Hay-baked poultry
Cooking poultry in hay may seem strange, but it is a very simple method. The bird is just seasoned and cooked slowly for a long time with a large bunch of hay.
During the slow cooking the poultry takes on the flavour of the hay, with its mix of grassy herbal and floral notes.
This recipe is inspired by old rural ways of cooking, where meat was cooked for a long time wrapped in hay that had been freshly gathered in.
During the slow cooking the poultry takes on the flavour of the hay, with its mix of grassy herbal and floral notes.
This recipe is inspired by old rural ways of cooking, where meat was cooked for a long time wrapped in hay that had been freshly gathered in.
36 K 5/5 (2 reviews)
4 hours 25 min.
Easy
4 people
4 IngredientsLast modified on: October 13th 2021
For 4 people, you will need:
100 g hay
1 whole bird (chicken, duck etc.)
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 25 min.
Cooking: 4 hours
All in all: 4 hours 25 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 1 min.
Flatten 100 g hay slightly into a mat.
Stage 2 - 4 min.
Salt and pepper your choice of bird (a guinea fowl here) both inside and out.
Put into a roasting bag.
Put into a roasting bag.
Stage 3 - 2 min.
Slip the hay underneath the bird.
Seal the bag.
Seal the bag.
Stage 4 - 1 min.
Put the wrapped bird in an oven-proof dish or on a baking sheet.
Stage 5 - 4 hours
Cook in the oven at 280°F (140°C) for 4 hours.
Turn the bag upside down halfway through.
Turn the bag upside down halfway through.
Stage 6 - 1 min.
After this time, take the dish out, but leave the oven on.
Stage 7 - 3 min.
Pour all the cooking juices from the bag into a bowl.
Stage 8 - 1 min.
Tip out the contents of the bag onto a baking sheet.
Stage 9 - 2 min.
Remove and discard the hay.
Stage 10 - 5 min.
Pull the meat off the bones. This should be very easy after such long cooking.
Stage 11
Discard the bones and skin and transfer the meat to an oven-proof dish as you go.
Stage 12 - 1 min.
Pour the cooking juices over and put back in the oven to keep hot until serving.
Stage 13
Serve with your choice of vegetables, rice or pasta, as you prefer.
Remarks
If you don't have a roasting bag, use something like a cast-iron casserole with a lid which can go in the oven.
You might find hay in an organic shop these days, but the best way to get it is to ask a local farmer for a little.
The quantity of hay is just for guidance, you just need enough to form a bed under the bird.
You might find hay in an organic shop these days, but the best way to get it is to ask a local farmer for a little.
The quantity of hay is just for guidance, you just need enough to form a bed under the bird.
Keeping: 1 or 2 days in the fridge, covered with plastic film.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 380 RDI=150 % | 0 | 130 RDI=20 % | 2,650 RDI=130 % | 11,080 RDI: 130 % |
| Per 100 g | 20 RDI=8 % | 0 | 6 RDI=1 % | 140 RDI=7 % | 580 RDI: 7 % |
| Per person | 90 RDI=40 % | 0 | 30 RDI=5 % | 660 RDI=30 % | 2,770 RDI: 30 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 4 people : 7.25 €
- Per person : 1.85 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Whole bird (chicken, duck etc.)
Like these other recipes: Five hours poultry, ... See them all 1
Salt
Like these other recipes: Late Winter Soup with Fresh Spinach, Cream of cauliflower soup with smoked haddock , Lemon and lime cakes, Tomato and courgette tart, Tomato and cream cheese terrine, ... See them all 664
Pepper
Like these other recipes: Pasta with green asparagus, Potato gratin, Ratatouille confite, The strange gratin, Polenta, ... See them all 638
Other recipes you may also like
Green hummus
You are probably already familiar with classic hummus. Here's a "green" version, still mainly chickpeas, but with added herbs and vegetables. November 29th 202044 K 20 min.
Chocolate sauce
This rich smooth chocolate sauce, with its full flavour, is one of the indispensable ingredients of profiteroles, but it can be used with many others desserts. February 21th 2011320 K 24 35 min.
Sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée)
Sweetcrust pastry is one of the basic pastry of French patisserie, used in many tart and cakes recipes, but it can also be rolled out and cut into biscuits, delicious with tea or coffee. This recipe is given for those who have a mixer (Kenwood, KitchenAid or other), but it can also be done with your hands. Please note that it's very important to make it several hours before using it, if possible the day before, as then it's much easier to work. July 1st 2019500 K 23.8 35 min.
Blackcurrant liqueur
The fruit liqueurs (or "creams" in French) are a mix of neutral alcohol in which fruits are macerated, and sugar syrup. They are the basis of the very famous "Kir", mixture of dry white wine and blackcurrant liqueur. This recipe is for blackcurrant, but it can be made with other soft fruits like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc. August 3rd 2013876 K 44.7 55 min.
Pitta bread
This Lebanese speciality is made as a flat round pocket, which can be filled with all manner of things. January 8th 2025540 K 14.5 2 hours 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-10-12)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.