Fowl is the umbrella term for the wide category of poultry meats. Fowl refers to “any of several domesticated or wild gallinaceous birds,” as well as domestic chickens and birds of all kinds, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It’s easy to say that all fowl taste like chicken, but of course, each of them has their own unique characteristics such as tenderness of the meat and presence of fat under the skin. Their preparations though are the same: fowl may be roasted, grilled, pan-fried, fried, braised, stewed, and ground up to make into patties or meatballs.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued food safety guides on a number of fowls, from chicken, duck and goose to the more exotic game birds and ratites (emu, ostrich and rhea). Observe the minimum internal temperature required when cooking each fowl. Also, poultry is associated with food borne bacteria so during preparation, make sure you wash utensils, chopping boards and plates that contained the fowl meats.
Categories of fowl included on the site are chicken, duck, turkey, geese, ostrich, emu, guinea fowl, and pheasant. Chicken is the most recognizable fowl, with types ranging from broiler-fryers, roasters, and stewing hens to capons, and rock Cornish hens. They differ based on the weight and age of the chickens. The duck and goose are water fowls, which have a lot more fat content than chickens. Duck and goose fat are rendered from them and used to fry and flavor various dishes, especially in the French cuisine.
Turkey, whether fresh or frozen, is best enjoyed as a whole roasted fowl, with a stuffing inside the carcass or as a side dish. A thanksgiving bird especially in the United States, the turkey can also be roasted in parts or fried, as is common in the south.
The group of the flightless birds (or ratites) include the ostrich, emu, and the rhea. According to the USDA, each are native to a particular country—ostrich from Africa, emu from Australia, and rhea from Argentina. Its tenderness makes the ratites favourable for light grilling, pan frying or roasting.
Game birds refer to fowl that grow in the wild. Farm-raised game birds are more common nowadays but for hunters, game birds are still part of their hunting repertoire and menu. Amongst the game birds featured with recipes on the site include the guinea fowl, squab, and pheasant as well as species of wild ducks, geese and turkey.
