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Black Chicken - What's the Deal?

post #1 of 9
9/5/07 at 12:01am
Thread Starter 
So there I was, wandering through the Pacific Asian Market, looking for a specific brand of Sriracha sauce and marvelling at the tanks filled with fresh, live lobster, crab, and various fish. I love walking the aisles of this place, sometimes discovering new and exciting items. On this trip I found black chicken, which I'd only heard of and have never seen before.

Can anyone tell me what the deal is with black chicken? Is there anything special about the taste/texture of the bird? These, BTW, were small birds, each one about the perfect size for one or two people. They might make an excellent and unusual presentation for dinner some time. Any cooking tips?

Shel
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post #2 of 9
9/5/07 at 6:22am
I've seen them around, they are reknown in Asian cooking for having healing properties. Other than that nope.....recipe sitings in Asian cookbooks, nothing comes to mind.
cooking with all your senses.....
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post #3 of 9
9/5/07 at 6:36am
About once a year I try my hand a a black (or silke) chicken. From what I gather they are considered more a medicinal food stuff than a lip-smacker. Maybe that's my excuse for the poor results I've gotten!

They tend to be lean and a little tough (kind of chewy) with a strong (for chicken anyway) "meat" flavour. But its the colour...

They are "black" only to a point. More of a deep purple/blue (like a bruise). And its not a consistant colour either, they seem to be mottled. Even the bones are "black" which make a pretty funky stock.
Note I didn't say "good."

Granted the times I've cooked these birds I ignored the advice of the shop owner where I buy them (boil it for soup) and tried to saute and grill them. I've thought that they might be a nice effect in a terrine.

--Al
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post #4 of 9
9/5/07 at 8:46am
All I know about them is that they are pretty tough. You need to braise them to make them pleasant to eat. It's more of a novelty thing.
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post #5 of 9
9/5/07 at 9:16am
Silkie - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child? ~Lin Yutang
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post #6 of 9
9/5/07 at 9:53am
Chinese "food" that should have been left in China. :D It's not food, it's supposed to be "good" for you when cooked with bitter herbs and all that stuff from the chinese apothecary.

If you want to do it correctly, you go to the apothecary and ask for the herbs you need for making black chicken. They'll weigh stuff out and give it to you in a small packet. Then you go home and dump everything in a pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. You can ask what's in that packet, but I would doubt that it's anything you can get in the grocery store.
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post #7 of 9
9/5/07 at 2:30pm
Sounds like something I would RUN from. :crazy:
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post #8 of 9
9/6/07 at 2:28am
Good post.......................Thanks!
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post #9 of 9
9/6/07 at 3:07am
I agree with "gentle" handling. "Meaty" flavor? - isn't it how any chicken was supposed to taste before Tyson? Meet the grandpa!

C
WE ARE NOT SELLING FOOD...WE ARE IMPROVING OUR CLIENT'S LIFESTYLE - HIS LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO EAT SOMETHING HE DOESN'T LIKE
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