chickenventure attempt 2

My last chicken was too large, at about 4.5 pounds. Tonight, all the store had were 5.5 pound monster chickens.

So I just bought a container full of drumsticks. Problem solved, and I saved a lot of time now having to carve everything. Except it's all going to be drumsticks. That's OK, though. No sense spending extra for chicken breasts when I'm not yet sure about whether it'll turn out...

chickenventure 2, act 3

My thermometer crapped out. And that turned out to be important, because my first four drumsticks turned out dark on the outside and pink in the middle. Thrown out.

I dug out a candy thermometer and managed to pinpoint the temperature at 350 before putting the other five in, turned it up a bit, to let it adjust, then turned it down a little below where it was once the sizzling got louder.

I took it out and it looks more evenly browned at least. But, I forgot to turn the stove down, and the shortening started smoking a few minutes ago. I figured I should put the smoky pot outside, and then I spilled some of the hot oil on the floor. My socks soaked some of it up, and now I have burnt toes. They're not so bad though. I just put the pan on the floor and put my toes under cold water for a few seconds.

And, since I put the hot pan on the floor, I fucked up the floor. I guess I need a welcome mat now.

The last five still have a way overcooked crust, but internally they're OK. The crust kind of ruins the experience of eating them, though.

I should switch to casseroles or something.

chickenventure 2 epilogue.

I just checked, and, oops, some of the linoleum tile is stuck to the bottom of my cast-iron skillet.

I was going to give this to my brother's grandchildren.

Oh well, I need a new one anyway.

So, to eat three fried drumsticks, it cost me enough money for nine drumsticks, a lot of shortening and flour, my apartment's damage deposit, and my cast-iron skillet.

Because I didn't test my thermometer before starting, I didn't get my money's worth out of my ingredients.

Because I both forgot to turn the heat off when I was done, the shortening started smoking, and the smoke detector started barking. I should have moved it to an unused burner, but because I didn't want the smoke detector to keep barking, I tried to move it outside. And because it was full of hot oil, it sloshed onto the floor and into my sock. And because I was most interested in preserving my feet, I sacrificed my pan and my apartment floor.

(no subject)

A Lowe's just opened across the street. So I bought a doormat, and it's doing a splendid job of covering the damage.

I didn't look for a new skillet there. I need other stuff too.

I also had a wacky idea, in the spirit of getting back on that horse, to buy a new skillet, and a new chicken, and carve it just like the first time (only better), and fry another chicken TOMORROW, just to end it all on a higher note than this.