I don’t usually buy whole poultry items from the market.   The reason is that they are sold with the head, feet and the occasional feather still attached.   I don’t like that.  I’d just like to assume that the chicken, at one point, walked around,  pecked the ground and had feathers.

When I explained my aversion to market poultry to my good friend, M. Parret, he could not understand it at all.   However, wanting me to experience all the good(read French) things in life, he sent me to his poultry guy in the market.

When I arrived at the poultry guy’s stall, sure enough, there they sat;  at least a dozen chickens with heads, feet and the occasional feather.   “Good morning”, I said, “I’d like a chicken of about 2 kilos, headless, feet less and feather less”.   Well guys, he didn’t bat an eye but quickly did the necessary.   I think M. Parret was there before me.

Cleaned Chicken

As the neck was still dangling from the chicken after he took off the head,  I politely requested that he remove that too, but to include it with the giblets.

I like that convenient skin that holds the legs together.

It’s so nice being able to see this clay pot.   I hardly used it at all when I was working because I never thought about it because it was stored out of sight.   It’s great.

Bed of Tomatoes

Measuring Glass

This was a mixture of shallots, tomatoes, bay leaves and thyme sprigs.   I put this at the bottom of the clay pot and put the chicken on top.  Next time I will use half of the the water I added.

I bought this measuring glass at K-mart or Walmart.   It’s great because it’s got European and American measurements on the same glass.  Get one!

I served the chicken with mashed potatoes layered with a stuffing of veal, chicken livers and bread crumbs.   Mixed green vegetables completed the plate.