Poor little chickie

I’m sorry, but I just can’t get used to the way they sell full chickens at the grocery stores here in Malaysia.  In the Harris Teeter or Giant grocery stores back home on the east coast, I always enjoyed walking in with the aroma of the rotisserie chickens completely cooked lingering through the store.  But here, it’s a different story.  The chickens are sold very raw and with everything still attached!  I have the hardest time opening the package and seeing their little necks, claws, and feet all still there…it’s so sad!  I usually scream for my husband and quickly ask for his assistance in cutting off these parts for me, while I stand by with a sad look on my face.  As he starts cutting I usually say, “Poor little chickie, poor little chickie, I’m sorry!”  This is just something I will never get used to while living here in Malaysia.

We did make a really yummy soup out of the chicken, however.  So it went to good use, poor little chickie.  Here’s the recipe below, found on the blog, “A Year of Slow Cooking“.  We used our crock pot!

Recipe:

– 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken carcass, or 1 1/2 cups already cooked chicken meat
– 6 cups water
– 1 or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
– 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (check for gluten, this was clearly labeled gluten free)
– 1 cup broccoli florets
– 1 small onion, diced
– 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
– kosher salt to taste (probably a good 1 teaspoon, since the base is water)
– 50-cent piece size, or so, handful of raw spaghetti noodles to add at the end
– 1 large handful raw spinach leaves to add at the end
– Parmesan and Asiago cheese, optional garnish

The Directions:

If you’re going to use a chicken carcass, cook it on low overnight in the water.  In the morning, unplug the crock and let it cool before digging in with CLEAN hands to pick out the bones.  Strain through a colander (retaining liquid!) if desired.  Or, start with a slow cooker with 6 cups of water, and add chicken.  Add all vegetables except for the spinach leaves.  Stir in the bouillon and vinegar.  Salt to taste.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until sweet potatoes are tender and the onion is translucent.  15 minutes before serving, put in raw spaghetti noodles and a large handful of spinach. Cover and flip to high.  Garnish with Parmesan and Asiago cheeses, if desired.