Chinese Poultry Recipes and Cooking Guide Online

Duck and chicken are favorite fare in China and the Chinese have created many interesting ways of preparing them. Drying, smoking and curing are methods used with duck as well as roasting, simmering, steaming and of course, stir-frying. Many of the same methods are used for chicken.

Whole chickens from Chinese specialty shops often come complete with head and feet. The reason for this is that the beak and feet give an indication as to the age of a chicken---they should be pliable. Simply cut the neck and feet off and use in the stock pot.

If using a frozen chicken, make sure it is completely defrosted before cooking. It will take up to 24 hours to defrost a whole chicken in the refrigerator.

When using fresh duck, make sure the oil sacs in the tail have been removed before cooking. Ducks are sometimes trussed and immersed in boiling water to remove the excess oil that, as water birds, they have under their skin. Always pierce the skin of a whole duck in several places before cooking.