This weekend I will be processing a supernumerary Chantecler cockerel, and I have never cooked anything other than supermarket chickens before.
I *have* to get this right, b/c it looks like it will be the only non-CornishX that we eat this year, and if my husband (who really sees no reason at all not to go on eating supermarket chicken) does not like it, I will have one *heck* of a time persuading him to ever eat a chicken of our own ever again. Like ever again, seriously, trust me. And he will sell that concept to our kids too. So it just CANNOT turn out inedibly tough or messed up in any other way. So,
1) after I process the bird, how long should I let it rest in the fridge before cooking?
and
2) does anyone have specific recipe type suggestions for the best way to deal with a 15 wk old chantecler cockerel. I do not have a crockpot or pressure cooker. I have not 'fed him up' so there will not be a giant amount of meat on him, but it had darn well better be edible meat, by my husband's standards
Thanks very much in advance,
Pat
I *have* to get this right, b/c it looks like it will be the only non-CornishX that we eat this year, and if my husband (who really sees no reason at all not to go on eating supermarket chicken) does not like it, I will have one *heck* of a time persuading him to ever eat a chicken of our own ever again. Like ever again, seriously, trust me. And he will sell that concept to our kids too. So it just CANNOT turn out inedibly tough or messed up in any other way. So,
1) after I process the bird, how long should I let it rest in the fridge before cooking?
and
2) does anyone have specific recipe type suggestions for the best way to deal with a 15 wk old chantecler cockerel. I do not have a crockpot or pressure cooker. I have not 'fed him up' so there will not be a giant amount of meat on him, but it had darn well better be edible meat, by my husband's standards

Thanks very much in advance,
Pat