Unit 223 - Prepare poultry for basic dishes
Quality Points
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There should be no cuts or bruises on the skin
The skin should be dry and not slimy
It should be odourless
The bird should be the correct size for the dish being prepared
SKIN should be white to yellow (depending on breed) with blue tinges.
LEGS/BREAST should be free of cuts, sores, blood patches & bruises.
FAT should be light yellow in colour, not too plentiful, especially in the cavity.
Different types of poultry
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Chicken
Duck
Goose
Guinea fowl
Turkey
TYPE
FRENCH
SIZE
PORTION
Double Baby
Young Chicken
Medium Chicken
Large Roasting
Large Boiling
Poularde(female)
Capon
Old Boiling
Poussin
Poussin Double
Poulet de Grain
Poulet Reine
Poularde(male)
Poularde(female)
Chapon
Poule
240g (8 - 10 oz )
3/480g (10 - 16oz)
900g (1.5 - 2lb)
1 - 2 kg (2 - 4lb)
2 - 3kg (4 - 6lb)
2 - 3kg (4 - 6lb)
3 - 4kg (6 - 9lb)
2 - 4kg (5 - 8lb)
1
2
3/4
4/6
6/8
6/8
8/12
240g
Turkey Cock
Turkey Hen
Young Turkey
Guinea Fowl
Duck
Duckling
Goose
Gosling
Pigeon
Dindon
Dinde
Dindonneau
Pintarde
Canard
Caneton
L'Oie
L'Oison
Pigeon
5 - 12kg (12 - 30lb)
4 - 11kg (10 - 25lb)
3 - 5kg (6 - 12lb)
0.8 -3kg (2 -8lb)
1.8 - 2.7kg (4 - 6lb)
1.3 - 1.8kg (3 - 4lb)
3.6 - 6kg (8 - 12lb)
1.8 - 2.7kg (4 - 6lb)
360 - 480g (12 -16oz)
240g
240g
240g
240g
4
3/4
240g
240g
1
Different preparation and methods and equipment to be used
Trussing for roasts
The legs are blanched in boiling water
for a few seconds and the scales
removed with the aid of a cloth.
The outside claws are removed
leaving only the centre ones, and
these are lightly trimmed. The leg
sinew is then severed below the joint
and the legs then inserted into these
incisions.
To facilitate carving, the wish bone
should be removed.
The bird is then trussed, using two strings. The first to pass
through the winglets, skin of the neck and return between the
thigh and drumstick joints. Secure firmly.
A second string is passed over the legs and under the white
breast meat and returned through the carcass of the bird and
secured, to leave the prepared legs protruding beyond the
rear of the chicken.
Cut for Sauté
Sauté cut is the jointing of a chicken
from the raw state
The cuts are made mostly through
the natural joints to produce:
• two wing
• two pieces of breast meat
• two winglets
• two drumsticks
• two thigh pieces
The carcass can also be divide and
is used in some recipes.
When cut this way, a chicken will
lend itself to many preparations ie
fricassee, blanquette, sauté, curry,
pies, etc.
To check that the poultry meets the requirements check
 Weight
 Breed
 Quality
 Cut
It is important to follow recipes and check that the poultry is suitable for the dish and
recipe, for example it may not that one type or cut of poultry can be substituted for
another in a dish.
Quality points to look out for in poultry
Plump firm straight breast.
Pliable breast bone
Legs should be short and well fleshed with small scales and spurs
Skin should be smooth and white to yellow (depending on breed)
Legs and breasts should be free of cuts, sores and blood patches
Fat should be light yellow in colour, not too plentiful, especially in the cavity.
Poultry should be fairly odourless
Any deviations from the above should be referred to the head chef/line manager and
the poultry should not be used.
The skin is full of fat and to create a healthier dish this can be removed but removal
of the skin can cause dry flesh.
Various tools and equipment are used to prepare poultry
Red board, boning knife, cooks knife, poultry shears, cutlet bat, piping bag, bowls.
Preparing poultry.
The cavity must be checked to make sure that it is clan and that there are no organs
or excess fat left inside this can be done with a gloved hand. It can then be rinsed
under a cold tap.
Raw poultry and feathered game are often cut into various shapes and styles prior to
cooking. This is done for several methods of cooking such as:
· frying
· sauté
· stewing and pies,
where the bird has to be cut into pieces in order to cook satisfactorily.
The most popular method involves cutting the chicken into small cuts or joints
suitable for cooking. This is sometimes called jointing a chicken but a more common
term is cutting for sauté.
The term sauté refers to shallow frying pieces of poultry, meat or game that can be
finished with well-flavoured sauces and delicate garnishes. Hence the style of cutting
is related to this fine method of cooking.
1. Prepare your work area collecting the equipment needed; you will require a red
cutting board and a suitable cook's knife. A turning knife and poultry secateurs can
also be used.
2. Remove the wish bone by scraping upwards with the knife into the breast cavity to
expose both sides of the wish bone.
3. Then cut down the inside of the bone at each side and cut the bone loose from the
carcass.
4. With the thumb and forefinger grip the top of the wishbone (the spade) and pinch
out the bone.
5. Cut through the skin between the left leg and the carcass.
6. Pull back the leg to dislocate the ball and socket joint.
7. Carefully, cut the thigh off the carcass and remove the leg.
Chef's tip:
A pulling action can be used once the ball and socket is free and the first bit of thigh
is separated from the carcass.
8. Repeat the procedure to remove the other leg.
9. Cut each leg in half through the joint.
10. Cut off the bottom knuckles from each piece of drumstick.
11. Push down the bone at the top of each drumstick to expose a clean piece of
bottom leg bone.
12. Cut off the winglets.
Chef's tip:
The winglets are not usually used for high class sautés.
13. Remove the right wing by cutting parallel to the breast bone and down through
the wing joint close to the carcass. Ensure that enough flesh is left on the piece of
breast for a portion of chicken.
14. Repeat the procedure to remove the other wing.
15. Trim off the flesh from the wing bones and scrape the bones clean.
Chef's tip:
This is easily done by pinching up the flesh from the bone then cutting off with the
knife.
16. Carefully, chop off the knuckles at the end of each wing bone. Alternatively, use
poultry secateurs.
17. Stand the bird with the parson's nose upright then chop down between the
carcass and breast with a large cook's knife.
18. Trim off any excess rib cage from the piece of breast.
19. Cut the breast neatly in half; this is often at an angle.
20. The pieces of chicken are now ready for use.
Chef's tip:
Sometimes the chicken pieces are served on the carcass. If this is the case, cut the
carcass into three pieces.
Cuts of chicken:
Once the chicken has been prepared the following cuts or joints are available:
· 4 pieces of leg meat: 2 thigh and 2 drumsticks.
· 4 pieces of white meat: 2 pieces of wing and 2 pieces of breast.
· 1 piece of carcass and two winglets.
It is usual practice to serve one piece of leg meat and one piece of white meat as a
portion. Therefore, the yield from one chicken will be four main course portions.
Traditionally, the chicken pieces are sometimes cooked and presented on the
carcass. When this is the case, the carcass is cut into three pieces. These are
cooked with the chicken and placed on to the serving dish then the chicken is neatly
arranged on top. This arrangement has been demonstrated with raw chicken.
Poultry is often coated for deep frying to protect it and add texture. Examples are
 Portions e.g. southern fried chicken
 Breasts e.g. chicken Kiev
 Goujons
Various coatings can be used examples include
 Pane (flour, egg, crumbs)
 Batter
Whole birds are trussed to ensure even cooking and to secure the legs to the breast
How to Truss Your Chicken
1. Place the chicken in front of you on a cutting board, legs pointing towards you.
2. Take a long piece of butcher's twine and place the center of it under the ends
of the drumsticks.
3. Pull the stings up around the ends of the drumsticks, cross them over and run
the string down and under each drumstick end. Pull tight to bring the ends of
the drumsticks together.
4. Run the string down along the sides of the bird where the leg and thigh meet.
5. Catch the wings with the string, pulling them close to the sides of the bird.
6. Turn the bird over, pull gently, and tie the strings off under the neck of the bird
Batting out
This is the process of flattening the flesh (usually the breast) to speed up the
cooking process. Film is placed on the piece of flesh to protect it and prevent
sticking and it is gently batted plat with a cutlet bat.
Prepared poultry should be stored on a clean tray covered and labeled on a lower
shelf or a poultry fridge between 1-5⁰c.