[Sca-cooks] washing birds

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Stefan wrote:
>Huh!!!?
>This reminds me of the "cooking fish in the dishwasher" stunt. Have you
>actually done this? They don't get all mangled or end up being a mush?
>I take it you haven't have any problem with bits and pieces coming
>loose and being detected later when they start to rot? What is the
>towel for? With one towel and several birds/chickens I don't think it
>helps soften the bouncing any and since there is water it isn't there
>to absorb liquid from the birds.

To which Halima al-Shafi'i responded:
>Yes, I have actually done it...many times, as did the Amish and
>Mennonite women from whom I learned it.  But what do we
>know...apparently your theoretical knowledge far outweighs my hands-on
>experience.  Sorry my "stunt" seems to have offended your sensibilities...

Well, i'll join in and speak up on Stefan's behalf. He is genuinely 
curious and is expressing no offense, just wondering how the washing 
machine method works and wondering about many details.

Please tell us all how the process works, as i know many of us on 
this list are curious. I gather from your reply to Stefan that when 
you have told other people elsewhere you have gotten some shocked and 
horrified responses.

Rest assured that on this list most of us not only cook animals, but 
there are some folks here who butcher their own. Even those of us who 
don't have boundless curiosity about most aspects of the entire 
process of producing food, from farm and field to table.

There are even folks here who raise chickens, and a few who even 
specialize in SCA-period breeds of chickens. So you are not alone in 
killing, plucking, and otherwise preparing chickens for cooking. 
However, you are doing it in a way that most of us are not familiar 
with.

So, Halima, please explain the process to us. I await your detailed 
description with "baited" breath - and this bait won't last forever 
:-)

Anahita
Yeah, yeah, i know it's really bated breath, as in abated, but i 
couldn't resist...