How to Cook a Tough Old Bird

This is based on a recipe from The Grassfed Gourmet, which promised really tender meat, perfect for leftover cold-chicken lunches. Except that our chicken was a REALLY tough bird, so I cooked it around the clock. Probably if you have a tender one, then you should try 8 hours or so. The meat was delicious! And the vegetables and juices were good too.

2 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. paprika
3 stalks celery, minced
1 3-5 lb. chicken
2 or 3 large rutabagas (or potatoes, if you eat them), peeled and cut into very large chunks (quartered, or maybe cut into sixths).

Rub the salt, black pepper, and paprika all over the chicken, and under the skin if you have it in you (I didn't, and it came out fine). Sprinkle the celery in the bottom of the crockpot insert.

Place the chicken in the insert, arrange the rutabaga all around it, cover tightly, and cook on low for 12-14 hours. (If you don't have a crockpot, then you can bake everything in a covered roasting pan at 200f for a similar amount of time.)

Enjoy!

Recipe section