Monday, December 18, 2006

Celebrating first teeth - Cameroon style

Over the last couple of weeks Naomi's first couple of teeth have come through. To celebrate this fact Marceline decided to cook a nice meal. So off she went to the market to buy some fresh ingredients. I wondered through the kitchen a little later to do some washing. There was a live chicken on the floor. Not even in a basket this time. At first I thought it had wondered in from outside (as they often do this). However it was sitting very still and I soon realised that's because it's legs were tied together. This chicken is the fresh ingredients for out special lunch.

*Vegetarians and chicken lovers may not want to read the following paragraph*
A hour or so later it was time to kill the chicken, so we watched Marceline to see how it is done. Dig a little hole in the soil for the blood to go, get a sharp knife unfortunately (for the chicken) none of our knives are really that sharp. Next she grabbed it by the feet and wings managed to hold them between her legs as she then grabbed the head and slit the throat. Took a few cuts due to the not-so-sharp knife but she got there in the end. The head came completely off and the chicken was still flapping its wings around. Of course I have heard the saying 'running around like a headless chicken' but I did not realise they actually can run around. Poor little chicken. So the headless chicken then got immersed in hot water, so that the blood comes out and the wings are easier to remove.

A few hours later we all sat and enjoyed our fresh chicken. Sheila was very happy as she got the feet to eat.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

no pictures of the chicken?

Hev said...

Thought about it then decided it was a little distaseful!

Ann said...

I remember seeing my grandmother wring a chicken's neck, then watching as the headless chicken ran around the back yard. It seems a lot more humane than using a knife! Do you know why they cut the head off?

Hev said...

They cut the head off to get the blood out as they do not like it to collect inside the chicken. Tastes nice that way I am told.

Anonymous said...

glad you all enjoyed the chicken after all that. Pity Naomi couldn't have any.

Hev said...

That's what Genesis said "why buy a chicken to celebrate her teeth if she can not have any!" We enjoyed it anyway

Anonymous said...

Hello Heather. The Norwegian way of killing the chicken is virtually the same but it is kinder to knock the chicken senseless first. In that way it doesn't feel the cut. The neck of the chicken is wrung only for chicken that are not for food. It is important to drain the chicken for blood. (The hot water loosens the feathers and makes it easier to pluck them.) And in Spain they would not eat the chicken until the next day, because the flavour would be better then. Happy eating! Alison.

Hev said...

Thanks Alison, knocking out the chicken first does seem a little more humane.

I did not know killing your own chickens so still so popular in Europe!

Anonymous said...

Boy, when my baby recently got his teeth, I gave him peas and blueberries. I am so boring!

Ann said...

And thank goodness for boring.