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PGI — Languedoc-Roussillon
Mountain chicken from the Cévennes: slow-reared (84+ days), delicate, tender flesh, authentic flavour.
Free-range poultry from Languedoc-Roussillon, PGI (IGP) since 2011.
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In the Cévennes, poultry farming is a family tradition dating back several centuries: as early as the 1900s, agricultural shows and poultry competitions were already awarding prizes for the quality of Cévenol poultry. Cévennes farms have always maintained a farmyard mix of chickens and capons — reared free-range on wooded slopes and high-altitude pastures, foraging for insects, wild seeds and farm-grown cereals. The hardy naked-neck breed, selected for this mountain terroir, has long legs that allow it to roam across rugged terrain without injury, and a lively nature that prompts it to run and leap rather than remain still — a world away from industrial poultry.
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The PGI, officially approved by decree on 11 January 2011, protects an area of 426 communes across Gard, Lozère, Ardèche and Hérault. According to the sector, it brought together 14 farmers in 2017 and marketed around 300,000 chickens a year, an output that was then insufficient to satisfy demand. The specifications require a minimum rearing period of 84 days — twice the industrial standard — and mandatory outdoor access to runs characteristic of the Cévennes landscape.
Appearance
Well-structured whole poultry, yellow legs, beak and skin — a colouring resulting from a diet based on maize and sorghum
Aroma
Light, subtle, slightly grassy — a reflection of the Cévennes pastures
Taste
Distinctive flavour, shaped by the wild vegetation of the runs — thyme, lavender, heather — alongside the cereals
Texture
Firm flesh and muscle, juicy and lean meat
naked neck (crosses S 757 N, T 457 N, T 451 N), slow-growing, selected for its long legs suited to rugged terrain
reared indoors for the first few weeks, then given access to an outdoor run by 42 days at the latest
84 days minimum — well beyond the industrial standard (42 days)
responsible rearing in accordance with PGI specifications
in an approved slaughterhouse, butchered and packaged under the label
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Poulet des Cévennes reveals all its flavour with slow cooking: oven-roasted on a bed of garden vegetables, stuffed with garrigue herbs and ail rose de Lautrec, it fills the house with an irresistible aroma. Its firm flesh also holds up remarkably well in a casserole: gently simmered with cèpes from the Cévennes forests, chestnuts and a glass of white wine, it becomes a celebratory dish.
In summer, suprêmes grilled over vine-shoot embers pair wonderfully with a ratatouille of local vegetables. Once the poultry has been enjoyed, the carcass yields an extraordinarily flavourful broth.
Wine pairings: a dry white from Languedoc (Picpoul, Roussanne from Grès de Montpellier), or a light red from Coteaux du Languedoc for casserole dishes.
Since: 2011
Area covered: 426 communes — Gard, Lozère, Ardèche, Hérault
Key requirements: Naked-neck breed, 84 days minimum, free-range 2 m²/chicken from 42 days, 3-cereal diet, antibiotic-free
No producer is listed for this product yet.
