Poulet de Bresse

[Fat Guy]

The Bresse chicken we had at Georges Blanc a few years ago was quite memorable. It seemed identifiably different from any other chicken we'd had in France and altogether different from American chickens. It was probably a 4-5 pound bird. Half of it split between two people was a lot of food.

I'm pretty sure it was prepared as a fricassee, but it didn't have the same properties as when I prepare a fricassee. Blanc doesn't allow the chicken to acquire any significant color in the sautee phase, and in the covered cooking phase he seems to keep things pretty wet. By American standards his chicken is also a bit undercooked, but this definitely allows the flavors to carry -- I imagine if you took his chicken up another few degrees in doneness it would lose much of its subtlety.

The sauce, consisting of about a kilogram of foie gras and butter per person, also helped.

In any event, given Blanc's lofty status in the Bresse chicken universe, I would think that his methods would be a place to start. If there are unique properties of the Bresse chicken that can be brought out through cooking, surely he has given the matter more thought than most anybody else. I've only flipped through his two English-language books, but I know he has done something like ten cookbooks in French.

[John Whiting]

Next week we're hoping to experience the roast chicken at Allard in Paris, which has apparently been memorable for at least half a century. If it actually tastes better than what we regularly produce with Sheepdrove organic birds cooked in a chicken brick, it will be the first time ever.

[Boris_A]

My experiences with p.d. Bresse are mixed. Sometimes it's clearly better, sometimes it's just normal. It's either me or the chicken. I usually blame the chicken. (A kingdom (or at least a horse) for reliable supply lines.)

Another famous species is "Poularde de Houdan", but I never made it to buy one. I know an importer who supplies half of the luxury restaurants here around (lamb from the pyrenees, wonderful matured beef filets, great prok, poulardes, ...), price is ok but supply is limited and being a private client, I not only have to go there, but I have to take the left-over. Living in the basement of the food pyramide, you know.

I just PMed (copyright issue) a most simple recipe for sauteed chicken. Simple recipes are unforgiving wrt. to raw material. It's a litmus test.

[bleudauvergne]

The Bresse chicken we had at Georges Blanc a few years ago was quite memorable. It seemed identifiably different from any other chicken we'd had in France and altogether different from American chickens. It was probably a 4-5 pound bird. Half of it split between two people was a lot of food.

I'm pretty sure it was prepared as a fricassee, but it didn't have the same properties as when I prepare a fricassee. Blanc doesn't allow the chicken to acquire any significant color in the sautee phase, and in the covered cooking phase he seems to keep things pretty wet. By American standards his chicken is also a bit undercooked, but this definitely allows the flavors to carry -- I imagine if you took his chicken up another few degrees in doneness it would lose much of its subtlety.

The sauce, consisting of about a kilogram of foie gras and butter per person, also helped.

In any event, given Blanc's lofty status in the Bresse chicken universe, I would think that his methods would be a place to start. If there are unique properties of the Bresse chicken that can be brought out through cooking, surely he has given the matter more thought than most anybody else. I've only flipped through his two English-language books, but I know he has done something like ten cookbooks in French.

George Blanc, born and raised in Bourg en Bresse. His recipe - This is the one, yes?

Fricassée de poularde de Bresse aux gousses d'ail et au foie gras

What's making it different from the regular fricassee in this recipe is that the bird is not fully carved before cooking, only removing the legs. He leaves the breasts on the carcass during the whole cooking process, and carves the bird just before serving.

Your comment on being careful not to overcook the bird is noted.

He uses a lot less fois gras and butter than you were served , 100 grams of fois gras and 120 grams of butter for the whole bird in the above recipe - could this be the same recipe I wonder?

He mentions serving it with potato "crepes" (click), or a fresh vegetable in season. FG, do you remember what your dish was served with?

Next week we're hoping to experience the roast chicken at Allard in Paris

Hi John, I hope you have a memorable experience.

My experiences with p.d. Bresse are mixed. Sometimes it's clearly better, sometimes it's just normal. It's either me or the chicken. I usually blame the chicken. (A kingdom (or at least a horse) for reliable supply lines.)

Boris, I'm not sure supply lines have everything to do with it, I'm buying direct from the supplier who comes down from Bourg en Bresse (It's about an hour drive from here) to sell them at the producers' market... And I also get mixed results, i.e. poulet de bresse on the roti's nothing to write home about.

However I do accept your point. If you want us to swing through and get a couple direct from the farm on the way up to dinner with you we'll be happy to do it. I'm sorry I'm allergic to Horse but anything else from your illustrious fourneau will be fine, as long as it's accompanied by some of that fabulous wine you've been bragging about.

I just PMed (copyright issue) a most simple recipe for sauteed chicken. Simple recipes are unforgiving wrt. to raw material. It's a litmus test.

Thank you Boris, I've got the recipe, I'll try it but I'm taking pictures so warn your friend...

Please post more memorable experiences with Poulet de Bresse - I am trying to formulate a really strong theory on the best ways to cook this bird, and why - I need more collective experience to draw from...

[MobyP]

Lucy -

I thought you might be interested in the Ducasse Method, while we're looking. What i find interesting about the recipe is the respect given to the bird - the rotating, the basting, the resting afterwards. I started following this as a basic method, and especially with delicately flavoured birds, I found the results vastly improved.

Also, I recently had a meal at L'Ambroisie where they brought two PdB 'avec l'herbes' to the next table. I tried to reproduce it at home (with a similar style bird), and had fantastic results. Having made a mixture off thyme, tarragon, parsley, and a touch of rosemary, salt and pepper, and mixed it with about 150g of butter, I cooled the mixture, then put it under the breast skin, and (here was something new) left the birds like this in the fridge for a couple of hours. After they'd been roasted and rested, the perrfume of the herbs came through beautifully.

I think, as with all things, if it's the delicateness of the flesh that you want to enjoy, you don't want to smother it with too many other powerfully flavoured ingredients.

Strong Theory of Chickens! Is that like a theory of Weakly Interacting Masssive Particles, only tastier?

[PS]

I had a wonderful Poulet de Bresse meal at George Blanc's L'Ancienne Auberge bistro in Vonnas. I think it was Poulet a la mere Blanc (excuse my shaky French) - chicken done in a creme fraiche sauce, served with rice. Absolutely delicious, and as noted above, very moist. The recipe is in his Cuisine en Famille book, which is highly recommended, even with my sketchy grasp of the language.

You could always try Blanc's La Splendid in Lyon? I am sure they will do plenty of Poulet de Bresse recipes there.

[MobyP]

Here's an appalingly tanslated English Version of the Blanc recipe with Foie Gras.

[Jonathan Day]

I used to buy poultry from the Boucherie Alain in Mougins; it may well have supplied the poulet de Bresse to L'Amandier, where Ducasse cooked that chicken described in the link Moby has provided. It supplied a number of the area restaurants. Sadly, the Boucherie Alain is now closed and my last meal at L'Amandier, which no longer associated with Vergé or Ducasse, was horrid -- e.g. parts were burnt.

But Alain, while it was open, was a marvel. I once ordered a Bresse capon there; Alain's apprentice started to prepare it, removing pinfeathers, trimming the bird, and in general going through the wonderful ritual that artisanal butchers follow before handing a product over to the customer. The queue was long and Alain himself was busy, but he spotted the apprentice at work, swooped down on him and grabbed the capon. "C'est un chapon de Bresse," he admonished, "et il faut le respecter." That's a Bresse capon! Show it some respect!

Quite a bit of cookery advice could be summed up in those four words: show it some respect!

[Bux]

Here's an appalingly tanslated English Version of the Blanc recipe with Foie Gras.

From the White George restaurant! At least i can add "elutriate" to my vocabulary.

[Fat Guy]

Bleu, that recipe/presentation looks almost exactly like what I had at Georges Blanc. I'll try to dig out my notes to see if there was any notable variance.

[Bux]

Especially since Blanc doesn't brown the meat, I would think it would be great cold the next day in a salad with some homemade mayonnaise. Thus a larger bird could be good for two or more meals.

[sarge]

Here's an appalingly tanslated English Version of the Blanc recipe with Foie Gras.

Here is a better if less interesting translation of the recipe from the same site.

Edited July 4, 2004 by sarge (log)

[artisanbaker]

the chicken is overrated imo.

go with a farm chicken that's been well raised for half the price

[bleudauvergne]

Hi artisanbaker - would you mind sharing your experience that gave the impression it was overrated, i.e. have you prepared dishes featuring this bird or were you served it at a restaurant and felt it was not up to your expectation? My poulet de Bresse is the same price as free range. My thought is that maybe I am not preparing it in a way that best suits the bird, and hearing both how people have prepared it and had memorable experiences or how it was served (and enjoyed - or not) in a restaurant would be helpful.

[Jonathan Day]

By American standards his chicken is also a bit undercooked, but this definitely allows the flavors to carry -- I imagine if you took his chicken up another few degrees in doneness it would lose much of its subtlety.

This is a point not worth skating by. Some of the finest chickens I have tasted in French restaurants (Ledoyen and the Grand Véfour both come to mind) have had breast meat that was just on the edge of pink. A recent chicken with tarragon at L'Auberge, in London, was done in this way. Chez Bruce, also in London, sometimes features a poached chicken; the waiters warn customers that the meat will be slightly pink.

Corby Kummer wrote a piece in The Atlantic -- unfortunately so long ago that it's not on their website -- called "Cook Pork Pink: It's Better That Way". Maybe something similar should be written about chicken.

[Schneier]

The Bresse chicken we had at Georges Blanc a few years ago was quite memorable. It seemed identifiably different from any other chicken we'd had in France and altogether different from American chickens. It was probably a 4-5 pound bird. Half of it split between two people was a lot of food.

I also had a Bresse chicken at Georges Blanc a few years ago. I didn't taste a real qualititative difference in the chicken. Yes, it was delicious, but it was chicken. What I really want is a side-by-side comparison.

[John Whiting]

Some of the finest chickens I have tasted in French restaurants (Ledoyen and the Grand Véfour both come to mind) have had breast meat that was just on the edge of pink.  A recent chicken with tarragon at L'Auberge, in London, was done in this way. Chez Bruce, also in London, sometimes features a poached chicken; the waiters warn customers that the meat will be slightly pink.

Corby Kummer wrote a piece in The Atlantic -- unfortunately so long ago that it's not on their website -- called "Cook Pork Pink: It's Better That Way".   Maybe something similar should be written about chicken.

The pinkness is, I believe, the result of a necessary compromise in restaurant cooking. An unavoidable fact is that it is impractical for a restaurant to offer very long slow-cooked meat, unless it is a joint that can be divided into a number of servings, such as mouton de sept heurs. For instance, on Sunday we had, at home, a fine organic chicken which had been cooked for half a day in a brick at gas 1 while we were out visiting gardens. If Allard's poulet de Bresse on Thursday is in this class, I'll be pleasantly astounded.

When Rowley Leigh wrote his first cookbook, his title of choice, which his publisher asked him to drop, was Better at Home.

EDIT Slow cooked in this fashion, the skin is pale and not crisp, but we consider this to be a small sacrifice. When cold, the meat can still virtually be eaten with a spoon. It is essential that the meat rest to luke-warm before cutting, so that the juices do not pour out.

Edited July 5, 2004 by John Whiting (log)

[Schneier]

For instance, on Sunday we had, at home, a fine organic chicken which had been cooked for half a day in a brick at gas 1 while we were out visiting gardens.

Can someone please translate this into American. I have no "brick," nor is my gas numerically calibrated.

[Fat Guy]

Isn't meat color a question of temperature, not time?

Restaurants manage to do plenty of slow cooking. There's nothing about the configuration of a restaurant kitchen that makes quick cooking mandatory. Slow cooking is basically just a part of mise en place, like dicing vegetables or making stocks: you have to make a prediction as to how many customers will want the dish, you prepare that many portions, and if you underestimate you 86 the item and if you overestimate you have tomorrow's staff meal. Braised dishes are ubiquitous at all levels of restaurant -- short ribs, lamb shanks, etc. -- and prime rib and roast beef are easy enough to find in both the US and UK. Cassoulet, coq au vin . . . you can get all this stuff in restaurants. In the poultry department, there are plenty of restaurants, though not typically haute cuisine ones, and vendors that specialize in rotisserie chicken, which I would characterize as a slow cooking method. And of course sous vide cooking has opened up a whole new area of slow cookery.

I certainly agree that some things are better at home, though. Indeed I think that would make a good topic, separate from this one.

[John Whiting]

Steven's response is entirely correct in theory, but I suspect that the practicalities militate againsy very slow cooking except for those restaurants which specialize in it for a narrowly defined repertoire. As for color: whatever the reason, our very slow-cooked meat is never in fact pink.

For American readers: a chicken brick, once fashionable but now difficult to obtain, is an unglazed clay pot whose interior is exactly the shape and size of a 4 lb. chicken. Gas 1 in an oven is 275F.

[Fat Guy]

Okay now I need to find one of these things. Is this eBay item what you're talking about?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ssPageName=WDVW

[Boris_A]

An unavoidable fact is that it is impractical for a restaurant to offer very long slow-cooked ...

That's why I love to offer exactly that kind of cookery. It's tasty, it's simple (almost primitive) , and I dont' know of many (rather any) professional locations where you can order it. Thus, a vast field for amateurs (not inclined to imitate the pros).

  Isn't meat color a question of temperature, not time?

There are two parameters in play here (one too much, I'm tempted to say)

the waiters warn customers that the meat will be slightly pink.

A task much more difficult if you are not the waiter but rather an unstarred home cook wihtout any authority.

[Bux]

the waiters warn customers that the meat will be slightly pink.

A task much more difficult if you are not the waiter but rather an unstarred home cook wihtout any authority.

Mrs. B has no problem not only telling me how the food will be served, but that I will like it--all with good authority.

[TarteTatin]

I agree with Fat Guy that Georges Blanc, where we've eaten twice, has the best Poulet Bresse I've ever had!

It does taste completely different!

But for us, perhaps its because we are visiting the very heart of Bresse country?

The Terroir is everything.

Even Bleu de Bresse is better when you are right there in the middle of it!

Just like Jersey tomatoes are better when you are right here in New Jersey (actually Philly).

Local stuff tastes best to me.

Wherever you are.

...and as to the pink question for fowl...I say go for it. Not bloody, but pink is fine.

[TatarsHat]

I was just perusing my August Food & Wine and came across an article using a Mattone (Italian Brick) It's a two piece clay vessel. The top lid needs to fit inside the bottom which applies pressure to the chicken. Not sure if chicken brick on ebay does that but it looks interesting!! A Mattone can be purchased at Sur La Table, W-S etc.