The life of a standard chicken and a free-range one couldn't be more different. A typical broiler chicken is raised in dark sheds with very little room to move, they are packed in up to 20,000 very close together, the sheds are never cleaned during their short six week life.A free range bird on the other hand can roam freely outside with plenty of space, these chickens are free to act as they would naturally and so are much happier. I believe that if we are going to raise animals for meat then we have a responsibility to treat them humanely during their life, that is why I only eat free-range chicken.
The issue of animal welfare is something I feel strongly about so I was very happy to take part. If you're from the UK you're probably aware of the recent campaigning on this issue by the celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-whittingstall. The Chicken Out! campaign founded by Hugh Fearnley-whittingstall seeks to change the way we shop for chicken, it has an excellent website which clearly explains the reasons why you should buy free range.
To take part I was asked to cook my favourite chicken dish using free range chicken, I don't know what my favourite is but this Sticky lemon chicken is pretty good, the original recipe is by Gordon Ramsay, I was inspired to cook it after seeing a picture on the She Runs, She Eats blog.
This dish is simple to prepare and tastes great, it is flavoured with lemon, honey and thyme, the sauce is reduced down to give a sticky and sweet coating. recipe here.I hope next time you choose to eat chicken you think carefully before you buy, it may be slightly more expensive to go free range but at least you will know that your chicken has been raised humanely.
This article from the independent shows the conditions some broiler chicken are raised in:
6 comments:
Oh, I really love Lemon Chicken! Thanks for this recipe, and also for entering Let Them Eat Chicken.
It looks great! I love how crispy the skin on yours got. Stellar pictures.
As with people, I think it's important to treat animals decently. We are, after all, the ones who are supposed to look after them, and their welfare (although not on the same level as humans) is important because it reflects how we feel, think of, and treat what we are given. Solid post, Sam!
Hi there!
So good to finally find a food blogger in Leicester!
Your sticky lemon chicken sounds delish.. I surely will give it a try :)
Regarding the chicken - i could never even consider getting a non-free ranger. Thats why i always buy mine at the butcher's as supermarket free-ranges are overpriced and hard to find.
Christina: Thanks for the inspiration! I agree we should treat animals well but people have to come first.
Garbane: Are you from Leicester? you're right about the supermarkets, they are often out of stock and are very expensive.
Look delicious! I totally agree with you about free-range chicken. It is super expensive though, unfortunately. I buy it whenever possible and I make sure to buy eggs from free range chickens all the time!
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