Deconstructing a chicken

Lest anyone think that all I do is think about food: Today was the first day of school and instead of fleeing as soon as I was sprung from my last class, I went to the library (!) and checked out (!!) an accounting textbook that I haven't yet bought and sat down to read a chapter.

But back to the subject of this entry. After school, I stopped by the market and picked up a rotisserie chicken, which is a great secret of the home cook. There are so many uses for it, down to the bones. Here's what I usually do:

1) Upon getting the chicken home, tear off a drumstick and eat it.

2) For dinner, eat a thigh, a wing, and maybe one of the little nuggets behind each of the shoulderblades (the most tender part of a chicken). Potatoes or rice on the side, and some veggies. Store the rest of the chicken in the fridge.

3) For lunch the next day, cut slices from one of the chicken breasts and make a sandwich. Cucumbers and mayo are what I usually have on hand for toppings.

4) For dinner, have another drumstick, thigh and wing. Strip off remaining breast and dark meat and set aside in the fridge. The stripping-down is the most fun part (you should see me after Thanksgiving dinner), because I get to eat yummy bits in the process.

5) Make broth out of the carcass, by placing the bones in cold water and bringing to a simmer. For an Asian broth, I add a couple of ginger slices and rough-chopped scallions. For Western flavor, I add some cut-up onion, celery, a little bit of carrot, and some herbs if I have them. I don't bother salting until I'm going to use the broth.

6) Take the broth and make soup, such as noodle soup - or if I'm feeling creative - tortilla soup!

7) As for the remaining meat, I may freeze it if I'm getting tired of chicken by this time. Or I use it over the next day or two in various ways: Make more sandwiches. Toss pieces in a salad. Tear into smaller strips and combine with cooked noodles, shredded cucumbers and sprouts, seasoned with a sesame sauce.