Choosing Poultry

The way poultry is reared is of great importance. A good diet (preferably grain) and freedom to roam in the open air are vital to the flavor of a bird. Unfortunately, such free-range birds are now few. They can be identified by a generous layer of fat under the skin, firm meat, and callouses on the feet, as well as by their high price. With a young bird, the point of the breastbone is flexible.

Supermarket birds offer little variety, but a few rules hold: the bird’s skin should be light colored and moist (the yellowish color of some chickens shows only that they have been fed yellow foodstuffs), and the breast meat should be plump, particularly on turkey and goose. Fresh meat is preferable to frozen, but when frozen quickly and handled correctly, poultry suffers little.