Pulled Chicken

About three to four times a month, D gets to eat poultry or seafood, the only non-vegetarian foods he cares to eat. Even though I don't care to eat them much myself, I like to make it for D just to satisfy my culinary curiosity :-) Thankfully, D doesn't care for beef or pork, neither of which I can handle with confidence.

Anyway... This pulled chicken recipe was inspired by a barbecued pulled pork recipe on America's Test Kitchen program broadcast on PBS last season or so. Instead of BBQing, I simply cooked it on stove-top with lots of moisture to keep it juicy.

Recipe is simple:
Thaw and brine the skinned chicken (thighs, breasts, bone and all if you prefer), then, cook it in a large pot with flavors, submerged in broth, over low-to-medium-low heat for a l-o-n-g time - about 2 hours depending on how big the bird is - till chicken is fully cooked and the meat falls off the bones. We used a 3-lb chicken and it took about two hours to get it tender and cooked through - also depends on the heat, preferably, keep it medium low and steady. A slow cooker is a great option, only it might take longer to cook in a slow cooker than stove-top. Just need to make sure there is enough moisture throughout, and remember to turn the bird periodically till it is cooked all the way through. Then, gently separate the meat from the bones using a fork (ergo "pulled") shredding the meat, but not mushing it. Carefully discard all the bones. I had to let D do the handling of the bird before and after cooking as he is better at it than me.

Use the excess cooking liquid to make a reduction sauce, if preferred.

I threw in some red pepper flakes, parsley, rosemary, Patak's™ Tikka paste, garlic, onions and potatoes in the chicken stock (low sodium) and water that made the cooking liquid - but, use any flavors you prefer. And the potatoes can be fished out when they seem done and served on the side.

Pulled chicken makes a great sandwich, or can be served with simple rotis, or even with rice.