Duck, Duck, Goose!

Tender meats like chicken, turkey and duck marry well with deep, complex flavors or fresh seasonal favorites, making poultry’s possibilities limitless.

by Joanna Lefebvre (jll@clubandresortbusiness.com)
July 2008
 

SUMMING IT UP • When it comes to versatile menu ideas, the bird’s the word. • Poultry plays a critical role in delivering satisfying and healthful menu options. • Poultry works in any language and can fit well with ethnic themes.

You can bake it, roast it, barbecue it, grill it, fry it or stuff it. Chicken, duck and turkey, long loved for their versatility, have been staples of the American diet for decades. And to keep these prominent proteins new and exciting, club and resort chefs are now experimenting with unique flavor combinations, as well as new and interesting cooking techniques, sauces, brines, relishes and rubs.

Whether it’s the fusion-style Roasted Duck Potstickers with a ginger soy dipping sauce (from Executive Chef Penelope Wong of Glenmoor Country Club, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.), or the regional flavor of Chef Sebastian Carosi’s Homemade Chicken Salad with heirloom apples, stone ground country mustard and locally purchased wildflower honey (offered at Sebasco Harbor Resorts in Sebasco Estates, Maine), club and resort diners are the direct beneficiaries, getting to savor the many tasty new possibilities that poultry now offers.

“There are so many different flavor profiles that can be applied,” says Wong, who has sought to incorporate more forward-thinking fusion foods (blending culinary styles from different cultures) on the menu during her tenure at Glenmoor CC.

“For example, a traditional turkey sandwich can be transformed by incorporating both sweet and spicy flavors,” she explains. “One of my favorite applications for a ‘not so plain’ turkey sandwich has Tabasco, caramelized onions and peppers, Havarti cheese, and a very unique marmalade pesto aioli.”

Chicken, turkey and duck also now “fit the bill” better than ever because of clubs and resorts’ new focus on providing more healthful menu options. The one vital meal component every body needs is protein—and for menu flexibility, poultry is a great low-fat source of this multifaceted nutrient. For example, three ounces of roasted chicken breast has only 1.5 fat grams, compared to broiled ground beef’s 11 grams.

And chicken, long the darling protein ingredient in healthful diets, is now being joined by other low-fat poultry forms—specifically, turkey and duck—to help chefs round out menu options, from breakfast to dinner and everything in between.

When a light, healthful touch is needed without any compromised flavor, Wong focuses her attention on marinades, cooking methods and condiments, as easy, flavorful ways to maintain the full nutritional value of poultry while adding flavor (and often times, color).

With chicken breasts, for example, a very simple marinade of yellow curry powder mixed with a touch of honey, salt and pepper can be applied. Then the breast can be charred on the broiler. The chicken can then be complimented by a confetti-studded wild rice blend enhanced with cayenne and Thai basil, and a fresh garnish of watercress and mango dressed in fresh-squeezed lemon juice and cracked black peppercorn.

Beginner’s Duck
“Duck is a personal favorite,” admits Wong. “So I like to utilize many different flavor profiles when I feature duck on my menus. The secret, though, is to maintain the sweet/savory balance. Pomegranate with molasses or ginger and cranberry are just a couple of examples.”

Executive Chef Paul Carter, who supervises a staff of over 150, oversees nine kitchens and takes charge of all menu creations and preparations at The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. (C&RB, May 2007), couldn’t agree more. He has found success with his simple, succulent duck confit served with fig ragout, mandarin sauce and toasted almonds.
“Customers seem to avoid duck because they think of it as a fatty meat even though, done well, it can be quite lean,” Carter says. “Our duck dishes tend to be simple, classic, beautiful flavor combinations that are well-balanced and delicious.”

Though higher in fat than other domestic birds, duck is a good source of protein and iron, and it can be prepared in a variety of ways, including roasting, braising, and broiling.

“I believe, wholeheartedly, that regardless of what we choose to eat, nothing is more important than starting with ingredients that are of the best possible quality and are at their peak of seasonal ripeness,” says Sebastian Carosi, who came to the Sebasco Harbor Resort a few months ago. “Our final results will never be better than the ingredients we started with.”

Touting a buy-fresh, buy-local theory, Carosi purchases his poultry from a local hen house.

“The seasonal food our local farmers bring to our tables is always the most vital and delectable, because of its sheer proximity and the high quality of sustainable farming techniques that are generally used,” Carosi adds. “It is a true joy to cook with.”

Cooking by a “what grows together, goes together” philosophy, Carosi’s duck dishes feature local berries and home-grown garden veggies. His current duck feature, which he describes as “Slammin!” is a Sorghum Glazed Duck (see photo, pg. 28), marinated in pure cane molasses (which has all the characteristics of a blackstrap molasses, minus the pungency), maple syrup, hard beer, and hard mountain herbs.

“We marinate the duck for a day, score it, caramelize the crust and serve it with a smoked local cheddar spoon bread [i.e., corn pudding] and a crushed heirloom cranberry sauce, with wilted spinach,” Carosi explains.

Fresh duck is typically available from late spring through early winter, but generally only in regions where ducks are raised. When buying fresh duck, choose one with a broad, fairly plump breast; the skin should be elastic, not saggy. For frozen birds, make sure the packaging is tight and unbroken. Fresh duck can be stored, loosely covered, in the coldest section of the refrigerator for two to three days.

Primo Poultry
Chicken is a timeless and versatile crowd-pleaser that offers a world of possibilities for creative menu applications. It takes on the regional and ethnic accents that contemporary tastes demand, and is equally at home in snack bars, grills, upscale dining rooms, banquets, themed events or outdoor barbecues.

At the more casual end of the menu, chicken offers a flock of possibilities. To add to the excitement, new creations are being built around perennial favorites such as chicken fingers and wings.

These long-time favorites are easily updated with slight ingredient adjustments. Chicken wings, for example, can be revamped by pan searing (rather than deep frying), to create a charred crust. Then they can be tossed in a sauce that includes a hint of smokiness, like Carosi’s Coca-Cola barbecue sauce, to bring out the charred flavoring.

“Because chicken is so flexible, we do a chicken special almost every day, instead of having one standard chicken dish on the menu constantly,” says Brent Ruggles, Executive Chef at Las Colinas Country Club in Euless, Texas. “With the summer’s fresh fruits now available, we’re trying to incorporate more seasonality into our dishes. We’ll do a chicken marinated in citrus, orange juice and cilantro. We’ll top a grilled breast with a mango salsa, papaya slaw, or jicama slaw. The condiments make the dish really bright and colorful.”

At the Phoenician’s 19th Hole Grill and Patio, resort guests and golfers soak in the sun or cool off in the shade after a round of golf on the resort’s championship golf course. With close-up views of the putting green and fairways, diners can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and afternoon refreshments and appetizers—or just a cool drink.

According to Carter, one of the most popular items on the Grill’s menu is the Adobo Marinated Chicken Quesadilla with Pasilla de Oaxaca Tomatillo Salsa, Guacamole and Sour Cream. “It’s simple and recognizable, with a few slight twists that deliver a huge flavor impact,” he says.

Timeless Turkey
No longer reserved for just Thanksgiving, turkey is now enjoying its turn in the limelight, too.

Many chefs are experimenting with fruit and turkey combinations that go beyond the traditional cranberry relish. Anything that has a high amount of acidity, such as kumquats, oranges, or even something wild and crazy like grapefruit, can go with turkey, especially if sugar is added to the fruits to help make them more acceptable to all palates.

Gaining in popularity is a smaller version of both turkey sexes (sometimes called a fryer-roaster), which weighs in at between five and eight pounds. The trend to these downsized turkeys stems from two market influences: smaller families, and the desire of turkey producers to have their product viewed more as an everyday (rather than exclusively holiday) option.

Turkeys are available fresh and frozen year-round and sold both whole and as parts such as breasts or drumsticks.
Ruggles came up with a unique way to incorporate turkey on the menu at Las Colinas Country Club. Similar to the classic veal scallopini, his turkey scallopini has garnered rave reviews from members.

To make the dish, he first heats a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet, then sprinkles the turkey breast pieces with garlic salt and rolls them in flour until coated. Then he browns the pieces in oil and adds onion, mushrooms, and garlic. After cooking for a few more minutes, he drains off the excess oil. He then adds some turkey or chicken broth and Marsala wine, reduces the heat, and simmers until the sauce thickens.

Volaille, Pollame (Poultry By Any Name)
When increasingly popular ethnic flavor profiles are called for, poultry literally has no borders; each dish can take on rich regional and ethnic accents.

Add some heat to a summer menu with Spicy Chicken Coconut Curry, Cajun-Injected Spicy Turkey, or Spicy Duck Empanadas with Cilantro Cream. Or, for diners looking for a Mediterranean feast, offer a beautiful Paella (see photo, pg. 32) that is both a hearty and impressive-looking meal.

No matter the ethnic influence, great dishes and great traditions from around the world can expand your menu and add interest for your customers.

“My membership always appreciates the different types of ethnicities I try to incorporate into my dishes,” explains Wong, whose personal background consists of Thai and Chinese. “At the same time, some of my favorite dishes contain flavor profiles typical of Italy and Spain. One of the biggest risks I’ve taken since coming to Glenmoor has been incorporating more fusion into the menu items, drawing on my own ethnicity as well as that of my staff.”

While fusion cuisine has had its share of detractors since the phrase was coined more than two decades ago, this blending of cultural influences continues to result in success for chefs who can carefully execute it.

“We’ve done a lettuce wrap in the past that was very well received by our membership,” says Wong. “The dish consisted of a chicken breast encrusted in lemongrass, basil, cilantro and fresh minced ginger, dredged in a very light batter made with rice flour and pan-fried. I serve the chicken cut into strips with fresh vermicelli noodles, shredded carrots and jicama, green leaf lettuce and a spicy Thai dipping sauce.”

Chef Carter, who features a Chicken and Beef Satay over an Asian Salad with Ginger Soy, alongside a Spicy Chicken Salad with Jicama, Corn, Bell Peppers, Iceberg Lettuce, and wrapped in a Tomato Basil Tortilla, finds that, because of poultry’s sheer versatility, ethnic flavors are easy to incorporate.

“Our dishes tend to have more of an ‘ethnic influence,’ instead of being ‘ethnic dishes,’ ” Ruggles agrees. “We try to bring in certain flavor profiles, pairings and ingredients like a Cuban-spiced chicken dish, served with black beans and a black bean sauce.”

Another of Ruggles’ dishes that boasts an ethnic influence is a chicken in a cumin and coriander, cinnamon, allspice and orange slice brine that soaks overnight and is then wrapped in banana leaves, roasted low and slow, then served with roasted plantains.