Whole Fryers?

[Allison]

What can you do with a whole fryer? Must it be. . .fried? Is it the same thing as a whole chicken and can I roast it in the oven like normal? Is $.69 per lb a great price?
Can you share with me (or link me to) your fav recipes to use with whole fryers, please?
TIA!

[RealLifeMama]

Yes, that is a good price, IMO.

I use it like a regular whole chicken.
It might not taste as good as a roaster but I still use them like one,
Those are extra good made in the crock pot, and then the chicken shredded for other uses, like enchiladas and stews.

White chili and enchiladas sound like two good meals you could get from it.

[Irene]

wow I didnt realize that there was a difference with fryers and just whole chicken! learn something new every day I guess! I usually buy the cheapest chicken I can (69 cents :wow good for you!) and maybe thats why my chicken never tastes great :shrug

[Thia]

I think there has been a thread on this recently, check and you'll probably find it.

[MamatoBiz]

69 cents/lb is a great price for fryers. The difference between a fryer and a roaster is that a roaster is a younger, more tender bird. A fryer tends to be older (although not as old as a stewing hen, which is hard to find now) and fries well because the oil tenderizes it. As someone else said, fryers do well in the crockpot because the long slow cooking breaks down the collagen membranes and it gets nicely tender.

I also think it's really beneficial to either take a course, or like I did, an online tutorial in cutting and boning a chicken. You end up with really nice boneless chicken that would cost a fortune in the store, but for 69 cents/lb :rockon

[Allison]

Thanks so much everyone! I think I'll buy a couple for crockpot meals! Off to find a good whole chicken crockpot recipe. . .