5 Ways To Eat Cock ( Chicken)!! Complete Gide To Cook

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5 Ways To Eat Cock ( Chicken)

     HOW DO YOU PREPARE A COCK ANYWAY?

As I drove home, I began to think of the many ways I could prepare my first cock when I got home. I knew that the tough, dry nature of the meat meant that it would not lend itself to quick-cooking such as frying, sautéing or even baking. Whatever the preparation, it would require long cooking, preferably in a moist, liquid base. Some experts claim that if the cock is young enough – less than one year old – that it could be cooked just like a young spring chicken. These lean lads were a mere six months old but based upon Michelle’s experience with them, they were way too tough to be enjoyed by any of the faster cooking methods.

The French dish coq au vin came to mind first. This dish, which today is more commonly prepared with the female of the species, from its name, clearly originated with a rooster in the pot. The same goes for cock-a-leekie, a traditional Scottish soup, which despite its rather humorous name is quite delicious. I also recalled my mother telling me of cockerel (young cock) soup, a traditional Jamaican soup often fed to pregnant women to ensure that her baby would receive the best nutrition possible. Americans often chuckle to find cock soup sold in packets at West Indian grocery stores.

Unlike their female counterparts, cocks have a lean, sleek body type instead of a more rounded, voluptuous shape. As a result of this physique, they yield larger amounts of bone-building, stomach-soothing gelatin into every dish in which they appear, and a deep, rich flavor unparalleled by any hen.

One type of cock that does not fit this body type is the capon. Capons, or castrated cocks, are widely recognized as the best of both worlds for their nutritional value and delectable flavor. Since cocks do not lose part of their nutritional intake in the production of eggs, it is thought that they maintain more of the nutrition that they ingest within the body. However, the removal of the testes makes them prone to gaining weight in the same way that a hen would. Therefore the meat is plump, tender and juicy while maintaining its robust flavor and nutritional profile.

The more I contemplated the variety of ways that these birds could be prepared, the more I realized that cock could very well be lurking in nearly every processed “chicken” product on the market. On traditional farms (and presumably on commercial farms), the females of various animals tend to serve long-term functions in food products such as bearing offspring as well as producing milk and eggs. On the other hand, except oxen, which once upon a time would have been used to plow fields, male farm animals serve virtually no purpose once they have been used for breeding and therefore are often the first to end up on the dinner plate. The ornery cock is no exception to this rule. Something to think about that the next time you reach for chicken nuggets or canned chicken soup.

As you might imagine, today, it is rather difficult to find 50 recipes specifically calling for a cock as the main ingredient. I consulted many people around the globe about their countries’ cock-eating traditions and while nearly everyone had some anecdotal stories or advice to give about eating cock, very few were able to produce recipes requiring it as the main ingredient. Even their grandparents had forgotten the recipes their parents used to prepare for them.

Knowing the basic principles of long, moist-heat cooking I was able to adapt many chicken recipes to cock cookery. In fact, it is entirely possible that many of today’s recipes calling for a stewing hen would have used a cock interchangeably a century ago. So if you cannot find a cock, feel free to substitute a stewing hen or even a young spring chicken, if necessary.

COCK SOUP

Makes 4 quarts

Ingredients:

1 whole cock, preferably with head and feet on

1  large onion, sliced thinly

2  carrots, peeled and sliced on an angle

2  ribs celery, chopped thin

3  cups assorted diced vegetables (e.g. Leafy cooking greens, string beans, turnips, potatoes or anything lying at the bottom of your refrigerator)

4  quarts filtered water

1 Tbs raw cider vinegar

Sea salt to taste

Place cock, cider vinegar and filtered water into a large stockpot. Simmer covered for one hour over low heat. Remove any scum that accumulates at the top of the stock and discard.  Add all vegetables to the pot and continue to cook for another hour. Lift out cock and remove meat from bones. Reserve bones for making stock. Return meat to pot. Add sea salt and stir to dissolve. Serve hot.                                           SIMPLE DIGESTIVE BROTHServes 4  When I lived in Yugoslavia in the 1980s, this soup was often served at the start of the midday meal. So when my mother lost her appetite and started losing too much weight, I knew I had to stimulate her stomach to want more than just the occasional piece of bread.  Luckily, before she came for a visit, I had just made a pot of stock. When she arrived, she was barely able to move or interact and was shaking from severe hypoglycemia. After drinking a few cups of this, she left less than 48 hours later moving with less assistance and even had the energy to complain! Keeping with her broth regimen, within a few more days, her mobility continued to improve, she was fully engaging in conversation and most importantly had an appetite
Ingredients:
6 cups cock stock, strained
1/4 cup broken vermicelli noodles
2 Tbs parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt to taste
Heat stock in a medium-sized pot. Add vermicelli and cook according to directions (usually 3-4 minutes). Add parsley and salt to taste. Serve warm.
Simple broth revives the dead
                                                                 SALAD

      COCK & WHITE BEAN SALAD

Serves 6

It is important to remember whenever cooking beans that the initial soaking water must be drained and rinsed before the actual cooking. This removes the gassiness from the beans and makes eating them a pleasant experience instead of an embarrassing one.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb white beans (cannellini or navy, preferably), soaked in filtered water with a pinch of baking soda for 8 hours and drained*

2 cups cock meat leftover from making stock, chopped

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup red wine or sherry vinegar

1/4 cup or more extra virgin olive oil

1 small bunch of parsley, chopped

Sea salt and white pepper, to taste

After draining and rinsing beans, place them in a pot and cover with at least 2 inches of filtered water. Bring to a boil and cook for about an hour or until beans are soft, but not mushy.  Drain beans and place in a bowl. While still warm, add shallot, celery, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Add chopped parsley and meat. Toss again. If the mixture seems dry, add more olive oil. Serve slightly warm with crusty sourdough bread or serve on lettuce leaves.

* A quicker way to soak beans is to place them in a pot covered with filtered water. Bring water to a boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add a pinch of baking soda.

Allow sitting for one hour. Then drain and proceed with recipe.

        LINGUINE WITH COCK

IN LEMON CREAM SAUCE

Serves 8 as a first course

Most packs of pasta suggest serving a quarter pound of pasta per person. This is entirely too much to consume in one sitting. Italians rarely eat large portions of pasta as their main meal, but as a course that makes up the meal. My suggestion is to follow this dish with a nice refreshing garden salad and a glass of wine.

Ingredients:

1  lb. dried linguine, cooked according to manufacturer’s directions

2  Tbs butter

3  shallots finely chopped

2 cups heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)

1 lb. cock meat reserved from making stock, chopped

Juice of one lemon

Salt and ground white pepper to taste

In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent. Be careful not to brown. Next, add heavy cream. Bring mixture to a boil. Allow sauce to thicken slightly. Add cock meat and lemon juice. Continue to warm through and adjust seasonings. Thicken sauce a bit more if necessary. You want the final sauce to coat the pasta but still remain relatively loose. Add freshly drained (not rinsed) linguine to the sauce. Stir to blend. Use a little of the linguine’s cooking water to thin the sauce, if it seems too thick. Serve hot.

        ENTREE

BBQ CROCK POT COCK

Serves 6

Crockpots are a great timesaver that not enough people use regularly even though they complain about the lack of time to cook. Here is a wonderful recipe to come home to after a long day of work. Serve with a salad, sautéed greens and a small piece of cornbread or over rice.

Ingredients:

1 cock, cut into 8 pieces

Barbecue sauce to coat 

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Place pieces of meat in the crockpot. Cover with barbecue sauce. Cook for 2-3 hours.

                 BARBECUE SAUCE

Ingredients:

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup tomato purée

1/2 cup raw cider vinegar

1 Tbs blackstrap molasses
3 Tbs naturally dried cane sugar such as Rapadura or Sucanat
2 tsp hot paprika
1 Tbs sea salt
In a medium-sized pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until slightly soft. Add remaining ingredients and cook, uncovered until thick. Purée in a blender

.APPENDIX
MEASUREMENTS & EQUIVALENTS
a dash = 8 drops (liquid) ≈ ⅛ teaspoon (slightly less)
1 tsp = 1 teaspoon = 60 drops
3 tsp = 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon = ½ fluid ounce
½ T = ½ tablespoon = 1½ teaspoons
2 T = 2 tablespoons (liquid) = 1 fluid ounce = ⅛ cup 3 T = 3 tablespoons = 1 ½ fluid ounces = 1 jigger
4 T = 4 tablespoons = ¼ cup
⅛ C = ⅛ cup = 2 tablespoons
⅙ C = ⅙  cup = 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
⅓ C = ⅓  cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
1  C = 1 cup = ½ pint = 8 fluid ounces
2  C = 2 cups = 1 pint = 16 fluid ounces
4 C = 4 cups = 1 quart = 2 pints = 32 fluid ounces
4 quarts = 1 gallon
1 peck = 8 quarts = 2 gallons
1 bushel = 4 peck