Know poultry your MEAT: & fowl The Brits love a chicken dinner. Poultry is an essential on any menu if you serve meat — but are you using it in the best way?
Matt Owens, National Chairman for the Craft Guild of Chefs, which supports chefs with training and development, shares his poultry tips, explains the important differences between each bird, and recommends how to maximise the cuts.
Buy better (and tell people)
01 BREAST Breast is the most popular cut, as it’s plump and juicy. It cooks quickly, but that means it also dries out. Never cook poultry straight from the fridge as that shocks the protein strands and makes the meat tough; leave it ±Ƌ ųŅŅĵ ƋåĵŞåų±Ƌƚųå üŅų Ɨlj ĵĜĹƚƋåŸţ Chicken and poultry breast is best cooked on a hot, fast sear with the skin on ±ĹÚ Ā ĹĜŸĘåÚ ĜĹ ƋĘå ŅƴåĹţ kĜĬ ƋĘå ĵå±Ƌ ų±ƋĘåų than the pan to stop it being greasy. Breast works well in quick-cook dishes like stir fry. If you’re cooking curry or stew, add it towards the end so it doesn’t become stringy. Turkey breast is very lean and dries ŅƚƋ 屟ĜĬƼţ FƋ ÆåĹåĀ ƋŸ üųŅĵ ± ŧƚĜÏĩ ÏŅŅĩ Ņų roasting on the crown with the skin on to retain the juices. Duck breast is closer to red meat and can be served slightly pink. It’s expensive and requires careful cooking. Score the skin and put it in a cold frying pan, skin-side down. eüƋåų ŏă ĵĜĹƚƋåŸ ƋĘå ü±Ƌ ųåĹÚåųŸ ŅƚƋ ±ĹÚ ĜƋűŸ Ā ĹĜŸĘåÚ ĜĹ ƋĘå ŅƴåĹţ UååŞ ÚƚÏĩ ü±Ƌ üŅų ÏŅĹĀ Ƌ or delicious roast potatoes.
Buying cheap chicken is a false economy. If you fry chicken breast and it’s swimming in liquid, then you’re paying for water, not meat. Buy the best poultry you can afford (free range and corn fed is preferable) and you’ll see the benefit in texture and flavour. Shout about it on your menu too; customers are usually happy to pay extra for better welfare meat.
50%
of meat consumed in the UK is chicken, duck, goose or turkey
Source: British Poultry Council, 2020
MATT OWENS Chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs
02 WINGS We used to chuck wings in the stock pot, but now they’re very on trend. Wings ʱƴå ± ĬŅƋ Ņü ā ±ƴŅƚųØ ÆƚƋ ĹŅƋ ĵƚÏĘ ĵå±ƋØ so they’re best crumbed or in a sticky Ÿ±ƚÏåţ ųƼ ŸŞĜÏƼ UŅųå±Ĺ ÏĘĜÏĩåĹ ƵĜĹčŸØ American honey-baked turkey wings or Ā ƴåěŸŞĜÏå ÚƚÏĩ ƵĜĹčŸţ
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