'Chook-mageddon!'
(This post is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.)So...today did not turn out as I expected. We started off with a trip to the markets in Stanthorpe, in particular to see the 'chooks' on sale but there was nothing we were really interested in.We came home and finished the deck beams on Blue Moon and then had a phone call from our neighbour who said he was going to be getting his 'chook' plucker out, as he had been given some 'chooks' for the freezer. He wondered if we wanted to make use of it while it was out.As we have five roosters we have been saying that some are 'for the pot' for awhile now so before you know it we have rounded them all up in the old pen and grabbed the three new roosters and Wang-Mu. Yes, today was Wang's last day...only Yudhisthira remains to protect the four remaining hens.Will 'stretched' all their necks before chopping their heads off and five minutes after catching them we were wandering over to our neighbours with four headless 'chooks'. It was a bit disconcerting to see how long after losing a head a chicken can still flap.Our neighbours despatched two of their roosters as well as four old 'chooks' that they had been given. Dave's method of despatching involved him placing the bird in an inverted cone with it's head sticking out, then opening it's mouth and sticking a knife through the roof of it's mouth into it's brain which killed it instantaneously. It is supposedly the most humane and painless way to despatch them.The dead 'chooks' were then dunked in hot water at a temperature of 63 degrees (this apparently loosens the feathers) before being dropped into Dave's home made 'chook' plucker. The 'chook' plucker was a drum with stiff rubber protrusions on the inside wall and on the spinning base at the bottom. It was made from an old potters wheel. It was switched on and the 'chook' chucked in. The spinning base caused the bird to bounce about against the rubber fingers all the while being hosed down to wash away the feathers that were being removed. The machine completely plucked the birds in less than a minute.Once plucked they were taken to a nearby table and 'cleaned out'. Will kept the hearts and gizzards because he says they make delicious soup. I shall be the judge of that.Our neighbours now have six fresh 'chooks' in the freezer and we have two roasting on the barbecue...
(They look a bit scrawny.)
..and two (Wang included) in a pot, with gizzards and hearts for chicken broth. It does smell delicious!
It's all been a bit of a blur and not the day I was expecting...nor the day Wang and his chums were expecting either.PS . We both had a scrawny roast chicken each for tea!