cover image Chicken and Other Fowl

Chicken and Other Fowl

John Torode. Firefly Books, $24.95 (256pp) ISBN 978-1-55407-612-3

Replicating the format that made 2009's Beef such an enjoyable find, British chef Torode shows readers how to get the most out of poultry. Though Torode dutifully recounts classics like roast turkey, Coq Au Vin, and pot pies, his true knack is for invention: leftovers find new life in baked curry puffs and stocks, while livers can be used for Deviled Chicken Liver Crostini, breaded and topped with Bearnaise sauce, or pan-fried for a simple sweet-and-sour salad; ground chicken, meanwhile, makes delightfully spicy patties topped with fresh salsa, or Spaghetti with Curried Chicken Meatballs. Like its bovine-focused predecessor, this volume includes eight variations for common dishes like grilled chicken thighs, pan-seared duck breast, kebabs, and various stuffings, giving devotees of a particular dish room to maneuver. More complex dishes, like ""Raised"" Chicken and Partridge Pie-a towering pot pie made with hot-water pastry-will give seasoned cooks a new challenge for a lazy afternoon. Specific ingredients like Juniper berries, Thai pea eggplants, and yellow rock sugar may prove difficult to source in the U.S., but even cooks who don't know a capon from a Cornish game hen will find worthwhile dishes within their skill set.