Poultry

Poultry

Here you can learn all about Poultry, what to look for when buying birds to cook, how to store poultry when you've got it home, how to cook chicken, turkey, goose and duck and how to carve them successfully.

Introduction
Buying Chicken
Buying Turkey
Buying Goose
Buying Duckling
Storing Poultry
How to Truss your Bird
Roasting
Testing
Carving

Introduction

Chicken, Turkey, Duckling and Goose are all categorised as Poultry. Guinea fowl used to to be regarded as Game but as it is now farmed in Europe and it's included here; although Pheasant farming has increased they are still regarded as Game. Methods of rearing, breeding and selling Poultry have changed significantly in the last few years and it is now possible to easily buy, free range birds, organically reared birds and specialist joints from birds at your butcher, poulterer or local supermarket.

If your looking for info on cooking your festive Turkey, visit our pages;

And if its general festive preparation info you need, please visit our Its Festive page.

Buying Chicken

It is usually cheaper to buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself (see itscooking.com guide How to Joint & Bone Poultry). This way you also get the whole carcass which can be made into good stock for use in soups, sauces and casseroles. Chicken pieces are ideal to use if you are short of time. All weights given are for oven-ready birds. These are the different types and cuts of Chicken you will come across;

Poussins are very small chickens, 450-575 g (1-1½ lb) 4-8 weeks old; a Poussin serves 1-2 people.
Spring chickens are small birds, 1.1 kg (2¼ lb) 12 weeks old; a spring chicken serves 2-3 people.
Roasters are generally young cockerels or hens, but may be capons. They are 1.8-2.3 kg (4-5Ib) and a Roaster serves 5-6 people.
Boiling fowls are older, tougher birds; 1.8-3.2 kg (4-7Ib). They should be 18 months old, but may in some cases be older. Usually served in casseroles. A 2.3-3.2 kg (5- 71b) a boiling fowl will serve 6-8 people.
Capons are young cockerels that have been castrated and specially fattened. They weigh 2.3-3.6 kg (S-8Ib) and a Capon serves 6-10 people.
Corn fed Chickens are yellow in colour because of their diet of sweetcorn (maize) and cost more than chickens fed on standard feed.
Halves and Quarters are available and can be used instead of jointing a whole chicken.
Breasts are usually bought with the skin and some bones attached. Also sold as fillets and escalopes. They vary quite considerably in size.
Suprémes are a French cut of breast sold with the wing bone attached.
Thighs and drumsticks are dark meat portions which can be baked, fried, grilled or casseroled. Wings are available in packs in some supermarkets. They are best casseroled.

Buying Turkey

Oven-ready turkeys are available in sizes ranging 'from 2.3 kg (5Ib) up to 13.5 kg (30lb).
Frozen turkeys are also available in a range of sizes from 2.3 kg (5Ib) upwards. Some are self-basting oven-ready frozen birds with fat incorporated (often butter).
Chilled oven-ready, these are prepared as for Frozen but sold chilled and loosely wrapped.
Turkey roast is rolled dark or light meat of a convenient size for about four people. Roast as other joints allowing about 20 minutes per 450 g (1Ib) at 170°C (325°F), mark 3.
Turkey steaks look similar to gammon steaks. They can be fried or grilled.
Turkey escalopes are thin slices carved from the breast of the bird for frying or grilling.
Turkey drumsticks, wings and thighs can be either roasted or casseroled.
Turkey bacon, very thin slices and available both in smoked and unsmoked varieties.
Turkey mince, a more healthy alternative to Beef or Lamb available fresh and frozen.
Turkey chops are cut from the top of the drumstick or the thigh and can be grilled fried or casseroled available fresh or frozen.
Turkey casserole meat is sold in packs of dark or light meat. It needs less cooking time than stewing beef, veal or lamb and there is no fat to trim.
Turkey sausages are made from turkey meat with a little pork fat and flavoured with herb and spices available fresh or frozen.
Turkey burgers are also flavoured with herbs and spices and come plain or coated with crumbs. When cooked they shrink less than beef burgers because of their lower fat content.

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The main season for fresh geese is September to December, although a small number are usually available throughout the year, especially at Easter. They are also sold frozen ready for the oven. Fresh goose may be dressed or "rough plucked' (with head and feet on and not drawn). Deep yellow fat indicates an old goose.

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It is advisable to order a goose in advance, as butchers, poulterers and supermarkets tend not to keep extensive stocks. Geese range in weight from about 3 kg (7lb) to as much as 6.75 kg (15lb), with the most popular sizes being 3.6-5.5kg (8-12lb). A 4.5kg (10lb) goose will serve 6-8 people. Like Turkey it is important to remember that the breast meat will cook faster than the leg and underside and care must be taken that it does not dry out so cover it with foil. The legs are cooked if the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted.

Duckling is sold both fresh and frozen ready for the oven and is normally killed before the second feather stage, at about 7 -8 weeks. A smaller number are also sold New York dressed or 'rough plucked' (with heads and feet on and not drawn). When choosing a rough plucked bird check that the beak and feet are pliable and the
breast plump.

Oven, ready weights range from 1.4-2.7 kg (3-6Ib) and you should allow a minimum of 450 g (1Ib) dressed weight per person. Portions of fresh or frozen duckling can be used when a recipe calls for jointing.

Remove any wrappings from your bird as soon as possible and the giblets if there are any. The bird can be stored on a plate, covered with greaseproof paper or tin foil and placed in the refrigerator for 2-3 days (see itscooking.com guide How to use your Fridge & Freezer). The giblets are best cooked the same day. Frozen poultry should be transferred to the freezer while its still solidly frozen. If possible freeze the giblets separately after washing as they only have a freezer life of 1 month.

This is a generic guide to roasting as there are many ways to roast with different herbs and spices (and stuffings). Consult your recipe for specific details.

Please remember that when roasting a Turkey you are cooking two types of meat, the delicate light breast and the darker leg meat which takes longer to cook so regular basting is a must.

To test when the bird is cooked, push a fine skewer into the thickest part of the thigh. If the juices run clear, the bird is cooked but if they are still pink, it needs longer cooking.