black chicken

its sounds like the name of a southern blues group or maybe even a 1950s sock-hop dance move, but i assure you that's not what black chicken is. actually, i recently found out that black chicken is a chinese version of chicken, with white feathers, but black skin, bones, and meat. supposedly, the bird has been used in chinese medicine for thousands of years since its meat has a high level of antioxidants that can possibly reduce the effects of aging, autism, and diabetes. however, i've seen pictures circulating the internet of a black chicken carcass and it does not look so good.

i first heard of this rare bird while watching the new top chef miami, season 3, wherein the chefs were required to create a dish using two types of protein from a bar of exotic, wild game for a panel of judges that included my man, anthony bourdain. the bar contained an array of meat, ranging from buffalo rib eyes and ostrich fillets, to rattlesnakes and kangaroo. of course, there was also this mysterious meat called the black chicken, which ended up being one of the top two contenders. also, has anyone heard of geoduck (pronounced on the show like gooey-duck)? they cooked that on the show, too. geoduck is actually not even related to the duck family as its name suggests, but is instead a phallic-shaped saltwater clam that looks remarkably unappetizing.

anyway, i don't know where i'm going with this post. other than a conclusion that i'm watching too much food-related television, between bravo's top chef and the food network's search for the next food network television star chef.