Poultry Fabrication
The 8-Piece Cut
Breaking down a whole chicken: remove legs by cutting through the skin at the hip, pop the joint, cut through. Separate thigh from drumstick at the knee joint. Remove wings. Remove the backbone with kitchen shears. Split the breast in half. Result: 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings. A whole chicken yields 40% more protein per pound cost than pre-cut pieces.
Stock from Scraps
The backbone, wing tips, neck, and carcass become the base for an immediate stock. Add mirepoix, a bouquet garni, cold water. Simmer 3–4 hours. This is the principle of zero-waste professional cookery: every trim, every bone, every scrap has a second life.
Meat Cookery & Temperature
Carryover Cooking
Large roasts continue to rise in internal temperature after being removed from the heat. A 2kg roast can rise 8–12°C from carryover. Pull roasts from the oven 8–12°C below the target temperature, then account for carryover during the rest.
The Importance of Resting
Muscle fibres contract under heat and squeeze moisture toward the centre. During resting, fibres relax and moisture redistributes throughout the meat. A properly rested steak loses 10% of its juices when cut. An unrested steak loses 30%. Minimum rest times: chicken breast 5 min, steak 5–8 min, roast chicken 15 min.
Pan Sauces — Using the Fond
The fond is the browned bits stuck to the pan after searing — concentrated Maillard flavour. Deglaze: add wine or stock to the hot pan and scrape the fond loose. Reduce until the sauce reaches correct consistency. Mount with butter (monter au beurre): add cold butter off the heat and swirl — butter emulsifies into the sauce giving body, richness, and gloss.
Seafood Fundamentals
Filleting Round vs Flat Fish
Round fish (salmon, cod, sea bass): cut along the dorsal fin from head to tail, then follow the spine with the knife flat against the bones. Two fillets per fish. Flat fish (sole, turbot, plaice): four fillets — two from each side. Cut along the lateral line, slide knife under each fillet from centre to edge.
Pan-Seared Fish
Crispy skin requires three conditions: completely dry skin, a very hot pan with little oil, and patience. Place skin-side down. Press gently with a spatula for the first 30 seconds to prevent curling. Do not move until flesh turns opaque 3/4 of the way up. Then flip for 30 seconds only.
The Perfect Pan-Seared Duck Breast
Score skin in a cross-hatch. Start in a cold pan. Render fat over medium-low heat until skin is completely golden and crisp (12–15 min). Flip. Cook 2 min for medium-rare. Rest 8 min. Serve with a cherry or port pan sauce.
Success criteria: Skin is completely golden and crisp — no soft white fat patches visible. Internal temperature 52–55°C after resting. Pan sauce is glossy. Slices are even.
Phase 4 Practice Exercises
12 exercises to build skill through direct application.
Whole Chicken Breakdown
Break down 3 whole chickens until the 8-piece cut is fast and clean.
- Fabrication speed
- Joint identification
- Zero waste mindset
Immediate Stock
Make stock from carcasses within 30 minutes of breaking them down.
- Zero waste cooking
- Immediate stock protocol
- Stock from scraps
Carryover Test
Cook two identical chicken breasts. Rest one 2 min, one 10 min. Compare juiciness.
- Carryover cooking
- Resting benefit
- Juice retention measurement
Rest Experiment
Cut one steak immediately, rest one 8 min. Observe juice loss difference.
- Resting proteins
- Juice redistribution
- Temperature measurement
Pan Sauce Drill
Sear chicken thighs. Deglaze with white wine. Add stock. Reduce. Mount with butter.
- Fond scraping
- Reduction control
- Butter mounting
Temperature Chart
Cook proteins to 50°C, 57°C, 63°C, 71°C, 77°C. Taste each.
- Doneness vocabulary
- Internal temperature
- Safety knowledge
Fish Filleting
Fillet 3 round fish and 1 flat fish. Assess flesh recovery vs bones.
- Round fish technique
- Flat fish technique
- Yield assessment
Pan-Seared Salmon
Cook 5 salmon fillets skin-side down. Consistent crispy skin, no sticking.
- Pan temperature
- Skin drying
- Patience discipline
Duck Fat Rendering
Cold pan start. Slow fat render. Golden crust. Practice the duck breast technique.
- Cold pan start principle
- Fat rendering patience
- Crust assessment
Pork Belly Crackle
Score pork belly skin. Roast at 220°C then 150°C. Achieve crackle.
- Scoring technique
- High-low roasting
- Crackle vs skin differentiation
Seafood Temperature
Cook prawns to 60°C, 65°C, and 75°C. Compare texture and juiciness.
- Seafood delicacy
- Temperature precision
- Overcooking identification
Protein Temperature Week
Use a probe thermometer on every protein for one week. Record and review.
- Temperature discipline
- Habit formation
- Doneness intuition