Page 12 - gfs0118_Magazine

FOOD FOCUS: POULTRY

Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Hunter Haines of
the Naval Air Station Jacksonville Flight Line Cafe
serves a customer some freshly prepared chicken
and side dishes. (Photo by Aviation Maintenance
Administrationman 2nd Class Sarah Morris, USN)

used,” Brockington said. “From-
scratch is preferred. Food items
can be prepared in different ways
from scratch. Items from the raw
state give us more options and
variations of cooking.”
VARIETY
Rotisserie chicken is a
healthy preparation method that
the Flight Line Café introduced
two years ago to increase menu
variety and add more better-for-
decision the preparation and cooking methods used. you choices.
“Cooking methods are changing due to health and Ethnic cuisine is popular with service members and
nutrition considerations,” he said. “Grilled and baked are is leading to the addition of a few new poultry recipes,
the preferred methods.” such as chicken tocino and chicken enchiladas, he said.
The Navy has responded by phasing out methods that While poultry brings chicken to mind, the category
introduce higher fat content. “The Navy as a whole is go- has more to it. The Flight Line Café 21-day menu cycle
ing away from fried foods,” Brockington said. “Grilled is also features Cornish hen, and turkey is served more often
used more frequently because of the high acceptability it than just for special occasions and holiday meals.
has. The fryer is used less due to the health and nutrition The poultry category comprises many and various seg-
consideration. The advantage of the most frequently used ments. It is second largest by dollar volume among the 35
method is the amount of food that can be cooked at one subsistence prime vendor categories, and is divided into 23
time without losing flavor and color.” segments. The largest of the poultry segments is Chicken
Substitutes help to keep some favorite fried foods avail- Pieces (Frozen/Gasflushed/Refrigerated) with 36.5 percent
able, despite the challenge presented by removing fryers of sales in calendar 2016 followed by Chicken Breasts
from Navy galleys. “Fried chicken from scratch is going (Frozen/Refrigerated) with 28.14 percent and Chicken
away and replaced with pre-made fried chicken that is (Breaded/Frozen/Precooked/Ground) in third with 9.98
cooked in ovens,” he said. percent. Combined, these three segments are 74.62 percent
When talking with the NAS Jacksonville military popula- of dollar volume in the category.
tion, Brockington said the comments from service members Total Poultry category sales in 2016 were $137.64 mil-
show a desire for healthier cooking and more menu items lion, which represents 10.9 percent of Defense Logistics
that are similar to what is available outside the gate. Agency Troop Support prime vendor sales.
“The feedback that we receive from the service mem- Brockington welcomes the variety, using the different
bers is not about the poultry, but rather the way it is parts and varieties available in the poultry category through-
prepared,” he said. “Service members would like to see it out the year, including chicken breast, eight-piece chicken,
on the menu the way they see it out in town or prepared frozen diced chicken, canned diced chicken, chicken cor-
in a different variation other than how the cycle menu don bleu, chicken fajitas, chicken tocino, chicken sausage
has it being prepared.” patties, turkey fajitas, whole turkey, turkey rolls, turkey
Navy regulations also limit the availability of fried items. sausage links and turkey sausage patties.
Any daily menu must not have two fried entrées at the Chicken breast has many uses, including grilled chicken
same time. “So in regard to poultry, if an entrée is fried sandwiches, chicken Parmesan and chicken Alfredo, while
the other must be cooked using a different method, such eight-piece chicken is used in making herbed or savory
as baked or grilled,” Brockington said. “For example, if baked chicken and fried chicken.
the menu calls for fried chicken, the other entrée could Diced chicken becomes the filling for chicken potpie
be blackened catfish on the grill or baked BBQ Ribs. [The and is used in making chicken soup, while chicken fajita
galley] Must follow Go For Green guidelines. is the main course on Taco Tuesdays at the Café. He also
A consequence of the Navy increasing its use of pre- uses turkey rolls in making roast turkey and that can be
made foods to cut back on frying is that less cooking is cut into strips as an ingredient for turkey fajitas.
being done from scratch. “At a shore galley facility both are —GFS
12 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • JANUARY 2018