then heats up again as moisture flow slows
and the burner heat catches up. The
temperature is high enough to dehydrate,
brown, and crisp the surface, while the
gradual movement of heat into the meat gives
the cook a reasonable window of time in
which to stop the cooking while the meat is
still moist.
The Keys to Crisp Skin
One of the special pleasures of a well-
cooked bird is its crisp, rich skin. The skin
of birds and other animals is mainly water
(about 50%), fat (40%), and connective-
tissue collagen (3%). In order to crisp the
skin, the cook must dissolve the leathery
collagen into tender gelatin in the skin’s
water, and then vaporize the water out of
the skin. The high heat of a hot oven or
frying pan does this most effectively; slow
cooking at a low oven temperature can
desiccate the skin while its collagen is