Pan searing whole chickens

The idea is to pan sear chicken parts so that the skin doesn't shrink, to steam them in liquid for speed and even cooking, then return them to to the pan to re-sear for crispy skin for great presentation. This makes more sense when fewer parts are all done at once, it makes less sense when two whole chickens are done in batches and when the purpose of the whole thing is for for chicken bits to freeze and to make quality broth. It was an experiment. It failed. Simply roasting them is better.

This chicken will be picked apart and frozen. Except for the part I'm eating right now. The bones will be smashed and with all the fond and the skin and loose bits, pressure cooked with liquid for grade A broth. This broth will be the basis for tons of stuff to follow. Conclusion: roasting is better.

The first time I cut up a chicken I didn't know what I was doing. I also didn't know the difference between a fryer and a roaster so I bought both to find out. The roaster turned out to be a lot tougher to cut up, so I learned. The difference is really that roaster are a few weeks older than fryers.  I thought the idea was to hack up the bird into segments whacking brutally through the bone. Surely, I thought,  that's what cleavers are for. I didn't know about locating and skillfully slicing through joints. I had a great deal of difficulty and possibly ruined a knife. I kept thinking about Jeffrey Dahmer and the word "dismember" kept running through my mind. I nearly passed out. Had to sit down and recover, then get back to hacking. Later I'd see Julia Child on television explain how to do all this with some intelligence. I watched her with rapt attention. She cheerfully recommended cutting up whole chickens instead of buying parts, she said, "Plus, it's fun!" I thought, "You're one crazy lady, you are." But that changed my attitude toward the whole thing and now I think of Julia a bit fondly whenever I do this, which is often. I love Julia Child. I owe her everything.