FOOD NEWS
Here's Why Ina Garten Only Cooks Small Chickens
By Elaina Friedman
Ina Garten is a master in the art of keeping things simple in the name of delicious food. Her expertise in stress-free cooking and baking comes with an arsenal of easy tips that, for home cooks, are nothing short of life-changing — and one such tip is to always spring for small chickens.
If you're one of many who carved a 20-pound turkey this Thanksgiving, Garten would likely tell you to downsize next time. In her book "Cook Like a Pro," Garten advises against roasting birds that weigh more than five pounds, with her Chicken Marbella recipe, for example, calling for two four-pound birds.
In 2022, the benefits and mouth-watering flavor profile of smaller birds are no secret, and poultry farmers are churning out petite birds, due to both their superior taste and ethical reasons. The meat of small chickens is in higher demand than ever, so much so that breasts under 4.25 pounds cost more than their jumbo counterparts.