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Pollo, Pollastrello, Pollastrina

Chicken

Appears in
Carluccio's Complete Italian Food

By Antonio Carluccio and Priscilla Carluccio

Published 1997

  • About

The chicken is the most common source of meat in the world; the reason being that it is extremely easy and economical to raise, as it is cheap to feed and quick to grow. The hen also produces eggs as well as meat. The term polio, like ‘chicken’, is used for both the hen and cock birds and gallo is the name for a fully grown male or cock. Try not to think the Italians barbarians because they eat the pride of a cock, his comb. The delicious creste di gallo are sought by a few gourmets.

A young male cock is called pollastrello. Cappone or capon is a castrated cockerel, which grows to maturity at about between 6 and 8 months, and is sought-after for its delicate meat. Galletto, or poussin, is a very young cockerel which has reached the lowest possible slaughter weight of 500 g (1 lb). Due to its tender age, it has very delicate flesh and is usually cooked spatchcocked, that is opened out and weighted to keep it flat — also known in Italy as ‘al mattone’ (with a brick). I personally do not think the galletto worth eating because of its lack of flavour. Older male birds are, however, best boiled because they are particularly tough.

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