John Torode’s Chicken and Other Birds

John Torode's Chicken and Other Birds

The presenter and judge of BBC’s MasterChef, John Torode, is back after his bovine success last year to celebrate all things fowl in his typical, non-elitist approach.

Don’t judge this wondrous book by its plain cover. John Torode’s Chicken and Other Birds is hugely entertaining and yet, at the same time, immensely practical. He calls it ‘beak to tail’ eating.

“Although,” he says, “(chicken) is the world’s most popular meat, so many people lack confidence when it comes to buying and cooking it…”  So he not only covers chicken, he has plenty of advice for cooking other edible birds, too.

He encompasses “the much-loved, much-murdered Christmas turkey to seasonal game such as pigeon, pheasant and partridge” and assures the reader they will never wonder what to do with a pack of chicken breast fillets ever again.

Chicken and Other Birds runs the gamut of everything from that great Jewish staple, chicken soup, where a whole chicken is simmered so that all its flavour is extracted, to cooking the classic roast in the fashion that Torode’s mother taught him.

Don’t skimp on quality for chicken soup, Torode urges:  “Cook it carefully and you will have a good pot of soup that satisfies and heals.”

He goes on to tell us what to do with ‘old boilers’ – “they make the best stock” – and goes on to say there are two distinct kinds of chicken stock. For brown stock, you roast the chicken bones before simmering them; white stock is more common, using the bones and leftovers from roast chook for the stock.

John Torode’s Chicken and Other Birds includes classic and contemporary dishes from all around the world. His advice is the kind that a relative newcomer to ‘birds in the kitchen’ (and many who are not) will welcome.

Here are some of the recipes that caught my eye and taste buds on the way through Torode’s book: Classic Chicken, Chicken and Asparagus, Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls, Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk, Salt and Pepper Lemon Chicken, Breaded Chicken Livers with Béarnaise, and Aubergine and Miso Pickle as a side dish for Chinese Roast Duck.

My favourites are Chicken with Tarragon Sauce, Chicken, Crab and Avocado Salad, Spiced Duck Salad with Thai Herbs and Roasted Rice, and his ‘one-pot wonders’: Coq au Vin, Guinea Fowl Tagine, Pigeons in a Pot and a heavenly range of tarts, pies and pastries.

At the back of the book is a list of Poultry and Game Dealers, retailers, farms, stalls and online retailers.

John Torode’s hugely popular and long established restaurant, Smiths of Smithfield (London) has now been joined by a new eatery, The Luxe. Only a year ago, he published John Torode’s Beef to great acclaim.

Quadrille is the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-84400-715-8