ckness in the house if a hen crows. Another claims that a farmer's chickens will be like the first person who comes to his house on New Year's morninga stout and prosperous person meant plump chickens while a poor meager person meant scrawny chickens.
Make a wish
Two people tugging on the magic clavicle, or wish bone, until it breaks, dates back almost 2,500 years to the ancient Etruscans. Chickens were kept in Etruscan temples to answer questions by pecking at corn kernels in a circle marked with letters of the alphabet. When the bird was through eating, a priest would enter the circle and interpret the results. When one of these sacred birds died, its collar bone was dried and believers were allowed to stroke it and make a wish. When the custom was passed to the Romans, people started tugging on the bone until it broke. The wish of the person holding the half containing the head would be granted. I've heard it suggested that the phrase, to get a lucky break, came from this ancient custom.
Before trained physicians came on the world scene in 18th century, chickens provided a living drug store of remedies for everyonerich and poor. In the practice of folk medicine, people were inclined to reach for a chicken to cure almost any malady of the body or the spirit. In ancient Greece, as well as other parts of the world, fever, arthritis, colic, dysentery, epilepsy, headache, constipation, and cough were all treated with various parts of the chicken. The remedies are endless and most are far too complicated and absurd to mention here. But some made sense and are still used today: a bowl of homemade chicken soup has always been, and probably always will be, prescribed as a comfort and cure for many maladies, real and imagined.
The modern world, with its fast-paced industrial technology, has nearly turned the chicken into a man-made living machine, existing solely to lay eggs and be eaten.
The end of the chicken's role as a sideline element of farm economy started to change near the end of the 19th century. Industrial technology was advancing at a rapid rate and the chicken, which was being increasingly marketed as a commodity, became the object of technological innovation. Today commercial poultry farms in the United States produce over six billion broiler chickens annually. The larger farms operate 10 or more chicken houses, each of which can hold more than 40,000 chicks. This fast paced production has made chicken inexpensive and easy to buy. As a result, the consumption of chicken in America has increased nearly 300 percent since 1900. Some complain that new hybridized chickens have little or no taste. I have noticed that the leg and thigh meat is not as dark as it was just a few years ago and not as strong tasting. But in some ways this is a plus because the mild flavored flesh can be seasoned and prepared just like veal, with excellent results at a fraction of the cost.
In the recipe section of this column I have selected recipes that demonstrate that chicken is still a flavorful protein and does not need a lot of seasoning to taste good. When flavor enhancers are used, they are meant to complement the subtle flavor of the chicken, not mask it.
The first two recipes are old time standards which, when prepared properly, will show you that chicken has not lost all of its flavor. The last recipe will demonstrate how chicken can support flavor enhancing, without losing its own subtle taste.
Basic chicken broth
Fresh chicken broth is one of the foundation ingredients in my kitchen. Without it, many of my favorite foods would be impossible to prepare. Most of the soups, stews, and casseroles I prepare are made using fresh chicken broth as a basic ingredient. Its mild flavor and delicate aftertaste also make it a perfect enhancer for adding flavor and body to vegetable, pasta, and bean dishes.
I seldom let my supply of fresh chicken broth run out, but it does happen. There is nothing difficult about making fresh chicken broth. Broths are simply the end product of slowly simmering meat, fresh vegetables, and herbs in lightly salte