Man has had a close relationship with chickens, ducks and geese for around 4000 years. For example, in India tame chickens were initially seen as holy creatures and bringers of good luck. But their culinary delights were soon discovered, because many Indian spices are the perfect complement for their tender white meat. In the intervening centuries chickens have spread all over the world and become our faithful companions.

For a long period Europeans preferred to eat geese and ducks. Although the meat is darker and gamier, the Romans and Greeks loved geese. The gourmets of the ancient world were particularly fond of goose liver which, with its delicate consistency, can be used to make melt-in-the-mouth terrines and pâtés. Seasoned with Mediterranean herbs, they were an irresistible delicacy and, thank goodness, that is still the case today.

The duck is the star of the poultry trio. Wild duck have always been popular because of their delicately flavoured meat and strong spices enhance its subtle taste. Poultry dishes came to represent luxury and the good life. They were a status symbol for the aristocracy and wealthy merchants. Nowadays, around 1.75 million eggs are laid by farmed poultry throughout the world every second, which is the equivalent of around 9 billion eggs per year. Poultry has been an important part of the human diet for centuries and for good reason: the birds are undemanding, easy to rear and need very little food.

Shopping tips
Whenever possible buy fresh poultry. Frozen poultry is often of poor quality because of overfilled freezers, failure to keep freezers at the minimum temperature and products being allowed to defrost and then refrozen. Do not buy poultry with freezer burn (obvious because of the visible build-up of snow). The meat should feel firm and not smell unpleasant. The skin should be light-coloured and undamaged.

Preparation tips
Before frying, grilling or braising a whole bird, remove all visible fat. After washing the bird in warm water, pat it dry, season it and then dress it by tying all the parts which stick out (wings and legs) closely into the body with kitchen string. It is important that the meat is completely cooked through, in other words, that it has a core temperature of 80–90°C for at least ten minutes.