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PGI — Aquitaine
A cockerel castrated and fattened for one hundred and fifty days in the woods of Périgord — flesh marbled with intramuscular fat, incomparable succulence, poultry of festive feasts since the Middle Ages.
Free-range poultry from Aquitaine, PGI (IGP) since 2016.
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Poultry farming in Périgord developed significantly from the 14th century onwards, with the end of the Hundred Years' War, and continued throughout the Ancien Régime: poultry not only supplied the household with eggs and meat, but was also used, from the 16th century, as a currency of exchange to pay certain dues to the clergy and landowners. In the 19th century, spurred by the Société d'Agriculture du département de la Dordogne, agricultural shows opened to barnyard fowl and rewarded the finest specimens; held first in Dordogne from 1862 and then in neighbouring départements, they stimulated competition among breeders and, in barely a quarter of a century, helped establish Périgord as a nationally renowned centre of poultry production.
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It was in 1953 that Périgord producers founded the first Syndicat de Défense du Poulet Fermier du Périgord, initiating a drive for quality that was to bear fruit. In 1965, this same syndicate took part in the creation of the very first French poultry Label Rouge, confirming the quality of Poulet du Périgord — a national first that firmly established Périgord as a benchmark region for superior-quality poultry. The Chapon du Périgord carries on this same tradition: it obtained its own PGI on 10 October 2016, alongside Poularde du Périgord and Poulet du Périgord.
The commune of Grignols, in Dordogne (Périgord blanc), is closely associated with the production of Périgord capons. Every year in December, the Fête du Chapon de Grignols brings together breeders, artisans and food lovers in a rural festival atmosphere: a market of ready-to-cook capons and festive poultry, Périgord specialities, cookery workshops and chef demonstrations. This festive tradition bears witness to the deep roots of the capon in Périgord's culinary identity, far beyond a mere commercial product.
Appearance
Plump festive bird with highly developed, rounded muscle masses, and very thin, uniformly intense skin colour (yellow or white) revealing substantial subcutaneous fat.
Aroma
Aromas of matured fatty meat, linked to the marbling developed during the final indoor fattening phase.
Taste
Rich, melting flavour, carried by the intramuscular fat known as "persillé" that builds up during the final weeks of rearing.
Texture
Melting, juicy flesh, distinctly fattier than a standard free-range chicken, owing to the intramuscular and subcutaneous fattening characteristic of the capon.
The Chapon du Périgord is a male chicken from slow-growing strains, surgically castrated before reaching sexual maturity — at the latest by 63 days of age. The PGI distinguishes two types: the yellow capon, of the "cou nu" type, and the white capon, of the non-cou nu type. The whole carcass reaches a minimum weight of 3 kg in its drawn form (2.5 kg ready-to-cook). Poularde du Périgord and Poulet du Périgord, also under PGI, complete this same poultry sector.
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Chapon du Périgord is roasted slowly to preserve all the juiciness of its flesh. The traditional feast-day recipe stuffs it with minced pork, poultry livers and chestnuts sautéed with shallots, before roasting for around 2 hours 45 minutes at 150°C for a bird of 3.5 to 4 kg — the skin massaged with butter and basted regularly with a dash of Périgord white wine to achieve its characteristic golden colour. The great red wines of the Bergeracois — Pécharmant foremost among them — make an ideal accompaniment to this festive dish.
Since: 2016
Area covered: Dordogne + cantons of Charente, Haute-Vienne, Corrèze, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, Gironde, Charente-Maritime
Key requirements: Slow-growing strain; surgical castration before 63 days; minimum 150 days of rearing; wooded outdoor range; systematic supplementation with bentonite
Association
Artisanal industry
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Blason d'Or presents itself as a Périgord poultry brand founded in 1956, which rears, slaughters, and processes on site chickens, guinea fowl, capons, and turkeys within a single integrated supply chain, from feed and hatching to processing, alongside its local farmers. Its poultry is certified Label Rouge, Périgord PGI (IGP), and Agriculture Biologique.
Based in Saint-Laurent-des-Vignes in the Dordogne, the company states that it handles its own transport of products throughout the greater South-West.
| Address | 46 Rte de Bordeaux, 24100 Saint-Laurent-des-Vignes, France |
| +33 5 53 74 54 54 | |
| blasondor.com | |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2009. |
