Chicken Quotes

“Leo drummed his fingers. “Great. I should have installed a smoke screen that makes the ship smell like a giant chicken nugget. Remind me to invent that, next time.”
Hazel frowned. “What is a chicken nugget?”
“Oh, man…” Leo shook his head in amazement. “That's right. You’ve missed the last, like, seventy years. Well, my apprentice, a chicken nugget—”
“Doesn’t matter,” Annabeth interrupted.”
― Rick Riordan, The Mark of Athena

“I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens.”
― Isaac Bashevis Singer

“Do you eat chicken because you are familiar with the scientific literature on them and have decided that their suffering doesn't matter, or do you do it because it tastes good?”
― Jonathan Safran Foer, Eating Animals

“When your mama was the geek, my dreamlets," Papa would say, "she made the nipping off of noggins such a crystal mystery that the hens themselves yearned toward her, waltzing around her, hypnotized with longing.”
― Katherine Dunn, Geek Love

“We all like chicken”
― Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X

“Despite the fact that an Indonesian island chicken has probably had a much more natural life than one raised on a battery farm in England, people who wouldn't think twice about buying something oven-ready become much more upset about a chicken that they've been on a boat with, so there is probably buried in the Western psyche a deep taboo about eating anything you've been introduced to socially.”
― Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

“And believe me, a good piece of chicken can make anybody believe in the existence of God.”
― Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

“Gabe brings home a chicken and Tommy Falk for dinner. Truth be told, I'm not unhappy to see any of them. Gabe, because it's been so long since we've had dinner with him; the chicken because it's not beans; and Tommy Falk because his presence makes Gabe cheerful and goofy.”
― Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races

“I love eating chicken with my bare hands. It makes me want to snarl at people, even more than usual.”
― Jeri Smith-Ready, Requiem for the Devil

“I wonder Pa went so easy. I wonder Grampa didn' kill nobody. Nobody never tol' Grampa where to put his feet. An' Ma ain't nobody you can push aroun' neither. I seen her beat the hell out of a tin peddler with a live chicken one time 'cause he give her a argument. She had the chicken in one han', an' the ax in the other, about to cut its head off. She aimed to go for that peddler with the ax, but she forgot which hand was which, an' she takes after him with the chicken. Couldn' even eat that chicken when she got done. They wasn't nothing but a pair of legs in her han'. Grampa throwed his hip outa joint laughin'.”
― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

“Ain’ no Black people need no therapists, ’cause we don’ be havin’ those mental issues. OCD, ADD, PTSD, and all those other acronyms they be comin’ up with every day. I’m tellin’ you, the only acronyms Black folk need help with is the NYPD, FBI, CIA, KKK, and KFC, ’cause I know they be puttin’ shit in those twelve-piece bucket meals to make us addicted to them. All that saturated fat, sodium.”
― Mateo Askaripour, Black Buck

“On the nights I stuffed myself full of myths, I dreamed of college, of being pumped full of all the old knowledge until I knew everything there was to know, all the past cultures picked clean like delicious roasted chicken.”
― Lauren Groff, Delicate Edible Birds and Other Stories

“Breakfast isn't breakfast without breakfast.”
― Laura C Goodwin

“I'm not really a chicken-patty kinda girl," I said.”
― Rhoda Janzen

“Well, speaking of supper, let's get it underway," she proposed. "Is there any meat in the house?"

"There's plenty of chickens in the chicken house out back," Sam responded. "I'll get Aaron to help me, and we'll kill a couple of roosters."

"Oh, my!" exclaimed Margaret. "Well, that will be fresh chicken, for sure!”
― Sarah Brazytis, The House on Harmony Street

“Not all people called a chicken have chicken brains.”
― Tamerlan Kuzgov

“47 days: average slaughter age of broiler chickens in the United States. In the European Union it is 42 days. Depending on the breed, the natural lifespan of a chicken is up to 11 years.”
― Jo-Anne McArthur, Hidden: Animals in the Anthropocene

“We were as hungry as hunters after a day of stalking prey. The word for Belinda's chicken, we agreed, was also epic, the meat deeply flavored, the rice flecked with tiny sour-sweet jewel-red barberries, and mined with woody spices you had to pluck out---cinnamon sticks, cloves, and black cardamom pods as big and wrinkled as prunes.
"This could be the best thing I have ever eaten," said Jennie.
"It's right up there," I said.
"The food writer agrees!" Jennie said. "Did you hear that, Belinda?"
"I just followed the recipe," said Belinda. "Anybody could make it."
Not true. Not everybody used quality organic chicken, high-grade extra-long basmati rice, hard-to-find black cardamom pods. The parsley and cilantro from Belinda's own garden were more flavorful than supermarket varieties. And Belinda had the great cook's touch; her onions were expertly caramelized, her chicken well browned, her rice cooked to the right tooth... No, not everyone could make this.”
― Michelle Huneven, Search

“The first one is paella-style takikiomi gohan rice ball. You chop up white meat fish, clams, shrimp and squid and fry them in olive oil with garlic and saffron. And in a different pan, you fry finely chopped tomatoes, onions and green pepper in olive oil.
You mix those two together and cook them with rice using a broth made from beef shank and chicken bones.
Then you make that into a rice ball...
... and wrap it in Parma ham."
"Oh my! It sure is something to make a paella-style takikomi gohan into a rice ball."
"But when it's wrapped in Parma ham, they match perfectly."
"It's completely Western, but it still tastes like a rice ball."
"This is a surprise. And the judges seem to like it too."
"Next is a rice ball coated in pork flakes. This is a pork flake you often see in Chinese cooking. You cook the lean pork meat in soy sauce seasoned with star anise until it becomes flaky.
The filling inside is Dongpo pork--- a Chinese dish made of pork belly that's been slowly braised."
"Ooh, the soft Dongpo pork came out as I bit into the rice coated in the sweet and salty pork flakes!"
"Ah, the flavor and texture are superb!"
"This combination is just wonderful! "
"You've made Dongpo pork into such a great rice ball, it's making me cry. It looks Chinese, but it's very much a Japanese rice ball."
"Now the judges are taking his side..."
"And the last is a deep-fried chicken rice ball. You deep fry chicken that has been marinated in soy sauce with ginger and garlic...
...and then use that as the filling of the rice ball...
... then coat it in red shiso seasonings."
"Ah, the rich taste of the deep-fried chicken is something the young people will like. And the red shiso seasoning creates a refreshing aftertaste.”
― Tetsu Kariya, The Joy of Rice

“And the last one is the chicken-skin hot pot. The best parts of a chicken to eat are the skin and the innards. There are many ways of cooking them, but this chicken-skin hot pot is easy to make, and it tastes great.
First you heat the pot, place the chicken inside...
... and slowly cook it inside the pot.
Once the oil from the skin comes seeping out, you add the innards to the pot. You basically use the oil from the skin to stir-fry the innards.
After the innards have been slightly cooked, you add some spring onions which have been cut around two inches long...
...and finally add sake and soy sauce to it.
The oil from the chicken skin and soup from the innards have not been thinned down with any kind of broth or dashi, so the young people will love its rich, strong taste and scent. And anybody can make it once they see it being made.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Izakaya: Pub Food

“Try this smoked chicken with a dressing made from wine vinegar and herbs.
Than the liver sashimi with just salt. Try the gizzard and chicken leg sashimi with salt and sesame oil.
This one is from Nakagomi-san's Yorozuya brewery. It's a Shunnoten Junmaishu, 'Takazasu.' I've warmed it so that it'll be 108 degrees when poured into your sake cup."
"108 degrees! Do you have to be that precise in warming the sake?!"
"Of course. That's why the Okanban's job is so important. I've made it slighty lukewarm to stimulate your taste buds, It should be just the right warmth to enjoy the delicate differences of the various sashimi."
"Wow. You really put a lot of thought into warming the sake."
"Okay. Let's try the sake and food together."
"The chicken leg is sweet! And the warm sake wraps that sweetness and enhances it in your mouth!"
"The warm sake spreads out the aftertaste of the liver on your tongue!"
"The more I chew on the gizzard, the richer the taste becomes!"
"Man, it's totally different from cold sake! Its scent and flavor are so lively!"
"Exactly. That's what's important. Warming the sake brings the flavor and scent to life, so they're much stronger than with cold sake. That's the reason you serve sake warm."
"I see... I never knew there was a reason like that behind warming sake."
"And now the main dish--- yakitori. Please start with the chicken fillet, heart and liver.
This is a Shunnoten Junmai Daiginjo that has been aged a little longer than usual. It's made from Yamadanishiki rice that has been polished down to 45 percent and then dry-steamed to create a tough malt-rice...
... which is then carefully fermented in low temperatures to create the sake mash.
Many people think I'm out of my mind to warm such a high-class Daiginjo. But when sake like this, which has been aged for a long time, is warmed to be 118 degrees when poured into the cup... you can clearly taste the deep flavor of the aged sake."
"Wow!"
"But 118 degrees is a little hot, isn't it?"
"I wanted you to taste the succulent, savory chicken heart and other skewers...
...with a hot Daiginjo that has a rich yet refreshing flavor and can wash away the fat."
"I think Junmai Ginjoshu tastes good when you warm it. People who claim that it's wrong to warm Junmai Ginjoshu don't know much about sake."
"Aah... the sake tastes heavier since it's warmer than the last one!"
"The flavor and scent of the sake fill my mouth and wash away the fat from the chicken too!"
"This sake has such a rich, mature taste!”
― Tetsu Kariya, Izakaya: Pub Food

“Chicken meat, gizzard, chicken skin and chicken wing.
This time, I added about 10 percent more water to the Takazasu I gave to you...
...and let it sit for about a week to blend the alcohol and flavor together. And I've warmed it just like the last one so that it will be 118 degrees when poured into the cup.
If the temperature is any lower than that, the sweetness of the sake becomes too distinct and it loses its lightness."
"Hmmm! This one tastes so light, even though it's the same temperature!"
"After eating for a while, people tend to start getting a bit tired. If you warm this sake up to the right temperature, it helps you continue to eat."
"That's right. And this sake is not only light, but it also has a strong, rich taste...
... so it can capture the fatty parts like the chicken skin and chicken wing and boost their flavor."
"This way, you can continue to eat, and you'll never get tired of drinking.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Izakaya: Pub Food

“I lift up the lid and inhale the aromas of what looks like a flaky pot pie, dusted with powdered sugar, the top scored in a crosshatch pattern. And holy moly, mother of the gods, I'm embraced by heavenly scents. Spicy. Sweet. Savory. Delicious. I commandeer a fork, take a bite, chew, and then swallow. Three layers of flavors infused with chicken, egg, and almonds melt on my tongue, the finish topped off with whispers of orange blossom, saffron, ginger, cumin, and turmeric. "This is absolutely incredible. What is this delight?"
"Bastilla," he says with a proud smile. "It's a typical recipe from Morocco, where I'm originally from, usually made with pigeon, but this one is made with chicken. My mother's recipe. It's also called pastilla.”
― Samantha Verant, The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique

“From what Natasha described, the sesame chicken is a variation on oven-fried chicken, with a crisp, garlicky coating speckled with sesame seeds. My first attempt is a total disaster involving burnt sesame seeds, unappetizing flecks of fresh garlic, and more oil than is in all of Saudi Arabia. Whatever the chicken is supposed to taste like, I know this isn't even close.
I fine-tune the recipe all week, swapping out the fresh garlic for powdered and preheating the oiled pan in the oven for a good ten minutes before baking. For what I hope is my final adjustment, I marinate the chicken pieces overnight in a dry rub, leaving them covered on a big sheet pan in Natasha's refrigerator Wednesday night.”
― Dana Bate, Too Many Cooks

“The chicken, Mr. Milagros. Did you clean it up?”

The walkie-talkie crackled as Mr. Milagros put his thoughts in order. “¿Bueno? I was going to. I was all ready to. But when I got to the lockers, no chicken.”

The other three people in the office looked at me, a little stunned, a little scared, and yeah, I think, a little impressed.”
― Carlos Hernandez, Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

“ While the bird is boiling, it's time to brown the skin...
...extracting all of the fatty oils from it.
Then, in all of that light and delicately rich chicken oil...
...I'll stir-fry some uncooked jasmine rice with garlic and ginger! ”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 17 [Shokugeki no Souma 17]

“With the bird heated through, it's time to dress it. The feet and wings get chopped off and go right back into the boiling pot with some cilantro.
Together, they will boil down into the perfect soup stock!
While the stock is simmering...
... I'll set the uncooked jasmine rice I stir-fried to steam."
"Ooh! And he isn't steaming it in plain water either! He's using some of the water he heated the bird in...
...which is now a light broth brimming with the Satsuma Jidori's renowned umami goodness!”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 17 [Shokugeki no Souma 17]

“ Hainanese Chicken Rice
An entire chicken is steeped in broth at sub-boiling temperatures and is then served with rice steamed in the same broth.
Originally a Chinese dish, it was spread across Southeast Asia by migrants from the Hainan Province. A well-loved staple, it is also known as Khao Man Tai or Singapore Chicken Rice.
*Many restaurants that serve it will also serve chicken soup on the side.
"That makes perfect sense! This dish is an excellent choice for emphasizing the unique deliciousness of the Jidori! I already know it can't help but be good!"
"That one's yours."
"Uh, thanks. I'll dig right in."
Delicious! It's too delicious!
The tender meat so perfectly steeped! Each bite is sheer decadence! The delicate yet bold umami flavors!
But that's not all...
Next comes the very best part!
As if that one bite wasn't enough, after it's swallowed...
... There's the subtle and sophisticated aftertaste!
"Mmm! That decadent flavor lingers in the mouth for so long! Exquisite! Simply exquisite! This dish is the pinnacle of Jidori cooking!"
"Don't stop yet. I've made three dipping sauces to go along with it.
Chili sauce, ginger sauce and some See Ew Dum."
*See Ew Dum is a dark, thick and sweet soy sauce commonly used in Thai cooking. Its viscosity is similar to tamari.
"I made the chili sauce by grinding red peppers and adding them to the broth from the steeped chicken. The ginger sauce is fresh ginger mixed with chicken fat I rendered out of the bird.”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 17 [Shokugeki no Souma 17]

“The mellow cheese melds together seamlessly with the chicken in the pâté...
And by serving it warm instead of chilled, far from ruining the firmness of the meat, the moistness of the chicken has instead come alive!
Not only that, the flavor of the porcini sauce is hardly overwhelmed. In fact, it now has a complex and intriguing taste to it!
This is still a rough idea with plenty of room for improvement, but the promise is there.
By deliberately matching powerful taste with powerful taste...
... they are actually magnifying each other!"
"Well? Whaddaya think, Erina-chi? Is it good? Hm? Hm?"
"Nope, the greasiness of the pork came out too strong. It's made the whole thing taste too heavy."
"Yeah, but I'd still like to retain the pork's richness somehow!"
"Are you all experimenting with another dish? Oh! Both chicken and pork? That combination won't do at all.
You can't simply add more and more things, you know. Remember, less is more."
"Hang on. How about we add some kind of tartness to it?
Isn't there something that can keep both the chicken's umami and the pork's richness while zapping the greasiness of it all?”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 18 [Shokugeki no Souma 18]

“Mama, is that Aunt Eula’s chicken recipe?” Emily tore into a drumstick with enough fervor for both of them.
“Sure is.”
Her aunts had been up since before dawn cooking. The sweets table was piled with pies and sponge cake with fresh berries and Aunt Marline’s divinity fudge. She picked at her chicken, feeling her appetite improving with each bite of familiar cooking.
“Can I have seconds, Mama?”
“Of course. let me get some for you.” Alaine took Em’s plate to the buffet, still loaded with more food than an army could do away with. She chose a drumstick from the plate of chicken, then froze.
“Now, Stella, it’s quaint,” Mrs. Mark Grafton, Pierce’s mother. Alaine stiffened. “They’ve done the best they can— and I think they rather expected us to enjoy a country luncheon.”
“But chicken fricassee? For a wedding luncheon? Are they going to have us dance a reel next?” A woman younger than Mrs. Grafton, but bearing the same sharp dark eyes, tittered quietly.
“I told Pierce they should have a fish course, at least. And a consommé. Of course I knew an aspic would be asking far too much.”
“Pierce always did have an independent streak.” Stella said this as though it were a blight. “Marrying some country nobody when the Harris girls or Georgia Lawson would have—”
“Not polite to speak of it now, dear,” Mrs. Grafton said with a tone that told Alaine it was only propriety keeping her from joining. Alaine seethed. Delphine wasn’t a nobody— she was better than any of these Perrysburg ninnies.
“Pierce has his career to consider, that’s all I’m saying. She can’t go blundering about, mucking that up. After all, we stand to catch the ill effects of any mistakes she makes.”
“I’ve advised Pierce how to handle himself, and he’ll make sure she knows her place. You needn’t concern yourself with your brother’s affairs.” Mrs. Grafton swept away in a wake of heady perfume, but not before Alaine heard her add in a sharp whisper, “He didn’t listen to me about marrying the girl, why do you think he’d listen about a fish course?”
Neither Grafton woman had noticed Alaine; they were, Alaine presumed, well practiced in ignoring anything that didn’t benefit them specifically. Country nobody, indeed— Del would show them all up before Christmas. If the best chicken in the county wasn’t good enough for the Graftons, she would enjoy it double.
”
― Rowenna Miller, The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill