Favorite piece of chicken ?

IKE

IKE

Well-known Member
Location
Oklahoma....U.S.A.
Growing up with my mom, stepdad and two younger 1/2 sisters all of us had our assigned pieces of fried chicken......stepdad got the breasts, mom the thighs, the two girls got the legs and that left me with the back, wings, neck, gizzard and liver.

Some may think that I got the short end of the stick but I really enjoyed my pieces and especially the backs because they had all that good crunchy crust around the ribs and crispy flavorful skin.

I went in the Army at 17 1/2 (mid 69') and when going through the chow line I was somewhat saddened to see that my backs and necks were nowhere to be seen and most generally I was given either legs or thighs.......once in awhile I'd get a breast which I wasn't overly fond of (and still aren't) because of them being dry.

My bride of 45+ years has always purchased thigh & leg quarters and you never see packs of backs and necks on the shelf here for some reason except around Thanksgiving and Xmas when I suppose some still boil them down for the broth to use in stuffing and giblet gravy like my better half does.

When the packages of backs and necks come available during the holidays mama will always grab a extra pack and fry them up golden brown for me and I'm in hog heaven.
 

I don't cook chicken anymore..only have it if I go to dinner at my sister's house or rarely now, buy it from a supermarket deli or KFC. I used to love Costco's rotisserie chicken, the only chicken that I didn't find the breast too dry. But after my husband died, I found there was too much breast meat, which I don't care for. When I do have chicken I'll order the legs or thighs. I found on the rare occasions that I cook chicken myself, it's best to buy the legs. They are easier to clean and cook.
 
IKE: we ate lots of chicken on the old homestead. We raised chickens for their eggs and meat. Loved almost any part including the gizzards. My favorite style, even to this day is fried chicken. Least favorite was the dark meat. We also raised capons and sold these to a few local markets.
 

Alligatorob said:
Wings or breast.

Crab bait, or gumbo.

Used to like it, but now it seems to be awful! Don't know if its the KFC or me, but one of us has changed. These days I rarely eat chicken from a fast food place, if I do its Popeyes.
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I haven't had KFC chicken since before my husband died and he's been gone for more than 3 years. But the one in our town sold good chicken and I love their cole slaw. I will never eat at a Popeye's again and there's one in my neighborhood. The chicken was so so and I literally had to wipe (several times) this lard like substance off the roof of my mouth after eating their biscuit then brush my teeth real good, so I suspect their biscuits are actually made with lard (pork sourced). I have never had to do that with a KFC or McDonald's biscuit. Then I found out their rice and beans has pork in it !! WTH!!

There's also a popular chicken place in town that many go to when they want to get a tray of chicken for parties and such. Acme supermarket in Brigantine, N.J. used to have the best fried chicken. We used to get it when we were in Atlantic City at the timeshare. I loved it so much that I actually ate the skin (which I usually don't do). At some point they either changed their recipe (which my husband said was actually the now defunct Pathmark supermarket's recipe) or they changed their cook but last time I had it... it didn't blow me away.
 
Oh, I love a good fried chicken. Very very rarely eat that anymore, because have to be careful about fried food. When I was a kid, KFC was good and we went there. I am going to have to say Grandma's chicken soup was the best chicken I ever had, if that counts.

She was amazing. Literally made some of the best food I ever tasted in my life. Also, a total angel. Loved us all to death. Wonderful, wonderful human being.

I know I have also had some other amazing chicken in my life, but my memory is failing now. We used to have a wonderful BBQ place in town. They were hit or miss. But when they were on, it was incredible.

Oh, I remember another one. In the year 2000, Laurie and I took a trip to Washington, DC to sight see. And we ate at this well known soul food place. Whoa, was that incredible!

Oh, one anecdote...bit of fun.

So, the amazing and wonderful Louis Armstrong was performing in Denmark. The royal family was in attendance. They simply loved him! After the show, they went backstage and invited Louis to come back to the royal palace or whatever it was...and have a meal with them. Louis paused, felt embarrassed and said that he could not accept their offer!! That he had friend in the area who had just opened up a soul food restaurant...and he had promised to go there. And he just could not disappoint his friend. The royals looked around at each other, smiled and just went with Louis to his friend's restaurant and had the best time of their lives!!
 
I don’t care for the breast meat. It’s the healthier portion but I wouldn’t eat much chicken if that’s what I was limited to. I buy whole rotisserie chickens from the supermarket, use the breasts to make chicken salad or white chicken chili, and save the legs and thighs for lunch. Ron and I both take a cooler to work so those pieces are easy finger food.

@IKE when I section the chicken, the best part of that labor is when I get to gobble up the wings and back pieces as I work!! It’s my most favorite part of the chicken!
 
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Tonight’s dinner for two is chicken. One breast cut into pieces, drenched in flour, fried in some butter and green grapes & white wine added near the end. Cooking the breast in pieces and a sauce is how I always do chicken.
 
IKE said:
Growing up with my mom, stepdad and two younger 1/2 sisters all of us had our assigned pieces of fried chicken......stepdad got the breasts, mom the thighs, the two girls got the legs and that left me with the back, wings, neck, gizzard and liver.

Some may think that I got the short end of the stick but I really enjoyed my pieces and especially the backs because they had all that good crunchy crust around the ribs and crispy flavorful skin.

I went in the Army at 17 1/2 (mid 69') and when going through the chow line I was somewhat saddened to see that my backs and necks were nowhere to be seen and most generally I was given either legs or thighs.......once in awhile I'd get a breast which I wasn't overly fond of (and still aren't) because of them being dry.

My bride of 45+ years has always purchased thigh & leg quarters and you never see packs of backs and necks on the shelf here for some reason except around Thanksgiving and Xmas when I suppose some still boil them down for the broth to use in stuffing and giblet gravy like my better half does.

When the packages of backs and necks come available during the holidays mama will always grab a extra pack and fry them up golden brown for me and I'm in hog heaven.
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I like the backs also but can't find them anymore. Something else that used to be abundant is pigs feet, now can't find them in the stores.
 
Don't eat fried chicken anymore but do grill and cook some occasionally.

Grill the breast tenderloins and use for sandwiches or chop and add to veggie stir fry.

For chicken pie I like to combine the thigh and breast. The thighs have more flavor than the breast, imo.

Your OP brought back memories of our yard birds getting the knife. It didn't matter which piece you got back them.....it tasted like real chicken that the grocery store can't match.

Favorite is the wings.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
I will never eat at a Popeye's again and there's one in my neighborhood. The chicken was so so and I literally had to wipe (several times) this lard like substance off the roof of my mouth after eating their biscuit then brush my teeth real good, so I suspect their biscuits are actually made with lard (pork sourced).
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The high fat content is a problem of most all fried chicken, hard to get around. Some is worse than others.

The Popeyes I remember best was the original one in New Orleans, when I was at LSU we often drove from Baton Rouge to get it. The franchised stuff isn't so good, but I still like it.

And I am would not be surprised to know they used pork fat in things. I suppose places should tell you about that.
 

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