Thread: Are "stewing chickens" typically skinned?

phaeton <[email protected]> wrote in news:0e0b7c42-cd35-4c2e-a7a1-
[email protected]:

> I was recently looking at the "old fashioned chicken noodle soup"
> recipe in my BH&G. It talks about cutting up a 'whole stewing
> chicken' and simmering it for a couple of hours. It makes no mention
> about chicken skin. I presume that if there is skin left on the meat,
> it will create a frothy scum on the top of the broth, and then peel
> off the meat in sheets. Am I wrong? I don't think i've ever seen skin
> in soup.
>
> I didn't see a stewing chicken at my local grocery store, but I
> presume that I can substitute the same weight of thighs/wings etc.and
> go along the merry way. I assume I'm peeling the skin off first
> though.
>
> Bonus question: Is there any good use for chicken skins, if you don't
> have a dog?
>
> -J
>


A "stewing chicken" or as we call them "boiling hens" are the older hens
that were raised for egg laying and not meat consumption.

You leave the skin on when making any kind of stock/soup, and just skim
the scum off regularly while it's cooking.

As for uses for the skin..... if you leave it on and boil it, there's not
much use for it. Throw it out.

If you denude the chicken before boiling (which you shouldn't do because
it adds flavour to the stock), fry them up till crispy, save the fat for
cooking, and eat the crispy skin :-)

--
Peter Lucas
Hobart
Tasmania

The act of feeding someone is an act of beauty,
whether it's a full Sunday roast or a jam sandwich,
but only when done with love.

On Sep 23, 10:27*pm, phaeton <blahbleh...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I was recently looking at the "old fashioned chicken noodle soup"
> recipe in my BH&G. *It talks about cutting up a 'whole stewing
> chicken' and simmering it for a couple of hours. It makes no mention
> about chicken skin. *I presume that if there is skin left on the meat,
> it will create a frothy scum on the top of the broth, and then peel
> off the meat in sheets. Am I wrong? *I don't think i've ever seen skin
> in soup.
>
> I didn't see a stewing chicken at my local grocery store, but I
> presume that I can substitute the same weight of thighs/wings etc.and
> go along the merry way. *I assume I'm peeling the skin off first
> though.
>
> Bonus question: *Is there any good use for chicken skins, if you don't
> have a dog?
>
> -J

i believe that the "egg layers" go directly to the soup factories/pet
food factories. I've asked for them at the various markets around
here and have been told, they're not available any longer.

"phaeton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>I was recently looking at the "old fashioned chicken noodle soup"
> recipe in my BH&G. It talks about cutting up a 'whole stewing
> chicken' and simmering it for a couple of hours. It makes no mention
> about chicken skin. I presume that if there is skin left on the meat,
> it will create a frothy scum on the top of the broth, and then peel
> off the meat in sheets. Am I wrong? I don't think i've ever seen skin
> in soup.
>
> I didn't see a stewing chicken at my local grocery store, but I
> presume that I can substitute the same weight of thighs/wings etc.and
> go along the merry way. I assume I'm peeling the skin off first
> though.
>
> Bonus question: Is there any good use for chicken skins, if you don't
> have a dog?
>
> -J
>
>
When you braise a whole chicken to make chicken noodle soup you're initially
making a chicken stock and cooking the meat. You should always leave the
skin on for the initial 1-1.5 hour braise. There's lots of flavor in the
skin and in the fat between skin and muscle. To the initial braise I add a
bay leaf, a celery stalk, and half an onion, occasionally prov. herbs,
though that's not necessary. When you finish strain the stock into a
separator funnel and pour off the nonfat portion into the soup pan. Into
that goes noodles, fresh veggies of chohice, and ultimately the cut up
chicken from your braise. Top with chopped fresh parsley when you serve.

It's a great dish when combined with ia great homemade stock.

Kent

On Thu, 23 Sep 2010 23:21:21 -0700 (PDT), "critters & me in azusa, ca"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>i believe that the "egg layers" go directly to the soup factories/pet
>food factories. I've asked for them at the various markets around
>here and have been told, they're not available any longer.

I would check at your local farmers market. I have found purveyors
there that have had them. These are not factory farmed though, and
they cost significantly more than supermarket chickens.

Also, quite a few Asian markets sell frozen stewing hens.

Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com

In article
<[email protected]>,
phaeton <[email protected]> wrote:

> I was recently looking at the "old fashioned chicken noodle soup"
> recipe in my BH&G. It talks about cutting up a 'whole stewing
> chicken' and simmering it for a couple of hours. It makes no mention
> about chicken skin. I presume that if there is skin left on the meat,
> it will create a frothy scum on the top of the broth, and then peel
> off the meat in sheets. Am I wrong? I don't think i've ever seen skin
> in soup.
>
> I didn't see a stewing chicken at my local grocery store, but I
> presume that I can substitute the same weight of thighs/wings etc.and
> go along the merry way. I assume I'm peeling the skin off first
> though.
>
> Bonus question: Is there any good use for chicken skins, if you don't
> have a dog?
>
> -J

Oy.

I cut them up and LEAVE them in the soup!!!
Good source of collagen.

Good for arthritis...
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
*Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or
no influence on society. -- Mark Twain

Sycophant wrote:

>> Bonus question: Is there any good use for chicken skins, if you don't
>> have a dog?
>
> I cut them up and LEAVE them in the soup!!!
> Good source of collagen.
>
> Good for arthritis...

Chicken skin cooked that way is flabby and unpleasant (though neither as
flabby nor as unpleasant as PVC!)

Bob

In article <i7hh8f$d7q$[email protected]>,
"Kent" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "phaeton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]..
> >I was recently looking at the "old fashioned chicken noodle soup"
> > recipe in my BH&G. It talks about cutting up a 'whole stewing
> > chicken' and simmering it for a couple of hours. It makes no mention
> > about chicken skin. I presume that if there is skin left on the meat,
> > it will create a frothy scum on the top of the broth, and then peel
> > off the meat in sheets. Am I wrong? I don't think i've ever seen skin
> > in soup.
> >
> > I didn't see a stewing chicken at my local grocery store, but I
> > presume that I can substitute the same weight of thighs/wings etc.and
> > go along the merry way. I assume I'm peeling the skin off first
> > though.
> >
> > Bonus question: Is there any good use for chicken skins, if you don't
> > have a dog?
> >
> > -J
> >
> >
> When you braise a whole chicken to make chicken noodle soup you're initially
> making a chicken stock and cooking the meat. You should always leave the
> skin on for the initial 1-1.5 hour braise. There's lots of flavor in the
> skin and in the fat between skin and muscle. To the initial braise I add a
> bay leaf, a celery stalk, and half an onion, occasionally prov. herbs,
> though that's not necessary. When you finish strain the stock into a
> separator funnel and pour off the nonfat portion into the soup pan. Into
> that goes noodles, fresh veggies of chohice, and ultimately the cut up
> chicken from your braise. Top with chopped fresh parsley when you serve.
>
> It's a great dish when combined with ia great homemade stock.
>
> Kent

Sounds complicated... I pressure cook all stock and soup stuff now. The
advantage is that, if you leave the pressure cooker SEALED and do not
open it, the contents are sterile. You can leave the PC on the stove
for several hours to cool instead of messing around with aliquoting it
for quick cooling to prevent contamination and food poisoning that can
be caused by cooking soup in open topped pots.

The only time I ever had a soup go bad on me was when I slow cooked it
in an open stock pot.

Any more, I pressure cook my ingredients, let it cool to room temp on
the stove then strain it. I refrigerate the solids and broth in
separate bowls and remove any bones.

I then de-fat the stock when it's cooled as it's much easier to pick
solidified fat off the top than use a separator.

When I make stock or soup, it's most often a 2 day process, but then I
have no problem with meal planning for days ahead of time. ;-)

As for chicken skin, I leave it in. It's nutritious and tasty and falls
apart in shreds when pressure cooked and all the fat cooks out and
floats to the top of the broth for removal when it's cold.
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
*Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or
no influence on society. -- Mark Twain

On Sep 24, 12:27*am, phaeton <blahbleh...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> *Is there any good use for chicken skins, if you don't have a dog?

Fried chicken skins. So crunchy. So delicious.
>
> -J

--Bryan

'Kent[_2_ Wrote:
> ;1531571']"phaeton" [email protected] wrote in message
> news:[email protected]..-
> I was recently looking at the "old fashioned chicken noodle soup"
> recipe in my BH&G. It talks about cutting up a 'whole stewing
> chicken' and simmering it for a couple of hours. It makes no mention
> about chicken skin. I presume that if there is skin left on the meat,
> it will create a frothy scum on the top of the broth, and then peel
> off the meat in sheets. Am I wrong? I don't think i've ever seen skin
> in soup.
>
> I didn't see a stewing chicken at my local grocery store, but I
> presume that I can substitute the same weight of thighs/wings etc.and
> go along the merry way. I assume I'm peeling the skin off first
> though.
>
> Bonus question: Is there any good use for chicken skins, if you don't
> have a dog?
>
> -J
>
> -
> When you braise a whole chicken to make chicken noodle soup you're
> initially
> making a chicken stock and cooking the meat. You should always leave the
>
> skin on for the initial 1-1.5 hour braise. There's lots of flavor in the
>
> skin and in the fat between skin and muscle. To the initial braise I
> add a
> bay leaf, a celery stalk, and half an onion, occasionally prov. herbs,
> though that's not necessary. When you finish strain the stock into a
> separator funnel and pour off the nonfat portion into the soup pan. Into
>
> that goes noodles, fresh veggies of chohice, and ultimately the cut up
> chicken from your braise. Top with chopped fresh parsley when you
> serve.
>
> It's a great dish when combined with ia great homemade stock.
>
> Kent

I always boil/braise with skin on. It's nice to reserve the fat you
skim, as it goes well with rosemary and red potatoes. I save the skins
as dog treats.




--
Gorio

On Thu, 23 Sep 2010 22:27:15 -0700 (PDT), phaeton
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I was recently looking at the "old fashioned chicken noodle soup"
>recipe in my BH&G. It talks about cutting up a 'whole stewing
>chicken' and simmering it for a couple of hours. It makes no mention
>about chicken skin.

It says WHOLE chicken. duh

critters & me in azusa, ca wrote:
> On Sep 23, 10:27 pm, phaeton <blahbleh...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I was recently looking at the "old fashioned chicken noodle soup"
>>recipe in my BH&G. It talks about cutting up a 'whole stewing
>>chicken' and simmering it for a couple of hours. It makes no mention
>>about chicken skin. I presume that if there is skin left on the meat,
>>it will create a frothy scum on the top of the broth, and then peel
>>off the meat in sheets. Am I wrong? I don't think i've ever seen skin
>>in soup.
>>
>>I didn't see a stewing chicken at my local grocery store, but I
>>presume that I can substitute the same weight of thighs/wings etc.and
>>go along the merry way. I assume I'm peeling the skin off first
>>though.
>>
>>Bonus question: Is there any good use for chicken skins, if you don't
>>have a dog?
>>
>>-J
>
>
> i believe that the "egg layers" go directly to the soup factories/pet
> food factories. I've asked for them at the various markets around
> here and have been told, they're not available any longer.

Maybe its a west coast thing but i find them in Asian, Black and Mexican
markets in the SF bay area.

I have only used them for stock on a couple of occasions, and did not
notice any particular difference than if i had used a young chicken.

I did use a capon once for stock (about 6 lb. iirc) and that seemed to
produce a more intensely flavored stock but i think that had more to do
with the capon being so large less water was used.

I remember being disappointed with the amount of stock even if not its
flavor.
--

Mr. Joseph Paul Littleshoes Esq.

Domine, dirige nos.

Let the games begin!
http://fredeeky.typepad.com/fredeeky.../sf_anthem.mp3

"Omelet" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]..
> In article <i7hh8f$d7q$[email protected]>,
> "Kent" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> "phaeton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]..
>> >I was recently looking at the "old fashioned chicken noodle soup"
>> > recipe in my BH&G. It talks about cutting up a 'whole stewing
>> > chicken' and simmering it for a couple of hours. It makes no mention
>> > about chicken skin. I presume that if there is skin left on the meat,
>> > it will create a frothy scum on the top of the broth, and then peel
>> > off the meat in sheets. Am I wrong? I don't think i've ever seen skin
>> > in soup.
>> >
>> > I didn't see a stewing chicken at my local grocery store, but I
>> > presume that I can substitute the same weight of thighs/wings etc.and
>> > go along the merry way. I assume I'm peeling the skin off first
>> > though.
>> >
>> > Bonus question: Is there any good use for chicken skins, if you don't
>> > have a dog?
>> >
>> > -J
>> >
>> >
>> When you braise a whole chicken to make chicken noodle soup you're
>> initially
>> making a chicken stock and cooking the meat. You should always leave the
>> skin on for the initial 1-1.5 hour braise. There's lots of flavor in the
>> skin and in the fat between skin and muscle. To the initial braise I add
>> a
>> bay leaf, a celery stalk, and half an onion, occasionally prov. herbs,
>> though that's not necessary. When you finish strain the stock into a
>> separator funnel and pour off the nonfat portion into the soup pan. Into
>> that goes noodles, fresh veggies of chohice, and ultimately the cut up
>> chicken from your braise. Top with chopped fresh parsley when you serve.
>>
>> It's a great dish when combined with ia great homemade stock.
>>
>> Kent
>
> Sounds complicated... I pressure cook all stock and soup stuff now. The
> advantage is that, if you leave the pressure cooker SEALED and do not
> open it, the contents are sterile. You can leave the PC on the stove
> for several hours to cool instead of messing around with aliquoting it
> for quick cooling to prevent contamination and food poisoning that can
> be caused by cooking soup in open topped pots.
>
> The only time I ever had a soup go bad on me was when I slow cooked it
> in an open stock pot.
>
> Any more, I pressure cook my ingredients, let it cool to room temp on
> the stove then strain it. I refrigerate the solids and broth in
> separate bowls and remove any bones.
>
> I then de-fat the stock when it's cooled as it's much easier to pick
> solidified fat off the top than use a separator.
>
> When I make stock or soup, it's most often a 2 day process, but then I
> have no problem with meal planning for days ahead of time. ;-)
>
> As for chicken skin, I leave it in. It's nutritious and tasty and falls
> apart in shreds when pressure cooked and all the fat cooks out and
> floats to the top of the broth for removal when it's cold.
> --
> Peace! Om
>
> Om, if you're making soup stock with chicken in a pressure cooker,
> however, how do you reduce to the concentration you want? Do you pressure
> cook the noodles?

Kent