Mothers Mid Week Chicken Dinner ---211

Mother would never kill off a laying hen just to have sommat to eat for dinner, it had to be one with a pale wattle or a chalky back side, one that did not have a long life expectancy.

 Mothers Mid Week Chicken Dinner

In mid week we often had, “chicken” for our dinner,

Tough old hen more soup than meat, always it was a winner,

So after breakfast mother went, to feed the laying hens,

On her way she would note, the one who’s still in pens,

If it looked as if not laying, she would ring its neck,

Hang it in the coal shed, all flap and no more peck.

Pulling on the old tea cosy, well down over her ears,

And an old mac kept for this job, doesn’t matter how it appears.

Feathers and the fluff do fly, and also mites do run,

This is why she’s well covered up, as it is so often done,

With the news paper on the table, to be drawn it is now ready,

And out with good sharp knife, off with legs and neck all bloody

Nick below the parson’s nose, with hand the guts she pulls the lot,

Saves the heart and gizzard, also neck to make the stock,

Into the pot this tough old hen, no time for it to go cold,

Steamed for a good two hours, till lid is hot to hold.

Into the pot goes all the veg, and a heap of part boiled taties,

Given another half hour simmering, before it hits the platters,

We all come in for dinner time, lunch to someone posh,

Plates piled up, our bellies to fill, we loved our chicken nosh.

Owd Fred