POulet du Périgord (Chiken from Perigord): a delicious way to taste it

In Périgord , we are spoiled by nature and gastronomy knows how to take advantage of this advantage ... Since always, the chicken of the Périgord pecks on our grounds, it appreciates our climate and it is raised with care on our farms . Our breeding methods , which are today enhanced by a Red Label and 3 PGIs (for the Chicken Périgord, Poularde and Chapon), are in the continuity of the traditional methods , to guarantee a product full of taste and with a REAL nutritional value . Poultry is a lean white meat , appreciated by all and practical for our modern lives. It represents quality calories , inexpensive and very easy to cook . I invite you in my kitchen and this time I'm not alone! We will show you how easy it is to cook a Périgord chicken. Enjoy your meal !

The chicken of Périgord: 3 facts to know

The chicken of Périgord , if it is less known that its cousins the Chicken of the Gers or the Chicken of Bresse, deserves all your attention and your favors to the poultry department of the supermarkets or at the butcher's.

Fact N ° 1: The Périgord Chicken is representative of Périgord traditions, we do not eat duck (link to report), lamb (link to report) or foie gras (link to report) every day. The most popular of the daily is the chicken, which is a lean meat. If nowadays, it is the precut pieces that have the coast, I recommend you turn to the whole poultry , which are more economical (price per kilo), so easy and quick to cook and in addition, you will enjoy the remains , not to cook every day ...

Cooking one or two chickens in the oven is easy!

Fact 2: IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) and Label Rouge are qualitative signs to look for on poultry labels, when you want to eat a quality product . Indeed, the Label Rouge was obtained in 1978 for the Chicken and since 2016, the chicken of Périgord, the Chapon and the Poularde obtained their IGP. What is the difference ? The Red Label is the guarantor of a breeding method , feed (80% of maize, from our farms), growing breeds , which mature with all the necessary time and have at least 81 days . The IGP is the guarantor of a geographical area : a Chicken Perigord is a chicken that comes, which grew and was slaughtered in Périgord (as a cultural zone and tradition of breeding and not as an administrative delimitation, that's why we're going a little over bordering areas).

Fact N ° 3: The poultry farmers (chicken breeders) came together in 2006, to create an association (Le Poulet du Perigord) which brings together more than 270 members, working for the sector and its promotion . I visited a farm in Lunas (near Bergerac) and although the size of some farms is at first different from the fictionalized image of the Périgord mini-farm, breeding methods are no less the same. The chickens are installed in heated buildings (if necessary according to the season) and well ventilated, together (it is a gregarious animal), fed with grain and they go out every day to scrape the ground, peck the grass and stretch The paws. They are of rustic breeds: they are well adapted to the climate and soil of Périgord.

Chickens from Périgord, on a farm in Lunas

Breeds adapted to the conditions of Périgord breeding

What is the difference between a chicken, a chicken and a capon?

This is a good question, the difference mainly concerns the maturity of the animal.

What is commonly called chicken is a chicken or a young cock, the only difference being that males grow a little faster than females! . Chicken Perigord is a rustic strain bare neck, it is raised outdoors for minimum 81 days and fed mainly cereals (80%). The diet is supplemented with soy, alfalfa, vitamins and minerals, as well as all the treats it pecks on the course (grass, worms, insects ...).

Chickens from Perigord, who peck grass on their daily journey

The capon , the noblest festive fowl, is bred for 150 days. It comes from an ancestral chicken strain, called "bare neck", which has the distinction of being a strain of rustic flesh, slow growth. Its flavor is fine, it lends itself to all eccentricities, because with its larger volume than the chicken, it supports long cooking without drying out. The Chapons have a marbled pulpit, which goes very well with the chestnuts of Périgord (link to the report).

Poularde is the little sister of the capon. This hen never laid is from a strain of rustic flesh slow growth, high for 120 days. The chicken is larger than the chicken, it is chosen for family meals or for large tables of friends, to treat several guests.

Tasting tips of the Périgord chicken

The recipes are not lacking, to cook the chicken of Périgord. In our family, we are 5 and we like to buy whole poultry . Quick to prepare, just put them in the oven and wait: it requires little work for a perfect result and a nice amount of leftovers to decorate (the carcass will end in soup, the leftover sauteed with pasta or rice). The chicken of Périgord is so tasty, that it is sufficient to itself, the simplicity is a thing that one can afford with the quality dishes ... I recommend you to put the chicken on a dish and to parry it small potatoes or onions, garlic cloves with their envelopes (they will caramelize, it is a delight).

I place herbs and butter under the skin, for mellow and crispy. In my recipe video, I also put a lemon in the chicken according to the recommendations of the Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver.

Sometimes I cut the chicken before cooking, to enjoy a faster cooking or to make it easy to rest in a marinade (oils and condiments, milk, why not a yoghurt and spices ...).

There are earthenware dishes , which look like Kouglof molds, on which the chicken is pricked by the rump to make it stand vertically. The cooked chicken and the fat is deposited in the bottom of the dish. It's like a chicken spit at home, it's dietetic, but for the greedy, just put vegetables in the bottom of the dish to go directly to heaven!

And which wine of Bergerac Duras to drink with a delicious Périgord chicken? I recommend a Côtes-de-Bergerac red , a wine that brings elegant tannins to a friendly recipe like this one. You can also opt for a Montravel Rouge , which, with its beautiful lengths and the density of its aromas, sublimate this poultry of choice!

When cooked, the chicken is very easy to cut, look at the video at the top of the article to see the chicken cutout!

With small herbs from the garden, it's the best (for me, rosemary, thyme and oregano)

Hummmm just out of the oven!

Learn more

• Find all the necessary information to know the association of the chicken of Périgord, on its Internet site
• Have the Périgord Attitude! Find recipes, find tips and deals with Périgord wines.
• Watch our other reports! On the Périgord Lamb , Périgord Strawberry , Perigord Foie Gras, Périgord Marrons ...

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