Poultry dishes, step by step
Interactive lesson: a safe kitchen, the right bird for the right dish, roast chicken, cockerel paprikash, goose with mlinci, pâté and leftovers.
Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (8 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with the Poultry dishes module. Already bought? Unlock
This lesson is general guidance, not professional training. Local regulations and expert advice always take precedence. Read our disclaimer.
The whole lesson as text
1. A safe kitchen
You cannot see or smell salmonella and campylobacter, but kitchen mistakes spread them.
- Thaw in the fridge — Put the bird on a plate on the bottom shelf, so juice cannot drip on other food. Allow roughly 12 hours per kilogram (about 1 day per 2 kg / 4.5 lb).
- Do not rinse raw poultry — Rinsing does not remove bacteria; it only sprays them up to a metre around the sink. Wipe off feathers or blood with kitchen paper.
- A separate board and knife — Raw meat has its own board and knife. Afterwards wash them in hot soapy water, along with your hands, the tap and the cloth.
- Thermometer in the thickest part — Poultry is done when the breast and thigh reach 74 °C (165 °F), with the probe not touching the bone. Colour and juices are not reliable.
Why: Raw poultry is the commonest source of salmonella and campylobacter in the home, even from a healthy home flock. Proper cooking kills them. The danger lies in mistakes that carry them to salad, bread and hands.
- Children, pregnant women, older people and the sick eat no pink chicken, no half-cooked liver and no leftovers that have stood on the table.
- Severe bloody diarrhoea, a high temperature or signs of dehydration after eating poultry: see a doctor (UK: NHS 111; IE: your GP; US and CA: your doctor or urgent care).
2. Which bird for which dish
The age of the bird matters more than the species.
- A chicken for roasting — A table chicken of 12–14 weeks has tender, mild meat for roasting, barbecuing and breading. Long simmering makes it fall apart.
- A cockerel for paprikash — A cockerel of 16–20 weeks has firmer meat with a strong flavour. It is best for paprikash, braising and covered roasting.
- An old hen for the pot — A hen of 2–4 years is tough and full of flavour and gelatine. It goes into soup, stock and paprikash, not into the oven.
- Duck, goose, turkey — Duck and goose are dark and fatty and roast slowly, with mlinci. Never roast a large whole turkey without a thermometer.
Why: Young muscle is tender and cooks quickly. Old muscle has a lot of connective tissue, which softens only with long cooking in liquid. An old bird needs 2–3 times longer, wet and slow.
- Guinea fowl has dark, lean meat like game: roast it with bacon or braise it.
- The times in the tables are rough. The thermometer has the last word.
3. Roast chicken with potatoes · Locked
Buy the Poultry dishes module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.
4. Cockerel paprikash · Locked
Buy the Poultry dishes module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.
5. Goose or duck with mlinci · Locked
Buy the Poultry dishes module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.
6. Pâté and leftovers · Locked
Buy the Poultry dishes module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.