Jacques of all Trades

Man charged in connection with 70,000 chicken deaths in Md. - The Washington Post

Mark Shockley, a Delmar farmer, went out to his chickenhouses Saturday morning. No lights were on. No fans, either.

Some 70,000 chickens were dead.

“This is a first for me in my almost 20-year career,” Lt. Tim Robinson of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office told DelmarvaNow.com. Police say the chickens died after a drunk man on the property for a gathering allegedly went into a shed, possibly looking for a light switch. Instead, he apparently turned off power to the chickenhouses, an act that most likely killed $20,000 worth of chickens within 15 minutes. (via )

This is a horrible consequence for one man’s drunken exploits.  That said, I don’t want to think about the conditions in which these chickens are kept if they can die after only 15 minutes without power.  Having driven down US-13, I already know what they smell like.

thedailywhat:

Incredible Edible Egg of the Day: Meet Popples: The chicken who laid the gargantuan egg.

The Rhode Island Red reportedly popped out an eight-inch, seven-ounce egg — approximately four times larger than her usual ovum.

“Poor Popples must have been eggs-hausted and in pain after laying such a massive egg,” said owner Teresa of Portsmouth, Hampshire. She thinks perhaps the leftover cauliflower, broccoli, and sprouts Popples ate the night before may have given her “a boost.”

She’s also considering the possibility that a stray ostrich made its way into the chicken run.

[dailymail / bwe.]

(Source: thedailywhat)

mark bittman’s simple chicken breast recipes

(via canttuchthis)

Tonight’s autumnal dinner in progress: garlic-roasted chicken, with roasted squash and wild mushrooms.  Super easy to prepare, and then just an hour or so in the oven.

(Also, but not pictured: nice crisp, if not autumnal, green beans!) 

Roast Chicken with Maple Pepper Glaze and Sweet Potatoes

Autumn arrived in our house yesterday afternoon, as we did a closet clean-out, and settled in to watch some football with this tasty, toasty roast chicken recipe from Food and Wine:

 

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper
1 chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon

 

1. Heat the oven to 425°. In a large roasting pan, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Push them to the edges of the pan, leaving a space in the center for the chicken.
2. Rub the cavity of the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Twist the wings behind the back and tie the legs together. Put the chicken, breast-side up, in the center of the roasting pan. Coat the chicken with the remaining tablespoon oil, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, and dot with the butter. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, bourbon, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and stir the potatoes. Brush the chicken with about 2 tablespoons of the glaze and drizzle the potatoes with about 1/2 tablespoon of the glaze. Return the pan to the oven and cook, stirring the potatoes and brushing the chicken with the remaining glaze 2 more times, until the chicken and potatoes are just done, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer the bird and potatoes to a plate and leave to rest in a warm spot for about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, pour off the fat from the roasting pan. Add any accumulated juices from the chicken to the liquid in the pan. Serve the chicken with the pan juices and sweet potatoes.

The Chicken and Waffle Cupcake - This is either the greatest or most terrifying food item ever created.  

Robicellis Special Event Chicken and Waffles Cupcake - 

(bbook)

Another Supper Club favorite, Bhavna made this delicious Smoky Barbecue Chicken recipe, from Tim Love, and we all, well, Loved it.  So tender, so delicious:

INGREDIENTS

• 1. 1 gallon water
  2. 1/2 cup kosher salt
  3. 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  4. Three 3 1/2-pound chickens
  5. 10 pounds hardwood lump charcoal
  6. 9 garlic cloves—6 smashed, 3 minced
  7. 1 bunch scallions, coarsely chopped
  8. 1 fennel bulb, finely diced
  9. 1 jalapeño, finely diced
  10. 1 dried ancho chile—stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped
  11. Tim Love’s Wild Game Rub

DIRECTIONS

1. In a pot, combine the water with the salt and sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the salt and sugar dissolve. Let the brine cool to room temperature.
2. Set three large oven-roasting bags in a large roasting pan. Put a chicken in each bag and pour one-third of the brine in each. Tie the bags and refrigerate for 4 hours.
3. Set up a grill for indirect grilling: Light 5 pounds of the charcoal on one side of the grill and hang a grilling or oven thermometer on the opposite side of the grill.
4. Remove the chickens from the brine and pat dry. In a bowl, combine the smashed garlic, scallions, fennel, jalapeño and ancho. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the Wild Game Rub and stuff into the chicken cavities. Tie the legs together with string. Rub the outside of the chickens with the minced garlic and 1/2 cup of the Wild Game Rub.
5. Set the chickens breast side down on the grill opposite the coals. Cover and cook at 325° to 350° for 1 hour. Add the remaining 5 pounds of charcoal to the grill as needed to maintain the temperature. Turn the chickens, cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thighs registers 160°, about 1 hour and 30 minutes longer. Transfer the chickens to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve the chickens and serve.