[wayfarer]

One of our cockerels attacked me once to often and is now in the fridge.  He is a 11 months old Plymouth Barred Rock and a good size.  Please recommend the best way of cooking and any recipes.  Should he be coq au vin or slow roasted?

[doganjo]

One of our cockerels attacked me once to often and is now in the fridge.  He is a 11 months old Plymouth Barred Rock and a good size.  Please recommend the best way of cooking and any recipes.  Should he be coq au vin or slow roasted?

He won't have much meat on him presumably so maybe soup and stock woud be best?

[macgro7]

I think he should have quite a lot as it's a meaty breed. I usually use my chickens for chicken soup -  boiled on low heat for 3-4 hours. With some vegetables - couple of carrots, 1 parsnip, burned onion, garlic and either dill or chopped parsley. Obviously salt, pepper etc for flavour. Served hot hot with thin pasta (vermicelli).

This is food of my childhood - and every Polish person I have ever met.
Old hens or cocks are the best for it. With skin as you will have the lovely "eyes" of fat floating in your soup.

[wayfarer]

I've just weighed him and he is 3kg! which explains why he gave me such a thump yesterday with his feet.   I think the Barred Plymouth Rock is supposed to be a dual purpose bird and the hen from the same hatch lays about 5 eggs a week at the moment.

[macgro7]

The commercial broilers are children of White Rock and indian game (obviously highly specialised strains not available to anyone). So obviously they are one of the most meaty dual purpose breeds around.
Do you have any for sale by any chance?

[Polyanya]

We used to keep PB rocks, they are a lovely breed and good eating and I would go with your first idea of coq au vin, but sorry Macgro I'd skin him and cook him long and slow with lots of red wine, shallots, carrots, celery.....you know the rest 

[macgro7]

Sounds nice. Tbh I skin most chickens anyway - much less hassle.

[Possum]

Last year we dispatched an 11 month old light sussex cockerel for the same reason. Afterwards we slow roasted him and he was delicious. There was plenty of meat so I don't think you will have a problem with a Plymouth Rock. Several slow roast recipes on the BBC Good Food website.

[wayfarer]

Possum - what temperature did you cook it at and for how long?

Macgro - I'm sorry but unless the next cockerel goes for me we won't have any more.  I hadn't realised how large these chickens were and prefer the lighter breeds as I have limited space.

[macgro7]

I was thinking of getting bantam buff plymouth rock actually.
I dont really want to keep any more large fowl cocks.

[Possum]

This is the recipe that I used.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/foolproof-slow-roast-chicken

[Anke]

I normally cook a curry with our surplus cockerels. We only take the breast and legs, skin off, no plucking involved. I really like one of the recipes n M Jaffrey's Ultimate Curry Bible, its called Kuku Paka (marinated in ginger, garlic, salt & lemon juice, then slowly cooked in a tomato and coconut sauce.

[wayfarer]

In the end we went for a very slow roast and he tasted very good and not at all tough although the leg meat was darker than turkey.  Thank you for all your ideas.

Unfortunately the other one has now attacked me so that is likely to go in the pot very soon.  I like your idea Anke not least because it took a very long time to pluck and prepare the last one.