Poultry

With my predilection for exotic and aromatic ingredients, the range of poultry now available provides me with endless interesting possibilities. Chicken is often thought to be merely a vehicle for other ingredients. In fact, good chicken simply roasted is rarely disappointing, but the versatility of chicken means that chicken dishes need never be boring. It adapts to any number of flavours and virtually all cooking methods so it has to be one of the most reliable family foods around. And nowadays there are several different types of chicken to choose from. Free–range chickens, which have the freedom to roam outdoors and eat a varied diet, have always had a real flavour of their own. They are now easier to come by, as are succulent corn-fed chickens. For people who are on a low–fat diet, skinless chicken breast fillets cooked with vegetables to give them moisture and interest are a boon. They are also perfect for stir–frying or for making kebabs, and for dishes where the proportion of meat to vegetables is low. When I first tried guinea fowl, I thought it would taste quite gamey, but it is in fact a more delicate bird than chicken and is best with subtle sauces and seasonings. However, if you like a slightly gamey flavour, Barbary duck, which I have also included in this chapter, is to me ideal; it is less fatty than the ordinary commercially reared duck and has a flavour nearer to wild duck, though with much more flesh and succulence.