Quarantine Kitchen: What can you do with chicken backs?

What can you do with a bag of chicken backs? We received this intriguing question from our friend, who had mistakenly picked up a bag of chicken backs at the grocery story when he was intending to get chicken thighs. We are all getting desperate when we see the grocery shelves completely picked over, so we understand the feeling. Chicken backs are what is left of the chicken after the breasts, thighs and legs have been removed, containing a good amount of both bones and meat. The most obvious answer is to perhaps utilize these to make stock or bone broth, which you can then use for a myriad of other recipes including matzoh ball soup. Homemade stock is delicious, but we were looking for something a bit more creative. Fortunately, in many other cultures, it is common to use the chicken back for any number of savory dishes. We were particularly intrigued by this Vietnamese chicken and rice recipe, Com Ga from Viet World Kitchen (pictured below). You can also use the chicken backs to make the broth for Chicken Pho (Phở Ga). Chicken backs are a popular staple in Jamaica, so they find themselves into a variety of dishes including this Jamaican curry and can be substituted into the classic Jamaican dish, Brown Stew. Even the humble chicken back can shine!