Chicken Hearts and Turkey Necks
It seems like no one fries chicken any more. After all, fried chicken is time consuming to make, and high in fat content--and besides, most kids these days prefer chicken nuggets to chicken with bones.
When I was a preschooler, when my family still lived on a farm outside of Bloomfield, fried chicken was practically a household staple. Mom raised chickens--lots of chickens--so we had plenty of eggs and no lack of chickens to roast or fry. Fried chicken was my favorite, and a fried chicken heart was the choicest tidbit.
Back then, no edible poultry parts were ever wasted. Sometimes, women chopped up the organ meats and put them in stuffing or gravy, but Mom always fried them, along with the back and neck, and someone always ate them. Dad liked chicken gizzards and liver, but the heart was the only giblet I ever wanted.
We always ate our big meal at noon, so Dad would be provided with sufficient fuel to complete his strenuous farm work each day. During harvest, it wasn't uncommon to have a neighbor help out and, of course, Mom always prepared enough dinner for everyone who was working on the farm each day.
One neighbor, in particular, stands out for me. He went by the name of Corky Clausen. Mom says that I couldn't pronounce the C's in his name, so I called him Porky Pausen. He didn't mind. In fact, my mispronunciation of his name always made him smile.
I remember one day when Corky joined us for dinner. Mom had fried a chicken with all the fixings, and since Corky was our guest, the chicken platter was passed to him first. He took a couple of pieces of chicken, and then he speared the crispy, brown, chicken heart with his fork, and popped it into his mouth.
I objected, loudly. I didn't talk much then, and I rarely made a fuss about anything, but the chicken heart was always mine! So I cried, and Corky felt bad. But, the deed was done, and I had to be content with a wing.
Our grandmothers would have been horrified.
I know that some folks still roast turkey giblets, and even necks, and add them to their stuffing or gravy. But I also know that dozens of people would not appreciate finding giblets in their Thanksgiving dressing tomorrow evening, so the giblets had to go.
Bill's grandma always said that turkey necks and chicken backs were her favorite pieces. Today, Meagan commented that women of long ago always made sure that their families were well-fed, even when food was scarce, so they selflessly took the least desirable pieces for themselves. But who knows? Over time, they may have come to really like those pieces that no one else wanted.
The people who come to tomorrow's Feast of Thanks will dine on a sumptuous, homemade meal. Who doesn't love turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie? We will eat together and thank God for providing all we need, and so much more--even the memory of a single, delectable, crispy chicken heart.
When I was a preschooler, when my family still lived on a farm outside of Bloomfield, fried chicken was practically a household staple. Mom raised chickens--lots of chickens--so we had plenty of eggs and no lack of chickens to roast or fry. Fried chicken was my favorite, and a fried chicken heart was the choicest tidbit.
Back then, no edible poultry parts were ever wasted. Sometimes, women chopped up the organ meats and put them in stuffing or gravy, but Mom always fried them, along with the back and neck, and someone always ate them. Dad liked chicken gizzards and liver, but the heart was the only giblet I ever wanted.
We always ate our big meal at noon, so Dad would be provided with sufficient fuel to complete his strenuous farm work each day. During harvest, it wasn't uncommon to have a neighbor help out and, of course, Mom always prepared enough dinner for everyone who was working on the farm each day.
One neighbor, in particular, stands out for me. He went by the name of Corky Clausen. Mom says that I couldn't pronounce the C's in his name, so I called him Porky Pausen. He didn't mind. In fact, my mispronunciation of his name always made him smile.
I remember one day when Corky joined us for dinner. Mom had fried a chicken with all the fixings, and since Corky was our guest, the chicken platter was passed to him first. He took a couple of pieces of chicken, and then he speared the crispy, brown, chicken heart with his fork, and popped it into his mouth.
I objected, loudly. I didn't talk much then, and I rarely made a fuss about anything, but the chicken heart was always mine! So I cried, and Corky felt bad. But, the deed was done, and I had to be content with a wing.
This morning, as I was helping prepare six twenty-pound turkeys for our church's Feast of Thanks, Meagan pulled a packet of giblets from a turkey cavity, along with a huge neck, and showed them to Tobin and Evie before throwing them away.
Our grandmothers would have been horrified.
I know that some folks still roast turkey giblets, and even necks, and add them to their stuffing or gravy. But I also know that dozens of people would not appreciate finding giblets in their Thanksgiving dressing tomorrow evening, so the giblets had to go.
Bill's grandma always said that turkey necks and chicken backs were her favorite pieces. Today, Meagan commented that women of long ago always made sure that their families were well-fed, even when food was scarce, so they selflessly took the least desirable pieces for themselves. But who knows? Over time, they may have come to really like those pieces that no one else wanted.
The people who come to tomorrow's Feast of Thanks will dine on a sumptuous, homemade meal. Who doesn't love turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie? We will eat together and thank God for providing all we need, and so much more--even the memory of a single, delectable, crispy chicken heart.
I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 9:1
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