Description
The Volailles du Forez PGI include poultry, capons and farmyard turkeys coming from rustic breeds and their crossbreeds. They are characterised by slow-raising methods and by their bare neck; they come from a very ancient local breed.
Production Area
The production area of Volailles du Forez PGI covers the department of Loire and the neighbouring areas. It includes 27 cantons of Puy de Dôme, 16 cantons of Haute-Loire and four cantons of Saôneet-Loire. It is located in the Burgundy, Auvergne and Rhone-Alps regions.
Production Method
The poultry receive a diet consisting of above all vegetables and minerals, with at least 75% of cereals. They are raised in the open air and free. Slaughtering is made when the animals achieve an age close to sexual maturity.
Appearance and Flavour
Volailles du Forez PGI have firm flesh and refined taste with higher organoleptic features. On the contrary, Christmas turkey is distinguished by tenderer and fattier flesh.
History
The historic fame of Volailles du Forez PGI goes back to the 19th century, when the first poultry breeding developed in the Forez farms. Poultry, also living, and eggs were sold in numerous specialised markets and in different regional fairs. And just the bare-neck breed of Forez was the base to create the present different breeds with bare neck.
Gastronomy
The Volailles du Forez PGI can be conserved in the refrigerator for a few days, in their original package. These precious fowls are eaten grilled, roasted in oven, boiled, stewed or fried. They are ideal to prepare elaborated and refined second coursed and for different types of dishes. They can be stuffed with dry fruits, plums, foie gras and truffle. First sauté in butter and then sprinkled with wine or milk cream, they are served combined with vegetable or mushroom trimmings. The Dinde Fermière de Noël (Christmas farm turkey) is raised to prepare local dishes for the feast days and, thanks to its fattier and tenderer flesh, it can be slowly cooked for a long time.
Marketing
The Volailles du Forez 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 (blanc or noir), dinde noire fermière and dinde noire fermière âgée de 175 jours, chapon fermier (white or black farm chicken; black farm turkey and black farm turkey aged of 175 days, farm capon). The product is sold fresh or frozen, whole without head or in slices packed in trays with protected atmosphere which guarantees a longer conservation and unaltered quality fowls.
Distinctive Features
The breeding in the open air in the Forez farms gives unique flavour and consistency to the Volailles du Forez PGI.
