re: How to avoid shredded chicken in gumbo.

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This is because I want the flavor profile of the bones but don’t want people picking around bones at the table.

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I get around this by deboning the chicken while it's raw. I use my shears to cut up the ribs and then I make a cheesecloth bouquet out of all the bones and the skin and toss it into the pot. Then, when they've given their all, I just fish the whole thing out with some tongs and prop it up on a couple of spoons across the pot to drip for a few minutes, then into the trash.

All the flavor and no little bones or pieces of rubbery skin to find while you're eating.

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Use a hen

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I wish I could always find one when I want a gumbo. I've had trouble with that one. If I have a couple of days, I can always get one, but if I want a gumbo tonight and I don't already have a hen, a fryer might be the best I can get.