Slow cooking chicken leg and wings

ukmonkey

Hi,

So, I bought two whole chickens the other day and had the butcher joint then (except he didn't do it very well...won't be going back, so he's missed out on a repeat monthly order, but don't get me started...) So, I'm thinking of using the meat from the chicken legs and wings for things like fajitas and curries.

I understand that I can cook the legs and wings in a slow cooker, but I'm wanting advice as to how? Do I just put them in with no water or anything, turn it on and hope for the best or what?

Also, I'm considering chucking all the legs and wings in, cookng them, then when I get home from work pulling the meat off and freezing it in batches, would I die if I did this? How would I reheat it to use in curries etc? Defrost first or from frozen?

HELP!

Also, can I make stock from all the bones and yukky bits that are left over when I've pulled the meat off? If so, how?

Sorry for all the questions!

:beer:

davetaylor

Hi There!

Ok, I don;t class myself as an expert but if it was me, I would season the legs and wings and maybe add some chopped garlic or herbs and chuck them in the slow cooker with a tiny bit of white wine, or even just water. I mean like just enough to cove the bottom of the slow cooker. If you could be bothered you could heat a frying pan really hot and pan fry them for a minute first to brown them off a bit but probs not necessary. Don't see any reason at all why you couldn't freeze it for using laters, but if it was me personally I would probably then use it to make the curries etc and then if there was any left freeze the meals you have made. Maybe save all of your bones and yucky bits in the freezer until you have got the others from the rest of your two chickens for your stock. Some smarter person will point you towards a link for making it in the stock, but really there is not much more to it than chucking it all in with any veg you have lying around covering with water and cooking it over night.

timmmers

Stock is just bones and water boiled and the fat removed basically, you can add diced onion, celery and carrot and herbs if you like but it depends what you're intending using it for really. I'd use the whole chicken and make one big batch or depending on the size of the birds you have, maybe 2 lots. That freezes no problem,

I only ever slow cooked anything wet ...I think just chicken will be burnt or not properly cooked depending on the temperature. Chicken needs fully cooking and to reach a certain temperature to be safe (60 degrees I think?). I'd either roast the parts and then take the meat off, or take it off the bone and freeze it raw. It will cook really fast if you flatten it in clingfilm before roasting.

I'm not keen on freezing chicken, and I have 3 eager helpers when it appears in my kitchen...so I'd not know about the best option there.

t

hot.chick

lots of people slow cook chickens a joints of meat without adding any liquid with good success.

If u just wanted to cook off the chicken and use for other things this would be fine you could then make stock from all the bones.

Enjoy it

ukmonkey

Ok, I'm thinking maybe brown it by flash-frying it for a minute or so, then bang it in the slow cooker (will half a couple of onions and place in the bottom of slow cooker, then I'll cook it for the day (as in like 9 hours or so).

Will it need to be on low, high or "auto"?
My slow cooker doesn't have a timer, these are the three settings.

hot.chick

low for 9 hours will be plenty of time, u'll be amaized how much liquid you end up with.

ukmonkey

Really? Can I use it for anything or will it be yucky?

hot.chick

it'll be really rich chicken stock, which will turn to a jelly when cooled, just like the juices off a roast chicken.

Will have a bit of fat on it thought if you keep the skin on the meat, you might want to cool it and skim this off, it will seperate out by its self.

You could put it in your curry or anything where you might like a bit of extra chicken flavour.

(why would you think it will be yucky?)

ukmonkey

Because I figured it'd be full of fat. Will try and skim the fat off and then freeze.

hot.chick

)

ok - if you just put it in a container and let it go cold, the fat will just float to the top.

Good luck and don't worry when you end up with a load of fat on the top and brown jelly on the bottom, it's supposed to be like that.

ukmonkey

Sounds a bit like dripping that we used to have occasionally as a kid - I think it was the left over liquid from roast beef or roast pork. When set, it had the fat on top and then a dark brown/black jelly underneath.