JoanMcWench
Veteran
Yes, usually INDEED. I agree. However, there have been times I've found them to be cheaper. Has a lot more to do with the time it's been available rather than the cut itself at a certain point.
Do you usually buy a whole chicken at a time or just parts of one?
- Thread starter queenbellevue
- Start date
Yes, usually INDEED. I agree. However, there have been times I've found them to be cheaper. Has a lot more to do with the time it's been available rather than the cut itself at a certain point.
winterybella
Guru
I work with both. I get mine from the major supplier in my country so I get an equal amount of both. If I am cooking for a decent amount of guest or for a function, I like to use the parts. It's less cutting up to do. With the parts that are supplied the neck and gizzard are usually missing and I love those two parts. It for that reason I like to have my whole chicken available for my personal needs. Outside of that either can work for me.
GadgetGuy
(Formerly Shermie)
Chicken is also supposed to be one of the cheaper meats to get. 
Berties
Guru
Chicken may be cheap ,you can buy 3 chickens for £10 in the uk,or a cooked bird from the spit for £4 ,but how have they been grown,we have had celebrity chefs campaigning for animal welfare ,I'm not saying I don't buy the mass produced birds but if you do pay the premium of a free range or a bird that has been looked after ,you can see and taste the difference,I think ts always something to consider when buying food if you can
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh's_Chicken_Run
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh's_Chicken_Run
Lullabelle
Midlands, England
Hugh Fearnley Whatsit did a programme about intense chicken farming, it is awful to see but lets be honest, there are families who live on a budget and cannot afford to spend a lot of money on just a bird, instead spend a little on meat and some on veg. I do agree that buying a more expensive free range bird tastes different and better but I do think chef's tend to forget that some people don't have a lot of cash to spend on food.
Berties
Guru
, totally agree with you in the cost issue , but I would rather eat healthier ,good knowing it's lived a happy life, and eat well a couple times a week and eat meat free a few times,food to me is a way of life , my job and hobby, so why not spend a little on a hobby,
OhioTom76
Guru
- Joined
- 11 Sep 2013
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I typically buy only chicken parts rather than the whole chicken - for some reason whole chickens seem a bit pricey in my neck of the woods. They want about $8-$9 for a whole chicken at our local stores, whereas I can get a whole pack of like 6 thighs or 6 drumsticks for like 1/3 to 1/2 of the price depending on the sales and markdowns. Plus, when you are looking at it on a per-pound basis, you also have to take into consideration part of that weight from the whole chicken is a lot of the carcass that you wouldn't be getting in a pack of individual chicken parts, along with extra skin and perhaps the neck and gizzards if they threw those in there too. Those are not necessarily the most desirable parts to begin with but you're still paying for them. Plus it kind of bugs me to pay $9 for a raw chicken, when I can get one nearly twice the size, cooked, for $5 at Costco.
I can definitely eat at least half of a whole chicken, if not a whole rotisserie chicken, when I get it home from the store. I'll eat almost half of it as my meal, then end up snacking on the other half of it throughout the rest of the evening.
I can definitely eat at least half of a whole chicken, if not a whole rotisserie chicken, when I get it home from the store. I'll eat almost half of it as my meal, then end up snacking on the other half of it throughout the rest of the evening.
GadgetGuy
(Formerly Shermie)
That's rather expensive.
In the local supermarkets, they can be obtained for like $ 3 - $4 for a small whole one when you get them on sale at a discount price.
Rosyrain
Veteran
I usually buy chicken by the particular part that I need. It is more expensive to do it this way, but I honestly can't stand having to clean a chicken and make sure all of the insides are out and stuff. There was one time that I had a whole chicken and found a piece of corn inside the gut of it. I got so ill from the whole experience that I decided I would never buy a whole chicken again. Now if I need the bones and stuff to make stock with, I will buy a roasted chicken from the store, eat the meat for dinner, and then save the frame for the stock I need to make.
GadgetGuy
(Formerly Shermie)
I only need half a chicken breast to make chicken pot pies, so I just put it in some water to boil while it is still on the bone. it ALL get boiled at one time, and I just pull off the skin and discard it, pull off the meat & discard the bone.
This does 3 things;
The skin & bone help the flavor the broth, the meat is pulled off, cooled a little and cut up, and I have a little broth to help season the milk gravy!!
This does 3 things;
The skin & bone help the flavor the broth, the meat is pulled off, cooled a little and cut up, and I have a little broth to help season the milk gravy!!
Berties
Guru
at christmas people buy turkey crowns , just the white meat,i got to have the whole bird giblets etc as well ,there is a advantage of just the crowns you get a smaller amount of meat so you get what you need,and its faster to cook and cool,i have done gallatine of birds before ,you bone them out and restuff them back in the skin with a mousse ,but some foods are better cooked on the bone..