Poularde de Bresse is the larger, more luxurious counterpart to the Poulet de Bresse — a young hen of the same Gauloise Blanche de Bresse breed, raised under the same AOC regulations, but slaughtered at a minimum of five months rather than four, and fattened in the épinettes for a full four weeks rather than two. The poularde has never laid eggs. All of the bird's energy has gone into developing flesh rather than reproduction, and the result is a noticeably more succulent, tender, and richly marbled bird than the poulet. If the Poulet de Bresse is the standard by which all other chickens are measured, the Poularde is the step above it.

The additional month of life and the longer finishing period make a tangible difference. The flesh is denser and more deeply flavoured, with a finer grain and more intramuscular fat than the poulet. The skin is thin and very white. The poularde is a bigger bird — minimum 1.8kg under the AOC rules — which makes it better suited to feeding a larger table or for occasions where you want generous portions of exceptional quality.

Like all Bresse poultry, the poularde carries AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) status — the only poultry in the world with this protection. The birds must be of the Gauloise Blanche de Bresse breed (white plumage, steel-blue legs, red comb), raised free-range with a minimum of 10 square metres of pasture each in the legally defined Bresse region of eastern France (Ain, Saône-et-Loire, Jura). From around five weeks of age they are fed cereals and dairy products, with a deliberately low-protein diet that encourages foraging for insects and grasses. In the final four weeks before slaughter, the poularde is finished on a diet of maize and milk, which develops the characteristic fat marbling and richness for which Bresse is known.

FINE & WILD prepares each bird in-house on the day it arrives from France. The birds are trussed using traditional techniques to promote even cooking, then blast frozen to −30°C to preserve freshness. They arrive oven-ready with no giblets.

Producer: AOC Volaille de Bresse, eastern France

Ingredients: Whole poularde (Gauloise Blanche de Bresse)

Storage: Store frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator for 24–48 hours before cooking. Once defrosted, use within 2 days. Do not refreeze.

Poulet de Bresse

Poularde de Bresse Aoc