Bresse Chickens in Paris?

[onocoffee]

At the end of the month, I will be swinging through Paris for a dinner at Robert et Louise and some baguettes at Stephane Secco but since I will probably be in town for two nights I was hoping someone would have a recommendation to try these Bresse chickens I've heard so much about.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

[TarteTatin]

I know is I tried to buy one at a butcher's and it weighed out to what equaled $125 american dollars.

I went to a marche instead and bought a "ferme" (I think that's the word) for farm chicken, and it was pretty tasty.

Rotisserie de Beaujolais, right next to- and owned by La Tour D'argent, has very good rotisserie chickens and duck, but I'm not sure they're actually Bresse.

Oh, the memory of Bresse chicken from Georges Blanc in Vonnas, near Macon!!

Yum.

[plafield]

At the end of the month, I will be swinging through Paris for a dinner at Robert et Louise and some baguettes at Stephane Secco but since I will probably be in town for two nights I was hoping someone would have a recommendation to try these Bresse chickens I've heard so much about.

Any suggestions?  Thanks!

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A couple of years ago I took my daughters (at the time 18 and 21) to Le Violin Ingres and they ordered Bresse chicken for 2 for 84E. They brought out the whole raw chicken to show us (which my girls thought was hysterical..."it's a chicken for god's sake!") and while it was delicious, we all agreed that it wasn't worth the price. They served it with truffled macaroni and cheese and white asparagus.

Last month I had marvelous Bresse chicken as my plat at Au Gourmand (rue Moliere in the 1st, 01.42.96.22.19, closed Sundays and Mondays) as part of a totally delicious 3 course menu for 36E. It was also served with rich macaroni and cheese (OK- no truffles but the truffle flavor wasn't really distinct at Le Violin) and white asparagus as well as few amazing, fresh spring morel mushrooms. It was on the carte (for 35E)and not included in the menu but they happily substituted for me. I expected to pay extra for that but they charged the same 36E for my 3 courses.

[Ptipois]

Bresse chicken is a bit overrated if I can express myself so. It used to be considered the best chicken but in fact the quality fluctuates a lot. And that was before other tenderer (and IMO tastier) fowls appeared on the market, like really good yellow Landes chicken, yellow cou-nu or even Challans when you can get it fresh. Not to mention farm chickens you can buy on markets. Bresse chicken is still good, but it depends on where you get it and who produced it. It is a bit too firm and springy for my taste, especially since many chefs tend to undercook it.

[docsconz]

Clearly the most economical way of experiencing Bresse chicken, especially if you like to cook is to cook it yourself. When we were in Paris three years ago I bought two Bresse chickens at a market and roasted them in the apartment that we rented. Of course, that was an exceptional kitchen for a rental apartment. The chickens were delicious. Would I spend $125 per chicken today as was quoted above? Probably not. While not cheap. they cost considerably less back then with the stronger dollar.

[Ptipois]

Indeed the most economical way of experiencing Bresse chicken is to buy and cook it yourself. The price difference will be incredible, once you know that some high-end restaurants do not hesitate to charge $ 100 or so for a roast chicken.

Still Bresse chicken is never cheap, while it is much cheaper bought from a boucher or volailler. And that is precisely the problem with it. Buying a white chicken with the blue-white-red "Poulet de Bresse" label on it won't necessarily provide you with satisfactory quality. For one thing, it has strong chances of being better at a restaurant, because chefs who have a reputation for their Bresse chicken generally have impeccable sourcing and stick to it. While you never really know what you will get when you buy it raw. The Bresse label, unfortunately, does not insure constant quality, while "younger" labels like Challans, Janzé or some poulets jaunes des Landes are usually more reliable. That is why I no longer buy Bresse chicken and turned to the other mentioned labels a couple of years ago (especially after realizing what William Ledeuil did once achieve with plancha-grilled yellow Landes chicken; he could never have done such wonders with bresse).

One of those chefs who don't mess with Bresse chickens is Guy Savoy. In any of his bistrots, you won't be disappointed with the roasted Bresse chicken. It is even the only truly edible dish at La Butte Chaillot, sorry to say. Very good and reasonably priced too.

Edited June 8, 2008 by Ptipois (log)

[emsny]

If cost isn't too much of an issue, Le Bristol's poulet en vessie (must be ordered for two) is about as good a Bresse chicken dish as you'll find in a restaurant. And Ptipois is so right about the difficulty of buying a first-class Bresse chicken at retail - and also about some of those south-western chickens being more satisfying, though that's matter for a whole other thread.

[julot-les-pinceaux]

I'm pretty sure that La Butte Chaillot doesn't serve Bresse chicken, even if indeed their roast chicken is the only reason to go there. Given actual retail prices for good Bresse chicken and the difficulty of sourcing them, I actually think that starred restaurants offering often offer relatively good value (as some do for truffle and other really hard to find ingredients), even if prices are scary. In Paris, I am indeed not aware of anyohne offering better Bresse than Fréchon at le Bristol. Heading south east and not mentioning Blanc, the poularde Alexandre Dumaine in Saulieu and the poularde en vessie of Bocuse are great too. In Paris, one of the features of the transformation of Lucas-Carton into Senderens is the transition from Bresse to Landes, quite successful (but it isn't always on the menu).

I like the chicken dish at l'Auberge Bressane (classic à la crème et aux morilles). But despite the name, I would not bet that they actually use Bresse chicken.

In general, even great bresse chicken is a very special ingredient. It's only the best chicken you can have from a certain point of view. In my view, roasting it (btw, Taillevent does it) is always suboptimal as opposed to poaching it (poularde en vessie, demi-deuil, Alexandre Dumaine). For roast chicken, other breeds give better results. Also, different breeds turn a simple roast chicken into very different dishes, with different in taste, texture, the way the skin becomes crispy, etc.

Chicken is an universe.

Edited June 9, 2008 by julot-les-pinceaux (log)

[kiliki]

I had a roasted Bresse chicken breast at Cafe Constant a couple of weeks ago--it was I think 18E, same as all the other plats.

[robyn]

...Given actual retail prices for good Bresse chicken and the difficulty of sourcing them, I actually think that starred restaurants offering often offer relatively good value (as some do for truffle and other really hard to find ingredients), even if prices are scary. In Paris, I am indeed not aware of anyohne offering better Bresse than Fréchon at le Bristol. Heading south east and not mentioning Blanc...

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Why not mention Blanc? We had the most wonderful chicken there - albeit a *very* long time ago. I understand the place has changed a lot since then - perhaps not for the better - but why not mention it?

BTW - I think many prices in a lot of major cities these days are scary. But - especially if you are traveling long distances to go somewhere - I would splurge on at least some things - especially food in France. And - if on a budget - try to compensate for the splurge by finding relatively inexpensive fun things. There is nothing worse than spending a lot of money on a mediocre restaurant (it is very easy to do that in the United States - and I am sure it is even easier to do that in Paris). One suggestion for US travelers in terms of saving a few dollars is get a credit card that does not tack on an extra 2-4% for converting foreign currencies into US dollars. Robyn

[Ptipois]

I do think it is still Bresse chicken served at La Butte Chaillot. At least it was back in the late 90s when Guy Savoy worked on his book La Cuisine de mes bistrots.

[Really Nice!]

We were in Paris in February and one of our goals was to taste this chicken to see if it was special. We found a place that had it on their menu on our last night there: Au Bon Accueil in the 7th. It was quite delicious!

Au Bon Accueil

14, Rue Monttessuy

75007 Paris, France

+33 1 47 05 46 11

[Carlsbad]

The farm raised chicken in two courses at Dominique Bouchet might be what you are looking for. Dominque Bouchet

[sharonb]

I know is I tried to buy one at a butcher's and it weighed out to what equaled $125 american dollars.

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Huh? That seems improbable...

Then again, my market sells (already cooked) shrimp by the 100 grams. 5,50 euros. Yep, $40 a pound. If I recall, from a recent trip to New York, the same bestioles go for about $5.99 a pound.

[TarteTatin]

Yes, Sharon. That was the price.

Of course, I asked for the biggest one they had to feed a lot of people.

And, it was a butcher on the I'sle, opposite Bertillon, which was a really stupid touristy choice.

Now that I look back.

He got really mad when he weighed it and then gave us the price and I quickly converted it and

said , "no thank you." Really pissy. Like, "these stupid Americans".

[robyn]

I know is I tried to buy one at a butcher's and it weighed out to what equaled $125 american dollars.

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Huh? That seems improbable...

Then again, my market sells (already cooked) shrimp by the 100 grams. 5,50 euros. Yep, $40 a pound. If I recall, from a recent trip to New York, the same bestioles go for about $5.99 a pound.

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There are shrimp - and then there are SHRIMP. I live in an area with a shrimp fleet (where fuel costs for the boats have tripled in the last couple of years) - and the cheapest fresh local wild caught shrimp of decent size uncooked heads on in a middle of the road supermarket are about $8/pound. And it is not hard to spend $20-25/pound in local non-gourmet grocery stores on certain meats - like veal chops. $15-20/pound for choice - not prime - higher end cuts of beef. We don't have Bresse chicken - except by mail order - so I don't know what it costs where it is easier to get. High quality ingredients are expensive these days - and I don't expect them to get cheaper anytime soon. Robyn

[Margaret Pilgrim]

  High quality ingredients are expensive these days - and I don't expect them to get cheaper anytime soon.

Add to this the fact that food in Britain and Europe is much more expensive than in the US. Superior product in France can be mind-bogglingly expensive by our standards. (Is that a word? )

[Felice]

If cost isn't too much of an issue, Le Bristol's poulet en vessie (must be ordered for two) is about as good a Bresse chicken dish as you'll find in a restaurant. And

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I agree, this was by far the best chicken I have ever tasted, and the presentation, as you can see, is spectacular.

[The Blissful Glutton]

You can get it at Allard. The frog legs are also insanely good.‎

1, Rue l’Eperon, Paris 6.

Telephone: 01 43 26 48 23.

Fax: 01 46 33 04 02.

Métro: Odéon.

Patricia Wells has a listing on her site which you can view HERE.

[robyn]

  High quality ingredients are expensive these days - and I don't expect them to get cheaper anytime soon.

Add to this the fact that food in Britain and Europe is much more expensive than in the US. Superior product in France can be mind-bogglingly expensive by our standards. (Is that a word? )

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Couldn't agree more. This is a bit OT - but I just saw "prime beef" in Costco today for $8.99/pound. It is frozen - and I am sure it is probably not the best "prime" beef in the world - but $8.99/pound? Perhaps the worst country I have ever seen in terms of normal food costs (as opposed to the kind of gift food items you see in places like Japan) was Norway. There are many cultural/political issues that give rise to both high food costs (like tariffs designed to a protect a country's food producers - and/or its self-sufficiency in terms of food) - or low food costs (like subsidizing the cost of the basic ingredients most people use every day to eat). With the world food production/distribution system going a little "haywire" these days - it is an important issue to follow.

FWIW - that $125 Bresse chicken seems positively cheap compared to a melon that just sold in Japan this week for about $15,000! And if I had a goal to eat a Bresse chicken - or any other distinctly regional ingredient in France (or any other country) - I would make a point of going to the area of the country where that item is produced - and sample various versions of it at various places. I would also go at various times of the year - because many products are seasonal. My husband and I have done that in the past - when we liked to drive a whole lot more than we like to drive now. Robyn