Oh, Chicken!

Several years ago now, I spent one summer as a day-camp counselor. It was awesome, and most of the kids were great fun. I had a blast with them, and probably learned as much hanging out with them as we hoped they learned from us. One thing I did learn, and which stuck with me for quite a while, was this phrase from Cory. Instead of saying *shoot* or *darn* or *great googley moogley*, he would say *chicken*!

*Oh, chicken!*

*Holy chicken!*

*What the chicken...?!*

It cracked me up. I shamelessly stole it, and used it regularly. It still pops up in my phraseology from time to time. Like last week, when I went to make the peanut butter stew recipe from Masimba. I went to the store, and bought a whole chicken. I got it home, and then... what the chicken?!

Awww, chicken! I should have looked at this more closely at the store....
Do you see 'em? Those little feathers still sticking in here?
I mean, seriously. You buy a chicken at the store, you don't expect to have to clean the chicken chicken yourself, do you?!
I was totally grossed out. I don't want to eat those chicken feathers, but I didn't know what the chicken to do to get rid of 'em, either!
Chicken.

So what did I do? I called the *I can de-liver and gut a chicken in 3.5 seconds* guy-- Masimba. (What do you call it when you clean 'em out? Either way, he can do it... I've heard stories.) I just wanted to know if I could take all the skin off in some relatively easy way. He told me to do this:

Cut that sucker in half. And the skin'll just peel right off. Well, sort of.
Ewwww... that is one chickened up chicken! Tee hee. Now, I'm a beginner at this, so there is probably a less time-consuming and messy way to do this. It took me forEVER. But it mainly worked. I just couldn't get the skin off the little ole wings, and this piece:
I hate that piece. It's gross, and thick and nasty. It's practically feet, for crying out loud! I mean, chicken! I took some scissors and butchered that poor leg til it all came off.
And this is what I wound up with. Nice, pretty skinless chicken breasts and legs and thighs and... well, everything but the wings. The rest of the bones and wings I boiled up and used to make soup. This good stuff I used in the peanut butter stew, which turned out very well. If you want the recipe, let me know. Don't be put off by the name-- it's yummy. Chicken yeah it is! =D

Just watch out for those feathers there, buddy!