Chicken back, that is.
Have you ever removed the back from a chicken and roasted it alongside the bird? Good heavens it’s delicious! Obviously there’s only one back per chicken and that makes for an interesting dinner scene at the Salzinski household.
Because I love my husband, I let him enjoy the back when it’s chicken time, but he made the mistake of letting our kids, Delilah (8) and Jake (4), try a bite at dinner. They know good food when they taste it, so now Mike tries to hide the crispy, golden brown back from the kids when we sit down at he table. As soon as they spot the roasty toasty goodness it’s all over. They claim the back for themselves leaving very little for poor Mike. In all honesty, he’s very proud and happy that they have come to appreciate one of the finer things in life, and he’s happy to share the love.
I know what you’re thinking… nibbling on a chicken back doesn’t sound like something you would like to try, but the back is full of some very tasty bits, including the absolutely best part of the bird known as the oysters. The oysters are, hands down, every cook’s favorite part of the bird because they are tender, juicy little morsels of pure heaven tucked away above the hip socket. World famous chef Thomas Keller feels the same way. He says “I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I’m cooking with.”
Removing the back from the chicken is easier than you think. In order for you to successfully accomplish this task you can reference my blog, Spatchcock This, or check out this video of Mike getting the job done.
Not only is this technique great for removing the back, but it’s an excellent way to ensure that every part of the chicken skin gets crispy during the roasting process. It also cuts down the time it takes to roast a whole chicken. And, it makes the finished bird the easiest to carve piece of poultry you’ll ever encounter.
Convinced? I really hope you’ll give this a shot, because once you try this technique, you’ll never go back. Experiment and let me know what you think here in the comments.
