Rare Fowl?

[raymondhoudayer]

I am a chef up here in Canada and I have a question that has been nagging me for some years and have not sought out an answer.

I have seen many cooking shows and programs about cooking fowl. My question is why can we eat birds such as duck and pheasant rare or medium rare and we can't eat chicken or turkey any way but dead. I understand that one of the reasons salmonella in farm raised poultry exists is because of the way in which they are raised. Would othr birds not have the same bacteria floating around thier tiny bodies.

Thanks for the help in advance

[Gina Edwards]

The husband of one of my co-workers is an avid duck and pheasant hunter and since my co-worker doesn't like to cook, I often get the chance to have some wild birds for special dinners, etc.

I can't comment on the salmonella issue, but I do know that the pheasant and duck I've had before are a lot leaner than farm-raised poultry and so to get the best texture/taste they either have to be cooked shortly (medium rare) or braised/stewed for a long time. Kind of like cooking calimari - either fast or long and slow.

Don't know how rare this is - but I have a capon in the freezer for Xmas dinner - does anyone have any unique suggestions for flavoring or just cook it like any old other bird?

[suzilightning]

Don't know how rare this is - but I have a capon in the freezer for Xmas dinner - does anyone have any unique suggestions for flavoring or just cook it like any old other bird?

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we also do a capon for christmas dinner. i have the butcher cut it as you would for spatchcocking. i save the backbone to make stock with that the mil will use to make her sausage stuffing. i like to roast it over a scattering of aromatics - shallots, carrots, celery, fresh sage. i use a mix of salt, peper and lemon zest. will serve it with oven roasted sweet and white potatoes and green beans with garlic.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I'm trying to find the exact reference (maybe in McGee?) that states that the parasites that lives in turkeys and chickens are non-existence in game birds so the in-bred fear that all foul has to be cooked to death is a misnomer. Love a good, rare duck breast, that's for sure!

[Kent Wang]

That's what I call a rara avis.

[russ parsons]

though food safety is indeed a concern these days, that might not be the main reason. different poultry have been well-cooked well before anyone heard of salmonella. one thing that can't be overlooked is that cooking changes flavor and texture--rare or raw chicken is something that most of us would find distasteful (i do seem to recall hearing about a japanese restaurant in la that serves chicken sushi). cooking turns the meat from stringy to firm and takes away the metallic flavor.

i'd have to do more research to find out why duck, quail and squab are regarded differently, but i do know from experience that eating a medium-rare duck breast or a slightly bloody grilled quail is not at all distasteful.