Each Thursday, as many of you know, I chat with Matt Swaimon the Sonrise Morning Show, Sacred Heart Radio. Today the subject was fowl/chickens. Did you know those birds have been on our earth for over 5000 years?

FOWL (CHICKEN)

MATTHEW 23: 37: Jesus refers to fowl when He talks about  gathering the children together, “even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings…” He compared His care for Jerusalem to that of a hen for her brood.

KINGS 4:22:  Solomon ruled a huge area and the daily food requirements for the palace included almost 200 bushels of flour, almost 400 bushels of meal, 10 oxen, 20 cattle, 100 sheep, some deer, gazelles, and “plump fowl”.

MARK 14:30: Jesus said “Before the cock crows a second time tomorrow morning you will deny me three times.

Is the fowl/chicken mentioned in Matthew and Kings the same kind of chicken we know today?

The chicken of Bible times was not unlike our chickens today.  Over 5000 years ago chickens were domesticated and bred mainly for cockfighting.

Several hundred years before Christ they were bred for food.  They originally could fly well, but were kept in courtyards, gradually losing their power to fly.

I have chickens and call them my “girls”.  And I love getting fresh eggs every morning.

How to buy chicken and prepare

If you buy a whole chicken and bake it, butterfly it and roast it flat so it roasts more evenly.

Or if I make chicken stock necks and backs, I’ll add a splash of cider vinegar to the stock – the vinegar pulls the calcium out of the bones and into the stock and no, the stock won’t taste like vinegar.

You can also buy breasts and thighs with skin off but bone in. The bone keeps the meat moist, so these cuts are less likely to overcook than boneless. There’s also flavor that’s imparted from the bone.

Good for you, sometimes! 

But chicken can be poached, broiled or grilled for a healthier meal. Chicken is a good source of usable iron and protein.

Some people like to poach chicken. How do you poach it so it stays tender?

Lay boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a single layer in a pan. Cover with broth. Slowly bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, turn the fire off, cover and let sit for 20 minutes.  You’ll get perfectly cooked chicken.  To use in cold dishes, you can cool it to room temperature and refrigerate it right in the broth. That way, the chicken juices go back into the meat. The broth can be used as a wonderful base for soups, gravies, etc.

ONE PAN CHICKEN DINNER: WITH POTATOES, ONIONS, TOMATOES, OREGANO, GARLIC

No “real” recipe here so you can let your creativity do what it wants! If you use more chicken, veggies, etc. go ahead and double the paste.
Basically, here it is:

Ingredients

Chicken pieces – your choice bone in

Paste

S&P

Garlic (for 4 chicken breasts I used a good 4 cloves, a heaping tablespoon minced garlic)

Olive oil – enough to make a loose paste, about 1/4 cup or so

Oregano – A handful of fresh leaves, minced or up to a couple teaspoons dry or so

Lemon juice – a good 1/4 cup

Potatoes – I used 3 large Yukon Gold – whatever you have on hand is good, cut into chunks

Onions – 1 large, cut into wedges

Tomatoes – I scattered cherry tomatoes all over – any kind will work

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix paste ingredients together.

Put chicken and veggies in a sprayed casserole. I put the veggies in first and layed the chicken on top, skin side up.

Pour paste over and try to get it to cover as much as possible.

Roast 40-45 minutes.