Description
The Volailles de Bretagne PGI include different types of winged animals, among which chickens, capons and pullets, guinea hens, geese and turkeys coming from slow-raising breeds and crossbreeds.
Production Area
The production area of Volailles de Bretagne PGI includes the region of Brittany with its four departments, as well as some neighbouring cantons in the regions Lower-Normandy and Paysde-la-Loire.
Production Method
The breeding of Volailles de Bretagne PGI takes place rigorously in the open air and the diet must be based on cereals. The animals are butchered when they achieve an age near the sexual maturity. Slaughtering must take place at a prefixed age for every different breed. A
Appearance and Flavour
Volailles de Bretagne PGI fowls have specific colour, taste and consistency features which change depending on every individual breed and variety. The common characteristic is the compactness due to the type of free breeding in the open air which ensures higher organoleptic features.
History
The production of Volailles de Bretagne PGI comes from the well-rooted tradition of French aviculture. The development of high quality, winged animal production in Brittany had a relaunching phase after 1950, at the same time with the development of industrial aviculture thanks to the commitment of Brittany producers.
Gastronomy
The Volailles de Bretagne PGI can be conserved for maximum 10 days after slaughtering for the selected slices which are presented free from feathers and protected by means of a food film and maximum 14 days after slaughtering for the selected slices, which are vacuum packed or with protected atmosphere and stored in the refrigerator. The Volailles de Bretagne PGI are ideal to cook tasteful and refined second courses, roasted or sauté, seasoned with aromatic herbs and roasted vegetable trimmings. They are perfect combined with potatoes. Above all capons, pullets and Christmas turkeys are required for Christmas and New Year feasts. The dishes cooked with these fowls are generally elaborated and complex. They require long cooking with the addition of sauces and stuffing. Truffled stuffing is used as well as a stuffing enriched with acid cream, chestnuts and dry fruits.
Marketing
The Volailles de Bretagne PGI include different types of products, depending on the specific varieties of poultry of the denomination which are individually written on the package. Amongst these, there are poulet fermier (noir, blanc, jaune), dinde fermière de Noël, pintade fermière, chapon fermier and chapon de pintade fermier, poularde fermière (black, white and yellow farm chicken, Christmas farm turkey, farm guinea hen, farm capon, farm guinea-hen capon, farm pullet). The product is sold whole, with or without head. The winged animals can be plucked, subdivided into different slices (breast, legs, wings, quarters or only fillets), packed in suitable trays with protected atmosphere to guarantee a longer conservation and keep unaltered the organoleptic features of fowl. They are rigorously labelled to enable their traceability.
Distinctive Features
Thanks to the specific selection of the breed, the slaughtering age, the diet rich of cereals and the specific breeding method, the nutritional properties of Volailles de Bretagne PGI are very peculiar. They contain more proteins and less water, mineral salts and vitamins. The Breton climate is perfect for breeding in the open air.
