Right now "waste" has become the enemy during this pandemic lock-down. As a result, I have taken to crafting menus more than a week in advance to make sure that every ingredient in my fridge gets used. But sometimes that means cooking something right before it goes bad -- and then putting it immediately into the freezer for safekeeping until it can take its rightful place on my dinner plate.
So, above is a Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken (in this case, marinated in a buttermilk substitute of milk and lemon juice). Ordinarily, I wouldn't make a whole bird for myself, but just because I could only eat about a third of this beauty for dinner one night, didn't mean I had actually made too much. I had plans...
The rest of the meat was destined to star in Honeyed Chicken Salad that would be served up not once, but twice in lunchtime sandwiches.
And, then there was the chicken carcass...
That's right - Chicken Soup. Enriched the stock with a leftover rind of Parmesan-Reggiano cheese. Like I said, nothing is going to waste now. Besides, it gives an extra umami edge to the broth.
Figure that no one out there needs a "how-to" on chicken stock, but if you too have a whole chicken in your "shelter-in-place" future, perhaps you'll want to try your hand at my chicken salad with the leftovers.
Honeyed Chicken Salad
2 cups chicken meat (about 1/2 a small roast chicken - cut into chunks or shredded)
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 TBSP minced scallion (green parts only)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 TBSP honey
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, honey, salt, and pepper together to create a dressing in a large bowl. Add chicken, celery, and scallion. Mix to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, so the flavors meld together before serving.
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