• Overview
• Chicken / Fattened chicken, Capon, Turkey • Guinea Fowl, Duck, Goose, Pigeon, • Ratites –Emu/Ostrich/Rhea, Rabbit
Source: On Cooking, Chapter 18, page 460 to 465 Poultry
Poultry is the collective term for domesticated birds for eating
White Meat poultry Dark meat poultry
Chicken Pigeon Rock Cornish Game Hen Goose Guinea fowl Capon Duck Turkey Rarities–Ostrich, Emu
All categories are further divided generally in terms of age and tenderness of the bird Chicken
Two meat varieties: white meat - breasts dark meat - legs
Raising/Breeding Categories: • Battery bred – birds have little room to move
• Free range – birds are allowed to “run” free in open grass areas, the space allocated per bird is strictly monitored and regulated
• Organic – no chemical feeds, pesticides vitamins, feed add-ons, vaccines or other modified food can be in-taken by the bird. Raising Chicken Chicken
Classification • Broiler - Poussin – Young immature small chickens – 5-6 weeks old – 400 – 700g in weight • Fryer - Poulet – Young with soft, smooth textured skin, lean, flexible breastbone – 13 weeks old – 800 g - 1.3 kg in weight • Roaster - Poularde – Specially raised hens also known as Bresse Hen – 3-5 months old – 1.3 – 1.8 kg in weight • Capon – Castrated male chicken (cockerel), bred for well flavored meat, relatively high fat content, increased white to dark meat ratio – Below 8 months old – 2 – 3 kg in weight • Fowl – Mature female hen, flavorful but less tender, usually butchered after laying eggs – used mainly for stocks – Over 10 month old 3- 6 kg in weight Chicken
• Poulet / Poularde de Bresse
– Considered the finest chicken – From the village of Bresse (Burgundy/France) – Blue legs, Free range chickens with special feeds of corn, milk products and other grains
• Spring chicken / Cornish Hen
– Same classification as Poussin – 400-700 g per bird Chicken Varieties
• Capon – Castrated male chicken (cockerel), bred for well flavored meat, relatively high fat content, increased white to dark meat ratio – Below 8 months old; 2 – 3 kg in weight
• Fowl – Mature female hen, flavorful but less tender, usually butchered after laying eggs – used mainly for stocks – Over 10 month old; 3- 6 kg in weight
• Rooster – Male chicken (female is called hen) – Young rooster are called cockerel Chicken Varieties
• DPO (protected origin) – Bresse Chicken and Bresse Turkey
• PGI (protected geographical indication) – Anjou Goose – Maine, Orleans, Gers & Bourgogne, Bretagne, Normandie, Challens, Alsace poultry Bresse Chicken / AOC Volaille de Bresse Various Chicken
Rock Cornish Hen / French AOC Breeds / Bretange – Sud-Ouest Capon Poultry Butcher chart & products
• Halves - bone-in/out
• Chicken breast - bone in/out, wing bone on/off, skin on/off, chicken fillet
• Chicken wing - 3/2 joint, Drummette, mid-join-wing, wing tip
• Chicken leg – whole, drumstick, thigh - bone in/out, skin on/off
• Innards – heart, gizzards, liver
• Others – feet & tail Poultry labeling Preparation of Chicken
• Trussing (tying) – Tying a chicken with string for better form and equal roasting . Juices will be locked in the carcass along with flavors (herbs etc) Preparation of Chicken
• Trussing with needle (Brider) Poultry Labeling
• Date and batch of production
• Origin / Company and company
• ID or registering number
• Sell by date
• Part description
• Fresh or frozen product
• Organic, Free Range Preparation of Chicken
For grilling /broiling
– Backbone removed – Inner breast bones removed – Legs “tied” to the breasts by pushing them through incisions in the skin between the breast meat and the leg Preparation of Chicken
Cut in 8 stews & sautéing • Remove legs, separate thighs and drumsticks • Remove back bone and wing • Remove inner bones of carcass and breast cartillage • Cut the double breast in 4 equal sized pieces as indicated Cooking Methods for Chicken
With the exception of squab, quail or duck which at times is served medium rare to medium well all poultry is cooked well done. Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
Broiling & Grilling whole small & young birds (butterfly cut), tender parts (breast) Roasting whole young birds – or double breasts Sautéing & Stir-frying breasts, (supreme's), escallops, emince or diced meat Pan-frying tender parts only, breasts or escallops Deep-frying Parts of young birds including breasts, legs and wings Cooking Methods for Chicken
Moist-Heat cooking methods Poaching & Simmering Gentle cooking process. Young birds and parts of it are suited best. Overcooking will dry the meat even if poached or simmered in stock.
Combination Cooking Method Braising & Stewing Poultry is first sautéed and then cooked in it’s liquid mostly the bones are left in the meat. Can be used for older birds as well as braising and stewing are cooking methods that “tenderize” meat Turkey
Relatively little fat content compared to chicken Leg tendons need to be removed ahead of roasting especially for older birds
Classification
• Young Turkey – Immature bird of either sex, flexible breastbone – 16 weeks or less old 2-3 kg in weight • Turkey Hen – Tender meat, less flexible breast bone – 8 months or less old 3– 6 kg in weight • Tom Turkey – Fully mature male bird, slightly coarse skin – 15 month or less old 5-12 kg in weight Turkey Butchery Chart & Products Cooking Methods for Turkey
Generally the same as for chicken.
However, whole turkey, turkey double breast and turkey rolls (netted) are very suitable for “Slow Roasting” at low temperature for a prolonged period of time. Poultry Products - Charcuterie
• Terrine – Made by the Gardemanger with farce meat of chicken • Galantine – Deboned with skin intact and with farce meat stuffed poultry roll, generally poached and served cold on buffets or as appetizers • Sausages – Sausage produced from chicken meat are more and more popular due to their lower fat content than pork sausages • Smoked chicken products – Both whole birds and breast only are commercially available Poultry Products from Innards
• Gizzards – Usually available as confit, a specialty slow cooking method in it’s own fat • Liver – Used for making mousses, spreads and pates • Feet – Mainly used in Asian cuisine; part of Dim Sum offerings steamed or fried • Cock’s comb – A specialty in some cuisines. Can be confit or fried Turkey Products
• Turkey rolls: Turkey breasts boneless netted • Turkey roulade: often include the leg meat as filling • Smoked turkey breast – smoked and fully cooked • Turkey Bacon: made with dark and white meat to resemble bacon • Turkey pastrami: pastrami marinated, then cooked and peppered turkey breast • Turkey sausages – lean and tender