Bresse chicken

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

This article is about the chicken. For other uses, see Bresse (disambiguation).
Poulet de Bresse
A labelled poulet de Bresse
Typepullet, chicken or capon
Place of originFrance
Region or stateBresse
Other informationProtected designation of origin (PDO) and appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status
The approximate area of production of the poulet de Bresse (in red)
White Bresse de Bény chickens

The poulet de Bresse (French pronunciation:

province of Bresse
, in eastern France.

History

The chickens of the Bresse region have long enjoyed a high reputation. The lawyer, politician,

Georges Blanc, who is from Bourg-en-Bresse, has been president of the Comité Interprofessionnel de la Volaille de Bresse, the association which oversees the product, since 1986.[4] Alan Davidson described the poulet de Bresse as the "aristocrat of modern table poultry",[5] and Heston Blumenthal selected it for one of the dishes in his book In Search of Perfection.[6]

Production

Poulet de Bresse may be produced only from white chickens (the Bresse de Bény variety) of the

Bourgogne respectively. It lies mainly between the towns of Mâcon, Chalon-sur-Saône, Dole and Lons-le-Saunier; Bourg-en-Bresse is within the area. Lyon is not far to the south, and Dijon
not far to the north.

Approximately 1.2 million poulet de Bresse birds are produced each year, about 0.1% of the total annual production of chickens in France; about 10% are exported.[1] The chickens are raised under strict controls. There are about 200 breeders; each must have a minimum of 0.5 ha of pasture in the area of production, and allow a minimum of 10 m2 per bird. Each bird must pass inspection by the Centre de Sélection de la Volaille de Bresse, the only breeding centre for the Bresse chicken.[2]

The birds are kept free range for at least four months. From about 35 days they are fed cereals and dairy products; the diet is intentionally kept low in protein so that the birds will forage for insects. They are then "finished" in an épinette, a cage in a darkened fattening shed, where they are intensively fed on maize and milk.

poulardes or large hens are fattened for four weeks and slaughtered at five months, when they weigh at least 1.8 kg; chapons or capons are also fattened for four weeks, and are slaughtered at eight months or more, at a minimum weight of 3 kg.[2]

The birds are marketed with the head and characteristic slate-blue legs, traditionally a sign of authenticity. The left leg carries a metal leg-ring with the name of the producer.[2]

Poulet de Bresse commands premium prices. In 2002 producers of poulet de Bresse received an average of €4.00 per kg (whole chicken, ready to cook); comparable prices received by producers of organic and standard chickens were €2.70 and €1.60 respectively.[7] Retail prices are much higher; a price of £19.50 per kg was reported from London in 2011.[8]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Poule de Bresse.
  1. ^ a b c d Jon Henley (10 January 2008). Top of the pecking order. The Guardian. Accessed October 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Dirk de Jong (2007). De Bresse-Gauloise: Ruim 400 jaar oud en nog springlevend = Bresse-Gauloise: More than 400 years old, and still fresh and lively. Aviculture-Europe 3 (2): [unpaginated, 9 pages].
  3. ISBN 9781405156424
    . p. 330.
  4. ^ Press release for La vie en blanc, by Georges Blanc (2008). Saint-Julien-sur-Veyle: GSL éditions. Accessed October 2014.
  5. ISBN 9780192115799
    . p. 378.
  6. doi:10.1525/gfc.2007.7.4.100
    (subscription required)
  7. doi:10.1017/S1014233900005538
  8. ^ Christopher Hirst (19 March 2011). Home to roast: Are designer chickens worth the money?. The Independent. Accessed October 2014.
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