Only veggies need not be ‘farm fresh’

Namakkal was a sleepy town until 1980s, after which the seeds of poultry farming were sown. Today, the zone accounts for about 1,100 poultry farmers who own more than 4.5 crore layer birds (egg laying birds). 

However, chef Shri Bala, who hails from there, realised the innate danger in the meat and eggs from such commercially grown birds. “I heard horror stories about broiler chicken being injected with antibiotics and growth hormones, which is why I prefer cooking with free-range poultry,” she says. This trend is picking up traction across the city, with both stand-alone fine dining restaurants and star hotels taking to it.

Free-range farming denotes a method of animal husbandry where the livestock, for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24x7. Farmers like Manjunath Marappan and Ashok Kannan who run Happy Hens, a free-range egg farm in South India, go one step further by enabling the birds to scratch the ground for food, or feed them a mixture of maize, soya, rice bran and groundnut cakes, mixed with a herbal formula that builds the immunity of the birds.

“The logic is simple — a healthy hen results in healthy eggs and the quality of meat is superior too,” says Executive Chef Sushanth of Courtyard by Marriott that serves free-range eggs and poultry at the brunches and breakfast buffets. He adds, “We use either commercial or free-range eggs upon asking the guests what their preference is and then we prepare the dish accordingly.”

Joining the experts, Sushanth and Shri Bala, is Koushik Shankar, the Culinary Operations Officer at Eatitude — Gourmet Technologists, in explaining the differences between free-range and broiler poultry.

Quality: In conventional farms, half a dozen (or more) hens are squeezed into tiny cages, thus affecting their health and hygiene. Naturally, the quality of meat and eggs from ducks, turkey, geese and chicken that graze freely is superior compared to birds that are reared in the battery cage system.

Pricing and availability: It takes more space, time and effort to run a free-range poultry farm. Hence, the price of an egg could be between Rs 13-15, while a normal egg costs Rs 4-5. “It varies from region to region,” says Sushant. The availability of such meat is also tougher, he shares.

Cooking methods and flavour: Free-range meat takes the upper hand any day because the taste is far more superior, agree the experts. Shri Bala says, “However, it takes longer to cook and requires constant supervision. The quantity of meat is comparatively lesser too.”

Personal preference: The three chefs unanimously voted in favour of free-range poultry that they regularly cook with. “At a restaurant I head, poultry is the hero of the menu and I’ve gone out of my way to ensure I bring the best of the produce from across the country. I won’t serve anything at the restaurant that I won’t feed my children at home, so I prefer free-range poultry over broiler, any day,” explains Koushik.

Sureshkumar S, a native of Madurai but settled in Chennai for many years, gave up his IT profession to take up farming. Though cattle for dairy is his primary focus, he rears native breeds of poultry too and he can vouch for its benefits, he says. “We have completely stopped consuming broiler chicken; though we don’t rear hens for meat, we use the eggs they lay to cook. My daughters were severely asthmatic, but switching to a healthier and natural diet has brought about significant changes,” he sums up.