• Home
  • About
    • The Value of Heritage Poultry
  • Our Breeds
  • Order Chicks & Hatching Eggs
    • Member Farms
  • Currently Available
  • Resources
    • What is Heritage Poultry?
    • The Value of Heritage Poultry
    • Choosing Chicken Breeds
    • Preparing For Your New Chicks
    • Brooding Chicks
    • Chicken Nutrition
    • Raising Cockerels For Meat
    • Cooking Heritage Chicken >
      • Our Favorite Heritage Chicken Recipes
    • Basic Biosecurity for Your Flock
    • Factors Influencing Egg Production
    • Integrating New Flock Members
    • Coccidiosis
    • Parasite Prevention
    • Winter Flock Health
    • Safe Handling of Live Poultry
  • Contact
  Peninsula Poultry Breeders
  • Home
  • About
    • The Value of Heritage Poultry
  • Our Breeds
  • Order Chicks & Hatching Eggs
    • Member Farms
  • Currently Available
  • Resources
    • What is Heritage Poultry?
    • The Value of Heritage Poultry
    • Choosing Chicken Breeds
    • Preparing For Your New Chicks
    • Brooding Chicks
    • Chicken Nutrition
    • Raising Cockerels For Meat
    • Cooking Heritage Chicken >
      • Our Favorite Heritage Chicken Recipes
    • Basic Biosecurity for Your Flock
    • Factors Influencing Egg Production
    • Integrating New Flock Members
    • Coccidiosis
    • Parasite Prevention
    • Winter Flock Health
    • Safe Handling of Live Poultry
  • Contact

Our Favorite Recipes

Tips for cooking heritage chicken
Lisa's Brine Roasted Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
  • 3-5 lb. Whole Heritage Roaster
  • 2 gallons water
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • handful of fresh or dried herbs
  • 1 tsp peppercorns
  • Olive oil or butter
  • 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 lemon, zested and cut in half
Directions:
  1. Prepare the brine. Mix water, salt, sugar, herbs and peppercorns and fully submerge the chicken for 8-18 hours in the fridge.
  2. Remove from brine, pat dry, discard brine.
  3. Rub the chicken with olive oil or butter and minced herbs.
  4. Stuff with 3-5 cloves of minced garlic, fresh herbs and lemon.
  5. Preheat oven to 325F.
  6. Roast chicken in a tightly covered pan for 25-30 minutes per pound or until thigh temperature reaches 160-170F.
  7. Remove cover and broil for approximately 3-5 minutes, making sure to rotate so skin gets fully crisped.



Linda's Spanish-style Chicken Pot Roast
This pot roast of whole pastured chicken is a revelation in low, slow, moist cooking. It works best if you cook breast side down in an enameled cast-iron pot or clay pot. Aside from the time involved (as many as 12 hours!), this is an easy dish to prepare, and works well if made ahead. If you make ahead, let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate until an hour or two before serving. Then slowly bring it back to serving temperature in a low oven. (If a clay pot is used to cook the chicken, do not refrigerate and then reheat in a clay pot). Serve the chicken with its juices, accompanied by rice to soak up the juices.

Ingredients:
  • 4 to 5 pound Whole Heritage Roaster or Stewer
  • 1/2 cup diced bacon, preferably pastured pork or pancetta cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 1/4 pound crumbled Sweet Italian sausage, preferably pastured pork
  • 3 to 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
  1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees and choose a pot that will closely fit your chicken (with a tight fitting lid). If using a clay pot, soak it for 15 minutes, and start the roasting in a cold oven. Bring the chicken to room temperature, rinse it, and blot it dry.
  2. Combine the bacon and sausage meat and stuff the mixture firmly into the chicken's cavity.
  3. Put the chicken in your chosen pot, add the chicken stock, and sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the bird. Cover the pot, adding foil or parchment paper if necessary to maintain a tight seal.
  4. Cook for 8 to 12 hours. Longer cooking makes the bird more succulent (just add more chicken stock or water as necessary to keep the liquid level high).
  5. Serve the chicken whole or shredded, drizzled with the rich stock.
Jennie's Favorite Stew Hen Recipe
Ingredients:
  • Whole Stew Hen
  • water
  • salt & pepper
  • 6-8 whole garlic cloves (number optional)
  • 1-2 cups of your choice of herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, sage).
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 400F
  2. Fill Dutch oven with approximately 1.5 - 2in  of water.
  3. Add herbs, salt, pepper and garlic cloves. Then add the chicken.
  4. Place the lid on securely and put in preheated oven.
  5. Cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes
  6. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for 45 minutes.
  7. Decrease to 200 degrees for approximately another 3 hours, until the meat falls off the bone. Smaller birds may require less cooking time so check at 2.5hrs.
  8. You will be left with a beautiful green tinged herb broth to pour over the chicken.
  9. Use the carcass for bone broth (recipe below).
          **24 hours of soaking in a brine bath adds extra moisture**



Stuart & Michelle's Gluten Free Oven Fried Heritage Chicken
This recipe is a great substitute for the traditional fried chicken which uses a lot of oil. The slower growing the breed of chicken, the more tender your results. We have successfully used Delawares and Marans up to 16 weeks of age (3½-5 lbs) and very slow growing Jersey Giants up to 25+ weeks (4–6 lbs).
 
Ingredients:
  • Chicken as described above. For most of the breeds offered by Peninsula Poultry Breeders, this will be most successful with a bird under 18 weeks of age.
  • Gluten-Free Flour Blend (GFF). See below.
  • Oil as needed
Gluten-Free Flour Blend:
  • 2 cups white rice flour, or substitute 1 cup white rice flour with 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 2/3 cup potato starch flour
  • 1/3 cup tapioca flour
Directions:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. If you have a convection option, it will improve the evenness of cooking.
  2. Cut the chicken into roughly even sized pieces. This usually means splitting the breasts.
  3. Place ~ ½ Cup gluten-free flour blend (GFF) on a plate or in plastic bag. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Other spices can be used for flavor but don’t go over board or you will mask the rich taste of a heritage chicken.
  4. Lightly coat the pieces in GFF flour.
  5. Cover 2 flat baking sheets with parchment paper. Make sure to use a baking sheet with a lip to contain the fat.
  6. Place larger pieces on top of parchment paper on one sheet and the smaller pieces on the second.
  7. Drizzle a small amount of oil on each piece of chicken.
  8. Place the sheet with larger pieces in oven on the top level and the smaller just below.
  9. Cook for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
  10. Rotate both sheets after 15 minutes.
  11. At 30 minutes, drop the temperature to 350 degrees and rotate the sheets.
  12. At 45 minutes remove any small pieces which are done and rotate the  sheets.
  13. At 1 hour remove sheets from the oven and remove pieces from the sheets to a dry dish to prevent them from getting greasy.
Health-Supporting Chicken Bone Stock
Ingredients:
  • carcass and bones from roasted/stewed chicken
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. peppercorns
  • optional vegetables--several handfuls of any combination of carrots, celery, mushroom stems or onion
  • optional herbs--3 or 4 thyme sprigs or 1 rosemary sprig
  • water to cover (about 2.5 quarts)
Directions:
  1. Place chicken carcass, bones, salt, peppercorns and optional vegetables/herbs into a stockpot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Alternatively, use a slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours, or an Instant Pot for 1 hour.
  2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2-3 hours or until the carcass falls apart and the liquid is a rich golden color. Add more water as necessary to keep the bones covered in the pot. This long, slow cooking draws the healthy minerals and collagen into the broth. This is the secret behind the true healing properties of chicken soup.
  3. Strain and use, or store for later use. Freezes well.
Poulet Poele a L’Estragon or Casserole-Roasted Chicken with Tarragon
from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Childs. (Alfred Knopf 1961) taken directly from the book. This cookbook masterpiece contains a trove of poultry recipes that are perfect for heritage birds. They were developed during the period when these were the poultry breeds used by top chefs. In fact, Julia said that "modern breeds of poultry can end up tasting like the stuffing of a teddy bear" and have no where near the flavor of a "true chicken". We heartily agree! This recipe is perfect for a special occasion, using one of our 16 week heritage cockerels. Photos below the recipe are of a four pound, 16 week old Barred Rock cockerel.


For 4 people
Estimated roasting time: 1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes for a 3-pound bird.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

3-pound ready-to-cook roasting chicken
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 tablespoons butter
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon

Season the cavity of the chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Insert the tarragon leaves, or sprinkle in dried tarragon. Truss the chicken. Dry it thoroughly and rub the skin with the rest of the butter.
A heavy fireproof casserole just large enough to hold the  chicken on its back and on its side
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil, more if needed


Set the casserole over moderately high heat with the butter and oil. When the butter foam has begun to subside, lay in the chicken, breast down. Brown for 2 to 3 minutes, regulating heat so butter is always very hot but not burning. Turn the chicken on another side, using 2 wooden spoons or a towel. Be sure not to break the chicken skin. Continue browning and turning the chicken until it is a nice golden color almost all over, particularly on the breast and legs. This will take 10 to 15 minutes. Add more oil if necessary to keep the bottom of the casserole filmed.

3 tablespoons butter, if necessary

Remove the chicken. Pour out the browning fat if it has burned, and add fresh butter.
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/4 cup sliced carrots
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Cook the carrots and onions slowly in the casserole for 5 minutes without browning. Add the salt and tarragon.

1/4 teaspoon salt
A bulb baster
Aluminum foil
A tight-fitting cover for the casserole


Salt the chicken. Set it breast up over the vegetables and baste it with the butter in the casserole. Lay a piece of aluminum foil over the chicken, cover the casserole, and reheat it on top of the stove until you hear the chicken sizzling. Then place the casserole on a rack in the middle level of the preheated oven.

Roast for 1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes, regulating heat so chicken is always making quiet cooking noises. Baste once or twice with the butter and juices in the casserole. The chicken is done when its drumsticks move in their sockets, and when the last drops drained from its vent run clear yellow.

Remove the chicken to a serving platter and discard trussing strings.

Brown Tarragon Sauce
2 cups brown chicken stock, or 1 cup canned beef bouillon and 1 cup canned chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch blended with 2 tablespoons Madeira or port
2 tablespoons fresh minced tarragon or parsley
1 tablespoon softened butter


Add the stock or bouillon and broth to the casserole and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up coagulated roasting juices. Then skim off all but a tablespoon of fat. Blend in the cornstarch mixture, simmer a minute, then raise heat and boil rapidly until sauce is lightly thickened. Taste carefully for seasoning, adding more tarragon if you feel it necessary. Strain into a warmed sauceboat. Stir in the herbs and the enrichment butter.

To serve
Optional but attractive: 10 to 12 fresh tarragon leaves blanched for 30 seconds in boiling water then rinsed in cold water, and dried on paper towels

Pour a spoonful of sauce over the chicken, and decorate the breast and legs with optional tarragon leaves. Platter may be garnished with sprigs of fresh parsley or — if you are serving them — sauteed potatoes and broiled tomatoes.

AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE:
If the chicken is not to be served for about half an hour, make the sauce except for its butter enrichment, and strain it into a saucepan. Return the chicken to the casserole. Place the aluminum foil over it and set the cover askew. Keep the casserole warm over almost simmering water, or in the turned-off hot oven, its door ajar. Reheat and butter the sauce just before serving.

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
    • The Value of Heritage Poultry
  • Our Breeds
  • Order Chicks & Hatching Eggs
    • Member Farms
  • Currently Available
  • Resources
    • What is Heritage Poultry?
    • The Value of Heritage Poultry
    • Choosing Chicken Breeds
    • Preparing For Your New Chicks
    • Brooding Chicks
    • Chicken Nutrition
    • Raising Cockerels For Meat
    • Cooking Heritage Chicken >
      • Our Favorite Heritage Chicken Recipes
    • Basic Biosecurity for Your Flock
    • Factors Influencing Egg Production
    • Integrating New Flock Members
    • Coccidiosis
    • Parasite Prevention
    • Winter Flock Health
    • Safe Handling of Live Poultry
  • Contact