Chickens are sold at different stages of growth, which also affects the amount of fat in the

meat. Young, tender broilers are the favorite size, they weigh about four pounds (nearly 2 kg).

Broiler meat is very tender, but it hasn't had time to develop the full flavor of the older and larger

roasting hen, whose meat is nearly as tender. A stewing hen is an old, tough, full-flavored bird. A

capon is a castrated male, large and tender, with lots of white meat. It is very good for roasting.

Rock Cornish hen is a cross between Cornish game hen and chicken. Each hen provides one

serving with low fat and plump breasts.

Age and Weight of Chickens

Type

Broiler/fryer

Roaster

Stewing hen

Capon

Rock Cornish hen

Age

Weight Range

2.5-5 lbs.

3.5-6 lbs.

4-6 lbs.

9.5-10.5 lbs.

0.75-2 lbs.

6-8 weeks

3-5 months

1 year

15-16 weeks

5-6 weeks

Buying Poultry

Buying poultry takes no great shopping skill. Poultry purchase for most of us means

buying chicken and, a few times a year, a turkey and a rock Cornish hen. Ducks and geese are

rare on our tables—they are more common in Asian and European households. Pheasant, squab

and quail are even less common. We eat those more in white-tablecloth restaurants and exclusive

clubs. Ostrich and emu are two exotic poultry that few of us know what to do with. They are

both high-priced specialty meats that are not yet widely available.

The poultry section of any meat counter is large but variety is not. Chicken is the main

stay, either whole or cutup, bone-in or boneless, and they are mostly young broilers, also called

fryers. They cost the least to raise, so they can sell them for the lowest price. If you want to roast

a chicken, you are better off to pay a little more for a true roasting chicken or a capon with

better-developed flavor. You usually find them whole in the freezer section, like holiday turkeys.

Occasionally you will find a roaster already defrosted or fresh.

Low price and high quality never go hand-in-hand. Today's young broiler chickens have

much less flavor than they used to because they grow too fast and in too short time. There is

plenty of added water to further dilute the flavor (up to 7 percent of the weight by U.S. law).

Specialty meat and poultry markets sell better poultry raised with more care and with less added

water but at higher prices. The only way you can be sure it is worth the extra cost (you pay about

70 to 80 percent more) is to try it. If you can tell the difference between the supermarket chicken

and what you buy in specialty markets, don’t hesitate to pay the extra for the better quality.

Whole vs. cut-up, boneless vs. bone-in

What you're using it for and your personal preference both play a role in which of the

four choices you should choose—whole, cut-up, boneless or bone-in chicken. But other factors

are involved, too. For instance, is boneless or bone-in poultry more economical? The difference

in the cost of the edible portion between the two is sometimes notable enough to ponder. Your

Serious Kitchen Play