Cooking birds

Take poultry beyond the chicken dinner

with diverse menu options.

By Chris McGregor

Chicken and rice

Brandon Thordarson’s culinary career has taken him across Canada in pursuit of his need to cook unique and inventive dishes using poultry that is out of the ordinary.

The 20-year veteran chef recently relocated from Vancouver to Montreal, where he is the executive chef at Opus Hotel and a private chef through his company, The Hired Knife.

Reflecting a trend towards more exotic poultry dishes in the restaurant industry, Thordarson is now preparing dishes that he did not have the chance to cook out west, where seafood is king.

“For example, in Vancouver, you might see chicken wings and chicken breasts, or duck spring rolls and Peking duck, but your exposure to poultry products is limited. In Montreal, I’m seeing 10 times the amount of poultry products being used and usually all the off cuts that most Canadians turn their face (away from),” says Thordarson.

In Quebec, Thordarson says diners there have no problem feasting on “livers, or legs, or dark meat that have been roasted in duck fat for 12 hours. They really have no time for the simple breast of chicken or roasted meat sandwich.”

When he goes shopping for ingredients, he can find nearly every type of poultry there is—foie gras, guinea fowl, game hens, turkeys, pigeons and duck breast.

“As a chef, this excites me,” says Thordarson. “I have been cooking with fresh seafood for so long in Vancouver that I love the new challenge of cooking poultry and dishes that the French have had in their recipe books for centuries.”

Chicken and egg

By a long shot, chicken still leads the way in popularity among poultry protein, and is the third most mentioned ingredient on restaurant menus (behind sauce and cheese), according to industry consultants Technomic.

In the company’s 2011 Poultry Consumer Trend Report, which studied the top entrees at the top 250 chain restaurants in Canada, chicken is listed as an ingredient in 25.6 per cent of those entrees.

“It’s difficult to find a menu in Canada that does not feature chicken, in one format or another, on its menu,” says Dana McCauley, culinary director at Janes Family Foods.

“Chefs love chicken because it is not only so versatile (it tastes good hot or cold, and varies in shape) and because it is such a great carrier for other great flavours,” she says.

Technomic’s findings show that even though chicken leads the way in proteins available at restaurants, two in five diners want more choice when it comes to chicken sandwiches and entrées.

“Two-fifths of consumers report that they would like restaurants to offer a wider array of chicken offerings,” according to the survey.

It goes on to say that consumers welcome “the use of new and ethnic flavours for poultry items. Innovative poultry flavours or sauces resonate most strongly for chicken with a near majority of consumers indicating interest in these items—compared to about one in three who say the same for turkey options.”

Duck and cover

Anthony Walsh, executive chef at the Oliver & Bonacini group of restaurants, says he sees more whole duck being used in the industry, as a change from the traditional and commonplace duck confit.

Peking duck. Always popular in Asian restaurants, duck is now making its way into niches where it was not previously served.

At Canoe in Toronto, the starter menu includes a ‘tongue to tail’ duck that includes duck tongue marinated in Newfoundland’s famous Screech. And at O&B’s newest offering, the casual restaurant Bannock, the number one seller is a roast duck poutine pizza.

“Duck is such a multi-faceted bird and it’s an easy animal to work with,” says Walsh. “That’s part of its popularity in restaurants. It’s moist and flavourful.”

Patti Thompson, marketing director at Newmarket, Ontario-based King Cole Ducks, says the market for duck is on the increase in the province, where the dish has always been popular at Asian restaurants.

“Ontario has continued to grow in segments where duck was never traditionally served, such as golf courses and small bistros. It is far from mainstream, but offers chefs an opportunity to give diners something they don’t cook at home—duck is different to capture a guest’s interest, but not too different to scare them away,” she says.

Getting leery or unfamiliar customers to try duck for the first time starts with the appetizer, Thompson says.

Spiedini is new from King Cole Ducks—cubes of duck meat ready for cooking in minutes.

“I find many guests are willing to give it a try when they order it as an appetizer; this also gives both the guests and the chef or owner the confidence to try it as an entrée on their next menu change.”

She adds that duck is a profitable item for restaurant owners looking to set themselves apart from the competition.

“Everyone is trying to find ways to increase prices, but it’s difficult to simply raise them. A better twist is to change them. For example, a salad that has chicken in it hits a price point where consumers just won’t pay more, but by adding duck for almost the same wholesale price, the chef/owner can get a stronger price point,” Thompson says.

Talking turkey

One bird that Walsh wants to see used more in restaurants is an accessible bird like turkey, but one that is “really underused” because of its high price point.  

“It flies out of there at Canoe. It can be at times cost prohibitive. The best part of the turkey is the thigh and you have to know how to deal with it. They’re big, and buying boneless turkey breast is not inexpensive,” says Walsh.  

Technomic’s Poultry Trend Report indicates “traditional turkey dishes lead all other types of centre-of-the-plate turkey entrées and typically feature gravy, mashed potatoes or stuffing as sides.”

The report backs up Walsh’s comments that turkey is not common on restaurant menus, as the number of dishes offered among the top 250 chains did not increase since the last survey in 2008.

While operators aren’t developing new centre-of-the-plate turkey entrées, they aren’t reducing these options either. The acceptance of a turkey-centre entrée likely varies by chain and customer base, the report states.

Technomic’s study shows that carved turkey “lags behind” roasted turkey and smoked turkey at the top 250 chains.

On a per capita basis, each Ontarian eats approximately 4.1 kilograms of turkey per year, says Stacy Butler, foodservice ambassador for the Turkey Farmers of Ontario.

“Turkey is becoming more popular among those seeking healthier options, as the consumer sees it as lower in fat and sodium,” says Butler. “Turkey is on menus spanning all segments of dining from take out (turkey subs, wraps, paninis and burgers) to fine dining (serving turkey tenderloin) and, of course, seasonal dishes.”

Butler says that in addition to being a versatile product in terms of ways it can be prepared—in the oven, on the barbecue and on the stove, or, in the case of whole birds, in a deep fryer—turkey is low in fat and high in protein.

Sodium reduced and gluten-free

A common target in the last few years is the reduction of sodium in restaurant ingredients and meals, and poultry is no exception, says Edgar Rahal, president of the British Columbia Chefs’ Association and a senior business manager at Reuven International.

He believes chicken has reached a saturation point in the restaurant industry, opening the way for turkey and duck to take more spots on upper casual or fine dining menus.

“Dark meat consumption has gone way up and the demand for white meat has decreased. The wholesale price for boneless skinless thigh meat is very close to breast meat,” Rahal says.

The reasons for the increase in the popularity of dark meat is the lower cost of chicken legs and the preference of new Canadians, who like it over white meat.

“Prices in the far east are much higher for dark meat than they are for breast meat,” Rahal says.

Andrew MacLean, director of marketing and business development for Reuven International, agrees that producers have to jump on the drop-the-salt movement, as “customers are becoming more educated and discerning in what they eat. Also, with increasing allergies, some customers are seeking poultry that is lower in sodium and gluten-free,” says MacLean.

He says the popularity of chicken continues to increase, as it is inexpensive compared to other proteins, is low in fat and is becoming the meat of choice for new Canadians.

“Muslims in Canada eat an average of 5.3 portions of proteins per day, (while) the average non-Muslim eats 2.7 portions per day. Restaurateurs and retailers are also finding out that there is a perception that halal poultry is a higher quality, and non-Muslims are seeking out halal foods and are willing to pay a premium for these products,” he says.

Thordarson believes that the popularity of chicken might be on the decline as the main entrée, but it will always have its place in the restaurant kitchen to make stock from the bones, or in a sandwich or to make wings.

“It will never be the main feature of any seasonal or tasting menu and you will never find it at the top of the main meat dish list on an a la carte menu, that’s for sure,” he says.

“Chefs are getting back to old school cooking techniques and using not only the prime cuts of meat, but also the off-cut, guts and intestines. Personally. I try not to use the prime cuts in my menus, and rather go for the not-so-usual preparations.”

Answering some quail questions

Quail, while an up-and-coming poultry meat, is still far from common on restaurant menus.

At CRO Quail Farms in the Niagara Region, operations manager Bob Hales says only about three to five per cent of the farm’s sales are to restaurants, primarily in the Greater Toronto Area.

“As our culture becomes more diverse with the different ethnic backgrounds we have, that enhances our business,” Hales says.

Quail eggs. Chefs say more education is needed for cooking quail.

In his opinion, there is no real noticeable distinction in the taste of quail compared to chicken, unless it is in the hands of a trained chef.

“To do up quail on a barbecue or in the oven, there is no difference in the taste. When you take it into the foodservice spectrum, the chefs are able to add things it needs to bring out the taste,” Hales says.

Holding back the diminutive quail from proliferating on diner’s plates is the price, which is about $1.75 for a bone-in bird three to four ounces in size, to $3 each for a deboned bird.

Increasing the number of future chefs cooking with quail depends on education, says Mark Picone, a culinary instructor at the Canadian Food and Wine Institute, part of Niagara College. He also runs his own culinary studio and winery in Vineland, Ontario.

“It’s a very versatile protein.,” he says. “It is in season 12 months of the year. Health and wellness are really big today and quail is an alternative option; it has a good fat to protein ratio. The portion size of quail lends itself to not overeating,”

As part of his instruction, Picone tours his students through a quail farm to learn how the birds are raised.

He says quail is an under-utilized bird in restaurants, something that has to be corrected at the instructional level. “What we are doing at the college is bridging the gap by giving students the exposure to quail through the use of basic culinary techniques and menu development. The use of quail will continue to grow and students will take it into their restaurants,” he says.

Picone says quail can be used to make everything from tapas and hors d’oeuvres to light entrées.

Chicken serving tips

“The upside of chicken is that it fits into menu ideas for almost any day part and can be served hot or cold. The real trick to enticing people to order chicken when they dine out is to make it different than what people can make at home. By adding a gourmet sauce or treating chicken differently than retail products that are commonly in people’s freezers, you’ll have a better chance of getting them to try your version of this meat that we know they already like. That said, keep servers informed so that you can provide options upon request that are very plain and will satisfy picky eaters or that are very low calorie and will appeal to dieters.”

—Dana McCauley, culinary director, Janes Family Foods.

“I suggest that restaurants owners have a clear vision of their target market and develop menu items that appeal to that segment. Buy a single product that has multiple applications.  Your purchases are simplified, easier staff training, more

Grilled chicken. It's a good idea to have items available that are plain for picky eaters, or low in calories for dieters.

ability to negotiate pricing with your supplier, less monies tied up in inventory.

Purchase a low sodium breast so you can offer a heart smart product to your clients. Use the same low sodium breast for your other breast dishes with sauces, cheese etc. Use the same low sodium breast for your salads, fajitas, wraps etc. By doing this you appeal to the health conscious with your salad /plain entrée dishes, those who want a breast with delicious sauce/toppings, and those who want a chicken fajita.”

 —Andrew MacLean, director of marketing and business development
Reuven International

“Completely cooked. Use a natural product, by that I mean no additives. Where applicable use fully cooked items; that way labour is saved, food health issues are less risky, and consistency in serving the product.”

—Edgar Rahal, president of the British Columbia Chefs’ Association and a senior business manager at Reuven International.

“Always buy the best chicken possible, your customers will taste the difference and appreciate this.  Also when you are writing your menus you should emphasize with an icon that you are using free range, organic or grain fed chicken that is raised ethically and from a sustainable source. As customers get more educated with food they want to know what they are eating and from where it comes and the process it takes before it finally gets to the plate. I mean at $3.99/lb for whole utility chickens to $5.99 for whole free range grain fed chickens,  you can still afford to sell them processed at a reasonable price and make money.”

—Brandon Thordarson, executive chef, Opus Montreal