How Do I Eat a Hen or a Rooster?

You can cook chicken a number of ways.

Chicken is one of the most common meats used in American cooking. When you eat a male chicken---a rooster---it is called a capon. A hen is a female chicken. There is no difference in the cooking methods, though capons might take longer to cook because they weigh more. The key to eating a hen or rooster is to cook the meat thoroughly.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towels
• Roasting pan
• Salt
• Pepper
• Butter
• Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Leave the hen or rooster in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.

2. Look in the body cavity for the liver and other offal parts. Pull them out and discard them, or save them for gravy. If you're cooking a rooster, you might find his comb in the bag of offal.

3. Rinse the chicken thoroughly, checking it over for any feather quills the meat processor might have missed. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

4. Put the chicken in a roasting pan. Apply salt and pepper to the skin to taste. You can also slather butter on the skin if you want it to brown. Put the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave it in the oven for 20 minutes for every pound of meat, then leave it in for an additional 15 minutes. Tent the chicken with foil if the skin darkens too quickly.

5. Pull the hen or rooster out of the oven when it is done cooking, and let it sit for 10 minutes to settle. Remove the foil, and carve the chicken by cutting off the wings, legs and breast meat. Then cut off the meat along the spine and body. Serve the chicken with your choice of side dishes, or use the roasted hen or rooster in another recipe.

References

• Cliffs Notes: Can you Eat a Rooster?
• All Recipes: How to Roast a Whole Chicken