the supermarket as they trim them to use the scraps or other things. you can do the same if you want some bits for a stir fry or thin goujons. One breast often makes a meal for both of us.

The carcuss and the bones of the cooked chickens will be used to make reduced stock, broth, and soup. This will provide even more meals.

A chicken is more than a roast with a bit left for sandwiches, as it was served in my childhood. It can make so many meals if bulked out with vegetables. We will definitely make a pie for when family come to dinner. Cooked chicken also works in a stew or curry. I also like pasta with chicken put in a sauce, and even like it in a chilli or bolognaise sauce. It is so versatile.

With the raw breasts we will make chicken nuggets, goujons, or maybe Stuffed chicken breast or Air fryer Chicken Tikka. We also love home made Chicken Kievs. Mr S likes to snack the wings, or we save them up and  have them as a starter. The legs will be roast over vegetables for a Sunday dinner.

What would you do with your chicken?