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Pointers from a Poultry Pro

Research chefs at chicken and turkey suppliers help foodservice customers find menu solutions. Sometimes those solutions turn out to be proprietary, value-added products; other times, a recipe that can be replicated chain-wide or in the kitchen of a single restaurant.

One such pro, Chris Moyer, Corporate Chef for Perdue Farms, shares his ideas and expertise here.

• Trends: Consumers are looking for supermarket products that bring the restaurant experience home. Operators are looking for products that bring value to the plate. Convenient shapes and formats for both turkey and chicken, including chunks, roasted strips and sandwich sized pieces, add value and provide consistency.
   
• Challenges: Portion control and cost control. By pre-portioning ready-to-use chunks, strips and filets, a restaurant kitchen turns out healthier serving sizes and speeds service.
   
• What’s cooking: Pre-sliced, oven-roasted turkey strips can be swapped out for chicken in entrée salads. Regional chicken dishes are also appealing; Chicken Chesapeake combines chicken breasts with crabmeat in a light wine sauce. Start by cooking the “show side” of the breast first so you only have to flip once.

Excerpted from Restaurant Business, July 2009

Learn more about our Corporate Chef, Chris Moyer.  Get culinary tips from him.