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The term poultry is applied to all domesticated birds which are used as food and includes chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and pigeons. Of these, chicken and turkey are most commonly used for their meat.
- Classification: Poultry is classified on the basis of age. Age influences tenderness and fat content and this determines the cooking method. The classification according to Indian standards is as follows.
- Broiler or Fryer: chicken of 8 to 10 weeks of age either sex, having tender meat with soft, pliable smooth textured skin and breastbone cartilage that may be somewhat less flexible than that of the broiler or fryer.
- Stag: A male chicken, usually under 10 months of age with coarse skin, somewhat toughened and darkened flesh and a considerable hardening of the breastbone cartilage.
- Stewing chicken or fowl: A mature chicken, usually more than 10 months of age. Has less tender meat than that of a roaster and flexible breastbone tip.
- Cock: A mature male chicken, usually over 10 months of age, with coarse skin, toughened and darkened meat and hardened breastbone tip.
- Processing: Poultry is marketed in ready to cook form i.e. the head, feet and entrails are removed (dressed chicken).
After the birds are bled they are scalded, that is, dipped in hot water briefly. The temperature of the scald water may be 60oC and the bird is kept in it for about 45 seconds or more safely with less chance of the outer layer of the skin (cuticle) removal at 52oC for 2 minutes. Scalding loosens the feathers on the chicken and thus helps defeathering.
After defeathering, evisceration of the bird takes place. The eviscerated birds are thoroughly washed and chilled.
Rapid chilling to 1.7oC is essential to control the growth of bacteria which contaminate the flesh once the skin is broken. Cooling is also necessary from the point of view of tenderness of meat.
Chicken can be purchased whole, cut into parts or in packs of similar individual parts, such as breasts, drum sticks or thighs. Boneless, skinless breasts or thighs have no waste and save preparation time.
Dressed chicken is graded before it is marketed. In India, two grades are assigned to chicken grade 1 and 2. This is based on conformation (deformations that detract from the appearance) meatiness, fat covering, defeathering, cuts and tears and discolouration. The graded poultry is individually packed in low-moisture and low-oxygen transmission film or bags. Before sealing the packs, care is taken to expel the air between the carcass and the bag. The sealed bags may be stored under frozen refrigeration. Refrigerated poultry has a shelf life of only a few days (6-10 days).
Frozen poultry at -23oC to -18oC may be stored up to 9 months.
- Composition and nutritive value: Poultry meat has a high protein content about 25 percent and is comparable in quality and nutritive value to other meats. It contains all the essential amino acids required for building body tissues. There is little fat on the meat of young birds, but the fat content is influenced by age and species of poultry.
Chicken fat is more unsaturated than the fat of red meat and this has nutritional advantage. Like other animal tissues, poultry flesh is a good source of B vitamins and minerals.
The dark meat of chicken is richer in riboflavin than the light, but the light meat is richer in niacin. White meat is lower in fat and calories than dark meat but skinless dark meat is still lower in fat than some cuts of red meat. Dark meat supplies more iron than while meat. Skin colour of chicken does not affect nutritional value, flavour tenderness or fat content.Because of its high protein to fat ratio, poultry meat is advantageous to persons who must restrict the intake of fats.
- Poultry cookery: Raw chicken has little or no flavour and it develops during cooking. The principles of cooking poultry are basically the same as for cooking meats. The cooking method is selected on the basis of the tenderness of the poultry and its fat content. Moist heat methods are applied to older and tougher birds in order to make them tender and palatable. Dry heat methods are applied to young tender birds. To add flavour chicken can be rubbed with ground spices and herbs or can be marinated before cooking.
A thin membrane between the skin and the flesh holds moisture in the meat while keeping fat out. So skin should be removed from the chicken after cooking instead before. This chicken will have juicy flavour with less fat.
It is from natural pigment that seeps through and darkens during cooking. It contains iron and is safe to eat.Chicken either used by itself or used with grains or vegetables. It can be used in soups, appetizers, salads, sandwiches and main dishes.
- Tandoor chicken: This is a well-known and popular Indian chicken dish. This is barbecued chicken. The cooking is done in a clay oven called a tandoor. Tender chicken, either whole or cut is used. The skin is removed from the chicken and the flesh is pricked with a fork and sprinkled with salt. Tandoor source is then smeared on the chicken which is then left side for 6-8 hours. It is then cooked in the tandoor. Half-way through the cooking time is removed from the oven and brushed all over with butter or oil and cooked again until the chicken is fork tender.
- Preservation and storage: Poultry can be preserved by canning, chilling, freezing and curing.
- Canning: In canning, the poultry meat is cooked and filled in the can along with the gravy. The can is placed in a vacuum chamber where the final operation of double steamed and sterilized by cooking in steam under 14 lbs pressure at 121oC for 60 minutes.
- Dehydration: The poultry meat is cut into pieces and cooked in steam for 30 minutes at 10 lbs pressure. The cooked meat is passed through meat chopper and the chopped meat dried in a continuous drier. The temperature of incoming air is 65-71.1oC and drying taking about 3 hours. The moisture content of dried meat is about 4 percent to 5 percent. The dried meat is compressed and packed in the cans.
- Chilling: Chilling poultry for storage purpose serves to protect it from spoilage for only a short period. Poultry can be chilled with cold air or by direct contact with ice or ice water and held at 3oC; keeps well for about 9 days. The closer the temperature to freezing the longer the poultry can be stored.
- Freezing: Chicken, duck and turkey are prepared for commercial freezing after eviscerating and washing. Each chicken is wrapped in a moisture-proof film and is quick frozen. Small poultry, such as chicken may be placed in a waxed carton before freezing. If the skin of the poultry dries out unevenly, it discolours and mottles, thereby disfiguring the frozen bird. This condition is commonly known as “freezing burn”.
The dressed poultry is packed and frozen at 4.4oC and held at 12.2oC to 0oF. Storage temperatures below -17.7oC are recommended for poultry to retard oxidation and the resultant rancidity of the fat. The frozen poultry can be kept for about 6 months in good condition.
- Storage: All poultry is perishable and it is a source of salmonella bacteria, which occur in the intestinal tract. Fresh chilled poultry should be stored loosely wrapped in the refrigerator at 3oC (38oF) or lower and should be used within 1 to 2 days. The giblet should be removed from the internal cavity of bird and wrapped separately. The wrapped bird and the giblets should be placed in a container with a rim or raised edge to prevent juices from dripping and possibly contaminating other foods. Special care and cleanliness is important in handling uncooked poultry to prevent possible cross-contamination to other foods. Hand utensils and work surfaces in contact with fresh poultry should be thoroughly washed and sanitized after the contact.Poultry left-overs (meat, stuffing, broth and gravy) should be refrigerated immediately and stored not longer than 1 to 2 days. The use of moist dressing and the difficulty in quickly reducing the temperature of left-over parts increase the chances for multiplication of salmonella. Left-over stuffing should always be removed and refrigerator or frozen separately.
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