Cleaning the Carcass

It was large as a purchased and dressed full chickens go, half again as large as the four pounders one finds in a standard grocery store. Purchased at an outlet of UW Provisions in Sun Prairie, the good-sized chicken was cooked up by my wife last week Friday. The chicken was tasty and, with just two of us, provided a good amount of left overs for the coming week. Yet, at six pounds, my wife was apparently concerned that too much would be eaten which would cut into the leftovers, here is that story.

We were cleaning up the kitchen after the delicious meal using that large six pound chicken. I usually put away the food, while my better half loads the dishwasher. I was innocently putting away the meat that had been cut off the chicken, and grabbing a bit here and there to eat while putting it into a container, and getting ready to cut the remainder of the meat off the bones. I usually do the cutting off the bones. This time, however, the wife saw me eating a few small hunks of previously cut meat, and commented to the effect that the way I put food away there will be not much left for a meal or so. To add insult to injury, she then added she would cut the meat off the bones. Who am I to argue, so I let her do that while I put away the remainder of the food. 

Chicken Carcass, Google images

I am not sure why she all of a sudden became concerned, because it is not like I have not picked out a few juicy, small pieces of meat to eat when cutting off meat or putting it away on other chickens or turkeys. At six pounds, I think a few more small hunks of meat was not going to make the difference between a third or fourth meal from the large chicken. 

As of this writing we have had three meals from this scrumptious chicken, with one serving remaining. Yet, there will be more to come in the future. After taking the meat off the rest of the chicken she cooked the carcass. My hyperactive wife, rather than putting the denuded carcass in the fridge, decided to cook it down that night to obtain broth, which she froze, in order to have for soup in the future. She makes excellent soup from a chicken or turkey carcass, and next week, with Thanksgiving we will have a second carcass she can cook down. There are few comfort foods as effective as chicken (or turkey) and dumpling soup on a cold dreary winter day. I realized, that as much as I make fun of her hyperactivity, I am a beneficiary. I don't think many people cook down carcasses much anymore. She is a Land Girl through and through. If she was a bird, she would be a hummingbird, never able to sit still. I am surprised I have not gotten dizzy watching her move around the house in a strong purposeful manner, always tending to something. 

When the turkey is cooked and the Thanksgiving meal eaten, I suppose I will attempt to clean off the turkey carcass, and in the process perhaps gobble a few errant chunks of meat. Her recent comment, makes me think I have to be clandestine eating the errant chunks when I clean off the turkey. Clandestine is not my strong suit as I am sure I am more Maxwell Smart than James Bond. It is challenging enough with a woman who senses and seemingly sees everything. I am sure she has eyes in the back of her head. I always wondered with those back of the head eyes, how she could see through thick red hair. I have yet to figure that out. My trials of cleaning the carcass, and perhaps snacking on a few errant chunks of meat, will continue, unless otherwise instructed.