Choosing poultry
The bird must be a good weight and have a plump body.
Nicely coloured skin and a good overall appearance of poultry are signs of quality.
Storing poultry
Both whole birds and cuts can be kept safely for 6 to 10 days in the refrigerator (2°C), up until the best before date.
Remove the plastic film, remove any giblets and cover the poultry with tin foil for storage. Do not allow raw poultry meat to come into contact with other foods. Discard the juices.
Frozen poultry can be kept in a freezer at -18°C, up until the recommended best before date. Frozen poultry need to be defrosted completely before being cooked and eaten within 2 days.
Cutting up poultry 3 main steps
1/ For leg joints: cut the skin downwards along the leg towards the bone joint. Free the leg from the main body of the bird by cutting through the ligaments at the joint. Repeat for the other leg.
2/ For wing joints: lift the wing up using a fork. Cut at the shoulder joint, where the wishbone is (the joint between the neck and the top of the wing).
3/ For fillets: remove the breast that is attached to the wishbone. In larger birds, the breast may be divided into two parts.
Poultry accompaniments
Poultry can be served with any style of sauce and go with all types of vegetables. Traditional recipes are just as suitable for poultry as more exotic flavours (spices, citric fruit and even pistachios or truffles), while supremes are nice with dried fruit such as apricots or figs.
Hint: for a more succulent meat, lift up the skin and insert a little fat beneath (butter or oil). For added flavour, we suggest stuffing the bird with herbs or mushrooms.
Cooking poultry properly
Whatever style of cooking you choose, both whole birds and cuts are easy and quick to cook. Stuffed or barded, poultry can be cooked in a multitude of different ways, depending on the season, your budget and the time you have available for preparation.
Hint: dabbing the bird with oil will give it a wonderfully golden colour. Cook on a low temperature. As the bird cooks, keep it moist with water or stock. Letting the bird rest for a few minutes once it has been brought out of the oven will make the meat more tender.