Whole chicken from The Butchery
Chicken is undeniably the most eaten meat in the Netherlands. Maybe even in the world. After all, chicken fits into any dish. From curry to pasta and from whole chicken with apple sauce to beer can chicken. Chicken is always a good idea. And although chicken fillet and chicken thighs are of course the everyday bestsellers, the whole chicken is becoming increasingly popular. A whole chicken also fits perfectly into today's nose-to-tail principle. Moreover, a chicken is very versatile and with a whole chicken there is something for everyone. The breast for those who like lean meat, the leg for lovers of juicy chicken, the wings to make tasty snacks, etc. A whole chicken also works perfectly as BBQ meat. Any self-respecting BBQ fan knows what to do with it, and the blogs are full of the most delicious recipes. And the best part: buying a whole chicken online is super easy. You can select by breed and have all the information at hand. It doesn't get much easier!
Whole chicken from the finest breeds
At The Butchery you will find a wide range of chicken. Black-legged chicken Le Gout Coeur, white-legged chicken Label Rouge, yellow-legged chicken Landes Label Rouge, French chicken Fermier de Loué or a whole naturally raised Polderhoen: we have whole chickens in all shapes and sizes. But they all have one thing in common: they come from honestly raised chickens. From free-range chicken to naturally raised Polderhoen (***) to the prestigious French Label Rouge. Our chicken is therefore in no way comparable to factory-farmed chicken. And of course you can taste that! All our chickens are free from unnecessary antibiotics and artificial additives, raised on natural feed, with plenty of room to move and a natural day and night rhythm. The good life benefits the flavour, of course, but certainly also the texture. A win-win. Buying a whole chicken is also a good idea from a no-waste point of view. Beer can chicken or simply a beautiful dish from the oven or the kamado... with a whole chicken from The Butchery you can be sure you are bringing home honest and delicious chicken.
How much does a whole chicken weigh?
Of course, every chicken has a slightly different weight, just like people really! That is why we weigh all the chickens and you pay for the weight instead of a price per piece. After all, it would be strange to pay the same for a chicken of 1250 grams as for a chicken of 2200 grams. That is almost a kilo difference!
How many people can eat from a whole chicken?
How many people can eat from a whole chicken naturally depends on how heavy the chicken is. A chicken of 1250 grams is plenty for 2 or 3 people, while a chicken of 2200 grams could feed 4 or maybe even 5 people. It also depends on the appetite of the diners, of course. After all, there are people who can polish off a whole chicken on their own.
How do you make a whole chicken in the oven?
Although die-hard BBQ fans light the BBQ every day, we also think a chicken from the oven is a real treat every now and then. Delicious as comfort food or as a festive weekend dinner. After all, a whole chicken from the oven is a celebration in itself.
So, chicken from the oven. There is always a guideline for how long a whole chicken should go in the oven. With chicken, we prefer not to take any chances, so we always have the meat thermometer at hand when preparing such a beautiful piece of poultry.
Chicken from the oven in 4 steps
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees
- Season the chicken to taste with, for example, fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and garlic. You could place the chicken in an oven dish on a bed of vegetables.
- Put the oven dish with the chicken in the oven, insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching the bone) and roast it for about 60 to 70 minutes until cooked. Baste the chicken a few times with its own juices during roasting.
- Check the core temperature. Is the core temperature at least 74 degrees? Great! Then you can serve it.
What is a good core temperature for a whole chicken?
When you cook chicken, you don't want to serve it raw, or so overcooked that all the moisture has gone from the whole chicken and you are left with a tough shoe sole. That is why we always like to use a meat thermometer with a whole chicken. When inserting the meat thermometer, make sure you end up roughly in the middle. With chicken, you want to reach a core temperature of at least 74 degrees Celsius. That way it stays nice and juicy and is cooked through!
Whole chicken recipe
If you google a recipe for a whole chicken, you may no longer be able to see the wood for the trees. So many people, so many tastes and therefore so many recipes! Great if you like to experiment. But if you want to play it safe and score with your chicken anyway, feel free to check out our recipe page. There you will find various recipes, such as champagne chicken! Honestly, this is a real winner for the holidays. Instead of a can of beer, in this recipe you partly insert a small bottle of your favourite champagne into the chicken. Guaranteed to impress during the holidays.
Whole chicken on the BBQ
A whole chicken is perfect for the BBQ. Even better if you have a spit, or at least it is a good reason to buy one. Then you can make rotisserie chicken! And chicken from the spit is simply amazing. Thanks to the rotating movement of the spit, the whole chicken cooks evenly on all sides. On our recipe page you will find various recipes for spit-roasted chicken. With a whole chicken, by the way, we are big fans of fresh herbs. Rosemary, thyme and garlic are real flavour enhancers when you prepare a whole chicken on the BBQ.