It is a happy coincidence that locally raised chicken is front and center in the premiere episode of both season one and season two of The Farmer & The Foodie. Season one brought us to the mountains of Appalachia, inspiring our recipe for chicken braised in apple cider and garnished with pea shoots. We stay closer to home for season two’s first episode, meeting the plump birds and chatty hens of Foxhollow and Rootbound Farms, respectively, gathering a greater understanding of just what it means to raise poultry - be it meatbirds or egg layers - in a way that both respects the animal and land on which it clucks about. My love affair with cooking chicken has been a slow one to be sure, taking me from the land of dry, bland, boneless chicken breasts to the nirvana of impossibly juicy roast leg quarters encapsulated in the brownest of crispy skin. What was once considered merely accessible has now graduated to incredibly essential, this humble ingredient lending itself to any number of simple or complex preparations.
My current obsession is the spatchcock technique, which we’ll take you through step by step when season two debuts. Removing the chicken’s backbone allows the bird to lay flat in a piping hot cast iron skillet, setting the stage for maximum browning. The resulting drippings are ample and just beg to be soaked up by seared potatoes or even freshly snapped asparagus from the fields of Foxhollow, as we were so lucky to have on hand for this premiere episode. And we promise not to tease you for much longer; season two’s release date will be announced before you know it! Stay tuned…
Salud,
Lindsey AKA The Foodie