The Complete Book of Chicken: Turkey, Game Hen, Duck, Goose, Quail, Squab, and Pheasant (Paperback)

~ Cook's Illustrated (Author) "THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES of chicken in most supermarkets, each reflecting a different style of production..." (more)
Key Phrases: clotted juices, other wing side, accumulated chicken juices, Simple Roasted Chicken Breasts, Chicken Curry, Wipe the Dutch (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The James Beard Foundation/KitchenAid Book Award Winner for Best Single Subject Cookbook

“As the title says, this is about as complete as one cookbook can be.” -- Publishers Weekly
“This is not . . . just for ‘serious cooks,’ but a book for anyone who wants a recipe that works the first time out." -- John Mariani

Vast and authoritative, with 38 chapters containing nearly 500 recipes and 300 illustrations, The Complete Book of Chicken offers readers the very best methods for preparing chicken, as well as turkey, duck, goose, quail, squab, and pheasant. From one of America’s most respected culinary magazines, Cook’s Illustrated, each recipe and preparation tip has been tested and retested by their award-winning staff. No other cookbook has taken this approach to the subject, and no other cookbook has broken such new ground in the kitchen. Inside, you’ll find:
* The surest way to roast chicken with a crisp skin and juicy, tender meat
* Clearly illustrated tips and directions on preparing birds, including carving, stuffing a goose, and butterflying Cornish game hens
* How to prepare and serve less common poultry like duck and other game birds
* Why brining a turkey makes all the difference in the world

Plus a great flock of recipes, from Chicken and Herb Dumplings with Spring Vegetables to Grilled Duck Breast with White Bean Puree to Cincinnati-Style Turkey Chili. There are even recipes for stuffing, gravies, and mayonnaise to use in one of the best chicken salads imaginable. Enlightening, instructive, and invaluable, this is a book for any cook interested in poultry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (September 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609809296
• ISBN-13: 978-0609809297
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #288,672 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific guide to cooking poultry, December 11, 2002

By A Customer

I bought this book at full price in a bookstore and think it was worth every penny; ..., this is a great buy. Not only does it contain many recipes for cooking all sorts of poultry in all sorts of ways (roasting, braising, stir-frying, etc.), but the editors experimented with variations on the different techniques. (For example, they roasted a chicken in almost every way imaginable -- high temp, low temp, turning it, not turning it, etc -- describe their results, and recommend the ones they think are best after explaining why.) Their recipe for butterflied roasted chicken is superb -- I highly recommend this cookbook.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Truly "complete"-useful to the novice & expert alike!, March 5, 2005

By	Stephanie L. Wilde (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the sort of cookbook that grows with you. If you're a novice cook, or you cook only because you have to put something on the table every night, you will find this book enlarges the number of fool-proof chicken dishes you can put on the table without much fuss. Each chapter suggests several variations, so you can adapt to what you have on hand or what's fresh at the store. There are also handy chapters on soup, leftovers and turkey breasts.

If you're a more seasoned or adventurous cook-or you'd like to become one!-you will appreciate the scope of the book, which provides basic recipes in 37 chapters, including what to do with duck, goose, quail, squab, and pheasant. With a proven "method" at hand, you can experiment with seasonings & vegetables and feel confident that your new creation will at least be edible. Or if you prefer to stick to the book, there are more complex dishes here, such as Sautéed Butterflied Chicken with Tomato, Olive and Caper Pan Sauce and Grilled Squab with Red Chile-Pumpkin Seed Sauce.

If you like America's Test Kitchen or Cook's Illustrated, this book is a guaranteed winner. Even if that's not you style, you might find the abundance of recipes makes this a winner anyways. Best of all, it's affordable!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great recipes, clear instructions, July 29, 2005

By	I. Bake (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews

First, I want to say that this is the paperback version of The Cooks Illustrated Complete Book of Poultry (different title, different cover design.) This is a great book especially for those who eat a lot of chicken and are looking for a variety of ways to prepare it, like me. There are recipes for dishes from many different traditions, which I like, and all are tasty. If you look at the table of contents, you'll see that they are arranged by cooking method, which is handy. And the book has all the explanations and clear directions typical of Cooks Illustrated books. My absolutely only complaint is that I appreciate it when an entire recipe is printed across two open pages, so I can put it in my cookbook stand and leave it there, and that is not the case here: I have to turn the page. But that's minor. Highly recommended.