Often the chef’s at Glutenfreeda.com visit support groups around the country and give demonstrations on how to eat like a king on a gluten-free diet. As I was preparing for this month’s class and determining what might be the most helpful for our subscribers, I kept thinking about how in many of our demonstrations people are curious about which chickens (and other poultry) are gluten-free, what is the best way to prepare them, how to make stock and so on. Sometimes getting back to basics is the most helpful. So, I thought why not write an informative class on poultry. My goal is to answer some common questions that have come up in recent demonstrations.

In most home kitchens the most common poultry used is chicken. There are many other delicious birds, some more readily available than others. Since our focus at Glutenfreeda.com is to speak to non-professional, home cooks, we realize that most people will cook chicken rather than quail, duck or other more exotic birds. But let’s take a minute to just examine the most common poultry.

Choosing the right bird:

Chicken:

Whole chickens are marketed by weight. Broiler fryers are about 7 weeks old and weigh anywhere from 3-5 pounds. There excellent for making stock and great for any recipe that calls for a cut up chicken. Roasters are bigger and weigh anywhere from 4-7 pounds. These are much meatier and are ideal when you are looking to cook a whole chicken. Stewing chickens are older hens and are usually tough. These are best used in soups.

Cornish Game Hens:

These are actually a cross between Cornish game roosters and White Rock hens. They weigh between 1-2 pounds. Roasting is the optimal method of cooking for these delicate little birds.

Of course chicken comes packaged in many ways. You can buy chicken already cut up, skinless, boneless, legs only, thighs only, or even just the chicken tenders (the tender strip under the breast). These custom packages can save you some prep time….just make sure you buy chickens that are gluten-free and not injected with solutions. The last time we checked Perdue has a wide selection of poultry (both cut and whole) that they claim to be gluten-free. There are other conventionally produced chicken brands on the market (they vary by locality) that offer poultry void of gluten. As always, we suggest contacting these companies to verify that their products are gluten-free. A periodic check is not a bad idea to make sure that their processes haven’t changed.

Turkey:

Whole turkeys are often sold by the sex of the bird. Hens weigh up to 16 pounds, while toms weigh more. There is basically no flavor difference between the two, so just choose your turkey based on how much you will need. These days you can buy turkey almost year round…especially if you buy just turkey cuts (ie. Breasts, ground turkey, turkey tenderloins, etc.).

Duck:

If you are looking for a more sophisticated bird you might want to consider duck. Many gourmet markets carry boned duck breasts and leg quarters. You can usually find whole duck or duck parts in the freezer case. In preparing duck, think of it as the steak of the poultry world. Cook it medium rare to avoid loosing flavor and compromising texture.

Organic & Free Range Birds:

Organic and free range birds are in our opinion the preferred choice when choosing a chicken or turkey. They are typically more expensive than conventionally produced chicken, however the taste is well-worth the expense. Organic poultry is fed a diet of pesticide-free grain with no hormones or antibiotics. Free range poultry has more growing space than conventionally produced chicken. The chickens have access to open spaces which means these birds develop more muscle, which ultimately means more full-flavored meat. These chickens are almost always gluten-free because they contain no injected flavor enhancers or solutions.

How to cut up a chicken:

With today’s convenience of already packaged chicken parts, you’d be surprised to discover how many people do not know how to cut up a chicken. It truly is quite simple. Step 1:

Start with the chicken with the back down. Feel the joint connecting the leg to the thigh. With a chef knife cut down the middle of the joint to remove the leg. Repeat this cut on the other leg.

Step 2:

Next feel the joint that connects the top joint of the wing to the body. Cut down the middle of the joint to release the wing. Repeat with the other wing.

Step 3:

Now move to the thigh. Pull the thigh away from the body to loosen the joint connecting it to the back. Cut the thigh away from the center of the chicken towards the bottom and cut the joint down the center to release the thigh. Repeat with the other thigh.

Step 4:

Now all you should have left is the body. Look in the cavity and see where the ribs come together on the sides. Place the chicken upright so the tail end is down. Starting at the top cut down the sides of the chicken between where the ribs come together. Repeat with the opposite side. The breast should release from the back. Flip the breast over so that the skin side is down on your cutting board. Cut down the breast bone through the cartilage — this make take a little strength to cut through the breast bone. Clean all the pieces thoroughly and now you have a cut up chicken. Save the back for making stock (see the following section).

What to do with unused poultry parts:

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had this conversation with people at our cooking demonstrations. Chicken stock is a big concern, as we all know, in regards to gluten-contamination. I know there are some gluten-free canned stocks available on the market, but the taste does not compare to homemade chicken stock. Many people think that making their own chicken stock takes too much time or is simply too difficult. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

I almost always buy whole chickens for all my chicken recipes and then I cut them up. I rarely, in fact, I can probably say - never, use the backs or the necks. Years ago, before I knew better, I would simply throw them away. What I have since learned is that the backs and necks make wonderful stock. So as I am preparing my chicken I take the back and put them in a freezer safe zip-lock bag and freeze them until I am ready to make stock. When I have a day where I will be hanging out at home I place the frozen back in a stockpot and add an onion (unpeeled), a garlic clove (unpeeled), 2 carrots (cut in half),and a couple of celery sprigs (cut in half). I then fill the stockpot with water and place over medium high heat. Bring it to a boil and skim off any foam off the top. Reduce the heat to low and add a few parsley sprigs, 6-8 peppercorns, 1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme or about 1 teaspoon dried thyme and a bay leaf. Simmer over low heat for 6 hours. Remove it from the heat and let cool. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. I then pour the stock into inexpensive disposable Tupperware containers (these are already measured out into 1 cup, 1-1/2 cups or larger). Seal the lid and place in the freezer. One pot of chicken stock will yield about 12-14 cups (at least!). When I need stock I take out however cups I need and microwave until thawed. Simple, efficient and way better than the canned variety!!! (Follow the same recipe and procedure for turkey stock — just substitute turkey parts.)

10 easy things to do with chicken:

Here are some great ideas for chicken that you can experiment with. Try adding your own variety for some wonderful new recipes!

1. Stuffed Chicken Breasts: Pound breasts thin so that they are even in thickness. Spread with pesto or top with prosciutto. Lay a piece of mozzarella cheese in the center. Roll up chicken, folding in the sides. Tie to secure. Place in a baking dish with some chicken stock and bake for 30 minutes at 400°F.
2. Salad: Grill chicken breasts, slice thinly and lay on top of a Caesar salad or a Mediterranean salad consisting of feta, red onions, bell peppers, Calamata olives and a balsamic vinaigrette.
3. Quesadillas: Grill chicken breasts and shred. Lay in between two corn tortillas with sautéed mushrooms, cheddar cheese and fresh cilantro. Grill or cook in a skillet until the cheese melts. Serve with pico de gallo.
4. Skewers: Marinate chicken in a balsamic vinaigrette or our Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade. Cut into cubes and thread onto skewers alternating with vegetables. Grill.
5. Fried Rice: Cut leftover, cooked chicken into pieces. Stir fry in a wok with cooked white rice, green onions, garlic, peppers, eggs and season with gf soy sauce.
6. Chicken stir fry: Pound breasts thin and cut into long strips. Sauté with garlic, onions, peppers, and other seasonal vegetables. Season with gf soy sauce, fish sauce, hot red pepper flakes and a pinch of sugar. To thicken mix in a little cornstarch mixed with cold water.
7. Roasted chicken: Stuff the cavity of a roaster with lemons, onions and fresh herbs. Season the outside with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast.
8. Pan seared chicken: Sear chicken breasts in a little olive oil and butter. Remove from skillet and deglaze the pan with white wine. Add a little lemon juice and capers. Finish sauce by stirring in unsalted butter. Season and serve.
9. Stuffed Potatoes: Cut chicken into cubes and season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Sauté. Add corn, peppers, onions to the skillet and sauté. Adjust seasonings with lime juice. Spoon mixture over baked potatoes and top with cheddar cheese.
10. Chicken Pasta: Pan sear chicken breasts. Cut into bite size pieces. Add chicken to cooked pasta along with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Safe Handling of Chicken:

Storing: Refrigerate raw poultry up to 2 days and cooked chicken up to 3 days. Raw boneless, skinless chicken can be marinated for up to 8 hours. Freeze uncooked poultry for up to 6 months.

Thawing: Thaw frozen chicken in the refrigerator. Allow about 5 hours per pound of frozen poultry to thaw in the refrigerator.

Handling: Wash you hands well with hot water and plenty of soap before and after handling poultry. Use hot water and soap to clean the cutting board and any utensil that comes in contact with the raw poultry. For an added precaution, spray down cutting boards with a solution of bleach and water.

Cooking: To prevent food-borne illnesses, poultry must be cooked to 180°F. For whole birds, insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh to determine the internal temperature. Pierce poultry parts with the tip of a knife — the juices should run clear and the flesh should be opaque.

10 Great poultry recipes:

We currently have over almost 200 poultry recipes on Glutenfreeda.com. All of which have been personally tested by the chef’s at Glutenfreeda.com. Here are some of our favorites out of our extensive collection of great recipes!

1. Apple Stuffed Cornish Game Hens
2. Bistro Chicken
3. Chicken Lasagne with Pesto
4. Honey Rosemary Chicken
5. Roasted Cornish Hens with Cornbread Stuffing
6. Roast Turkey with Sage
7. Pecan Crusted Chicken with Broiled Pineapple
8. Coq au Vin
9. Chicken with Blackberries
10. Baked Chicken with Tomatoes & Mushrooms

- Glutenfreeda