08/30/2026
Chickens. They’re really cute and semi-easy to raise. They’re another farm chore that requires daily attention, twice a day, and there’s a lot to think about when you’re raising meat chickens. Feed, water, different shelter as they grow, predators, keeping them healthy… it’s a daily commitment.
And then there’s the cooking. I love how versatile a chicken is. You can roast the whole bird and have dinner, save the meat for another meal, and then make stock from what’s left. Or fry it, braise it, grill it, put it in a soup or a pot pie, make chicken salad, tacos, sandwiches… there are so many directions you can take one chicken. It’s one of those foods that can be simple or elaborate, comforting or elegant, depending on what you do with it.
And as a food photographer, I have to say chickens are not the easiest thing to photograph beautifully. There’s something about a whole cooked chicken that can be surprisingly challenging.. the shape, the color, the texture. It’s easy for a roast chicken to photograph as just… a weird beige blob. Making it look really beautiful and appetizing takes some work. Thank goodness for food stylists!
Just a few thoughts about raising, cooking and photographing chickens.
Beautiful roasted chicken styled by Christine Wolheim for Tamara Hicks cookbook published by Chronicle Books
