Poultry

Buyer's guide

Mike Robinson shows you how to tell the difference between a battery hen and a free-range chicken, and how to choose other types of poultry.

When and where to buy

Most poultry is available year-round, though turkey and goose are still seen as seasonal birds to be enjoyed at Christmas. Intensively reared chickens are very cheap, and are readily available fresh or frozen, but they tend to have little flavour and can be quite fatty. It's worth looking further than these cheap chickens.

You might pay more for a free-range or organic bird at a farmers' market, specialist butcher or supermarket, but you'll almost certainly discover what chicken 'used to taste like' in the days before they were intensively reared. The choice and quality at mail-order firms is often excellent too. Ask at your local butchers or farmers' market if any traditional breeds are available.

When it comes to Christmas, goose isn't as easy to source as turkey (it's rarely sold in supermarkets). Farmers' markets and quality butchers are the best places to find out what's available in your area. Alternatively, research top producers on the internet or ask for recommendations from friends. When choosing your turkey, go for a free-range bird if you can afford it. You should plan to order your goose or turkey four to six weeks before Christmas.

Choosing chicken

Whole chickens come in a variety of guises with different names that reflect their age or diet. Corn-fed chickens have yellow flesh and are widely considered to have more flavour than birds fed on fishmeal or soya (the usual diet of other factory-farmed fowl). Capons are young castrated cocks that are fattened on corn, giving the meat a marbling of fat, which makes it more succulent. Poulet (or spring chicken) and poussin are very young birds, so are smaller and have a delicate flavour.

When buying fresh chicken from a supermarket, make sure the meat is well wrapped with no seepage. There shouldn't be even the faintest 'off' smell. Make sure the limbs, flesh and skin are undamaged and the meat looks firm and plump. Birds hung in the butcher's for at least three days have a much better flavour; most frozen birds aren't hung.

When choosing frozen birds make sure the wrapping is intact and that there are no ice crystals or discolouration. Ice between the wrapper and the skin indicates it has been thawed and refrozen. Make sure the skin isn't damaged. Always check the 'sell by' and 'use by' dates and don't buy poultry whose time is nearly up.

Choosing other poultry

Cheaper turkeys are washed before being frozen or chilled, which can add up to five per cent to the weight; an air-chilled bird won't have this hidden weight. The ideal fresh turkey is a broad hen bird with a pearly white tint to the meat - not a blue colouration. The two most highly regarded breeds of turkey are the Norfolk Black and the Norfolk Bronze which have a richer flavour than some other birds. The Slate Blue, a rare breed, has the highest fat content but is very narrow in the breast. The Bourbon Red, another rarity, has a distinct nutty flavour.

Goose is almost always sold fresh and, as goose production is relatively small-scale, is more likely to be organic and is almost always free-range. This means the price of the bird can be quite high, though buying direct from a farm should save some money. An important consideration when buying a whole goose is to check the size of your oven. Many meals have been cut short because a goose is much longer than a turkey and needs a bigger oven and roasting tin. Choose a bird that has creamy skin with no blue or brown tinges. In September, you may get a gosling or green goose - fed on summer grass. This will be tender but quite small.

Almost all oven-ready ducks available as fresh-chilled or frozen are actually ducklings, under six months old. They come in various sizes, from very young and small to older, larger birds. It's sometimes better to buy two smaller, more tender birds, rather than one big duck for roasting. Look for fresh Aylesbury ducklings, Gressingham or the plump-breasted Barbary duck.

Why buy free-range?

Free-range chickens are pricier than intensively reared chickens because the way they are reared is more expensive for the farmer - free-range chickens have access to outdoor space and more time to mature. But the taste is considered by most chefs to be superior and worth paying extra for, if you can afford it. The meat is also generally leaner on a free-range bird as it is more active than an intensively reared bird.

Chickens bred for meat are called broilers. In Britain, the vast majority of these birds (more than 750 million per year) are reared in intensive indoor systems. In an effort to improve standards, the European Community produced regulations governing special labelling for chicken, and the minimum standards that apply to them.

The most common categories are:

'Extensive indoor' or 'barn-reared': these chickens mustn't be packed more than 15 to a square metre of living space (and not more than 25kg/sq m in combined weight); they shouldn't be slaughtered before they are 56 days old.

'Free-range': the maximum indoor stocking density is 13 birds per square metre (and not more than 27.5kg/sq m); in addition, each bird, for at least half its life, should have continuous daytime access to open-air runs with a maximum density of one bird per square metre.

'Traditional free-range': the maximum indoor stocking density is 12 birds per square metre (and not more than 25kg/sq m); continuous daytime access to open-air runs should be given from the age of six weeks, and these runs should allow at least 2sq m per chicken; poultry houses shouldn't contain more than 4,000 chickens. Slow-growing varieties of chicken should be used, with a minimum slaughter age of 81 days.

'Free-range - total freedom': in addition to the criteria for 'traditional free-range' chickens, these birds should have open-air runs of unlimited area.

Most UK chicken meat comes from birds that are packed at a density of about 35kg/sq m, have no outside access, and are slaughtered at 41 to 43 days.

Storing and freezing poultry

Fresh poultry should be stored in the coldest part of your fridge and cooked and eaten within a couple of days. Make sure it can't touch or drip on other food, especially ready-to-eat foods. If the bird contains giblets you should remove these and store them separately in a covered bowl or container.

To freeze poultry, leave it in its original packaging and freeze on the day of purchase. It can be frozen for up to three months.

To store cooked poultry, cool it quickly then cover and store in the refrigerator for two days at the most and, if reheating, ensure it's reheated thoroughly all the way through.

Defrost poultry as slowly as possible in the fridge - quick thawing increases the risk of food poisoning. Remove any giblets to allow the thawing to start from inside the cavity. It will probably take around two days for a medium-sized bird to defrost completely.

Choosing cuts

Buying a whole bird is often cheaper than buying individual cuts. Once you've learned how to joint a chicken yourself you can save a lot of money - for the same price as two breasts you can buy a whole chicken which will yield two breasts, two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings and a chicken carcass to make your own stock.

Chicken and turkey breast meat is one of the more popular, but most expensive, cuts. You can buy them with or without skin. The meat on a breast is usually very lean and versatile. Use it whole or cut into strips or cubes for stir-fries and kebabs. The breast turns creamy white when cooked. The breast will take on flavours from marinades and sauces very easily. If using a breast without skin, a small amount of fat or liquid may be needed to stop the meat from drying out.

Chicken legs are dark meat and can be much more fatty than breast portions. Often sold as drumsticks, with the bone left in the centre, legs are a cheap way of buying cut chicken. Drumsticks are ideal for roasting or deep-frying and can be used as finger food. Chicken thighs can also be bought on their own as mini boned and rolled cuts. Although slightly fatty, this dark meat is ideal for casseroles and other slow-cooked dishes. Thighs can be stuffed or marinated to provide a richer flavour.

Turkey legs or drumsticks are much larger than chicken legs and are often sold individually and relatively cheaply. The bone, however, takes up a lot of the weight in the cut. Legs contain more fat than breast meat, which makes the meat more tender if slow cooked. They can be roasted or barbecued and then eaten hot or cold. Turkey thighs are ideal for casseroles, pies and curries, or they can be roasted as mini boned and rolled joints.

Duck legs are excellent for casseroles and stews, although you may need to skim off any accumulated fat.

Chicken wings are inexpensive. They're quite fatty and contain a large amount of bone and inedible material per kilogramme. They're ideal for deep-frying or barbecuing and can be made more interesting with marinades, coatings and dips.

Turkey (and sometimes chicken) is readily available as mince - a low-fat alternative to minced beef, pork or lamb. It's versatile and can be substituted in most dishes that call for minced meat. You may want to increase the seasoning and spice to dishes cooked with minced turkey because it can taste blander than minced red meats.

Roasting poultry

All poultry - from a poussin to a huge turkey - can be roasted, and this is one of the best ways to cook a whole bird. But consider poaching a whole chicken or smaller bird in a pot, with chicken stock or water and vegetables.

Check inside the bird for giblets, as cooking will melt the plastic bag they're put in. If you've defrosted a whole bird from frozen, stuffing should only be put into the bird once it's completely thawed. Pushing fresh herbs under the skin of the breast allows the flavours to infuse. A squeeze of lemon and rubbing the skin with butter also produces flavourful results. When roasting chicken or turkey, check the bird is cooked by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh and pressing firmly on the flesh; if the juices run completely clear, the bird is done.

When cooking a whole duck, prick the bird all over before cooking so that the fat is released. Roast the bird on a rack if you want crispy skin. Excess fat should be drained regularly during cooking. The Chinese crispy-duck texture can be achieved by pouring boiling water over the bird before cooking; this melts away some fat. The duck should then be dried thoroughly and roasted in a hot oven.

Goose needs to be pricked thoroughly before cooking to release excess fat, then roasted on a rack and the fat drained regularly. A quick way to ensure crisp skin is to turn the heat up at the end of roasting and sprinkle a little water over the bird. The water will evaporate and leave the skin crisp.

Goose portions are also suitable for roasting, but need to be kept well basted to prevent them drying out. Try stuffing a boned thigh with a vegetable or rice filling, roasting and then slicing at an angle to serve. Chicken, turkey or duck breasts make great little vessels for holding stuffing. Just cut a slit in the breast lengthways to create a pocket and stuff with a mix of cheese and herbs or vegetables.

Other methods of cooking

Barbecuing is suited to drumsticks, wings, legs and breasts with the bone in and skin on; the fat keeps everything moist and the bones add flavour. Spatchcocking a whole bird is also excellent for the barbecue.

Skinless, boneless breasts are good for grilling, with frequent basting, or stir-frying in strips. Thread cubes onto skewers for chicken kebabs.

Try poaching a whole bird for a more delicate flavour. It's a low-fat method of cooking as the bird just sits in a pot with stock, herbs, vegetables and other flavourings. As well as chicken and turkey, smaller birds such as quail, guinea fowl and poussin can also be poached.

Pan-frying is good for breasts or boneless joints. There are several recipes for pan-fried duck breast; leave the skin on for added flavour, texture and colour and to help keep the meat moist. Experiment with chicken and turkey stir-fries; it's a healthy way of cooking, using little oil and skinless breasts.

Recipes

Minced turkey stir-fried with basil by Madhur Jaffrey (video recipe)

Pan-cooked chicken with tarragon and cream sauce by Paul Merrett (video recipe)

Roast chicken by Mike Robinson (video recipe)

Chicken breasts stuffed with sage and mustard by Mike Robinson (video recipe)

Spatchcocked poussin with chilli jam by Paul Merrett (video recipe)