From Jeff Cox

If I come back as a chicken, I sure hope I’ll be an organic one.

Compared to most meat chickens, organic chickens get a good deal. They’re not crammed into cages. They must be given access to sunlight, fresh air, and open space to scratch around in. They also must have at least eight hours of darkness at night. In other words, they get to do what chickens like to do.

And they eat well. Bugs and worms in their scratch yards add to the flavor of the meat. Their feed must be organically-grown and not genetically modified, with no animal by-products, animal fat, growth hormones, antibiotics, or stimulants. Some laying hens also get flaxseed in their diets to increase the amount of health-promoting Omega-3 essential fatty acid in their eggs.

Some producers are going beyond the organic requirements by moving their flocks to new pasture every day. Birds that eat fresh pasture develop marvelous flavor. “Pastured poultry farms exhibit lush pastures and healthy chickens with deep-colored fat,” says Joel Salatin, a pastured poultry farmer in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, who has invented a method for moving his wire pens daily, weather permitting, thus rotating the flocks to new grass every day, interrupting pest and disease cycles, and protecting the scratch yards from overgrazing and over-manuring by the birds. The deep orange-gold color of the chicken fat—and the yolks of their eggs—shows the presence of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, which develops when the chickens get lots of fresh greens and insects in their diets.

Many gourmets believe that the chickens of Bresse, France, are the best-flavored in the world. Most are raised by French law on pasture in the organic manner. They are a special breed that must come from Bresse’s appellation, not the white cross breeds used by factory chicken farmers. In this country, Rhode Island Reds are considered one of the highest-quality chickens, with excellent flavor and firm meat. Small-scale producers across the nation are taking great pains to produce these chickens using organic methods. They are most likely to be found in local markets, farmers markets, or at the farms.

On a larger scale but still organic, Rosie chickens grown by Petaluma Poultry Processors in Sonoma County, California, are certified organic by Oregon Tilth. The company raises over three million organic birds a year, according to Dave Martinelli, an executive at the firm. Another national brand of organic chicken is Shelton’s Poultry, Inc., of Pomona, California.

By contrast, most conventional chicken operations are really chicken factories. The birds are caged two to a square foot, with up to 40,000 in an intensive chicken house. These factories are windowless, with almost constant lighting to speed growth, and large fans to exhaust the ammonia-laden air. The birds are also given growth-promoting drugs and stimulants. As a result, their bodies develop so fast their legs often can’t support their weight. Stress levels are high. Disease can spread rapidly in such an environment, so the chickens are given routine doses of antibiotics to keep them alive.

Having been in one of these chicken factories, I’d go for organic chicken just for the humane way the birds are raised, let alone the quality and purity of the meat.
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Chicken Meatballs on Rice

The ground chicken is sticky, so incorporate the crushed crackers, salt, onion, and pepper by cutting it into the meat with two knives, then finish the work with your wet fingers. The flavor goes best with a sunny white wine like Chardonnay.

1¼ lbs. ground dark organic chicken meat
6 oz. rosemary sesame crackers
6 oz. Panko
1 medium minced yellow onion
2 Tbl. fresh ground black pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup organic brown jasmine rice
1 cup water
1 cup white wine
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
10 oz. roasted garlic and tomato spaghetti sauce
2 Tbl. minced Italian flat-leaf parsley

Cook one cup brown jasmine rice in one cup water and one cup white wine for five minutes at full boil, then turn heat to simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Crush crackers in plastic bag with rolling pin until finely crushed. Work crushed crackers, minced onions, pepper, and salt into the chicken. Form chicken into small, one-inch balls and roll in panko.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add chicken meatballs and gently brown them in the oil, turning several times. Spoon onto paper towels, then into clean pan. Place pan into 350°F., oven for 18 minutes, shaking twice. Turn rice into large skillet and add roasted garlic and tomato spaghetti sauce; heat on lowest setting and stir to incorporate sauce into rice.

Add chicken meatballs on top. Sprinkle on cheese, then the minced parsley. Serve immediately.

Serves 4
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Jeff Cox is author of The Organic Cook’s Bible and The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide and lives in Sonoma County, California.
Image Credit: Good Earth Farm
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