Whole Chicken Ideas

As simple as it sounds, I generally make chicken soup by poaching whole chicken until its falling off the bone (takes about an hour at a sub boil), then I pull it off the bone and continue making the stock with the carcass, aromatics, herbs, pepper, etc. Then you have cooked chicken and stock to do with what you'd please. I use garlic, ginger, soy, sesame oil, scallions and store-bought ramen noodles for an Asian inspired soup; herbes de provence, leeks, garlic, asparagus, peas, tarragon and wild rice for something French-ish; dill, orzo, red onion, lemon, spinach, and a crumble of feta for something Greek; tagliatelle, shallots, Parmigiano, basil, porcini, lots of garlic, red chile and a drizzle of olive oil for something Italian; spicy basil, lime, bean sprouts, ginger, scallions, fish sauce, and sriracha for something a little Vietnamese. The versatility is staggering.

Drunken chicken: boil or steam chicken. Drain and Soak in a good quality rice wine or whiskey or bourbon. Use the liquid from steaming or boiling to cook rice or other stuff later.

Take a look at the "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner" columns. Lots of ideas for braises etc.

You could boil the chicken with some fresh veg and herbs , make chicken salad from breast meat , chicken curry from dark meat and use the bones to make soup