Frugal's Bugle: THICK AS A BRICK

Chicken remains one of the least expensive meat proteins that one can prepare on a shoestring budget and still serve an elegant meal. Buying the whole chicken is the most economical use of your grocery dollars.

The price point that Old Mother Frugal targets is less than .99/lb. To find whole chicken at .69/lb or even .53/lb is stockpile time!

If you have concerns that you don’t know what to do with a whole chicken, most butchers will section it for you at no charge. Just remember to ask for all the parts. You will need and want them for soup stock.

However, if the butcher is not available, you can roast the whole chicken or place it in a large pot of boiling water and reduce to low boil for about 45 - 60 minutes. Once cooked, save the liquid stock for soup and remove the meat from the chicken carcass. The cooled chicken meat can then be placed in Ziploc bags and frozen.

Recently I experimented with a cooking technique called “Spatchcocked”. It required removing the breast bone between the two chicken breasts of a whole chicken and frying the chicken flat, under bricks that were covered in aluminum foil.

Marinating the meat in the refrigerator for two days with ingredients from my pantry, the end result was a scrumptious and moist piece of chicken for a price of .53/lb. The pressure of the bricks gave the meat a crispy sear that made for a lovely presentation on the dinner plate.

All this to say that even Old Mother Frugal, who may be “thick as a brick” on occasion, can still learn a thing or two about cooking and trying something new!

SOUND THE BUGLE! Today’s tip: Price points. A “price point” is the amount of money that you are willing to pay for an item. My price point for chicken is the following:

§ whole chicken is .99/lb or less;

§ leg/thigh quarters are between .39 and .49/lb;

§ breasts on the rib cage are .99/lb. I make my own boneless, skinless chicken breasts by removing the skin and the meat from the rib cage.

§ boneless, skinless chicken breasts would be $1.99 or less.

If you are squeamish about touching raw chicken, disposable plastic gloves at the Dollar Tree stores are great barriers between your hands and your chicken. Depending on where you live, your price points may be slightly higher. Find your price points and you will find savings in your wallet!

SPATCHCOCKED METHOD