The Poultry Keeper

Lisa · Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:34 pm Post subject: multi bird roast?

Anyone ever done one of these? Along the lines of HFW a la River Cottage?

Am thinking about doing a mini one for xmas for the 2 of us (plus lots of left overs for the next 3-4 days Wink

)

Can't find anything that says how long to cook by weight.

Can find recipes that say what temperature a meat thermometer should read when done, but would still need an idea of how long to cook for on Xmas day to get everything else ready at roughly the same time....

Am thinking guinea fowl within chicken within duck, plus lots of sausage meat stuffing, wrapped in bacon...

Any ideas on cooking times?

Did a demo run with just boned chicken the other week, with sausages and stuffing inside, but it was a bit dry Confused

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2339 Location: South Cumbria

try turning it upside down more fat in the back so the juices will run into the breast meat if you want crunchy skin turn over and up the heat for about 15 mins at the end, good luck !

CP · Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:54 pm Post subject:

No idea on cooking times Llisa, but thought I'd mention that episode of River Cottage is being repeated next week. Wink

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2062 Location: North Cornwall

I've done them, big ones and little ones Laughing

Its difficult to tell you how to cook it, I just look at what I've got, give it a weigh and judge. I start of hot then turn the oven down to about 160, but my oven is quite hot.
If I'm starting with small birds I just use the breasts and only bone out the bigger ones. But I have done it with all breasts and stuffing until the last bird and I like that best.

Hugh leaves all his birds with their skin on, but i think that ruins the whole thing. Flabby pale skin in the middle is horrible, so I skin them all except the outer bird. Try and get different coloured meat side by side and don't worry about it looking a bit messy, it all looks ok when cooked.

I think it eats and carves better when cold.
Go for it and good luck Laughing

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2339 Location: South Cumbria

I think maybe the way to go is use a meat thermometer cook the day before carve cold and reheat !

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1325 Location: Leicestershire

I did one once - a 3 bird, can't remember what they were but almost certainly the biggest would have been a cockeral not a turkey, I think I took all the inner skin off too, and it was stuffed with sausagemeat in the middle.

Weigh it when it's ready to cook, 20mins per 1lb + 20 mins over, the heavier it is the more protection the outside will need - bacon, foil etc, cook at a fairly moderate temperature, turn it over part way through and finish the right way up with all coverings gone to crisp the skin. I've never used a meat thermometer so can't help you there. When I did mine I had the first bird facing one way and the second the other and the third the way of the first, so the thick leg meat is not next to each other. Test to see how it's cooking by skewering through the leg of the outside bird and go well into the middle, see if the juices run clear. Aim to have it cooked about 20 - 30 minutes before everything else and allow it to stand and relax on top of the stove where it's warm, it will carve easier like that. Also if you do this as it stands some juices will run, if they are still a bit pink then you can give it 5 minutes in the microwave and no one will be any the wiser.

Itsybitsy

Lisa · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:05 am Post subject:

Thanks for all the tips and advice. I must've way over cooked the boned chicken I did a few weeks ago then, in my worry about the sausages not cooking properly inside...

I think I have a plan now: no skin inside, more bacon outside, more foil, less cooking Razz

I'll let you know how it goes Very Happy

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2339 Location: South Cumbria

you can buy a meat thermometer for under a tenner and prevents over or under cooking by telling you the actual temp of the meat not the oven especially useful where children, elderly and sick are being catered for all you do is stick in the meat before cooking couldn't be easier, another way is a temperature probe as used in a commercial Kitchen but more expensive