Bresse chicken is the unrivaled poultry of Bresse, France, in the Rhône-Alpes. This is a highly prized and not inexpensive bird beloved for its rich flavor, tender pink flesh and bright yellow fat.
Poulet de Bresse varieties include the red-crowned, blue-footed, white-feathered Bény, decked out in the colors of the French flag, as well as the black Bourg and gray Louhans.
Not any old chicken can call itself a poulet de Bresse, and the real thing, farmed according to exacting standards in a designated area, was the first poultry to be granted AOC protection in 1957.
France is so fond of the Bresse chicken that it hardly exports any of its stock. Nevertheless, the American blue-foot chicken, grown from French stock in the 1980s and raised with the same strict diet controls and regulation about the amount of roaming space for the animals, can be found at a price in the U.S..
By far the most popular type of beer in the world, lager tends to be crisp, nonchalant and easily swillable. If you've had a pilsner, bock, marzen or Colt 45, then you've tasted lager.
What's the difference between a lager and an ale? German for "storehouse," lager refers to the cold rooms where lager is fermented (using bottom-fermenting yeast). Ales are made with top-fermenting yeasts that prefer warmer temperatures.
Lager predates Christopher Columbus, but by the 19th century, the U.S. had developed its own style of lager. Based on the Czech pilsner, the taste of American lagers are generously characterized as "flavor neutral."
Every year, Munich celebrates lager with Oktoberfest.
what you should know
If you were a beer, odds are you'd be a lager.
By far the most popular type of beer in the world, lager tends to be crisp, nonchalant and easily swillable. (Just like you?)
If you've had a pilsner, bock, marzen or Colt 45, then you've tasted lager.
lager vs. ale What's the difference between a lager and an ale? German for "storehouse," lager refers to the cold rooms where lager is fermented (using bottom-fermenting yeast). Ales are made with top-fermenting yeasts that prefer warmer temps.
ancient history Lager predates Christopher Columbus, but by the 19th century, the U.S. had developed its own style of lager. Based on the Czech pilsner, the taste of American lagers are generously characterized as "flavor neutral." (Monty Python fans will know why American beers are like making love in a canoe.)
golden days Every year, Munich celebrates lager with Oktoberfest. If you can't make it, Eric Asimov can recommend some fine steins to drink at home.
what you need
This simple beer kit is a good way to get started if you think you're interested in home brewing.
There is no better way to proclaim your love of lager than with a wall-mounted beer-opener.
Author Maureen Ogle counterintuitively sings the praises of big, consistent American beer in Ambitious Brew.
If you aren't drinking from the bottle, try these classy pilsner glases. For something slightly less classy, there is always the funnel.
what you do
Need a little hair of the dog? Mix a Michelada to ease the pain.
Bring a barbecue classic indoors and make this beer can chicken in your oven.
While an English ale seems more fitting for fish and chips, we prefer to wash them down with the light, crisp flavor of a lager.
All the talk of cold beer has us craving spicy shrimp (Brys), Asian mussels (Kristin), onion rings (Claire), black bean soup (Corinne) and chicken and sausage gumbo (Chip).
Turkey and red bean chili will keep you warm as the nights grow cold.
Featured: Munch on these pepper jack and lager grissini, this week's Root Source Challenge featured recipe. Congratulations to Cafe Lynnylu!
Find more lager recipes at Cookthink.com. And if you haven't yet signed up for a free account at Cookthink, do it now!
A spatchcocked chicken, like a butterflied chicken, is a chicken that has had the back and breastbones removed so it can be opened up and flattened out like a book. This way, it cooks faster and more even all around. Here's how to do it:
First, turn the whole chicken breast side-down and cut along one side of the backbone with the sturdiest kitchen shears you can find.
Rotate the chicken around and cut alongside the other side of the bacbkone to remove it. (Refrigerate or freeze the backbone, then simmer it with aromatic vegetables for a quick chicken broth.)
Open the chicken up like a book and find the diamond-shaped breast bone. With a pairing knife, cut along both sides of the breast bone. Run your fingers along either side, then just pull it out. You might need the kitchen shears or pairing knife to carve it away from the breast meat beneath.
Trim away any excess fat from either side of the chicken, and it's ready to cook in the oven, on the spit or on the grill.
