Classic Boiled Whole Chicken

Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world.  So it is no wonder that there are so many recipes that feature this delicious meat.  Here at Our Southern Odyssey we love creating recipes that feature chicken.  Poultry is rich in the trace element Selenium.  The Selenium is high in antioxidant properties which the body needs for proper metabolism.  Poultry is a lean meat that is low in calories and rich in protein not to mention it is just delicious. 

 Poultry makes a great leftover food.  Because as the poultry sits in the refrigerator the flavors of the seasoning and the meat have time to blend beautifully.  Cooking a whole chicken is a great way to keep food in the refrigerator to eat for a couple of days.  Just remember to keep the cooked chicken in a really cool place in the refrigerator.  

Knowing how to boil a chicken is essential for creating different recipes that require chicken as an ingredient.  Boiling a chicken is actually really simple to do and is considered an easy recipe.   Boiled Chicken can be eaten as is or added to other ingredients to create a totally different recipe.  Because the chicken is cooked in water the chicken will stay juicy and will tender quite nicely.  Not to mention as the chicken cooks the kitchen will smell AMAZING!  

Our favorite way to eat boiled chicken is on a coconut wrap with lettuce, pickles, onions, mayo, pink salt and pepper.  They are so delicious and easy to transport.  They are also great to eat in the summer when the outside temperature gets so hot, because you can boil the chicken early in the morning before the temperature gets so hot.  Actually eating a chicken wrap for lunch is quite refreshing. 

When boiling a chicken don’t be afraid to add other ingredients to flavor the water the chicken will be cooked in.  Adding a mirepoix blend (celery, carrots and onions) is a great way to add flavor to the water.  But really any number of things can be added like lemon slices, sliced ginger root, garlic, or fresh herbs like thyme and basil.  Don’t be afraid to experiment when it comes to boiling a chicken.  The sky is the limit with the ways to season a boiled chicken.  And don’t forget that this flavored water is a great chicken stock.  The only thing to really be concerned with is boiling the chicken for too long.  Boiling a chicken for too long can result in the chicken being dry and tough.

Some basic meat precautions we should take in the kitchen.  Remember to keep raw chicken away from vegetables especially vegetables that will not be cooked.  Also, keep cutting boards and knives used to prepare chicken, or any other meat, away from other foods until they are properly and thoroughly cleaned.  Make sure the work station is cleaned before starting to prepare the chicken as well as afterwards. Always make sure to wash our hands before and after handling raw chicken.  And never use a knife that was used to prepare the raw chicken, to cut the cooked chicken.  Unless the knife has been thoroughly washed after preparing the raw chicken.  Having excellent kitchen hygiene is key to a healthy meal.    

When choosing the perfect chicken to make any of our chicken recipes we recommend purchasing from the grocery store 100% Air Chilled Organic Chicken.  We choose 100% Air Chilled Chicken; because, the chicken has not been left to soak in chlorinated water.  We, also, choose organic chicken because we want the chicken as healthy as possible.  The better the chicken is treated and fed the better the meat.  

Since first publishing this article we have found a small farm in Florida that raises 100% grass-fed chickens. We have been very pleased with the quality of meat that we have received from them. They wash their chicken; however, they do not use chlorinated water. They are not certified organic but they do have the same concerns as we do about pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. We feel comfortable ordering our meat from them and are happy that they decided to have a farm that works with nature instead of against it. We are so pleased with the taste of the chicken as well as their other meats that we have started buying from them on a regular basis. We actually have not purchased chicken in the grocery store since we started ordering from them.

To sum everything up, when buying chicken in the grocery store we recommend purchasing organic air chilled chicken. When purchasing chicken at a farmers’ market or from a farmer that you are comfortable with, ask questions and learn about how they raise the chicken as well as process the chicken. A lot of time you will find that some of the farmers at the farmers’ market follow organic practices, they just don’t have the paperwork. The best piece of advice we can offer here is to know every thing your can about your food. And never be afraid to ask questions.

When filling up the pot with water it is recommend to use filtered or spring water.  Because, using chlorinated water would defeat the purpose of buying an air chilled chicken.  Also, the chlorinated water will change the taste of the chicken.  

Instructions:

For this recipe you will need a large pot with a lid.  The reason you will need a large pot that is deep is because you will be boiling water and if the pot is not deep enough the water will boil out and make a horrible mess.  Start by coating the bottom (inside) of the pot with coconut oil.  The coconut oil will help keep the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pot.  We have provided a visual of coating the inside of the pot with coconut oil in the step-by-step guide. 

Next it is a good policy to go ahead and wash the kitchen sink and make sure that there are no dishes in the sink.  Opening the packaging that the whole chicken is in can be messy.  After the sink is clean, open the plastic packaging that the chicken is in over the sink.  That way if there is any spills it will be contained to the sink.  Make sure that the pot is next to the sink, that way you will not have to walk all over the kitchen holding a chicken.  Place the chicken in the pot.  Wash your hand throughly with soap and water.  Place the pot with the chicken in it on the eye (burner) of the stove.  Do not turn the eye (burner) on just yet.  Now that the chicken has been moved away from the sink, take and move the garbage can as close to the sink as possible and throw away the packaging that the chicken was wrapped in.  Now take this time to wash the sink with soap and water.  The sink will need to be cleaned to wash the vegetables that will be used when boiling the chicken. 

Make sure that the counter top is clean.  Take a cutting board and a knife then peel and cut one medium organic onion.  The onion will not need to be chopped fine.  Take the onion and cut the onion in half then half it again.  All in all, there should be four sections when the onion is cut.  Place the onion sections in the pot with the chicken.  Next take two carrots and peel them with a vegetable peeler.  Use the knife to cut the ends off the carrots.  Wash the carrots under clean filtered water.  Now take the carrots and cut them into sections.  Use the images in the step-by-step guide as a reference.  Just remember to keep the pieces large enough so that they can be dipped out of the water in the end.  Take and wash two stalks of celery and cut them into sections as well.  Add all the vegetables to the pot with the chicken.  Now it is time to add the dry seasoning to the chicken.  Add the parsley, oregano, Himalayan pink salt, pepper and bay leaves to the pot with the chicken.  Pour fresh filtered water over the chicken in the pot.  Do not submerge the chicken in the water.  Bring the water almost up to the top of the chicken and stop.  Use the images above as a guide. 

Now it is time to turn the burner (eye) on.  Turn the burner (eye) on high heat.  Cover the pot with the lid, and wait for the water to come to a boil.  You will need to stay close to the chicken until it starts to boil.  This will take around  10 minutes.  After the water around the chicken has come to a boil turn the burner (eye) down to medium low to cook.  Cook the chicken for about an hour and a half until the temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F.  After the chicken is finished cooking turn the eye (burner) off.  Let the chicken cool for about 30 minutes in the pot.  Take the ladle or skimmer and remove the chicken from the pot and place the chicken on a tray.  When the chicken is cool enough remove the meat from the bone.  It is so much easier to remove the meat from the bone when the chicken has just been cooked instead of the next day after the chicken has been refrigerated overnight.  And this is how you cook the perfect boiled whole chicken that is moist and flavorful.

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Boiled Whole Chicken

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

Category: Cooking 101, Main Dish

Cuisine: Southern

Author: Vanessa & Valancie

Yield: 8

This is a delicious simple recipe for preparing chicken that can be used in many other recipes that call for chicken. When boiling a chicken the meat stays tender and juicy and the flavor is incredible. Choosing the best chicken possible when cooking also adds to the overall flavor of the meat.

Ingredients

• 1 Medium Organic Onion - Cut
• 2 Organic Carrots - Peeled and Cut
• 2 Organic Celery Stalks - Cut
• 4 Organic Bay Leaves
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Dry Parsley or 1 teaspoon Organic Fresh Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Oregano
• 2 teaspoons Himalayan Pink Salt - to taste
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Ground Tellicherry Pepper - to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Coconut Oil
• 1 Whole Organic 100% air chilled Chicken
• 8 Cups of filter or spring Water - or enough to almost cover the chicken

Instructions

1. Put the coconut oil in the bottom of the pan, completely coat the bottom of the pot
2. Place the chicken in the pot
3. Peel and cut the onion in half, then in half again
4. Peel the carrots and cut in small long sections
5. Cut the celery in sections
6. Add all vegetable to the chicken
7. Add the parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and bay leaves
8. Pour the water over the chicken and vegetables - almost cover
9. Turn eye (burner) on high
10. Cover the pot with a lid
11. Bring to a boil
12. Reduce heat to medium low and cook the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours or until the temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees.
13. Turn the eye (burner) off
14. Let the chicken cool for about 30 minutes
15. Take the Ladle or Skimmer and remove the chicken to a tray
16. When cool remove the chicken for the bone

Notes

What you will need:

Cutting Board, Knife, Vegetable Peeler, Measuring Spoons, Measuring Cups, Large Stock Pot with Lid, Spoon, Large Ladle or Skimmer, Tray

4.33

https://www.oursouthernodyssey.com/boiled-whole-chicken/

This recipe is provided by Our Southern Odyssey