Dorothy Lane Market Offers Local Black Chickens

ROSEANNE HARPER

DAYTON, Ohio — Just in time for Chinese New Year and the coldest months of the year, black chickens will catch the spotlight at Dorothy Lane Market.

Revered in China for their medicinal qualities, black chickens, also known as Silkies, are a particular breed that is black all over, including skin, flesh and bones. Here in the U.S., the unusual-looking chickens have gained favor among Asian chefs and others for their dense, gamey flavor.

“We'll demo black chicken soup in January and February,” Jack Gridley, DLM's director of meat/seafood, told SN.

“We were just looking for something different, and these definitely are that.”

Supplied by a local grower who raises free-range, all-natural poultry, the black chickens had a quick trial debut at Dorothy Lane a couple of months ago, and sold out quickly at $8.99 a pound, Gridley said. Then, the supplier promised more for the first of the year.

The grower, from whom DLM also sources other all-natural chickens and turkeys, dresses and packages the black chickens whole.

“The predominant way to use these is whole, in soup. That's the way we'll demo them,” Gridley said.