The idea of nose-to-tail eating – consuming every bit of an animal without waste is experiencing a resurgence. Cutting edge chefs are returning to a methods practiced by peasants for eons. I’m living in Poland where jellied pigs feet are a delicacy. This nation is very experienced in “everything but the squeal” cooking.
And I love this! I can pick up two chicken carcasses at the market for less than a dollar. I opt for convenience again and buy the soup pack in the produce section. It contains a few carrots, parsnips, a leek, a slice of celery root, a slice of napa cabbage, and a sprig of Italian parsley. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this stateside, but I don’t know that there would be enough demand, but I might suggest it when I return.
All I need to add is salt and pepper before simmering this mix for a couple of hours. I removed the carcasses and picked the meat off the bones. It made a huge pot of the best chicken soup I’ve ever tasted.
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Suzie-Q
I think the soup pack is a good idea, too, but I don’t think it would be real popular because too many people get their meals from boxes. Fewer and fewer people know how to actually cook anymore.
Lois B
It’s true, Sue. I was on the board of a non-profit that ran a food bank, and one big problem was that people would donate bags of dried beans, but the clientele did’t know how to cook them. They would rather have a box of hamburger helper. The food bank is starting to hand out recipes that use dried beans and cooking instructions with the bags of beans. I hope it helps.