I’m on my hols over the border in Spain at the moment…so bear with me, it could be a question of ‘idle hands’… I’m ‘obliged’ to compare prices when I break for the border…
However, I have a question (how American!)…what is it about Poulet Fermiers back in the home country? The ones around me are normally emaciated, dry, tasteless and very expensive. My local Super U asks 13,95€ for a cooked one from the deli counter! All a bit Emperor’s New Clothes for me…
This morning I picked up a lovely pair of cooked birds in the Carrefour Hypermarket here in Vinaros for 10,00€ the pair - plump, tasty, succulent - bloody delicious.
What’s going on?
(By the way - Diesel 1,17€ / litre with an additional 8% off if you spend more than 60€ in Carrefour)
Only ever buy uncooked ones that have been raised for 90 days or more (even that’s too young by my FP’s standard )and only when they are on offer.
Needless to say its not me who cooks them as they always turn out succulent
10 euros a pair for cooked birds is incroyable, hope you are planning to bring a flock back home with you…
Don’t forget to stock up with washing powder/liquid, shower gels and of course some booze…
I always enjoyed the Label Rouge poulet fermier but only after much trial and error.
I never bought the Loué brand as I always found them a bit pallid and tough.
The best weight to buy was about 1.5kg as they were most succulent.
The best way to cook them was hot and quick - that means at 200 degrees in a fan oven. 40 mins with the breast covered with foil and then a further 30 minutes with the legs covered in the same foil. Then once out of the oven turn the bird onto its breast and leave in a warm place for a further 40 minutes. Always perfectly cooked and juicy.
And only ever bought them on special offer, usually at 4€99 per kg.
But were your 10€ birds poulet fermier or just poulet lived in a cage crammed with others, fed on pulped chicken carcasses and antibiotics, with its beak cut off and no access to natural light?
I cook my poulet fermier at 200 degrees in the fan oven like you.
I baste it before putting in the oven with a mixture of melted butter and olive oil.
I leave it uncovered for about 50 minutes to an hour, then let it rest.
We have fresh tarragon in the garden at the moment so that gets put onto the skin as well.
I don’t eat meat often, but when I do it makes me feel more comfortable to know that the beast at least had a happy life before ending up in my cooking pot. To me that doesn’t seem rude, but polite…
There’s a cookery book I may still have lurking somewhere called something like “100 ways with eggs”.
I still remember the first time I had a boiled goose-egg, oh the deliciousness
I sometimes also cut a lemon and put it in the carcass for extra flavour. As you do, I also anoint the bird with oil and seasoning before cooking it. I think the long resting makes all the difference.
I’m ‘obliged’ to compare prices when I break for the border…
