The $17 Gift Chicken!

[Munchkin]

I have a sweet friend who is always bringing me gifts. Sometimes very odd gifts. His last present was a frozen chicken. Nothing he does surprises me so I just said thank you and put the chicken in the freezer. In a way it makes perfect sense. He came over for dinner so he brought me another dinner.

A couple days ago I was cruising the freezer looking for dinner and there was the chicken. When I put it in the fridge to thaw, I noticed the price. He paid $17 for a single chicken! Seriously, I have paid a lot less than that for a turkey. I can get 3 chickens for less than that. Who pays $17 for a chicken?

Sure enough, it's organic and free range. Something I never buy because it's so much more expensive. I am a cheap cook. $5 will buy 10lbs of leg quarters at Winco. And the Hispanic grocery stores often sell them cheaper. I am expecting great things from that $17 chicken. Decided to just roast it with salt and pepper. Plain. I want to taste the chicken so I know what I have been missing.

What a disappointment! It tasted like...chicken. Not at all different. Shoot for $17 it should have cleaned and stuffed itself and jumped in the oven. I have half of it left. I am going to use it to make green chicken chili. Oh well. Maybe I was expecting too much! I am sure the chili will be great!

 

[southernlady]

A good friend of mine is always extolling fresh eggs. She’s visiting with us and got some. Yes, the yolk is darker but honestly I couldn’t tell the difference in taste. They taste no different from those we buy from Publix.

 

[Webmommy]

I buy the free range and organic chicken from Trader Joe's and it's amazing. It tastes like chicken, of course, but chicken amplified. Free range, cage free eggs taste different and better to me as well. So do specialty butters. Usually meat from my box store tastes kind of muted in comparison to places that have cage free, free range meat, dairy and eggs. Happy animals taste better! Sorry your expensive chicken didn't pass the muster.

 

[Webmommy]

I'm not a super taster but I'm pretty close which is probably why I can taste the difference. However, Walmart brand butter is clearly not as good as Kerrygold butter to everyone's tastebuds, right?

 

[southernlady]

I'm not a super taster but I'm pretty close which is probably why I can taste the difference. However, Walmart brand butter is clearly not as good as Kerrygold butter to everyone's tastebuds, right?

I don't use WalMart brand, but I also don't use Kerrygold. Hubby and I get our butter from Costco.

 

[hilary1617]

What a kind friend! I usually eat Amish chicken. Not sure why, but I like it. Butter brand does matter to me. I usually get Kerrygold, sometimes Plugra.

 

[Webmommy]

What a kind friend! I usually eat Amish chicken. Not sure why, but I like it. Butter brand does matter to me. I usually get Kerrygold, sometimes Plugra.

How does Plugra taste? I haven't tried it yet but I know people who bake with it.

 

[Munchkin]

The only chicken I've ever had that tasted 'different' was back in the 90's in Jackson Hole WY. We used to go to a small restaurant on 1 of the main drags to eat fresh trout. They were out of fish and the waitress told me to get the chicken. I did and it was good but different. I asked the waitress about it and she said that chicken was running around yesterday and I most likely had never had fresh chicken before. She was right!

 

[hilary1617]

How does Plugra taste? I haven't tried it yet but I know people who bake with it.

Hard to describe - simple is perhaps the best way to describe it. Mainly it's missing an aftertaste I don't like that is present in certain other butters, like Land O' Lakes.

 

[Webmommy]

Hard to describe - simple is perhaps the best way to describe it. Mainly it's missing an aftertaste I don't like that is present in certain other butters, like Land O' Lakes.

I wonder if they bake with it because it has a simple taste so it doesn't compete but yet has a higher butterfat?

 

[hilary1617]

I wonder if they bake with it because it has a simple taste so it doesn't compete but yet has a higher butterfat?

I'm a horrible cook myself, but that would make sense! In thinking about it a bit more me, it tastes like the butter my best friend's mom has my kids make on Thankgiving by shaking bell jars half full of cream sourced from the local dairy (only it is firmer).

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I don't use WalMart brand, but I also don't use Kerrygold. Hubby and I get our butter from Costco.

I get Kerrygold, now.

 

[Webmommy]

I'm a horrible cook myself, but that would make sense! In thinking about it a bit more me, it tastes like the butter my best friend's mom has my kids make on Thankgiving by shaking bell jars half full of cream sourced from the local dairy (only it is firmer).

I've never done that but I imagine it tastes good.

Also, if anyone gets a chance to try cultured butter one day they should. It's really good. I buy it from Trader Joe's and get a loaf of Challah and my family loves it. We joke it's our fancy bread and water diet.

 

[Munchkin]

I've never done that but I imagine it tastes good.

Also, if anyone gets a chance to try cultured butter one day they should. It's really good. I buy it from Trader Joe's and get a loaf of Challah and my family loves it. We joke it's our fancy bread and water diet.

Fresh Challah and good butter is divine!

 

[Munchkin]

What a kind friend! I usually eat Amish chicken. Not sure why, but I like it. Butter brand does matter to me. I usually get Kerrygold, sometimes Plugra.

I think Plugra is on sale at the local Smith's. I am going to try it!