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I watch in amazement at how many shoppers bypass whole chickens and opt for pre-packed pieces. I’ve never understood why.
Now in some cases, it’s obviously justified, if you need 48 wings for a beer and wings BBQ, or similar, you’re not getting that from whole birds, you need portions. But other than that, buying a whole bird is a far better option. At today’s average pricing (15 July 2020), provided by USA Bureau of Labour Statistics – per pound price of whole bird is $1.59 and breast fillet pieces are $ 3.39. Roughly- for the price of two breast fillets you could buy a whole chicken! It’s pretty much the same in Europe. The cheapest option regarding pieces, are legs – apparently nobody wants legs. Everybody wants the breast fillet. However I can tell you, the best tasting, most succulent filleted piece of chicken is the thigh or thigh and leg combo. And if you’re grilling skewers of chicken – test my opinion!
Regarding portions, if you slice one piece of beef steak from a joint, watch how much faster it deteriorates compared to the whole joint it was cut from. Chicken is no different. Once portioned, it begins to deteriorate much faster. So buy the whole bird! I also noted whilst living in the USA how people bypassed all cuts and went straight for the deboned skinless fillets. It’s becoming the same in the U.K. ! They are the most…
