The “Glorieuses de Bresse”: chickens, hens, turkeys and capons in the spotlight.

61587 Views 16/11/2023 0 comments Posted By: Emmanuel Poulet-Harmel In: Blog of gourmets

 They are the favorite of gourmets and chefs. Whether chicken, hen, turkey or capon, Bresse poultry is present on the best tables in France, particularly during this end-of-year holiday period. 

 The only gallinaceae in the world to hold the dual designation AOC (1957) and AOP (1996), they are highlighted each  year in December during the prestigious “Les Glorieuses de Bresse” competition. 

  A poultry in the colors of the French standard
 It's hard not to recognize it on the stalls. With its color codes, Bresse poultry has very specific characteristics: entirely white plumage, fine and smooth blue legs, a bright red crest with large serrations, very white skin and flesh. 

 It is exclusively raised outdoors in the Pays de Bresse, an area approximately 100 km long and 40 km wide whose limits were strictly specified to determine the production area allowing the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée to be given. 

 This territory is spread over three departments, namely Ain, Saône et Loire and part of Jura, all real bocages where the grass is lush, abundant and rich in earthworms, molluscs, vegetable proteins and animals which constitute a third of its diet. In addition, it is fed corn and wheat produced on site, most often by the breeder himself, and milk, giving it its fine and delicate taste. 

  A competition that is both prestigious and friendly
 The celebration of Bresse poultry dates back to 1862, when breeders presented their finest specimens for sale. Today producers exhibit and sell their poultry as part of four competitions called the “Glorieuses de Bresse” which take place each year in December in four towns: Bourg-en-Bresse, Louhans, Montrevel en Bresse and Pont de Vaux. 

 The most beautiful “rolled” poultry are submitted to the appreciation of a jury made up of knowledgeable gourmets, professionals and chefs. Rolling, a true “vacuum packing”, is an ancestral tradition which allowed better conservation and facilitated the transport of Bresse poultry. 

 After slaughter, the chickens and capons are plucked by hand, washed, and wrapped in very fine plant cloth to protect their skin. This canvas is sewn like a corset and tightened very tightly. The body then becomes a molded piece, marbled with fine fats like the tastiest meats.