One Whole Chicken, Three Different Meals

Instructions

• Break down the chicken: Cut off the legs and wings at the joints. Cut off the breasts, working the knife diagonally away from the backbone to get the most meat. Reserve the legs and shred the remaining meat from the breasts, wings, and carcass. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use, up to 5 days.
• Make the chicken stock: Add the chicken carcass, carrot peels, onion, garlic, black peppercorns, and bay leaves to an Instant Pot. Pour in enough cold water to fill the pot to the max fill line.
• Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set the vent to sealed. Set the pressure to high and pressure cook for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Once the timer is up, carefully turn the vent to venting and release all of the pressure.
• Once the stock has cooled slightly, carefully strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour, or until no longer steaming. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
• Meal 1: ROASTED CHICKEN WITH GLAZED CARROTS, WHITE RICE, AND CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
• Make the roasted carrots: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Trim the tops off the carrots and set aside.
• Oblique-cut the carrots into 1½-inch (5 cm) pieces.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the honey, olive oil, paprika, and salt. Add the carrots to the bowl and toss to coat.
• Transfer the carrots to the prepared baking sheet, leaving some of the sauce in the bowl.
• Roast the carrots for 30 minutes, basting halfway with some of the reserved sauce. Remove from the oven and glaze once more with the remaining sauce.
• While the carrots roast, make the chimichurri: In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, honey, oregano, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and salt until combined. While whisking, drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified.
• Trim the woody stems from the reserved carrot tops and discard. You should have about 2 cups (240 G). Separate the parsley leaves and tender stems from the woodier stems and discard the woody stems.
• Finely mince the parsley and the carrot tops. Add to the bowl with the vinaigrette and stir to incorporate.
• To serve, add half of the roasted carrots, 1 cup (200 G) cooked rice, and 1 chicken quarter to each plate. Drizzle each plate with 2–3 tablespoons of chimichurri. Store the remaining chimichurri in the refrigerator for the next meal.
• Meal 2: SHREDDED CHICKEN AND MOZZARELLA ARANCINI
• Make the arancini: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt together the butter and olive oil until the butter is just bubbling. Add the onion and season with the salt. Cook until the onion is translucent, 2–3 minutes. 19. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the cooked rice and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add ¼ cup chicken stock, stirring continuously until absorbed. Continue adding the remaining stock, ¼ cup at a time, cook until the stock is fully absorbed and the rice is creamy. Stir in the Parmesan and season with the black pepper and more salt.
• Spread the rice on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer and let cool completely, about 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded chicken, mozzarella, and chimichurri.
• In a medium pot, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (180°C). Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set nearby.
• While the oil heats, prepare the arancini: Scoop about ⅓ cup of the cooled rice into your hand and use your fingertips flatten and create a divot in the center. Add a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture to the divot, then wrap the rice around the chicken and roll into a ball to seal. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Add the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs to 3 separate shallow bowls. Lightly coat each rice ball in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumbs, making sure there are no exposed spots.
• Working 2–3 at a time, fry the rice balls in the hot oil for 5–6 minutes, until golden brown and warmed through. Let drain on the wire rack.
• While the arancini cool slightly, make the sautéed kale: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring to prevent burning, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the kale and salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the kale is tender. Transfer to a serving platter.
• Arrange the arancini over the sautéed kale. Serve with warm marinara sauce.
• Meal 3: HOMEMADE CHICKEN RICE SOUP
• Make the chicken rice soup: In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until just shimmering. Add the onion and carrots and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 3–4 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the carrots are beginning to soften.
• Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, if using, and Italian seasoning and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the chicken stock, 3–4 teaspoons salt (if using the homemade unsalted chicken stock, otherwise season with salt to taste), the chicken, and Parmesan rind. Reduce the heat to medium-low , cover, and cook for 20–30 minutes, until the stock is simmering.
• Remove the Parmesan rind from the soup and discard. Add the rice and kale, stirring until the kale is bright green and wilted, about 1 minute.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot with freshly grated Parmesan on top.
• Enjoy!