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The following article appeared in the March edition of COOK'S magazine.
Are Free-Range Chickens Worth Twice The Price?
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Alfred Portale and Anne Rosenzweig participate in COOK'S tasting
of chickens including kosher and free-range.
Free-range (also called natural or organic) chickens are raised
with more living space and fed fewer drugs than the mass-produced
birds. Free-range chicken can cost five times as much as "regular"
chicken. Yet a recent COOK'S tasting, hosted by Brendan Walsh at
Arizona 206, revealed that, unless moral considerations take precedence
over tate, free-range birds may not be worth their price.
COOK'S assembled a panel of New York chefs and restaurateurs to
taste chicken from four producers. They tasted a free-range chicken
from Eberly Poultry in Pennsylvania (a brand favored by many of
New York's best restaurants); a commercial chicken from Purdue,
in Salisbury, Maryland (heavily promoted in the Northeast); a premium
chicken from Bell and Evans, in New Jersy ( this brand has fared
well in other chicken tastings); and a kosher chicken from Empire
Poultry, in Pennsylvania. Prices ranged from 89 cents a pound for
the Purdue chicken to $3.29 a pound for the Eberly; the Bell and
Evans and Empire each cost $1.49 per pound. The breasts and leg
quarters were grilled separately, and basted with olive oil.
The taste panel included David Liederman (owner of Chez Louis),
chef Alfred Portale (of the Gotham Bar and Grill), Michael Romano
(former chef at La Caravelle-currently at the Union Square Cafe),
Anne Rosenzweig (executive chef at "21" and co-owner of Arcadia
restaurant), and Brendan Walsh.
Tasters did not know the identity or origin of the birds and were
asked to judge each sample for general appearance, meatiness,
tenderness, moistness, and flavor. The results were surprising.
The Bell and Evans and Empire chickens finished ia a virtual dead
heat for first place. Portale, who usually buys Eberly chickens,
found the Empire to be "tender, with good moisture and flavor",
and the Bell and Evans to have "the best aroma and good flavor".
Romano preferred the "stronger chicken flavor and good texture"
of the Empire bird. Rosenzweig, who uses Bell and Evans chickens,
found it "slightly sweeter, with good tasting skin", although she
also liked the the texture and flavor of the Empire bird. Liederman,
who has used Empire with great success for Chez Louis' popular roast
chicken, was "equally happy" with it or the Bell and Evans bird.
The Eberly chicken was downgraded by a majority of the tasters
for a slightly sour or bitter aftertaste and a perception of dryness.
Portale, who gave this free-range bird a high score, found it to
have "the best aroma", but acknowledged the presence of off-flavors
and cautioned that "free-range chickens vary a lot" in quality.
Walsh, who serves both Eberly and Bell and Evans at his restaurant,
was the only taster to pick the Eberly chicken as best, commenting
on its good flavor and tenderness.
Like many consumers, Walsh believes that the Eberly and other
natural chickens do not need superior scores in tasting in order
to be considered desirable. "If it is roughly equivalent in quality,
then I'll buy it because I can serve it in good conscience. It's
important to know how products are handled and what goes into them;
for all we know, the flavor in other chickens may comee from
additives".
The panel was unanimous in its dislike of the Perdue chicken.
Walsh found its yellow color-developed by a feed with a high percentage
of corn and sometimes marigold petals-"scary". Liederman commented
on the texture as :cottony", and Rosenzweig said it was "like a
pumped up turkey, with feird texture". All the tasters wondered
how its fluffy texture was obtained.
Hope this article will give you some insight on the subject of
free-range chickens.
Denis
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| I realize this is an old note but I'm just getting reaquainted with
this notes conference and may have something to add.
I raised my own broiler chickens for the first time this year and
the results were excellent. The birds were quite stout, averaging 5.5#
per bird in nine weeks. The meat is moist and there is not an excessive
amount of fat. The skin is fairly thick and tasty. The texture of the
meat is excellent, although hard to describe...smoother and denser than
store bought. The cost of the meat, excluding labor was $1.15 per pound.
All in all I consider the operation a huge success.
I also raise layer hens. I have Rhode Island Reds which are
considered a combination (meat and eggs) breed but they are definately
not good eating. They are almost a year old when they start to lay and
they do not develop the brests or heavy muscles of the broilers. We put
down the roosters early but they were scrawny compared to the broilers.
I guess you could call my broilers free ranging and based on my
experience they are worth a lot more than the supermarket variety.
Regards,
Paul
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